Article first published as SUITS Review Season 4 on Seat42F.
USA’s SUITS does not do small and slow,
so it will be no surprise that the fourth season premiere,
“One-Two-Three Go…,” aptly named, starts out fast and loud. No, that is
not a sex thing, though the opening montage does find multiple main
characters in a bedroom setting, including one whose love life is
revealed for the first time. From there, things only get more heated as
the episode promises more shake ups to come.
Mike (Patrick J. Adams) isn’t doing so
well three months into his new job. It seems the only career less suited
to being warm and fuzzy than lawyering is operating a hedge fund.
Mike’s tried-and-true strategy of finding a win-win scenario that makes
people happy does not produce big enough returns for his boss, who cares
far more about the bottom line than saving jobs. In true Mike fashion,
he searches for a solution. He does find one, but he needs Harvey’s
(Gabriel Macht) help to make it happen, and that part of it does not go
as smoothly as one might wish.
The relationship between Mike and
Harvey, while no longer being the primary focus of SUITS as it once
mostly was, is still a linchpin of the larger dynamic. The issues that
arise between them are not the fights of enemies, but rather the actions
of two men trying to find a balance in new roles. Harvey isn’t quite
sure whether to treat Mike as a friend or client, and the same can
basically be said of Mike.
Before this fragile arrangement can even
begin to work itself out, its very existence is threatened. I love that
SUITS isn’t afraid of making big plays, such as having Mike quit
Pearson Specter last winter, but at the same time, I worry the writers
will go too far. I tell myself that I shouldn’t be concerned, as there’s
never been any reason to doubt them, each episode of the three
already-aired seasons being excellent examples of drama. Still, it’s
hard not to feel the tension in this situation, seeing Mike and Harvey
at odds so steep.
Caught in the middle of this is Rachel
(Meghan Markle). She may be living with Mike, but she’s Harvey’s new
associate, replacing Mike at the firm that she owes major debts to. Mike
and Harvey are stand-up guys and neither would intentionally ask her to
choose sides, but there are bound to be conflicts in this situation,
including at least one that arises in “One-Two-Three Go…” What will be
interesting to see is how Rachel deals with such power-wielding men,
generally preferring a softer touch herself, though she does rise to
occasion.
Louis (Rick Hoffman), for his part,
overhears Harvey spouting some platitudes and decides to adopt this as
his new business strategy. One cannot blame Louis for emulating Harvey.
After all, their friendship is firmly established, and Harvey now has
what Louis yearns for – his name on the letter head. What better way to
try to reach that goal than by copying the master? However, what works
for Harvey has never worked for Louis, and one can see right away that
Louis may not be making the right decision.
I continue to be slightly flummoxed by
the role of Katrina (Amanda Schull), Louis’s associate, in the series.
Is there sexual tension between them, or is she Louis’ Mike? I feel like
it’s a bit of both. Things between Katrina and Louis, at least on her
part, don’t quite feel platonic. Yet, they are almost as hands-off as
Donna (Sarah Rafferty) is with Harvey. Is this going somewhere other
than the professional, or is it just a weird relationship?
As usual, the best parts of the SUITS
premiere are moments between characters, rather than the bigger twists.
Mike and his client (Michael Gross, Family Ties) have a typical Mike
scene where the former lawyer pours his heart out. Dialogue involving
Donna and Harvey, Donna and Mike, Donna and Jessica (Gina Torres), and
Donna and Louis sparkles, proving once more that Donna has some of the
best written lines, at least among those not involving movie references.
Mike has an assistant that is his version of Donna; there might just be
some staying power there. And there’s a sequence between Harvey and
Jessica that is extremely touching and insightful.
Toss in D.B. Woodside (24, Single
Ladies) in a recurring role sure to excite many fans, and SUITS has done
it once again, delivering another powerful, beautifully acted episode
with as much soap as any other scripted drama, but far less cheese and
far more authenticity. SUITS is a near-perfect series, certainly the
best thing on USA, past or present. I can’t wait to see what else the
summer has in store for it.
SUITS airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on USA.
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