Simon Kassianides is coming to USA Network. Deadline reports the Marvel's Agents of Shield star has joined the network's potential Suits spinoff.As reported earlier, USA Network has greenlit a spinoff of the legal drama that centers around Gina Torres’ character, Jessica Pearson. The new series will follow Pearson as she moves to Chicago and “must rely on her legal wits and valiant relationships from Pearson Specter Litt to navigate this unknown territory.”Read More…...
- 11/21/2017
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The Suits spinoff is still staffing up: Simon Kassianides (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) has joined the cast as a series regular.
Kassianides will play an enigmatic tough guy with connections to the mayor of Chicago, as well as the city’s top developer, according to our sister site Deadline. His character will be introduced in the upcoming Season 7 finale of Suits, which will serve as a backdoor pilot for the spinoff. Gina Torres is set to reprise her Suits role as attorney Jessica Pearson in the spinoff, which sees Jessica entering the world of Chicago politics.
Related Suits Shocker:...
Kassianides will play an enigmatic tough guy with connections to the mayor of Chicago, as well as the city’s top developer, according to our sister site Deadline. His character will be introduced in the upcoming Season 7 finale of Suits, which will serve as a backdoor pilot for the spinoff. Gina Torres is set to reprise her Suits role as attorney Jessica Pearson in the spinoff, which sees Jessica entering the world of Chicago politics.
Related Suits Shocker:...
- 11/18/2017
- TVLine.com
It looks like Jessica Pearson has some new company. Deadline reports Rebecca Rittenhouse and Morgan Spector have joined USA Network's Suits spinoff pilot.As reported earlier, the network has ordered a spinoff to the legal drama that centers around Gina Torres' character, Jessica Pearson. The new series will follow Pearson as she moves to Chicago and "must rely on her legal wits and valiant relationships from Pearson Specter Litt to navigate this unknown territory.”Read More…...
- 11/14/2017
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Is Meghan Markle trading in the legal world for a royal wedding?
The 36-year-old actress is reportedly eyeing an early exit from Suits after the current seventh season, multiple outlets report. Markle’s co-star, Patrick J. Adams, 36, is also said to be poised to depart following season seven.
Both Markle and Adams, who have been with USA Network’s longest-running drama since its inception in 2011, play paralegal-turned-lawyer Rachel Zane and fellow attorney Mike Ross, who are engaged to be married on the show.
Markle and Adams’ shocking potential exits come as The Hollywood Reporterreports that Suits is “close” to being renewed for an eighth season. Reps for Adams and USA Network declined to comment.
Related: Meghan Markle's 'Suits' Co-Star Says He Went Off Social Media After Posting Pic of the Actress
Speculation that Markle would leave Suits first surfaced after her romance with Prince Harry went public in 2016. Royal expert Katie Nicholl told Et in October...
The 36-year-old actress is reportedly eyeing an early exit from Suits after the current seventh season, multiple outlets report. Markle’s co-star, Patrick J. Adams, 36, is also said to be poised to depart following season seven.
Both Markle and Adams, who have been with USA Network’s longest-running drama since its inception in 2011, play paralegal-turned-lawyer Rachel Zane and fellow attorney Mike Ross, who are engaged to be married on the show.
Markle and Adams’ shocking potential exits come as The Hollywood Reporterreports that Suits is “close” to being renewed for an eighth season. Reps for Adams and USA Network declined to comment.
Related: Meghan Markle's 'Suits' Co-Star Says He Went Off Social Media After Posting Pic of the Actress
Speculation that Markle would leave Suits first surfaced after her romance with Prince Harry went public in 2016. Royal expert Katie Nicholl told Et in October...
- 11/13/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Rebecca Rittenhouse (The Mindy Project) and Morgan Spector (Homeland) are being fitted for Suits, our sister site Deadline reports.
RelatedSuits Spinoff Starring Gina Torres: Get the Newest Plot Details
The pair will guest-star in the USA drama’s upcoming seventh season finale, which is doubling as a backdoor pilot for the series’ proposed spinoff, starring Gina Torres as Chicago transplant Jessica Pearson.
Rittenhouse will reportedly play attorney Keri Allen, the “unofficial right hand” of Spector’s Bobby Golec, the mayor of Chicago. According to the report, both actors are expected to be series regulars, should the spinoff be ordered to series.
