10 Things That Happen In Every Suits Episode

Suits may be a novel approach to TV shows about lawyers and major law firms, but it’s still a procedural drama series with many elements that are repeated in every single episode. Suits ran from 2011 to 2019, and during that period, it experienced highs and lows in ratings and popularity. The show was also majorly affected by shakeups partway through its run. Originally, the series starred the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle as a central character, Rachel Zane, but the former royal was required to leave the show in the run-up to her wedding.

While this impacted ratings at the time and resulted in another star leaving the show, Patrick J. Adams, who plays her love interest Mike Ross, the show has recently found new life on Netflix (via Collider). With so many new people finding the hit show, it’s worth taking a closer look at the elements that appear again and again. This is not to suggest that it makes the show weaker in any way, considering the popularity of procedural dramas in general, and its status as an easy show to enjoy with simple plots that begin and end in each episode.

Suits

Suits follows Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), who, despite never attending law school, is able to use his photographic memory to become a lawyer. The legal drama ran from 2011 to 2019 for a total of nine seasons and also starred Gabriel Macht, Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty, and Rick Hoffman.

Cast

Patrick J. Adams , Sarah Rafferty , Gabriel Macht , Meghan Markle , Rick Hoffman , Gina Torres , Amanda Schull , Dule Hill , Katherine Heigl

Release Date

June 23, 2011

Seasons

9

Network

USA

Writers

Aaron Korsh

Showrunner

Aaron Korsh

Creator(s)

Aaron Korsh

10 Lying To Everbody

“Why Didn’t You Tell Me Before?”

Lying is a core element of Suits. Whether that means Harvey lying to a client, clients lying to their lawyers, or Mike Ross and Harvey doing their best to keep Mike’s lack of qualifications a secret. The series takes a deep dive into dishonesty with characters who frequently compartmentalize their work, relationships, and individual day-to-day tasks. One of the most frequently uttered lines throughout the series is Mike and Harvey, or some other pairing clashing with one another as one declares “Why didn’t you tell me before,” to which the other responds; “I’m telling you now.”

9 No Love For Louis

Everybody Hates Louis

Louis Litt may be a junior partner at the firm when the series begins, working all the way up to getting his name on the building, but it doesn’t mean he was shown respect. For much of the show, Louis is frequently looked down on by most of the other characters, as a slimy, spineless lawyer who is willing to snake his way to the top. And this is reflected in almost every episode, as Louis is frequently the punching bag and butt of many jokes.

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8 Louis Fights Back

With Varying Results Every Time

However, Louis is not one to take things lying down. While he is the least-liked person for much of his time on the show, Louis frequently conspires and coordinates plans to get his own back against the people who treat him the worst. Whether that means trying to sneakily get a promotion set aside for Harvey, stealing a notable case, or sabotaging someone else’s work, Louis has a lot of plans to get a healthy dose of revenge. Despite this, many of the plans blow up in his face, with only a few managing to succeed.

7 Slamming A Folder On A Desk

The Most Dramatic Way To Present A New Case

As a legal drama, Suits needs to build tension and excitement in each episode. The life of a lawyer may not be full of high-stakes court cases, intense legal battles with games of intimidation, and mental chess playing out beforehand, but Suits makes court proceedings into an engaging circus. One such way to add drama is the way that each new case is presented. In almost every episode, someone walks into someone else’s office and slams a folder on their desk. They then pick up the folder and briefly look it over, before declaring something intense, and the case builds from there.

6 A New Case To Win

Which Harvey Always Wins

Harvey Specter has an incredibly impressive winning streak under his belt, revealing at one point that he handled 18,362 cases in two years. Out of this incredible figure, he only had 147 of those go to trial, and he won every last case. Putting aside how ludicrous these numbers actually are, it is a testament to Specter’s ability to win. Throughout the show, Harvey, Mike Ross, Louis, and others all take on cases, with a new case in each episode, and more often than not, the firm wins, especially when Harvey is on the case.

5 Donna Being The Voice Of Reason

Donna Paulsen Is Easily The Best TV Assistant Of All Time

Donna Paulsen may be Harvey’s assistant early on in the show, but she is frequently shown to be equally matched in intelligence, and often better when it comes to most other things. As a result, Donna is the go-to person in the office for advice, encouragement, or to come up with a plan of attack when things get tense. If Harvey goes too far, or someone steps out of line, Donna is there in a flash to put things right and make sure everything stays in order.

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4 Failing The Bechdel Test

Despite Plenty Of Strong Female Characters

Suits is also a show that is full of powerful, confident, and strong independent women, but when putting the series to the test, it doesn’t always match up. The Bechdel test is designed to measure how prominently women are featured in a TV show or movie, and how meaningful their role is. Despite the presence of strong female characters in Suits, most of the time they are featured talking to men or talking about men, rather than having meaningful conversations not focused on the opposite gender.

3 Harvey’s Cockiness

Harvey Specter Is Incredibly Self-Assured

Considering his winning streak, it makes sense that Harvey is so full of himself, but he is also never afraid to show off. Harvey is vain, he is handsome, and he is self-assured. In almost every episode, he will make comments about how great he is, or compare himself to others, with his status frequently being high above anyone else’s. This has the potential to make him an incredibly unlikable character, but, most of the time, his charm, skill, and intelligence prove that he has a right to be so cocky.

2 Lunch On The Go

New York Street Food And Coffee

With a show set in New York, featuring a cast of dedicated lawyers who work long hours at all times of the day and night, food plays a big role in the show. Whether the team is chowing down on chow mein while reading through boxes of documents, or stepping out to grab a bagel and a coffee, food features frequently. While this may not appear significant, it does show the dedication and perseverance of the team, as most of their meals are eaten on the go, as they discuss work and travel to their next appointments.

1 Yelling In Someone Else’s Office

The Power Dynamics Are Intense

And tying it all together, it wouldn’t be an episode of Suits if someone didn’t march into someone else’s offices yelling and screaming. The power dynamics at play are a pivotal part of the show, and every single episode sees the power shifting and revolving as talented and pride-fuelled lawyers take a stand against their coworkers, trying to get a bigger piece of the pie for themselves. Suits rely on these moments, which make the characters more vulnerable and exposed, as they stand firm against what they view as unfairness, injustice, or lack of recognition.