At the End of the Day

Photo source here.

After watching WITH HONORS and A FEW GOOD MEN when I was younger, I instantly became a fan of courtroom drama. I finished all seasons of  The Practice and tries to always watch it again every time I can. SUITS was a tease so I bought its dvd even though I am not sure if I will actually have the time to watch it. 

Let me share with you one scene from SUITS that I found interesting. Before I do that, let me give you a quick look at the characters involved in this conversation. 

*Spoiler Alert*

Jessica Pearson is the Founding and Managing Partner of the law firm called Pearson-Hardman. She has a very strong working relationship with one of his corporate lawyers, Harvey Specter. It eventually led them to also develop a sturdy friendship. She even helped Harvey finish his Law in Harvard. Harvey is a brilliant lawyer who hired Mike Ross, a college dropout. They faked his Harvard degree to get in to the firm because of Mike's excellent memory and intellect. 

The firm panicked over the return of co-founder, Daniel Hardman, who isn't exactly everyone's favorite because of his ugly reputation and history. This has also created rumors that he aims to get the Managing Partner position that will put Jessica's leadership at a vulnerable situation. Harvey and Jessica both agree that Hardman has other plans and that this has put the firm under attack. 

Jessica sought Harvey's help in ensuring to protect the firm from this attack, one of which, is by giving him clear instructions of what to do in one of the cases. Harvey did not follow her instructions. 

This was the heated conversation between the two friends and work partners.

Jessica Pearson: I have been irritated by you, exasperated with you and angry at you but I never thought I'd feel betrayed by you.

Harvey Specter: I put together a good deal. It's a safe deal.

Jessica Pearson: I don't care. You just ensured that a voting partner would never back me. If his mother were dying of cancer and I saved her I still wouldn't get his vote.

Harvey Specter: I know you're angry but I took the restructure deal to real estate that puts them in your pocket.

Jessica Pearson: Real estate has always been in my pocket. It's only you they hated and I'm beginning to understand why.

Harvey Specter: This isn't me against you.

Jessica Pearson: Hardman is back. You are the one person I could trust.

Harvey Specter: Jessica...

Jessica Pearson: I've always known what you are Harvey. I thought that was my greatest asset. Now am wondering if you're not my biggest liability.

Harvey Specter: This isn't about bankruptcy. You're still pissed off about Mike Ross.

Jessica Pearson: Damn right, I am!

Harvey Specter: I offered to walk away.

Jessica Pearson: That offer was bullshit and you know it. You hired that kid to amuse yourself and now am vulnerable. And after everything that has happened, you still couldn't put me ahead of you.

Harvey Specter: The client asked me to save his dream. I did.

Jessica Pearson: You're actually starting to believe your own bullshit.

Harvey Specter: Jessica, common on!

Jessica Pearson: Just go. I will get past this. I will move on and I will accept that at the end of the day, that am alone in this.

SUITS, Season 2

I stopped at this scene to eat its meat. I realized three things: 

1. When you are put in a situation where you have to separate work and personal relationship and you have the higher position, you are always expected to do the right thing. Set aside subjectivity and do your job. At some point, one or two sacrifices had to be made. All you hope for is for personal side not to be affected by the ugly sounding work decisions you had to make.

2. On the other hand, in this same relationship, you are subjecting yourself into possible disappointment if the other person turns against you to also favor what he thinks is a good work action. When this person does this, it can also come across as a betrayal of friendship which puts your objectivity in question.

Before I give you the third, let me share with you the early and the last scenes of this episode. 

Upon Hardman's return, he immediately secured an office of his own. During the construction, Jessica's favorite tea cart was removed from where it was (it appears to me that it will be placed in Hardman's office and is symbolical of who's in lead) and she was a little disappointed. On a different scene, Harvey checks in on Mike who followed an instruction he gave him despite how it will break the latter's heart. Mike said,

"Why is it that I have to do everything that you tell me to and you get to ignore whatever Jessica tells you to do?"

This made Harvey reevaluate what he did to Jessica and that he should lead by example. When the episode ended, Jessica was alone in her office reading, Harvey comes in with the tea cart and says: 

"You are not alone in this." 

Jessica smiled and instructed Harvey to place it where it should be.

3. Wherever life takes good friends, whether it creates a space between your work titles and one has to report to the other, friends are friends. It will surface no matter what. If your friendship is strong and you both understand your roles at work and in your personal relationship, no difference in title will matter. At the end of the day, we all need friends. As hard as it is to keep it while doing our jobs right, it always becomes a decision we have to make in the end. I think this decision that we make, every end of the day, reflects how we handle both our work and personal lives and clearly defines who we are. Harvey's action in the closing scene was not just very gentleman of him but also a humble declaration of his submission to his boss by deciding to put her ahead of him this time; it was also peace offering and a reassurance to his very good friend. Now, that's something! 

PS 

My hunch is, in a future episode, Harvey's decision not to follow Jessica's instructions will put one of them, if not all of them, inside a frying pan. Whether my hunch is right or wrong, I can't wait to find out!