Suits Review: Thunder Away (Season 9 Episode 9)
Suits continues to do everything right as it starts wrapping up its final season.
On Suits Season 9 Episode 9, “Thunder Away,” Harvey balances dealing with the loss of his mother with being forced to go against the people he cares about.
The episode opens with a flashback of a young Harvey with his mother, and that’s followed by present-day Harvey giving a eulogy at his mother’s funeral.
It is moving, first of all, to see Harvey break down the way he does. Gabriel Macht’s performance in this scene is absolutely perfect. The emotion feels raw and real as Harvey says goodbye and apologizes for not forgiving his mother and connecting with her sooner.
It’s also revealing of his growth. Harvey has developed into a wiser, stronger, more empathetic person, and this shows those changes so clearly.
It’s been a hell of a journey to watch Harvey’s development over the years, and this is quite the payoff, as heartbreaking as it is to watch him in this kind of pain.
Mike shows up for the funeral too, and Harvey’s voice catches in his throat when he sees him. Of course Mike would show up for Harvey, and of course he’d stay when Donna asked him to help get rid of Faye.
Mike: Did somebody call for Robin? Because I’m pretty sure I saw the Bat-Signal last night.
I also have to say that I’m glad Mike has the presence he does in this final season, and the walk he and Harvey take down memory lane in the bar is lovely.
They have these jokes and their classic banter that makes it feel like Mike never left, and it also proves that everything that’s happened since the beginning has brought us to exactly this point.
And Mike offering Harvey a job as a junior partner! I’ve missed those kinds of moments.
However, it feels strange at times to have him battling Harvey the way he is this season. This particular situation is more fitting than the last because Faye’s the one making things complicated.
Faye really is awful, but it’s also not entirely surprising that she would enlist Harvey and Louis to defend her against Samantha’s wrongful termination lawsuit. She all but forces them to do it, and they’re sworn to secrecy on the deal they make.
Mike knows something is up right away, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. In this final case for the firm, plans continue to be thwarted because of miscommunication.
It does seem to me that Harvey would tell Mike what’s happening anyway, but he’s not been put in a position quite like this before. That subpoena stings, though. It’s sad to see Mike and Harvey’s night ruined in that way, and Harvey is nearly bursting to just be honest with his friend. He doesn’t, though, and Mike walks away.
And oh, Katrina. Good grief. What she does is understandable, but she has to have known Harvey and Louis had a plan all along. She’s another one gone thanks to Faye, who feels like she’s just taking every person down she can before she runs out of time.
I have to back up a bit to Harvey and Donna, because they have some truly great moments. The two have settled into their relationship nicely and it feels more and more natural on screen every time I watch a new episode. It’s really perfect how they’ve leaned into it, and it’s been such a wonderful payoff.
There’s more heartbreak, though, in listening to Harvey tell his brother that they were making plans for their mother to come meet Donna. Then, there’s that letter.
Are you crying? Harvey finally reads the letter from his mom which includes a ring. Harvey tucks it away when Donna comes into the room, and he says he’ll tell her what was in the letter one day, just not today.
It’s obvious Harvey has every intention of giving Donna that ring, and that possibility is plenty enough to leave me anxious to watch the next — the final — episode of Suits.
What did you think of the penultimate episode of Suits? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
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Suits airs Wednesdays at 9/8c 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.