'Suits' Recap Season 5: Harvey Declares War To Win Donna In Episode 2, 'Compensation' [SPOILERS]

The episode 2 of “Suits” Season 5, “Compensation,” showed that Harvey has yet to move on, though he hired a new secretary who may not look or sound like Donna but she is equal to the ex-secretary, if not better, when it comes to competence. Louis once again demonstrated how to muddle the good. Jack Sloff entered the scene as the head of commission committee and did not waste much time to show what he aims to do -- weave a net of trouble for Harvey. And Robert Zane presented his newly-engaged daughter the pre-nup. And Harvey and Mike had no scene together in this episode, as the latter was busy with a case that no one wanted to put money on, including Jessica and his former-boss Jonathan Sidwell who underscored that he still does not trust him. Here is what happened in Episode 2 of “Suits” Season 5:

Recap of “Suits” Season 5, Episode 2, titled “Compensation”:

Rachel is having dinner with her father, Robert Zane, at a restaurant. He gives her the pre-nup agreement, and Rachel does not want to begin her marriage on that note, planning for its end. Mr Zane just wants to make sure that her assets -- his money -- are protected when chinks in their marriage surface. Rachel tells him that he does not know Mike and her father does not dispute that, and that is why he wants her daughter to take home the pre-nup and take a look at it. Rachel agrees, though still not convinced.

Jimmy and Harold make an entry in this episode, the latter for a brief appearance while the latter gives Mike his case of the episode. Harold is crushed to learn that Mike is engaged to his biggest crush ever, Rachel. Jimmy meets Mike later and gives him his engagement present, a case that needs him to take on a major insurance company on behalf of poor clients. Mike takes it despite knowing that Jessica would not allow him to pursue it. And that is exactly what happens, she tells Mike to stop working on the case and that, she will not put her firm’s money on a case that won't be giving solid return.

Harvey is not aware about Mike’s new case, as he has other things to take care of, including hiring a new secretary. He rejects all the young, bright, beautiful applicants to avoid Donna-like situation surfacing again, and hires an old, African-American woman called Gretchen Bodinski. The case of this week for him is of a client cum friend who has made up his mind to sell his sneaker business at a lower price to Adidas. He is not interested in more money as according to him, life is short, he is burned out and he is ready to move on. Harvey tells him to give him a week’s time and he will get him a better offer. The client cum friend gives him 48 hours.

Meanwhile, Jack Sloff, the new head of commission committee, makes his first appearance on the show. He meets Louis and asks him to back his plan to alter the firm’s compensation formula. Louis is quick to figure out that the new formula would affect Harvey’s salary more than anyone else, and Jack wants to take on Harvey. Louis gives him the go ahead to bring it up in the meeting the next day, in absence of Jessica. When Donna questions Louis about it, he reveals that he is going to smack the proposal down, as he feels Harvey is jealous of them and he sees this as a chance to back him publically. Donna does not approve this strategy of Louis to mend his bridge with Harvey.

Louis and Harvey attend the meeting and when Jack brings up the proposal, Louis stands up and opposes it. Harvey, however, does not acknowledge that and walks out of the meeting. Louis confronts him and learns that Harvey is still paying Donna’s salary from his own pocket. Louis asks him to stop doing that and goes to Jessica to find out about Donna’s pay. The amount he sees puts him in shock, and later when he wants to have a word with Donna about that, Donna misinterprets and thinks that he is thinking of giving her a raise. She tells him that 2 per cent raise is fine, and Louis keeps quiet.

Louis goes to Jessica and Harvey with a new plan for Donna’s pay, which is a modified version of Jack’s formula. Harvey is furious and ends up calling Louis a monkey, and Jessica tells Louis that she will “slap the taste of your mouth,” and also makes Harvey to shut up using the same words. Louis goes straight to Jack and tells him that he will support his proposal to change the pay formula. The problem is how to muster up enough votes to pass the proposal. Louis has a solution to that. He plans to accidently leak Harvey’s income statements, making everyone aware about how much he earns. Donna finds Harvey’s income statements at the copier and confronts Louis about it. Louis does not back out, and ignoring Donna’s words of reason, he goes and puts the income statements back at the copier.

At Mike and Rachel’s end, Mike finds about the pre-nup and goes to meet Mr Zane. He uses his latest case to show Rachel’s father what kind of person he is. Mr Zane appreciates that but tells Mike that one day an enemy will come after him as he is closely associated with Jessica and Harvey, having learned from them as well as having worked for them. Mike puts his signature on the pre-nup, telling Rachel that her father only wants to protect her.

After Jonathan Sidwell turns down Mike’s request to back the case -- he still does not trust him and does not want to see his face -- and Jimmy pricks his conscience once again, he goes to his would be father-in-law with the case, asking him to take it up. Mr Zane asks him to work with him on the case.

Harvey finds out from his new secretary the reason behind his client’s decision to sell his company. It is his friend’s sudden death that prompted him to put his business on sale. Harvey convinces Adidas to pay more for his client’s business. Later Harvey and his client have a talk about the friend’s death. This talk makes Harvey enter Louis's office, with the intention to patch up things with him. After Harvey’s heart-felt gesture, Louis rushes to the copier to stop the leak but it is too late, as everyone at the firm is reading the copies of Harvey’s income statements.

Harvey figures out that Louis is behind the leak. He confronts him but the latter refuses to admit his foul play, as that will get him fired. Harvey knocks at Donna’s apartment door and asks her to reveal about the wrong-doing. She refuses to do that as she is working for Louis and her loyalty lies with him. This makes Harvey disclose that he was paying her salary from his own pockets. Donna has the final word when she tells him that by revealing that, he has shown that he is indeed jealous of Donna-Louis team.

Harvey tells Louis that he will go after, not money or his partnership, but what he values most, Donna.

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