HOLLYWOOD—Its not easy finding a legal drama that matches the critical acclaim of series like “Ally McBeal,†“Law & Order,†“The Practice†or “The Good Wife,†but USA has found one in “Suits.†This dramedy as I’d like to refer to it has the perfect balance of witty comedy, on the edge juiciness and surprises galore that will leave audiences tuning in week after week.
The drama revolves around Michael Ross (Patrick J. Adams) who is a lawyer who technically never attended law school. The guy is a genius in my book, with his ability to memorize some of the most important details ever when it comes to images, sounds or objects. Mike passed the bar exam, but finds himself in treacherous waters with Harvey (Gabriel Macht) who is one of the best corporate lawyers in NYC. He is aware of Mike’s ruse, but respects him enough to give him a position at Pearson Specter as an associate attorney.
Mike and Harvey are polar opposites.
Harvey will do almost anything for a win, to keep his record from being tarnished, while Mike tends to become emotionally attached to many of the cases he works on.
Harvey might be hardnosed, selfish and emotionally detached from the rest of the world, but he goes toe-to-toe quite often with his boss Jessica (Gina Torres) who pushes her colleague’s buttons whenever the opportunity arises. Season one threw me for a loop when the news about Mike’s ruse was revealed to Jessica. I was almost certain that Mike was a goner, but Jessica realized the pros to keeping Mike at the firm.
That is one of the big mysteries of “Suits†just when will Mike’s epic secret come to the limelight? This leads Harvey to have continued battles with Louis (Rick Hoffman) who has an ego one can only imagine. He oversees the first year associates and continues to battle to prove himself to Jessica that he is just as capable if not better than Harvey himself. He’s also a big portion of the comic relief in the series with his witty one-liners.
He came so close to discovering Mike’s secret in season three, and would have exposed the truth to take down Harvey if the opportunity had arisen. Luckily, Harvey was able to keep things concealed to protect his protégé. He has many women in his life, but none closer than Donna (Sarah Rafferty) who is his legal secretary and confidante. She perhaps knows Harvey better than anyone else at the firm and has a close friendship with paralegal Rachel (Meghan Markle). Rachel develops a friendship with Mike that blossoms to a heated attraction that the two eventually consummated at the end of season two that left fans in an uproar. In doing so, Mike revealed his secret to his lover.
That means Harvey, Jessica, Rachel and Donna all know about Mike’s little secret and it almost blew up in his face at the end of the season three when he was arrested and the truth almost came to surface. So what is our hero to do? He decides leaving the firm is the best option, to protect those who he cares for most from becoming a consequence of his little lie. He chooses to take a position at an investment banking firm, where he still works closely with the gang at Pearson Specter and his ally Harvey. The duo has already butted heads a few times in season four, and I expect the competition rivalry between the two allies to continue to reach new heights as the season progresses.
“Suits†is not just a satisfying legal drama; it’s a terrific drama that knows how to deliver surprises, great acting and moments that leave many wowed. “Suits†airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on USA.