RelatedSuits Spinoff Starring Gina Torres: Get the Newest Plot Details
The pair will guest-star in the USA drama’s upcoming seventh season finale, which is doubling as a backdoor pilot for the series’ proposed spinoff, starring Gina Torres as Chicago transplant Jessica Pearson.
Rittenhouse will reportedly play attorney Keri Allen, the “unofficial right hand” of Spector’s Bobby Golec, the mayor of Chicago. According to the report, both actors are expected to be series regulars, should the spinoff be ordered to series.
- 11/10/2017
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: Rebecca Rittenhouse (The Mindy Project) and Morgan Spector (The Mist) have been tapped for major roles opposite Gina Torres in USA Network’s proposed Suits spinoff, sources say. I’ve learned that the duo have been cast as guest stars in the Suits Season 7 finale, which will serve as a backdoor pilot for a potential offshoot series centered on Torres’ Suits character, the powerhouse lawyer Jessica Pearson, and set in the world of Chicago politics, Rittenhouse…...
- 11/10/2017
- Deadline TV
Stay in the loop on industry and casting news with our write-up on who’s been slated for recent film and television roles! “Suits” SpinoffGina Torres is about to lead her own series. The “Suits” regular will be the star of the show’s spinoff, which has officially been picked up to series by USA. The project will feature Torres alongside Sarah Rafferty, Gabriel Macht, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle, and Patrick J. Adams, and will give longtime “Suits” cast members ample screen time. The main focus will go to Torres’ character, powerhouse lawyer Jessica Pearson, as she moves from New York City to Chicago and enters the seedy underbelly of Windy City politics. Though she’s out on her own, her relationship with the Pearson Specter Litt office in NYC will prove a helpful alliance as she takes on extraordinary cases in the Illinois hub. The series, while nearly fully staffed,...
- 10/11/2017
- backstage.com
Jessica Pearson is stepping out on her own. Today, USA Network announced the season seven finale of Suits will serve as a pilot for a Gina Torres spinoff series.Torres' character, successful lawyer Jessica Pearson, has been with the legal drama since season one. The cast also includes Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman, Sarah Rafferty, and Meghan Markle.Read More…...
- 8/17/2017
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
USA is looking to add more “Suits” to its repertoire. The drama series’ Season 7 finale will serve as a backdoor pilot for a potential spinoff starring Gina Torres, USA Network and Universal Cable Productions announced Wednesday. Torres has been a series regular on “Suits” since its launch in June 2011. The pilot, centering on lawyer Jessica Pearson (Torres), will be written and executive produced by “Suits” creator Aaron Korsh and executive producer Daniel Arkin. Also Read: 'Bachelor in Paradise' Fans Doubt Cast Reaction to Scandal: Did They Read 'ABC Isn't Liable' Cue Cards? “Suits” alum Anton Cropper will direct the episode.
- 8/16/2017
- by Ryan Gajewski and Carli Velocci
- The Wrap
Jessica Pearson’s future has become a whole lot clearer, as new details emerge regarding the Gina Torres-fronted Suits spinoff.
The USA Network drama’s Season 7 finale will double as a backdoor pilot for the potential spinoff, the basic cabler announced on Wednesday — and unlike Suits, it will not be a legal drama. Instead, the potential series will focus on Jessica’s new life in the world of Chicago politics. The official logline for the episode reads as follows:
The pivotal Season 7 finale will reunite Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman), Donna...
The USA Network drama’s Season 7 finale will double as a backdoor pilot for the potential spinoff, the basic cabler announced on Wednesday — and unlike Suits, it will not be a legal drama. Instead, the potential series will focus on Jessica’s new life in the world of Chicago politics. The official logline for the episode reads as follows:
The pivotal Season 7 finale will reunite Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman), Donna...
- 8/16/2017
- TVLine.com
The upcoming Season 7 finale of USA Network’s Suits will serve as a backdoor pilot for a potential spinoff starring Gina Torres and centered around her Suits character, the powerhouse lawyer Jessica Pearson. The offshoot, which, unlike the mothership series won’t be a legal drama but set in the world of Chicago politics, hails from Universal Cable Prods. The pilot will be written and executive produced by Suits creator and executive producer Aaron Korsh and executive…...
- 8/16/2017
- Deadline TV
There has been talk of Suits developing a spin-off centered around Gina Torres' Jessica Pearson for quite some time. Now, thanks to TVLine, details have emerged about what the spin-off might look like and what the plot will entail. Though the potential spin-off is still a ways off, it sounds like it will be a radical departure from what fans have come to expect from the character.
