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SUITS Recap: The Fraudigal Son Returns

Shana Lieberman

Photo: Shane Mahood/USA Network

The SUITS Bible tells us that, in the beginning, a closed-off lawyer by the name of Harvey Specter hired a fraud known as Mike Ross. Over some number of years (nobody knows how many at this point because we don’t believe in keeping track of time here), Harvey’s closeness to Mr. Ross—and the lengths he went to in order to protect his adopted son—helped him to finally have a new family after years of being estranged from his mom and brother. But then Mike, who only worked at Will Hire Frauds For Name because one Rick Sorkin failed to show up for his interview, took his bleeding heart, wife, and newly-earned legitimacy to Seattle. It wouldn’t be SUITS, though, if Mike wasn’t back before the End of Days. And in “If The Shoe Fits,” that’s exactly what happened: The Fraudigal Son returned.

Donna and Katrina go on a date. Donna wanted to thank Katrina for saving her vote by helping her “move on” from what happened with Craig from DEGRASSI Brian Altman. Katrina swore that she was just fine; but when she tried calling Brian, she had what can only be described as a meltdown of Louis Litt proportions.

I think she called herself Kitty Kat??? What kind of nickname??? And screamed at Brian’s voicemail to tell his wife he was in love with her?

Off to Donna with the awkward confession of the year Katrina went; and Donna booked them a martini date. Proving that she didn’t actually know everything, Donna essentially gave Katrina the “get over one man by getting under another” advice (because that worked so well for her with the whole Thomas mess). Katrina became increasingly upset as, with Generic Hot Dude option after Generic Hot Dude option, Donna refused to listen to her; and, when Katrina finally shut Donna up, we learned that she had only ever been in one real relationship.

Then, the Katrina-history conversation turned to Pot Donna calling Kettle Katrina black: “You broke both your hearts because you didn’t want anything to get in the way of your career.” But luckily, since Donna had already learned her lesson the hard way, she gave Katrina the high-quality advice expected out of The Book of Donna: “Brian was your soul’s way of telling you that there’s more to life than work, and the person that you need to develop a relationship with is you.”

Donna made Katrina promise her that she’d spend at least one night per week avoiding work (see also: Harvey’s borrowed advice from Oprah). And, in yet another of SUITS’ final season’s developments clearly written just for me, Katrina enrolled in a ballet class.

Me? Screaming because Amanda Schull, former professional ballet dancer, was playing Katrina, an aspiring adult dancer? Um. Yes. So much yes. The only thing left is for her to actually show Donna her skills, please and thank you.

Of course, the more general appeal here might be simply giving Donna and Katrina’s friendship one last shot at the spotlight. There’s also the potential of Katrina as the only viable “substitute,” so to speak, for Rachel. Or maybe this was just another way to show that, goddess or not, even Donna Paulsen still has room to grow. Clearly, though, the ballet class was the most important part. Because I say so Katrina truly needed a chance to have some kind of character development outside of “too driven to have a life,” which is, far too often, the way ambitious women are written.

Buuuut with as great as this story was, it was obviously not the main point of this particular SUITS episode.

Which brings us to…

Mike Ross learns that, while there’s no place like home, even Will Hire Frauds For Name can change. Any viewer looking to cry over the nostalgia of Mike Ross’ return for SUITS’ final season didn’t have to wait long. “If The Shoe Fits” opened with a somewhat depressing Darvey phone call: There would be no date night—not even for Donna’s love of “stupid yellow tomatoes”—tonight because Donna had heard from an “old friend.” Just as Harvey started questioning who that friend might be, though, a familiar voice chimed in and proved that he was still undisputed champion at one thing: ribbing Harvey.

Mike overheard Harvey telling Donna that he was hoping to get her into SURVIVOR during their romantic night in, but the Robin to Harvey’s Batman didn’t approve: “SURVIVOR?! What are you, a thousand?” (Answer: Probably, given the SUITS timeline for Darvey’s “12” years…)

Thus began a beautiful homecoming, complete with Marvey banter and the sort of warm, welcoming hug that would never have existed, even over Harvey’s dead body, before we began our journey. Harvey even offered Mike Donna’s yellow tomatoes, so one can safely assume that tomatoes equal love. (That sudden flooding you’re seeing, and high-pitched noise you’re hearing, are the river of my tears and my own screaming, respectively. But I’m not okay. I promise.)

Harvey and Mike’s surprise slumber party included an in-depth discussion of the comedy that was Darvey’s rise: “Let me get this straight: I tell Donna to kiss you. She does. And then, as a result, you…ask…another woman to move in with you.” Harvey called it “a complicated situation,” to which Mike responded by continuing to drag Harvey to hell; and when Harvey wanted to change the subject because he’d already explained himself, Mike told Harvey that “a real friend needs to enjoy the shame in person.”

