A weekly feature in which we spotlight shining stars

THE PERFORMERS | Gabriel Macht and Sarah Rafferty

THE SHOW | Suits

THE EPISODE | “The Other Time”

THE AIRDATE | Aug. 20, 2013

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THE PERFORMANCE | They flirted, they argued, they did something with a can opener — on this week’s flashback episode of the USA Network series, Harvey and Donna cemented their status as the show’s most winsome, charming and complicated duo. That was in no small part due to Gabriel Macht and Sarah Rafferty’s terrific chemistry and perfectly in-sync timing.

We were so impressed by how well the pair played off each other throughout the hour, we can’t even single out one scene as a shining example. First, there was the infectious back-and-forth in the office and at Donna’s apartment, before the two finally acted on their feelings. Then, their quieter moments in the diner — both in the past (“I don’t want to find out what kind of lawyer I’d be without you”) and present (“You and Stephen… it bothers me”) — which revealed just how deep their bond goes. Always confident and in control — not to mention often quite hilarious — Rafferty sold Donna’s special brand of talent, while Macht layered his cocky lawyer with enough genuine emotion to reveal just how important the secretary is to Harvey. (He even secretly paid her salary out of his pocket!)

With sparks like that, it’s easy to understand why Donna and Harvey couldn’t stay away from each other all those years ago — and why, despite putting the kibosh on any further hanky panky, they still can’t. We can’t stay away from them either.

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HONORABLE MENTION | Breaking Bad‘s Anna Gunn

First, in a nailbiter of a scene, Gunn had us hanging on Skyler’s every unspoken word, as Hank not so much grilled Mrs. “Heisenberg” but beseeched her, as a sister-in-law he loves, to help him exact justice against her meth-king husband. As the diner confrontation unspooled, Gunn’s eyes did much of the acting, making us wonder: Will she snitch? Instead, all Hank culled from her was a steely, almost challenging, “Are you arresting me…?” Later, Gunn let Skyler’s veneer crack some, as her sister Marie made her own run at getting answers. Tears spilled, but the truth, still, did not.

What performance knocked your socks off this week?