“Since when do I take marching orders from a bowtie? – Harvey

The firm looks like a construction zone as Daniel Hardman is building and redecorating a new office.  Jessica notices that he has taken her tea set from her office and declares war.  Lewis is concerned about who he answers to, and Jessica, trying not to upset the firm, plays the part that she and Daniel are on the same page.  Mike finally gets Rachel alone and lets her know he got the message by kissing her in the hallway.  Jessica puts Harvey on making sure all the departments are happy in anticipation of the day Daniel comes in and asks for a vote.  Donna informs Jessica that most departments hate Harvey.  They find one –bankruptcy – and Harvey is sent to make sure they will back Jessica when the time comes.   Harvey has done his homework (or Mike did it for him, or Rachel did it for Mike – hard to keep track of who’s researching what!) and learned that the bankruptcy guy, Paul, needs help with a client.  The client won’t budge, he doesn’t want to declare bankruptcy, and Mike has an idea to go talk to the bank.  They need Louis to get them the meeting at the bank and Donna is sent in to deal with Louis.  One detail about the Jessica / Daniel situation and two tickets to Edward Albee’s new play’s staged reading with Meryl Streep and Glenn Close later, and they have their meeting.  The woman who works at the bank (Nadia Dajani – or Nina Katz, Sex and the City, Aiden’s ex after Carrie that makes the face every time she bumps into her) says she isn’t going to help them at all.  Mike discovers that the bank actually wants the property in question for their new headquarters, and Pearson Hardman happens to represent three of the neighboring businesses. What would happen if they convinced their clients to move?

Mike goes on a date with Rachel, which leaves him feeling guilty about not being honest with her about who he really is.  He goes over to Harvey’s place and Harvey makes it crystal clear that telling Rachel the truth is not an option.

Jessica is furious with Harvey that he took the bankruptcy case into his own hands and reminds him the whole point of him getting involved was to make Paul happy.   She tells him to forget about strong holding the bank, tell the client they have to claim bankruptcy like Paul wants them to do.

Donna tells Mike the truth about how Harvey put his own job on the line for him and coaches him on how to let Rachel down easily.  Mike wonders how they will be able to still work together.  Donna states very matter-of-factly it is possible and the feelings eventually go away.  This is the first indication that it is possible Donna and Harvey had a relationship in the past.

Harvey goes against what Paul wanted and what Jessica told him to do by telling the client that the bank did in fact alter the loan agreement for him.  Jessica expresses her disdain on the roof of the building telling Harvey that she feels betrayed and he has now made it a certainty that Paul wouldn’t back her.  She tells him that she knows now she is alone in this fight.

Mike meets Rachel outside and tells her that he can’t see her.  He blames her past relationship with a first year, who ended up getting fired after they broke up.  He claims to be afraid that the relationship will affect his work.  Rachel, obviously stunned and hurt, tells him to just admit what it really is – that she isn’t good enough for him.

As a final gesture to let Jessica know that she is not alone and he does have her back, Harvey wheels the tea set Daniel took out of her office, back to her office.