Raise your hand if you were the Mike Ross in this conversation because…Really, same. Bad, bad story. Stupid, stupid characters. So, so glad we’re past that now and living in the best timeline, where people do things that make sense.

The good times couldn’t continue forever, though.

(I mean, they could. I would absolutely watch an entire SUITS episode of nothing but Mike insulting Harvey and his terrible relationship journey.)

When Harvey asked Mike why he was actually in town, he admitted that his trip was business related; and that business, as was bound to happen, was a case against one of Will Hire Frauds For Name’s clients. The good, old-fashioned father-son fight that Mike was looking for wasn’t going to work out exactly as he’d assumed, though: For one thing, the client in question was Brick Street Athletics, which Harvey had given to Samantha Wheeler as a “sorry I abandoned you for Darvey Bangfest 2k19” gift.

Mike’s client, Jeremy Wall, wanted out of his contract with Brick Street after seeing worker exploitation in an overseas factory. Mike knew what Harvey’s response to his claim would be ahead of time, so he brought along a breach of contract case…

…and then it was off to Will Hire Frauds For Name for Ross vs. Specter (and Wheeler!) 2019.

Since Brick Street was technically Sam’s client, she refused to give Harvey leave to spend quality time alone with his boy. Mike attempted to mansplain to Sam how Harvey was going to take the client back whether she wanted him to or not; but Sam was, how you say…a bit more determined (and less of Harvey’s favorite child) to keep the case than Mike might have expected. And so it was that it was two against one: Harvey and Female!Harvey versus Mini Harvey.

Harvey warned Sam not to underestimate the fraudigal son, but. Well. After Team Will Hire Frauds For Name nailed Mike in a deposition, it was Harvey himself who admitted he couldn’t “fight at full strength” with Fay Bitchardson Richardson around. Mike told Harvey it was actually an opportunity for him to “fight fair for a change,” so Dad and Junior agreed to avoid doing anything that could get them disbarred or sent to prison.

After joking about Mike’s resulting trauma from spending all of 15 seconds in prison, Harvey agreed to the ground rules with one added—and vitally important!—condition: “No crying in your coffee. We end this thing on good terms, no matter who wins.”

(I’m crying in my coffee. Sorry, Harvey.)

Donna was the first person to catch Mike’s next move, so she tried to reason with Sam (why not Harvey? Afraid the conversation would devolve into something, uhhh, else?) about cutting a deal. Sam, however, didn’t see why she should. Donna’s answer? “Because Mike Ross is family.” (I’m crying.) Unfortunately, even explaining to Sam that Mike was her in-law through the Zane branch of the family tree didn’t help Donna make her case.

So, Donna went with a more business-related approach. She promised that Mike’s “hey, Brick Street is full of monsters” ad was was only his first move; and he would not stop until he won. “I am telling you, he is just like you and Harvey. He will never stop. And if you can’t come up with a win-win, then I guarantee you, we will end up with a lose-lose.”

Sam’s attempt at a peace treaty devolved into Mike dubbing Sam “Harvey’s new second fiddle” (ouch). The adult-ish Harveys managed to find a way to keep Harvey Junior from getting the jury trial he clearly wanted to force; but Mike still managed to beat them. He played the man—as in, he played Harvey’s game better than Harvey himself because Harvey was too busy banging Donna failed to realize that Mike wasn’t the guy he thought he was playing.

Or. Well.

Mike earned himself a clean win; but Samantha fell back on old, dirty habits and fabricated evidence because she couldn’t stand being bested by Harvey’s favorite son. When Harvey confronted her about it, the evil spirit named Bitchardson Faye conveniently happened to manifest long enough to eavesdrop. Her demon-level timing made sure she knew enough to fire Sam, even when Sam refused to tell her which lawyer had misbehaved.

Meanwhile, Mike was so upset at the perceived betrayal that he ruined family night with the law parents and accusing Harvey of being the one to create the fake evidence. Mike didn’t believe Harvey when he said he hadn’t done anything wrong; but when Mom Donna told Mike that Harvey really had behaved himself, he started a screaming match over Harvey’s decision to protect Sam. Mike charged Harvey with still being bitter that he’d left; but Harvey came back with how angry he was that the fraudulent son he’d raised from a fake associate to a real boy didn’t bother to visit until he could pick a fight.

Mike almost left town still angry, but Mom sent Uncle Louis over to smooth things over: “We were rivals at work; but no matter how much we fought, at the end of the day, we didn’t let it get in the way of our friendship. Mike, I’m not saying you can’t be furious. I’m just saying don’t let this be the end of you and Harvey.”

Yeah, really. Don’t let this be the end, SUITS. Please?

Notes On A Former Fraud & Other Random Things

SUITS’ final season continues on Wednesday, August 21 at 9/8c on USA.

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