Suits: Season 3 Episode 2 Recap: 'I Want You to Want Me'
Suit's season 3 premiere episode, 'The Arrangement', had ended on "You want to take down Jessica" and "Yes, I do." The second episode of the new season opens with Dona (Sarah Rafferty) calling Harvey's (Gabriel Matcht) move to become a managing partner, with the backing of Edward Darby (Conleth Hill), a "COUP" against Jessica (Gina Torres). It is not a "coup" in Harvey's dictionary but a "move". He wants to take down Jessica but before that Cameron Denise (Gary Cole), a special prosecutor appointed in Ava Hessington's (Michelle Fairle) case, is waiting for him. Cameron is nursing a grudge against both Jessica and Harvey.
Suit's second episode of season 3, 'I Want You to Want Me', is all about mentors and their associates/assistants. Cameron was Harvey's mentor when the latter was working at the U.S. District Attorney's office. He was ready to sell Harvey out at the time to save himself when accused and investigated for "burying of evidence."
Mentor Harvey again snubs his right hand man, now probably former, Mike (Patrick J. Adams) and is in no mood to forgive him and when Mentor Louis Marlowe Litt (Rick Hoffman) comes seeking his 'no objection' certificate to make Mike his associate, he gives his blessings by saying, "He is all yours." It may very well be 'The End' to Harvey-Mike team as Harvey does not want Mike back despite knowing that he has given-up the office and is reeling under the burden of guilt. Harvey's argument is "what had happened should've never happened."
Louis' tenure as a head of associates has come to an end. Remember, he lost his "beloved" associates to his new enemy in the firm, Nigel, after falling for the quartermaster bait. He chokes-up with emotions while giving a little farewell speech to a group of disinterested associates. In one of the most unexpected moments, it's Jessica who peps him up. She offers him the chance to mentor his own associate and he has only one associate in his mind.
He courts Mike by taking him out to a steakhouse restaurant, which is soon going to be demolished. The two join forces to stall the demotion and win a case for the steakhouse. There is a mud-wrap spa session, too; possibly to give Mike an idea about the perks he is going to enjoy if he becomes part of the Litt Team. Hold your breath! You get to see Louis' mud clad, bare butt and Mike gets to see both his front and back in a so like 'Louis moment'. Mike enjoys his time with Louis and gets a sense of working 'with' him and not working 'for' him, which is the case when it comes to Harvey and him.
Harvey is stoic. There are no signs of him missing his right hand man but his hurt comes to the fore again and again. A video passed on by Cameron as incriminating evidence against Ava puts him and her on the same 'betrayed by the right hand man' page. Her protégée Nick, whom she mentored for ten years, to save his own skin, just like Mike, had given the video to Cameron. Harvey tries to talk Nick out of it by telling him that he may regret betraying his mentor. Cameron offers him a deal to settle the bribery charges against Ava, which he is not ready to take but Jessica wants him to take it and settle the case. Ava is feeling the pinch of losing Nick and she points out to Harvey that what he did was for his survival and not for his personal gains. Harvey is still stuck on "But, he did it (read Mike)."
The words ..."it's not that I'm not going to miss him (Nick)," put Harvey in a deep thought, which holds the possibility that he may be missing his protégé, too. Donna wants him to forgive Mike if it is all Jessica's fault. Mike says yes to Louis but an understanding Harvey wants him to go back to where he belongs. The high-five between the two puts Team Litt in the garbage bin.
Mike and his mentor Harvey may have become a team again but there is no going back for Harvey and his former mentor Jessica. The 'Coup' is still on. Jessica is not reeling under any truckload of guilt. She unequivocally tells Harvey, she will do what she had done, again if he ever puts her in that position again. It is all about surviving and winning in the cut-throat competitive legal world, both for the mentors and their associates.
Mike and Rachel (Meghan Markle) have their extreme moments post hooking up, including finding it difficult to lay their hands off each other in the office, outbursts and fight session and a patch-up. While their relationship is solidifying, cracks have appeared in the bonding of the firm's BFFs- Rachel and Donna.
It is time for Louis to get his own Mike and form a Litt team that can give a solid punch to Harvey for spoiling his party 'yet' again. A completely crushed, a potential Mentor Louis was a miserable sight, makes your heart go out to him.
Promo of 'Unfinished Business: Suits Season 3 Episode 3
Suits Season 3 Episode 2 Recap: 'The Arrangement'