- 8/16/2017
- by editor@buddytv.com
- buddytv.com
After a rocky start to its seventh season, Suits returned to its working formula in “Divide and Conquer.” When a rival firm threatened Pearson Specter Litt, everyone put aside their differences and worked together to pull off the win. Harvey Specter was finally recognizable as his usual, cocky-yet-lovable self; and Gina Torres’ Jessica Pearson made […]...
- 8/3/2017
- by Shana Lieberman
- The TV Addict
Although the first season of Shooter earned the highest 18-49 demo ratings for USA Network, Suits came in right below it and was still their most watched program in its sixth season. Since Universal Cable Productions is developing a spinoff, with Gina Torres reprising the role of Jessica Pearson, is the end nigh for this legal drama? Will Suits be cancelled or renewed for season eight? Stay tuned. Suits centers on ace attorney, Harvey Spector (Gabriel Macht) and his college dropout protegé Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams). The USA cast also includes Rick Hoffman, Sarah Rafferty, and Meghan Markle. Dulé Hill is joining in season seven as Harvey's old friend, Alex Williams, a senior partner at the rival law firm of Bratton Gould. This year, Harvey will step up to fill the void left by Jessica's departure, while Mike is balancing pro bono work...
- 7/21/2017
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
There are many reasons why an actor may leave a series. Creative differences between the actor and producers or directors are common issues. Often, people immediately assume that there was conflict if an actor leaves a show. Many times, actors simply have to look out for their best interest. Such was the case when Gina Torres announced her departure from Suits. The long-time star of the show has had a prolific career in television, film, and voice acting. She is best known for her role as Jessica Pearson on Suits. However, her personal life is highly interesting as well. Many
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Gina Torres...
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Gina Torres...
- 6/18/2017
- by Timothy Hickey
- TVovermind.com
Suits fans got a glimpse of Season 7 at the Atx Television Festival today – but no sign of Gina Torres’ character Jessica Pearson in a short teaser reel. No worries though: “I wedged that door open on the way out,” Torres promised. “I've got a Louboutin in that door at all times.” Torres’ return — albeit occasional — will be welcomed by fans and castmates. Her Season 6 departure “left a big hole” in the show, star Patrick J. Adams said. It was revealed in March that…...
- 6/11/2017
- Deadline TV
Suits creator/executive producer Aaron Korsh has closed a new two-year overall deal with Universal Cable Productions, the studio behind the hit USA drama series Suits. Korsh, who had been under an overall deal at Ucp since December 2012, will continue as showrunner on Suits, which is returning for a seventh season in July. Under the pact, he also will shepherd the planned Suits spinoff, starring Gina Torres as her Suits character Jessica Pearson, and will develop new…...
- 5/25/2017
- Deadline TV
Tim George Jun 21, 2017
With Suits season 7 arriving next month, we look back over some of our favourite moments on the show so far...
Contains spoilers for Suits seasons 1-6.
Anchored by a great cast of characters and a fine line in witty repartee, Suits has been going strong since 2011, slowly gathering steam and fans. Created by Aaron Korsh, Suits’ best moments are a product of the well-drawn characters and their relationships. With the end of the sixth season, here are thirteen scenes which highlight Suits’ ensemble at their best (and worst).
The first meeting/blackmail (season 1, episode 1)
“I got knocked into a different life and I have been wishing for a way back ever since.”
Part of a show’s success is a strong hook, and the delivery of the hook can be almost as important as the hook itself. On the run from a drug deal gone wrong, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) ends up in a hotel room with hotshot attorney Harvey Spector (Gabriel Macht). It could be patently ridiculous, but taking place just over 20 minutes into the pilot, the scene makes total sense based on what has been established about these characters.
Punctuated by some good comedy (the perfectly-timed explosion of the briefcase), it establishes their easy dynamic almost immediately. This scene is bookended by the later scene in which Mike threatens to blackmail Harvey if he fires him. Impressed by his gumption, Harvey keeps him around and we get six seasons of a show.
Harvey and Donna get back together (season 1, episode 12)
“I’m sorry...”
“For what?”
“Don’t push it.”
After Harvey’s right-hand woman Donna (Sarah Rafferty)went behind his back in the previous episode, it looked like the teflon duo are not on as solid footing as we’ve been led to expect. This is the first real test of Harvey and Donna’s relationship, and the way it resolves perfectly epitomises their bond: Harvey barely apologises and Donna gets out the can opener. Compared with the scrapes they get into in later seasons, it’s short and sweet, but maintains the show’s ability to hit emotional cues without coming off saccharine, or betraying the characters’ natural reserve.
