SUITS
By ARYAN AGARWAL, MEGHAN TATE ZEE, and KEVIN THANT
“I don’t get lucky; I make my own luck.”
An electric show about a genius with a photographic memory navigating his way through the treacherous roads of New York corporate law, Suits captivated viewers from day one with its premise, wit, and characters. The show centers around Mike Ross, a genius with wasted potential who stumbles into an interview and works for one of the top law firms in New York that only hires from Harvard. The only trouble is Mike never went to Harvard. Rising to the top while hiding his secret, Mike is under the tutelage of Harvey Specter, a lawyer with balls and an ego that is as big as they come. We see these two tackle legal cases in their day-to-day life.
Viewers fell in love with the iconic duo of Harvey and Mike from day one. A Robin to Batman and a Watson to Sherlock, Mike and Harvey’s chemistry on-screen was evident in all their quips and inside jokes. From obscure movie quotes referencing every episode and downright bullying, we feel the brotherhood they share and how well they interact on screen. Harvey mentors Mike even though he’s never attended a day of law school before because he sees himself in Mike. Although this monumental task, which could get Harvey disbarred and both of them jailed, is one that many wouldn’t dream of doing, Harvey hammers into Mike his philosophy that you can never lose. “When you’re backed against the wall, break the goddamn thing down.” We’re attracted to Harvey’s magnetic personality and the absolute dominance with which he handles all of his cases, finessing them while showing who’s boss. However, all the things he does would earn him frequent visits to HR in the real world.
But Suits isn’t just about teaching us to win no matter what; it is a story of redemption for our hero, Mike Ross. Ross was a genius destined for great things until a botched cheating operation to make more money got him banned from Harvard before he graduated high school. His perfect genius is ruined by his friend Trevor, who, although he was his best friend, got him kicked out of Harvard and even almost arrested for dealing weed. Mike struggles with his sense of self-worth, knowing he can do more, but he must resort to cheap tricks to earn money, like taking the LSAT for other people and doing random delivery jobs. This all changes when he enters the world of corporate law. He can buy his grandmother an apartment now, finally afford expensive suits, and move out of Trevor’s bad influence. It shows us that anything’s possible, even though most do not have a photographic memory; no matter how far we stray, it’s always possible to get back up.
However, the beauty of Suits lies not only in its portrayal of these characters, who seem larger than life. We see law firm managers, top lawyers like Harvey Specter, Jessica Pearson, and Louis Litt, and geniuses like Mike Ross, all of whom are the most brilliant minds in the world. The beauty of Suits lies in how they humanize these characters. Harvey may be the city’s best lawyer but struggles to make deep relationships and empathize with people. Even after Mike’s redemption arc, he is still flawed in that what he is doing is illegal, and he bears the fear and weight of that secret every day, affecting his relationships with his grandmother and lover. We meet Louis Litt who at first is a bona fide douchebag. Still, over time, we learn that he, too, despite being the most extraordinary financial mind in the city, has trouble making friends with people and longs for a relationship where someone understands him.
Suits is a TV series that perfectly takes characters with big egos and minds and compels the viewer to understand different sides of them. They are transformed into characters with kindness and vulnerability. This show teaches us that humans are not one-sided- everyone has complex personalities and understanding others’ true selves will build stronger bonds.
