Sorry for the delay with this week’s post. How dare “real” work get in the way of talking about TV! 

Last week got off to a fun start with the return of the NFL, making all of our Sundays either a little more exciting or a little more heartbreaking every week. The fun kept coming with the finale of So You Think You Can Dance, and, while my favorite dancers (Aaron and Jasmine) lost the title of “America’s Favorite Dancers” to Fik-Shun and Amy, I’m still very happy that two deserving dancers won. Suits featured the return of Scottie, new drama for Mike and Rachel, and plenty of Litt-tastic moments. And even the reruns aired were enjoyable, especially Justin Timberlake’s fantastic Saturday Night Live episode.

Keeping with the theme of recent weeks, Suits was where I found my favorite TV moment of the week. This time, it wasn’t one particular moment; instead it was a series of scenes showing a more human, kind, and genuine Harvey Specter.

I initially disliked the idea of Scottie showing up at Harvey’s apartment to basically beg him to help her. However, I liked seeing Harvey agree to help because Scottie is on that very short list of people Harvey genuinely cares for. It might not have ended well, but seeing Harvey trust Scottie was a pleasant surprise and showed real growth for his character—until it all went to hell by the end of the episode.

In the “things that didn’t go to hell by the end of the episode” department, we have Harvey’s relationship with the one constant in his life, Donna. I loved the fact that this week’s episode opened with confirmation that Harvey wanted to celebrate with Donna at the end of “Endgame.” I also loved that his idea of celebrating involved doing things that would make Donna happy, like buying new handbags. Harvey was so thoughtful, warm, and downright sweet in this scene; I kept waiting for an ulterior motive to reveal itself, but it was nice to see that he really was acting purely from a desire to celebrate with Donna and make her happy.

Although Harvey’s interactions with Donna were fantastic in “Endgame,” the best part of the episode came when he finally admitted to Louis that he respects his abilities as a lawyer. To see Louis finally recognized for his skill by the man he thought would always belittle him was a true joy to watch. Rick Hoffman played Louis’s reactions to perfection, and I couldn’t help but get a little choked up myself during this scene.

This week in television gave us a fast-paced (for better or worse) performance finale of So You Think You Can Dance, an episode of Suits that brought Jessica and Harvey back together and saw the end of the “British Invasion” that took over the firm, and the triumphant return of the NFL (featuring a record-breaking performance from Peyton Manning on Thursday night). 

Although it was a lot of fun watching Manning (my fantasy football quarterback) throw for seven touchdowns, nothing I saw on TV this week got my heart rate going and my rooting interests kicked into high gear like the ending of Suits.

I loved watching Mike and Harvey joke about celebrating together after winning the case, but what I loved even more was the way everything we’ve learned this season about Harvey and Donna’s past made his question to Mike feel like something much bigger than just a way to tease him about Rachel:

Am I really the person you want to celebrate this big murder trial victory with?

As soon as Harvey asked Mike that question, I knew where he was going to end up when he got out of the elevator—or at least who he was going to end up with—and it made my heartbeat speed up with the best kind of hope. The way the scene was shot—with Harvey’s question coming right before we watch him walk with purpose out of the building and towards where Donna is waiting—left no question in my mind about who Harvey wanted to celebrate with…if only it was that simple.

But of course, because it’s Harvey and Donna, I knew their interaction was never going to be simple or straightforward (no matter how much I wanted him to just walk right up to her and kiss her). However, the scene between them was worth the giddy anticipation of the seconds before. It said so much without ever directly addressing their relationship, but it showed us that maybe there is hope for these two; maybe we’re not crazy for thinking they both wish they were in a place where they could just go back to her apartment and break out the whipped cream again.

Gabriel Macht and Sarah Rafferty’s chemistry in this scene was off the charts. There was so much longing between them, but it wasn’t full of angst. They were softer than usual, and you could feel the genuine affection that runs deeper than either character wants to admit. So it makes sense when Harvey offers her the car and chooses not to get in with her. When she thanks him, it hits him too close to his heart. It’s like he realizes in that moment just how much his actions during these last few episodes were taken—however subconsciously—because of what he feels for her. And that still scares him. So he chooses to walk away, but her smile as he does so says it all: She knows they both wish they could ride away together, but he’s never going to ask her to break her rule—especially not after what happened with Stephen. And that’s okay. All she wanted back in Season Two was to know that Harvey would fight for her, and he proved that over and over again during this case.

And as Harvey walks away, we can see how conflicted (and how lonely) he is. He’s happy to make Donna happy. But he’s worried, too, because this case made him realize just how much of a sway she holds over his emotions. He can try to walk it off and push it away, but this scene showed both of them—and the audience—that there’s always going to be something between these two characters that exists on a level much deeper (and filled with a lot more sexual tension) than just friendship. This scene made me feel hopeful as a fan of these characters and their relationship. It may lead to something big happening between them; it may lead nowhere. But the mere fact that these actors could make me feel so strongly and think so deeply about their characters is enough to make me a very happy viewer.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

My apologies for the delay with this post; I took some time to enjoy the unofficial end of summer this past weekend, and I hope all of you did, too. A belated Happy Labor Day to everyone! 

As the summer TV season starts to wrap up and our thoughts begin to turn to the upcoming fall season of pilots and premieres, there are still some shows that I can count on to keep me glued to my TV even when it’s not traditionally “TV-watching season.” So You Think You Can Dance had a weaker showing in the aftermath of the All Star choreographers’ inspiring outing last week, but it was still exciting to see the Top Six perform solos in their genres (which means we got to see Aaron tap!). And the end of the episode gave us a Top Four to be reckoned with, as Amy, Fik-Shun, Jasmine, and Aaron were chosen to move on to the finale.

Although I adored watching Aaron’s solo and loved seeing reunions from both Aaron and Jasmine and Fik-Shun and Amy, there was nothing on TV this week that could hold a candle to the shocking and powerful ending to the latest episode of Suits.

I pride myself on being able to see most plot twists coming (thanks to years as a fan of both Alias and Lost), but even I didn’t see this twist coming. The best thing about the revelation concerning Stephen Huntley was that it had real emotional resonance for the characters. I immediately went from being excited about the direction the show would be taking in the coming weeks to being heartbroken for Donna. And, just as suddenly, my heartbreak was gone, only to be replaced by intense love for Harvey Specter.

Harvey punching Stephen in the face (and then throwing him into a mirror) wasn’t just the best thing I saw on TV this week; it was the best thing I’ve seen on TV in a long time. Because seriously, is there anything more attractive than a well-dressed man fighting for the people he loves?

I know there was a heck of a lot more to Harvey’s rage than just what Stephen did to Donna, but you can’t deny that it was seeing her tears and hearing her apologize that set him off. That kind of fierce protective instinct is something we’ve always known to be a part of Harvey’s character, but it was incredible to see it in action. Both Gabriel Macht and Sarah Rafferty were able to communicate so much emotion in a fraction of a moment, and Macht was especially effective in showing Harvey’s breaking point in just the slightest change in his expression.

This scene was the perfect marriage of storytelling, acting, and direction—and it set the stage for what’s sure to be an adrenaline-fueled run of episodes before the midseason finale.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?