Summary
Leaving no stone unturned, the Suits finale, “Harvey”, delivers one of its best conclusions to a season, offering redemptions and clarity for the principal characters.
Do you know what Suits is good at? Finales. It honestly does not matter if the season is average for the majority of the episodes, the series always attempts to leave each finale with a bang. And what a bang it was. Season 8, episode 16 titled “Harvey” had everything we wanted; drama, a solid twist and a cliffhanger to leave its viewers begging for season 9.
And considering the title was named “Harvey”, Episode 16 involved Robert’s past. It pulls the viewers back eight years ago with a younger Robert and Samantha, the time she got horrifically mugged, and he took a risk for her. In the present day, Samantha can sense something is eating away at him.
But then there is the Daniel Hardman scenario, and the two do not seem to link. Robert has an idea, to offer Daniel’s name on the wall at his ex-firm, but unfortunately, enemies run deep, and that firm will only accept the deal if Robert retires. “Harvey” explores proposed solutions but some dead ends.
Suits Season 8 Episode 16 (Credit – Netflix)
Harvey is the focus in the Suits Season 8 finale
Eventually, Harvey becomes the cornerstone to the finale. You can sense that with a bag of nerves, he explains to Louis the Daniel Hardman problem; we have finally reached a point in the story where Harvey genuinely respects Louis as the Managing Partner. The devastating situation is, Daniel wants Louis to admit in court that Harvey broke client privilege, which will result in him losing his license to practise law.
The season eight finale tries its utmost best to keep Donna on the sidelines while all this unravels, but it is hard as an audience member who has remained engaged with Suits since its infancy to forget her.
In “Harvey” it tentatively reveals her guilt, that she feels responsible. She is. Louis asks the question; why did Harvey tell Donna about the deal regarding Thomas, and why did Donna not wait for Harvey to fix the entire issue like he has done, many times before.
With that burning question in mind, and Daniel also demanding his name on the wall as well as Harvey resigning, he asks Thomas nicely if they will side with them in court, and deny any knowledge of breaking client privilege when the deal fell apart. Unfortunately, Thomas cannot agree to this plan.
Just as the firm believe they finally have Daniel where he needs to be, “Harvey” throws a curveball that produced the second-best scene of the finale; Robert reveals that they have been called to the ethics board, meaning Harvey will undoubtedly lose his license. In a rage, the lawyer we’ve known to have profoundly layered pride throws his whiskey glass and asks everyone to leave him alone.
Suits Season 8 Episode 16 (Credit – Netflix)
I guess this is where the twists come to fruition and the pent up feelings become more exclusive. Harvey asks Thomas to lie for her at the ethics board, to protect her. In a moment of transparentness, Thomas asks what Donna is to Harvey or vice versa. She admits that she does not know, and she is unable to “gut him out”. Alex also gives Donna a moment of wisdom, stating that she loves him, which is why she self-jeopardised the situation in the first place.
At the ethics board, Daniel is unbelievably smug, beating down Harvey in a moment of a close-victory for the bitter lawyer. He confidently calls him to the stand, before moving to Alex. At this moment we realise Alex and Robert have formed a plan. Alex tells the ethics board that Robert broke client privilege.
Robert stands up and emotionally admits it. We soon learn that Robert has been seeking redemption for a while; eight years ago he helped Samantha’s attacker go to prison, and that criminal was murdered in his cell; this guilt has been eating away at him since. Robert is now retired, and Daniel once more does not succeed in ruining Harvey’s career.
The ending of Suits Season 8 Episode 16 finally gives us the Harvey and Donna Romance
And just when you think Suits cannot throw any more at its loyal audience, it does. Harvey goes to console Samantha over losing Robert at the firm. She has worked with him for most of her law career and feels equivalent to when Harvey lost Jessica as that mentor. She tells him that Robert cared for her, loved her and that it’s hard to find someone who will do anything for you. As she says this, Harvey phases out in the conversation, almost having an out-of-body experience, and charges to Donna’s apartment. And it finally happened… Donna opens the door to Harvey, and he looks at her knowingly, and she knows too. They kiss passionately, and hook up. Their desire for each other breaks.
Harvey and Donna finally give into their desire for each other in Suits Season 8 Episode 16 (Credit – Netflix)
I think what we can conclude from the back and forth from season eight of Suits is that Donna was sick of Harvey not placing his commitment to her. After years of loyalty and his emotional disconnect, it finally subconsciously allowed her to act in a self-damaging way.
Harvey is a character that refuses to give too much away, even if it’s blatantly in front of him, and I guess when they kissed a while ago, something clicked in Donna. The COO role was a result of sticking by him, but loyalty can only take a person so far, and Thomas was her excuse for having that breaking point. Thomas was the catalyst to all this exploding.
So I guess for season nine, which I believe is going to be the last in the series, Harvey and Donna will battle out their new-found dynamic – it could end in happiness, it could end in tears, but we are going to have to wait to find out.
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