Suits "Fork in the Road" Review: Mikey in the Middle
Suits S04E13: "Fork in the Road"
Suits' flashback episodes are typically the highlight of any given season and "Fork in the Road " was no exception... except for the stance the show seems to be taking regarding Mike and how we all need to pity him because he's an orphan even though we've repeatedly seen him lie about, well, a lot of stuff. The fact that he told the same untruth at that free legal clinic six years ago, switching up Columbia for Harvard, and received a faceful of disaster in return makes his decision to then lie to Pearson Whatevs impressively stupid at best and indicative of some sort of psychological problem at worst.
Six-years-ago Mike claimed that his fib about attending Columbia was a means to an end—a way to get Claire's attention and a way to boost his own drive to get his life together, but the fact remains that he never really got his life together. Mike's current career at Pearson Specter Litt is built on the very same lie that momentarily made him a hero in the eyes of Claire and her client. That Louis seemingly forgave that technicality by the end of "Fork in the Road" and respects Mike for the work he's done as a fake lawyer doesn't change the fact that Mike's presence is still a constant threat to the firm, the cases he's worked on in the past, and the careers of everyone he interacts with. I don't think we're meant to agree with the notion of Mike infecting everything he touches, but in many ways, he does.
These are the facts:
– Mike fibbed about Columbia to get Claire's attention.
– Mike moved in with Trevor even though Trevor consistently proved to be a ruinous presence in his life, and even though Sassy Grandma was sassy about it.
– Mike decided that even though lying about Columbia was a poop thing to do, everything would be okay in the end, because he was going to go back to law school and get himself together and the positive outcome would outweigh the initial negative action.
– Mike never went back to law school.
– Mike descended into smoking the funny tobacco and living the sort of existence Sassy Grandma said he would.
– Mike subsequently lied his way into Pearson Hardman and four seasons later, is still piling on the lies to keep the charade going.
Suits makes the point—and I do believe it has some credibility—that Mike has done so much good as a lawyer, that his morals are on par with Saint Harvey's, that ultimately the fact that he doesn't have a degree from Harvard shouldn't matter. Those in the know at the firm, including Louis, seem to have adopted this mindset, and it's really very forward-thinking. It's also a notion that, at times, should be, can be, and has been applied in the real world; there are programs out there that offer college credit for "real-world experience." The problem here isn't necessarily Mike's lack of formal education—it's his habitual lying about it. Anyway, putting the Mike mess aside, "Fork in the Road" was pretty great. While Harvey and Louis are often pitted against one another, we've seen them show each other respect and kindness in the past. It was nice to see the roots of that conflict, and the admission by literally everyone else in the firm that their competition is destiny added a fun air of epic to the usually grounded Suits. As it turned out, the circumstances that led to Louis and Harvey's largest split were kind of sad and, of course, almost completely orchestrated by Daniel Hardman (HI GALE, HI!). In short: Hardman was a douche, and Jessica was kind of a douche. In fact, everyone on this show is kind of a douche—which we've known for at least two seasons now—and in a way that's just part of Suits' beautiful intricacy. Meanwhile, Donna was perfect. Baby Harvey was perfect. I missed Louis's flashback braces, but whatever. And hey, we got a Sassy Grandma (R.I.P.) sighting. Complicated questions about Mike's lying game aside, "Fork in the Road" was a win in my book. – So how much you wanna bet that Mike's gonna run into Claire soon? – Was that a Donna Specter/Rachel Ross sighting? Yessss. – Mike, Louis, and Harvey trapped in a car on a drive to Jersey is the stuff of sitcoms, and it was glorious. – I would've rather the show had just left Mike's lack of driving knowledge alone and let us all assume it was a result of being a born-and-bred New Yorker who never needed to learn.