Michael’s grandmother dies (season 2, episode 9)
“Someone kept calling the office for you...”
The dead relative is a familiar trope that should be entirely predictable, but the moment Mike learns his grandmother has died comes out of nowhere. What makes it worse is that Mike spends his off-hours this episode finding her a new place to live. Sadly, that is where he has to take the news that she has died. It’s a nice scene, beautifully underplayed by Patrick J. Adams and Meghan Markle, which makes it hit even harder. The cut to a wide shot of Rachel holding Michael in the empty apartment is strong enough by itself. It’s a great example of the show’s willingness to just let the drama play out naturally.
Mike and Harvey get high (season 2, episode 10)
“Don’t mind if I do…”
After his grandmother’s death, Mike (and the audience) needed a breather. After Daniel Hardman retakes control of the firm from Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres), Harvey is also in need of a break. For a few glorious minutes in the middle of this episode, amid funerals and corporate skullduggery, our heroes can kick back and just shoot the breeze (with the help from Mike’s old friend Mary Jane). It’s a real humanising moment for Harvey -- it’s not often he lets his guard down, and we get a little insight into his psyche that reveals far more than he perhaps intended. The fact that this scene winds up helping our heroes coming up with a way to get back at Hardman makes it all the better.
Mike and Rachel finally get together (season 2, episode 16)
“What?”
Well, that took long enough. Under the gun, Mike finally tells Rachel that he never went to Harvard. Their romantic clinch in the file room is a solid example of the one time an obvious cliche (the whole ‘I Hate You!’-to-passionate make-out’ set piece) feels totally appropriate. It’s melodramatic, but the long-simmering tension between Mike and Rachel needed to break at some point, and it feels earned.
Elliott Stemple rolls over (season 3, episode 13)
“Don’t you look ready to rumble.”
Harvey has quite the rogues' gallery, and no one rankles more faster than Elliott Stemple (Patrick Fischler). Harvey’s old nemesis from law school, Stemple is a diabolical lizard brain in human form. Constantly thinking five moves ahead, Stemple is so slippery he manages to have both Harvey and Mike on the ropes. The fact that he does so with a permanent smirk stamped on his face makes it all the more aggravating every time he manages to worm his way out of trouble.
Cheerfully walking over anyone who gets in his way (even his family gets tossed under the bus), Stemple manages to make himself the most hateable character on the show in the space of 40 minutes. It makes his ultimate downfall all the more satisfying, as our heroes manage to finally deliver a knockout blow. The way he hisses defeat is extremely satisfying. A wonderfully toxic character, he returns to plague Harvey and co. in season six.
Louis collapses in court (season 3, episode 14)
“Mr Litt, are you okay?”
Louis (Rick Hoffman) starts this episode in good stead — he has a girlfriend and he is about to close his latest case. Even the moment he collapses, while shocking, is a testament to his character: ever the pro, he manages to give his closing argument and retreat to his chair before passing out. It forces the other characters to realise how much he matters to them, leads to Louis making a marriage proposal And giving Harvey a hug.
It’s rare to see Louis have an entire episode where he is the most lovable character on the show, and it is a delight. The bit where he asks Harvey to be his best man is truly affecting, as the veteran rivals are finally able to share a moment of genuine mutual regard, with no ulterior motives.
Louis discovers Mike’s secret (season 4, episode 10)
“You know what an Oscar looks like?”
Season Four is not the best time to be to Louis Litt, and this episode finds him at his nadir. Kicked out of the firm, unable to find work and abandoned by the woman he loves, Louis is not in a good place when Mike pays him a visit halfway through this episode. When Mike makes a slipup about Harvard, Louis finally figures out what has been going on for the last four years. This revelation takes place in a confrontation with Donna, which represents one of the show’s darkest (and saddest) moments. Already hurt and betrayed, Louis is even more disturbed by the fact that she had manipulated their relationship in order to cover for Mike.
It’s a painful moment, made even more so by the fact that it is the indomitable Donna who is at a loss. She is always the one constant, the one character who can be counted on as a calm voice of reason. Not here.
Louis’ secretary dies (season 4, episode 16)
“She was a battle axe!”
