Suits Season 9 Episode 7 Review: Scenic Route
Paul Dailly
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That was one for the feels!
Suits Season 9 Episode 7 found Samantha and Harvey on the road, and the journey to find the Samantha's father helped Harvey to see things a bit more clearly.
If you watch Suits online, you know that Samantha and Harvey are more alike than they would care to admit.
Samantha's mission to find her father proved to be a daunting experience. Fleshing out her backstory through flashbacks was very effective.
In many cases, flashbacks weren't needed on Suits -- despite the show using them more than necessary.
But Samantha is a bit of a blank canvas because she only arrived on the scene during Suits Season 7.
Until now, she's been saddled with deeply-rooted anger issues, and for some reason, she thought meeting her father would help her come to terms with them.
It makes sense that Samantha would be worried about the meeting.
She didn't know whether the door was going to be slammed in her face or if the man she thought was her father was actually not.
It must have been horrible to learn that the man had no idea she existed. But for Samantha, it was better than being given up as a child and put into a system that failed her on so many occasions.
Donna: I packed you some breakfast for the road.
Harvey: Thanks. Listen, are you sure you're good with me going on this trip? Not a lot of women would want their men doing this.
Donna: Harvey, I'm not a lot of women.
Harvey: No, you're not.
Donna: And the truth is, any one of us would be there, but you're the one who knows what she's going through the most.
Harvey: She was abandoned by her parents, I wasn't.
Donna: No, but when it came to your mother, you felt like you were, and you were estranged from her for a long time. None of us knows what that feels like.
Harvey: Maybe I am the best man for the job.
Donna: As far as I'm concerned you're the best man for any job, and I love you.
Harvey: [coughs] Thanks, and I ... love ... you too.
Donna: You're an idiot.
Katherine Heigl delivered in all of the emotionally charged scenes, but the one in which she revealed her mother passed away when she was only two-years-old was the most upsetting of all.
This helped reaffirm what many people suspected: Samantha was not in the system from birth.
Instead, she spent her first two years with her mother before her death. At such a young age, it's difficult to remember anything from those first two years.
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There's no telling whether Samantha will try to build a bridge with her father, but he was vocal that he would have stepped up to take care of her if he'd known she existed all those years ago.
Samantha very nearly chose the wrong path after being caught driving a stolen car as a teenager.
She could lived a life of crime, but she got saved in the nick of time and realized that other options are out there. Not everyone gets that chance.
It wouldn't surprise me at all if Samantha decided to find the kid she was with when she ran away. Will he be part of the 50% that makes the wrong decision?
It has to be a question playing on Samantha's mind right about now. The best part about "Scenic Route" is that it started the process of bringing these characters full circle ahead of the series finale.
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Harvey has long resented his mother for her actions, and while he's been gradually getting closer to her again, the thing that lifted the wedge between them for good was his newfound worry that his mother could suffer a fate similar to Samantha's.
He's gone two full days. I can sit in his chair, listen to his records, I can finally be Harvey Specter. And no one will ever know.
Louis
Donna waiting for him with the painting was the icing on the cake, even if she did resort to some crazy measures to get the genuine version of the painting.
Slowly but surely, it's getting easier to get back on board with Harvey and Donna.
The show suffered from all the teasing, but now that they're getting accustomed to being together, it's not easy to see why they were finally put together.
If there's needless drama thrown in for them in the final three episodes, then I'll probably retract that last statement, but they have me -- for now.
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Louis has been the frequently frustrating character, but the old Louis was back during "Scenic Route," and he was excellent.
Posing as Harvey -- wig and all -- made for some comic relief in an otherwise emotional installment.
There was no way he was going get away with it, but the scenes were bursting at the seams with comical moments.
It's a shame that the more fun moments have been missing for so long, but they are a welcome return as we approach the series finale.
Ted: Hello, is this Harvey Specter?
Louis: Maybe. That depends. Who's calling? Have you heard my voice before, met me in any way, shape or form?
Ted: No, but I was hoping to soon. This is Ted Tucker.
Louis: The Ted Tucker?
Ted: That's right, and unless I'm mistaken, you're the Harvey Specter.
Louis: You bet your ass I am. What can I do for ya, chief dog? As long as it's on the phone, I'm good to go.
Ted: I was hoping that we could meet about a very important matter.
Louis: Yeah, let's set it up. Any time after Friday. I have a cold right now, so my voice will be different then, but.
Ted: Next week is not going to work for me, Harvey. I need to meet with you, and I need to meet with you today.
Louis: Today, in person? Uh, no, Ted, at the moment...
Ted: No at the moment. I want to take you to lunch, and I promise you it'll be the best lunch you've ever had.
Louis: Okay, Ted, can you just hold on one second, please? You know what, T-Dog, I can't make that happen, but what I can do is I can send my partner, Louis Litt who happens to be an excellent attorney in his own right. In fact, when you meet him, he'll sit down just like me.
Ted: Harvey, I don't want to meet with some schlub I've never heard of. Now, do you want to have the best lunch you've ever had or not?
Louis: Just tell me when and where, and I'll be there.
In essence, all of those scenes could have been used in any episode, but since Harvey and Samantha were dealing with some heavy stuff, they served as a great contrast.
As we look ahead to the final episodes, it seems like the characters will be confronting other things in their personal lives while taking down Faye.
The trailer confirms as much, but unless Faye does something catastrophic, I'm not buying it. She's been a formidable foe and made some mistakes, but all she wants is for the firm to follow the law.
That's not too much to ask someone who is practicing law, is it?
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There's bound to be more to the tale, but there will probably be a bunch of faces from the past stopping by to cause some trouble.
What did you think of Samantha's meeting with her father? Did you like the emotional ramifications for Harvey?
Should Louis impersonate Harvey more often?
Hit the comments.
Suits airs Wednesdays on USA Network.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
