Suits Review: Stalking Horse (Season 8 Episode 15)
I’ve spent most of this season saying that Suits Season 8 was the season of Louis, and that continues in a powerful way on Suits Season 8 Episode 15, “Stalking Horse.”
It had felt like we moved on two quickly from a pivotal moment for Louis. He was mugged on Suits Season 8 Episode 4, “Revenue Per Square Foot,” and had a difficult time recovering from it emotionally.
But we moved on from that fast and it didn’t feel resolved. “Stalking Horse,” brings it all back and shows the effect this incident has continued to have on him.
Louis is a dynamic character as it is, and this episode challenges him further as he’s forced to face his fears and make some difficult decisions. Picking the man who mugged him in a line up is one thing, but testifying, only for the case to be thrown out, is something else altogether.
Add to that, he doesn’t want to do just anything to get this man put behind bars. Samantha is by Louis’s side in all of this, which is really endearing, and she’s dead set on doing whatever she can to help him, even if it’s something illegal.
Zane talks her out of that, but even in finding something legal, it puts Louis in a grey area — something that Suits always explores in interesting ways. Here, Louis struggles to cross a line that would jeopardize the man’s family, no matter how clear of a villain this guy is.
There does seem to be some resolution. Samantha’s second plan works. They get a confession out of his guy, and maybe more importantly, Louis gets this real chance to confront his assailant.
It’s a significant moment for him to face his fear in such a direct way. We’ve seen a strong side of Louis countless times when it comes to practicing law or leading associates, but this is different. It’s really satisfying to see Louis have this moment.
The other great thing about this is that it makes Samantha’s presence at the firm so much more impactful. I’ve liked her character, mostly, since she came on the scene, but for her to have this effect on Louis — this character-building effect — is really special. And it’s all quite fun to watch.
As for whether this is actually resolved, there’s a good hint that it isn’t. Zane pops up just enough to be a voice of reason and to suggest to Samantha that this is all going to haunt her one way or another. I can see it haunting Louis too, somehow.
Meanwhile, Donna makes a choice between the personal and the professional that looks like it’s going to have an even more painful cost for the firm than she thought.
It is… annoying.
It may be a different situation, but come on, we’ve seen this all before. It feels like we’re going in circles, even when it comes to Donna and Harvey’s relationship. Now Donna has made a mistake that is putting the firm in trouble and so on and so on. Harvey’s mad and hurt and so on and so on.
That sounds harsh, and it all does feel too repetitive. What’s different, though, are the motivations and what’s underneath.
Because Harvey does do everything he can to help Thomas, going above and beyond in a way he might not typically. That’s because of Donna — however you want to look at it.
And Donna does lose her faith in Harvey, but at the same time, the fact that she actually makes a personal choice instead of one that is best for the firm is growth on her part, and I gotta say, I like it. It is infuriating because as a viewer I can watch her make this choice to tell her boyfriend and just know it’s going to cause a major problem, but also because it’s easy to want her to choose the firm as usual.
It’s yet another grey area, and if anything, it allows for a killer emotional scene between Donna and Harvey — both of them being honest about their feelings while arguing and holding back tears. It feels so raw and so human, and it’s excellent work from both Gabriel Macht and Sarah Rafferty.
Enter our villain right after, though. Hardman is back to be terrible, and the firm really is in more trouble now because of what’s just happened.
More change, on a smaller scale, comes to the firm when it comes to Brian and Katrina. I’m honestly just relieved this is being resolved once and for all, because everything between these two was becoming difficult to watch.
Louis handles it nicely. He’s so gracious letting Brian take the client with him, and he’s understanding in a way that no one else probably would be.
I like Brian as a character, but this situation with Katrina had hit a wall and was more awkward than anything else. I’m glad it all ends on a good note rather than a dramatic one.
What did you think of this episode of Suits? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Suits airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on USA.
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.