Starting as Louis’ unseen whipping boy, his secretary Norma went from joke to emotional catalyst in the space of one episode. After she dies, Louis is tasked with putting together her funeral arrangements. After spending the majority of the episode barraging the dead woman with insults, Louis finally breaks down while arguing about the quality of urns the funeral home has on offer.
Starting out as a delightful black comedy, with Louis continuing to vent his frustrations about the deceased’s incompetence at every turn, the scene concludes with a surprisingly emotional finale. Finally forced to confront his real feelings about Norma, it is a wonderfully humanising moment for Suits’ resident anti-hero. The fallout from Norma’s death makes for one of the most affecting scenes in the series, and gives Rick Hoffman one of his best showcases.
Donna quits (season 4, episode 16)
“This isn’t working for me any more.”
The season four finale is to Harvey and Donna what the Godfather Part II was to Michael Corleone: we spend the episode intercutting between Harvey and Donna’s first interactions, as the cocksure attorney falls under her sway, and the present, where she finally decides to throw in the towel. It’s short, it’s brutal and it ends with Donna working for Louis. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound! You can almost hear Harvey’s brain exploding as he receives this one-two punch of bad news.
Mike is arrested for fraud (season 5, episode 16)
“It’s done...”
Kudos to Aaron Korsh for not taking the blue pill on this one. Mike has been skating on thin ice for five years — to have him get away with his facade forever would have meant a slow death for the show. Further kudos for dropping that plot point at the tailend of the last episode and then letting it play out over the course of the finale.
The episode’s pivotal moment is Harvey’s confrontation with the jury foreman. He reveals that the verdict would have been ‘not guilty’, making Mike’s decision all the more depressing. When Mike appears in his office doubting his decision, Harvey has to lie in order to spare Mike the truth. While there are a few glimmers of hope, the overall tone of this episode is about acceptance, and coming to terms with what is happening. It’s a more mature and sophisticated approach than most primetime shows, and provided a resolution to Mike’s dilemma that felt earned.
It’s testament to how well-played this finale is that you don’t realise until it’s over that the show has basically thrown out its hook. Korsh manages to make it feel like the end of something, and the beginning of something else.
She’s gone (season 6, episode 10)
“You sure about this?”
The euphoria over Mike’s release has not even dissipated when vindictive client-turned-convict William Sutter (Alan Rosenberg) starts disparaging the firm to their major clients. Reasoning that if Harvey and co. would turn on a big client like Sutter he could also turn on them, they start leaving Pearson Spector Litt. Rachel’s father, Robert Zane (Wendell Pierce), appears with an offer to merge their respective firms, but Jessica decides to quit rather than have her name as an add-on to someone else’s firm. Softened by the fact that she has just got a wrongfully convicted man off Death Row, Jessica finally remembers the reason she became a lawyer (hint: not for the money or power) and leaves with her head high.
Jessica’s big save (season 6, episode 16)
“I don’t think I can add anything to that...”
For most of this finale, it feels like nothing will go right. Mike’s sworn enemy, federal prosecutor Anita Gibbs (Leslie Hope), manages to get herself on the committee that will be deciding whether Mike gets admitted to the bar; Donna’s patent runs into trouble; Louis is scrabbling to repair his relationship with Tara (Carly Pope); and Harvey can’t find an angle to get Gibbs booted off the committee. For awhile it feels like season five all over again. And then Jessica Pearson strolls in like a boss and hits Gibbs where it hurts.
Jessica has not had as many chance to show off her chops as Harvey and Louis, but every time she does you remember why her name was first on the wall. A fine send-off for Gina Torres, a clean slate for Mike and a fresh canvas for season seven.
With Suits season 7 arriving next month, we look back over some of our favourite moments on the show so far...
Contains spoilers for Suits seasons 1-6.
Anchored by a great cast of characters and a fine line in witty repartee, Suits has been going strong since 2011, slowly gathering steam and fans. Created by Aaron Korsh, Suits’ best moments are a product of the well-drawn characters and their relationships. With the end of the sixth season, here are thirteen scenes which highlight Suits’ ensemble at their best (and worst).
The first meeting/blackmail (season 1, episode 1)
“I got knocked into a different life and I have been wishing for a way back ever since.”
Part of a show’s success is a strong hook, and the delivery of the hook can be almost as important as the hook itself. On the run from a drug deal gone wrong, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) ends up in a hotel room with hotshot attorney Harvey Spector (Gabriel Macht). It could be patently ridiculous, but taking place just over 20 minutes into the pilot, the scene makes total sense based on what has been established about these characters.
