Suits Season 6 Episode 12 Review: The Painting
Paul Dailly
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Harvey Specter and his mother are officially on good terms, y'all!
That's right, Suits fanatics, Harvey and his mother finally put their feud aside on Suits Season 6 Episode 12 and it was about time.
Seven years is a long time to stay out of contact with a parent, but Suits definitely managed to show the strained relationship between the mother and son in a convincing way.
Harvey had every right to be upset with his mother. Having an affair was one thing, but asking Harvey to lie for her was one of the worst things a parent could do to their child.
She was wise enough to know that she was in the wrong, but that's part of why Harvey has emotional issues to this day. He relies too heavily on his PSL family as a support system and it was about time he fixed things out with his family.
With the dynamics at Pearson Specter Litt changing on a weekly basis, Harvey was breaking down inside at the prospect of change. Jessica's exit was a catalyst for that.
Getting to see Harvey's strained relationship with his family was riveting. If you watch Suits online you will already know by now that Harvey has never really kept in touch with them.
Showing up at his mother's workplace was a shock for her. She thought there was not a chance in hell that she would be able to get him back as a son.
I did take issue with her saying she accepted his apology, however. As far as I'm concerned, if she did not cheat, the family would have had a smoother relationship over the years.
It seemed foolish of her to bring it up, but there's also the chance it was thrown in to create more drama.
Hey, we need some conflict. There was no way it was going to be all fine and dandy.
Harvey: Hey, who do you have to know around here to get a good table?
Marcus: Jesus Christ, do my eyes deceive me, or do you look just like my big brother... only, older, fatter and douchier?
Harvey: I appreciate you noticing. I put in a lot of effort.
Harvey should have worked on keeping a better relationship with Marcus. He may have been on bad terms with Lily, but there was no excuse to ditch his brother.
Marcus revealing his health issues seemed like the nudge Harvey needed to just put the past behind him. Who wants to hold grudges for an eternity?
Donna: Please, tell me you didn't change your mind about seeing her?
Harvey: I didn't.
Donna: Then, what's the problem?
Harvey: I haven't seen the woman in seven years. The last time I did -
Donna: I know what happened the last time you did. Listen to me, every day, you go out in the world and you find a way to win. That's who you are. It's what you do.
Harvey: Donna, this isn't about winning.
Donna: Yes, it is. But it's not just one person in this case, it's two and right now you're both losing.
Harvey should thank Donna with a nice meal and a marriage proposal for just how much she pushed him to fix things.
Kidding aside, the powers that be had better stop teasing us and put them together.
Aside from all of the family drama, Mike actually managed to find a job, but it just seemed a little too good to be true. Mike must have felt like a failure having to open up to Rachel about being fired.
Don't get me wrong, I was ecstatic that Mike got a job, but it's becoming increasingly clear that Mike will get everything he wants. He got to live a fake life for all of those years and spent a fraction of his sentence behind bars.
For me to really get on board with the character of Mike again, we really need to see him struggle. It just seems like he keeps being handed the easy way out of things and it's becoming cumbersome to watch.
Yes, he had that setback on Suits Season 6 Episode 11, but did it take long for him to rebound with another coveted job?
Nope.
That said, I did like the personal struggle in the courtroom. There was no way he could have got involved without finding himself back in even more trouble.
He could have easily spoke up, but instead, he felt the need to pay the woman's past due rent. The case was interesting enough, but it just did not stick out that much in an episode that was pretty stuffed.
Louis was much less prominent this week and less was definitely more. Taking on one of Harvey's clients was a big move for him. He was still pissed because of the way Harvey spoke to him.
Clearly, he got the picture that there was something going on with Harvey that made him act like that.
However, Harvey and Louis becoming equals seemed a little too premature. It was a fresh way to approach it, but they are still going to be sparring at every turn for power.
If there was no conflict, there would be no show. Something will happen over the next few weeks that will make Harvey question his decision and Louis will not be up for taking a step back.
"The Painting" was another solid episode of this USA Network series. Surprisingly, the show has managed to find its footing pretty quickly in the wake of Jessica's departure.
Other tidbits from the episode:
- Harvey and Lily speaking about the painting was a great throwback to the difficult decision Harvey made when he gave on that his mother painted away last season.
- Did anyone else LOVE the scene with Rachel praising Louis for taking on Harvey's client? It was GREAT.
- Donna doing her best to push Harvey in right direction continued to prove just how integral she is in his life.
- Keeping the firm named Pearson Specter Litt was a good move. It's way too soon to think about changing names.
Over to you, Suits fanatics. What did you think of all the developments? Hit the comments below!
Note: Suits Season 6 Episode 13 airs February 8 on USA Network.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
