SUITS 6.5 is almost upon us. Before moving on to the next round of stories for the back half of the season, I spoke to some fellow fans and writers about what has happened so far in SUITS season 6. Were the storylines satisfying? What effect, if any, did Mike Ross’ trip to prison have on his development and on the series as a whole? What was our take on the way Jessica Pearson’s exit was written, especially since it was in the context of a shared case with Rachel Zane? Where are some of our favorite (and not-so-favorite) relationships as we enter the back half of the season, and what do we foresee happening as we move forward?
Related: Teasers for the SUITS season 6.5 premiere
The main focus going into SUITS season 6 was all about Mike Ross’ prison sentence. People were curious to know how the show would change and how his character would be affected. What are your overall impressions of this storyline? Was it resolved too quickly? Did it drag on too long? Was it worth it?
Shana: As of right now, the prison storyline was definitely not worth it. It somehow managed to simultaneously be resolved too quickly and feel like it dragged on forever. That’s the risk that you run when you fundamentally change the dynamic of a series. SUITS took a big risk with taking Mike Ross away from the firm, but there wasn’t any of the necessary reward for justifying such a risk. Instead of serving his time and really learning from his mistakes, Mike was able to get out of jail quickly thanks to some of the same old gray-area dealings from Harvey Specter. I appreciate that the threats on Mike’s life made this necessary but don’t believe the situation was handled well at all. Maybe the back half of SUITS season 6 will prove otherwise; one can only hope.
Jenn: I think it worked really well at the beginning of the season for an episode or two. After a while, however, it became clear that the writers were just trying their hardest to get Mike out of prison. He learned no real, lasting lessons there and I was hopeful that he would at least experience some sort of character growth or development. The opposite effect happened: prison should have served to endear me to Mike, or at least have me root for him. Soon enough, I found myself rooting against Mike. And I don’t think that’s a good thing at all. Mike became even more self-righteous and insufferable than he was outside of prison, and refused to even remotely express remorse for the lies he told and the way it harmed the people closest to him in his life. I wish this storyline had been more redeeming for him. Alas, it was not.
Lizzie: Did I like the idea? Yes, I really did. The show had gone far too long without consequences. It was getting to the point where I had to suspend disbelief, and I don’t want my SUITS to be like a superhero show where I have to squint to try to believe all they’re selling. Did it work? Eh, debatable. It worked for a while, at least: It gave some characters (the ones out of jail, at least) the chance to shine, and it provided some good acting. Was it resolved too quickly? Yes, and no. I mean, I was tired of it already, but the way it was resolved left a bitter taste in my mouth because Mike learned nothing. No one learned anything. It’s like we just threw away the first half of SUITS season 6. No growth. Was it worth it? Not really, no. Storylines are only worth it if characters learn something, and no one did in this one.
Laura: I can’t say if the storyline was worth it or not until SUITS season 6 finishes; maybe the upcoming episodes will surprise us. Having said that, the premise was a nice idea that suddenly stopped making sense during the 10 episodes that aired last summer. Mike didn’t show much change or character evolution while being in prison, and Harvey was really out of control. It could have been dragged longer if the plot was treated differently than it was; however, because of things developed, it was enough. I sincerely hope his time in jail provides him (and Harvey) some growth, even if Jessica leaving will be the pivotal point in how the rest of the season unfolds.
Cammie: The idea of Mike Ross going to prison is fundamentally appealing to me, a person who feels the need almost every episode to remind everyone that he did, in fact, do the things he’s being accused of. However, the two things I hoped to gain from this (which were: 1. moral repercussions for Mike’s choices which would allow his character to move forward or grow in some way and 2. a reprieve in the PSL offices from covering Mike’s secret, during which we could explore the dynamics and character progressions of the other characters) did not really unfold as I’d hoped. It wasn’t a terribly boring storyline – the integration of the character we refer to as his prison boyfriend was a pleasantly engaging side-story, for example, and the plot itself was not inherently more riddled with plot-holes than previous seasons – but it didn’t provide us with a chance to see other characters grow in his absence to the degree I was hoping. And his in-prison arc didn’t leave me pondering lessons he’s learned or growth he’s attempted. Not terrible, though.
Jessica and Rachel’s Innocence Project case had a lot of people talking. What are your thoughts on their journey with Leonard Bailey, particularly as it wound up being a catalyst for Jessica making a change in her life?
Shana: At the very least, Jessica and Rachel’s journey was easily the most rewarding part of the season thus far. Across all six seasons of SUITS, I bet I could rank it in one of my top three arcs. Not only was Rachel Zane able to prove her worth after a couple of seasons of fading into the whiny, “just Mike Ross’ girlfriend” background, but viewers were also treated to a story that, ultimately, created a wonderful ending for Gina Torres’ character. Jessica Pearson wasn’t just the ruthless leader of a law firm; she was also a human being with the ability to feel empathy and change herself for the better. That’s so important.
Most importantly, though, I’m grateful to the SUITS writers for not falling into the awful trap of turning Rachel and Jessica into enemies out of some misplaced need to have only one female power lawyer as a series regular. There’s nothing better than watching a powerful woman get the chance to actually help another female trying to enter her profession. Far too often, entertainment pits women against one another — as if the only way for us to be successful is to be catty — but with this Innocence Project case, SUITS proved that it can be just as compelling for women to support one another.
…it’s as if someone has finally listened to what we’ve been saying all along.