Punctuated by some good comedy (the perfectly-timed explosion of the briefcase), it establishes their easy dynamic almost immediately. This scene is bookended by the later scene in which Mike threatens to blackmail Harvey if he fires him. Impressed by his gumption, Harvey keeps him around and we get six seasons of a show.
Harvey and Donna get back together (season 1, episode 12)
“I’m sorry...”
“For what?”
“Don’t push it.”
After Harvey’s right-hand woman Donna (Sarah Rafferty)went behind his back in the previous episode, it looked like the teflon duo are not on as solid footing as we’ve been led to expect. This is the first real test of Harvey and Donna’s relationship, and the way it resolves perfectly epitomises their bond: Harvey barely apologises and Donna gets out the can opener. Compared with the scrapes they get into in later seasons, it’s short and sweet, but maintains the show’s ability to hit emotional cues without coming off saccharine, or betraying the characters’ natural reserve.
Michael’s grandmother dies (season 2, episode 9)
“Someone kept calling the office for you...”
The dead relative is a familiar trope that should be entirely predictable, but the moment Mike learns his grandmother has died comes out of nowhere. What makes it worse is that Mike spends his off-hours this episode finding her a new place to live. Sadly, that is where he has to take the news that she has died. It’s a nice scene, beautifully underplayed by Patrick J. Adams and Meghan Markle, which makes it hit even harder. The cut to a wide shot of Rachel holding Michael in the empty apartment is strong enough by itself. It’s a great example of the show’s willingness to just let the drama play out naturally.
Mike and Harvey get high (season 2, episode 10)
“Don’t mind if I do…”
After his grandmother’s death, Mike (and the audience) needed a breather. After Daniel Hardman retakes control of the firm from Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres), Harvey is also in need of a break. For a few glorious minutes in the middle of this episode, amid funerals and corporate skullduggery, our heroes can kick back and just shoot the breeze (with the help from Mike’s old friend Mary Jane). It’s a real humanising moment for Harvey -- it’s not often he lets his guard down, and we get a little insight into his psyche that reveals far more than he perhaps intended. The fact that this scene winds up helping our heroes coming up with a way to get back at Hardman makes it all the better.
Mike and Rachel finally get together (season 2, episode 16)
“What?”
Well, that took long enough. Under the gun, Mike finally tells Rachel that he never went to Harvard. Their romantic clinch in the file room is a solid example of the one time an obvious cliche (the whole ‘I Hate You!’-to-passionate make-out’ set piece) feels totally appropriate. It’s melodramatic, but the long-simmering tension between Mike and Rachel needed to break at some point, and it feels earned.
Elliott Stemple rolls over (season 3, episode 13)
“Don’t you look ready to rumble.”
Harvey has quite the rogues' gallery, and no one rankles more faster than Elliott Stemple (Patrick Fischler). Harvey’s old nemesis from law school, Stemple is a diabolical lizard brain in human form. Constantly thinking five moves ahead, Stemple is so slippery he manages to have both Harvey and Mike on the ropes. The fact that he does so with a permanent smirk stamped on his face makes it all the more aggravating every time he manages to worm his way out of trouble.
Cheerfully walking over anyone who gets in his way (even his family gets tossed under the bus), Stemple manages to make himself the most hateable character on the show in the space of 40 minutes. It makes his ultimate downfall all the more satisfying, as our heroes manage to finally deliver a knockout blow. The way he hisses defeat is extremely satisfying. A wonderfully toxic character, he returns to plague Harvey and co. in season six.
Louis collapses in court (season 3, episode 14)
“Mr Litt, are you okay?”
Louis (Rick Hoffman) starts this episode in good stead — he has a girlfriend and he is about to close his latest case. Even the moment he collapses, while shocking, is a testament to his character: ever the pro, he manages to give his closing argument and retreat to his chair before passing out. It forces the other characters to realise how much he matters to them, leads to Louis making a marriage proposal And giving Harvey a hug.
It’s rare to see Louis have an entire episode where he is the most lovable character on the show, and it is a delight. The bit where he asks Harvey to be his best man is truly affecting, as the veteran rivals are finally able to share a moment of genuine mutual regard, with no ulterior motives.
Louis discovers Mike’s secret (season 4, episode 10)
“You know what an Oscar looks like?”
Season Four is not the best time to be to Louis Litt, and this episode finds him at his nadir. Kicked out of the firm, unable to find work and abandoned by the woman he loves, Louis is not in a good place when Mike pays him a visit halfway through this episode. When Mike makes a slipup about Harvard, Louis finally figures out what has been going on for the last four years. This revelation takes place in a confrontation with Donna, which represents one of the show’s darkest (and saddest) moments. Already hurt and betrayed, Louis is even more disturbed by the fact that she had manipulated their relationship in order to cover for Mike.
It’s a painful moment, made even more so by the fact that it is the indomitable Donna who is at a loss. She is always the one constant, the one character who can be counted on as a calm voice of reason. Not here.
Louis’ secretary dies (season 4, episode 16)
“She was a battle axe!”
Starting as Louis’ unseen whipping boy, his secretary Norma went from joke to emotional catalyst in the space of one episode. After she dies, Louis is tasked with putting together her funeral arrangements. After spending the majority of the episode barraging the dead woman with insults, Louis finally breaks down while arguing about the quality of urns the funeral home has on offer.
Starting out as a delightful black comedy, with Louis continuing to vent his frustrations about the deceased’s incompetence at every turn, the scene concludes with a surprisingly emotional finale. Finally forced to confront his real feelings about Norma, it is a wonderfully humanising moment for Suits’ resident anti-hero. The fallout from Norma’s death makes for one of the most affecting scenes in the series, and gives Rick Hoffman one of his best showcases.
Donna quits (season 4, episode 16)
“This isn’t working for me any more.”
The season four finale is to Harvey and Donna what the Godfather Part II was to Michael Corleone: we spend the episode intercutting between Harvey and Donna’s first interactions, as the cocksure attorney falls under her sway, and the present, where she finally decides to throw in the towel. It’s short, it’s brutal and it ends with Donna working for Louis. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound! You can almost hear Harvey’s brain exploding as he receives this one-two punch of bad news.
Mike is arrested for fraud (season 5, episode 16)
“It’s done...”
Kudos to Aaron Korsh for not taking the blue pill on this one. Mike has been skating on thin ice for five years — to have him get away with his facade forever would have meant a slow death for the show. Further kudos for dropping that plot point at the tailend of the last episode and then letting it play out over the course of the finale.
The episode’s pivotal moment is Harvey’s confrontation with the jury foreman. He reveals that the verdict would have been ‘not guilty’, making Mike’s decision all the more depressing. When Mike appears in his office doubting his decision, Harvey has to lie in order to spare Mike the truth. While there are a few glimmers of hope, the overall tone of this episode is about acceptance, and coming to terms with what is happening. It’s a more mature and sophisticated approach than most primetime shows, and provided a resolution to Mike’s dilemma that felt earned.
It’s testament to how well-played this finale is that you don’t realise until it’s over that the show has basically thrown out its hook. Korsh manages to make it feel like the end of something, and the beginning of something else.
She’s gone (season 6, episode 10)
“You sure about this?”
The euphoria over Mike’s release has not even dissipated when vindictive client-turned-convict William Sutter (Alan Rosenberg) starts disparaging the firm to their major clients. Reasoning that if Harvey and co. would turn on a big client like Sutter he could also turn on them, they start leaving Pearson Spector Litt. Rachel’s father, Robert Zane (Wendell Pierce), appears with an offer to merge their respective firms, but Jessica decides to quit rather than have her name as an add-on to someone else’s firm. Softened by the fact that she has just got a wrongfully convicted man off Death Row, Jessica finally remembers the reason she became a lawyer (hint: not for the money or power) and leaves with her head high.
Jessica’s big save (season 6, episode 16)
“I don’t think I can add anything to that...”
For most of this finale, it feels like nothing will go right. Mike’s sworn enemy, federal prosecutor Anita Gibbs (Leslie Hope), manages to get herself on the committee that will be deciding whether Mike gets admitted to the bar; Donna’s patent runs into trouble; Louis is scrabbling to repair his relationship with Tara (Carly Pope); and Harvey can’t find an angle to get Gibbs booted off the committee. For awhile it feels like season five all over again. And then Jessica Pearson strolls in like a boss and hits Gibbs where it hurts.
Jessica has not had as many chance to show off her chops as Harvey and Louis, but every time she does you remember why her name was first on the wall. A fine send-off for Gina Torres, a clean slate for Mike and a fresh canvas for season seven.
- 4/7/2017
- Den of Geek
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