Jenn: I liked the fact that Jessica and Rachel were able to spend the first half of the season working together. It provided a much-needed change of pace from Rachel being the insufferable know-it-all that she typically is (sorry, Rachel, but it’s true). That said, while I love the fact that Jessica bowed out on her own terms, I’m not sure I really loved the storyline as a whole. It was nice to see Jessica think about the ramifications of her actions, and the fact that she wants to be better and make the world better is admirable. But Rachel’s insistence on being right was validated with the outcome of the case, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. Just because Rachel gets emotionally invested in a case doesn’t mean she makes the right decisions. It felt weird for the show to have her actually be right about this and hold more power and knowledge, in the end, than the name partner. Nevertheless, it was nice to see two of the women on this show have a storyline for once!
Lizzie: If you’d told me before the season that anything involving Rachel would be my favorite part of, well, anything, I would have laughed you out of the room. I just didn’t like Rachel. I still sorta don’t, but now I understand her, if that makes any sense — or I can see behind the whiny persona that she puts on when she’s being dragged down by the “Mike this” and “Mike that” of the matter. I can now watch her scenes and be interested, and that’s all because of the Innocence Project.
Also, and I think this is the most important part: It gave us two female characters working together, not against each other, and did a better job than most shows do these days at showing women as multi-dimensional. Yes, there are more female interactions than BFFs or enemies. Women can work together, and be friendly, and sometimes tell each other all their secrets, sometimes not. Not everything is black and white.
Laura: First of all, I have to agree with Shana about the fact that this plot didn’t become a power struggle but more of mentor/student kind of relationship. It was beautiful to watch because it didn’t just make Rachel stronger; but it helped Jessica find what she wanted, too. Even if that means we’re stuck without our lawyer queen on our screens. SUITS really took a chance with this arc. It showcased a relationship we’re not used to seeing on the show, and let’s not even start with how most of the scenes led only by ladies barely passed the Bechdel test before this. The fact that the Innocence Project was the background for Rachel and Jessica’s evolution only made it better because it made us viewers think about what we were watching.
Cammie: Granted, they could have put Jessica and Rachel in a storyline together solving a case involving fraudulent parking tickets and it still would have had me cheering from the stands; but I absolutely was thrilled with the storyline given here and found myself actually tearing up throughout at the highs, lows, and resolutions. Just seeing Jessica on screen is a pleasure (one I will sorely miss unless Gina Torres decides to grace us with her presence again someday), and we’ve been fortunate to have seen many fantastic scenes and storylines with her in the past several seasons. However, finding a storyline for Rachel that is engaging and worthy of her talents has been slim pickings in previous seasons, where all too often her arc revolved around whatever drama Mike created, so it was a treat to see Rachel exist in a space that challenged and highlighted her. I hope that continues for her in the latter half of the season, so that her send-off (as Meghan Markle will be taking a hiatus from the show after this season, we’re told) is worthy of her character’s progression and not presented as a side-story to Mike.
Rachel and Jessica working together created an opportunity for their storylines to grow in such a way where neither character’s progression or abilities were slowed or limited in order to make the other seem strong, which was such a genuine joy to watch. There was a lovely scene where Jessica, Rachel, and Gretchen were all talking together in the firm, and it was fantastic to see three strong WOC all succeeding together in their fields and existing within the same show, storyline, and place, simultaneously.
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SUITS viewers were promised a love story for Louis Litt in SUITS season 6, but the way his relationship with Tara began caused a lot of criticism. Do you agree that this storyline was problematic, or are people being too sensitive?
Shana: So, Mike Ross’ prison storyline was entertaining, yet kind of unsatisfactory. Louis Litt’s choice to manipulate a woman with a fake job, just to get her to notice him? Not entertaining and massively cringe-worthy. It smacked of everything that’s wrong with male entitlement, and the payoff wasn’t even in the realm of satisfying. What a way to sink a ship before it ever starts its journey.
Lizzie: UGH. In my head, I want to believe the same writers who did so well with Jessica and Rachel didn’t write this craptastic storyline, because…really? Louis has been hard to like at many points in this show’s six seasons, but never has he come off as such an entitled asshole as he did in SUITS 6A. People being too sensitive? No. Writers not understanding what they’re writing because they’re also privileged? Yes.
Laura: I’m not comfortable with this relationship. Louis manipulated Tara; and while doing so the writers presented it as if it were a romantic gesture. Jessica would roll her eyes, and so would we. And we did.
Jenn: This story was the worst and it was creepy and it was weird and it was, again, validated by the writers. Louis lying to Tara was somehow seen as endearing? Cute? Romantic, even? Ugh, gag me with a spoon. I love the complexities of Louis Litt, but this particular storyline was immensely problematic and romanticized lying to get what you want in a relationship. Hard pass.
Cammie: My criticism with this storyline for the majority of it (the first three-fourths of it, perhaps) mostly had to do with my general distaste for Louis being a trope-y social villain for comedic purposes. Rick Hoffman does a great job with more complex emotional scenes with comedic elements, and I felt this storyline really dragged toward the Louis-is-a-joke-at-a-woman’s-expense route. And I get that perhaps the writers didn’t realize that we’d still be offended at a woman being treated so inappropriately if she’s a new side character we don’t even know; but here we are, caring and saying, “don’t do this.” So, hopefully, they’ve had some corner time to think about their behavior.
Let’s transition to how the mid-season finale set up some potential storylines for SUITS 6.5. The final image of the first half of the season involved Donna and Harvey holding hands and gazing out over the city. Do we think this means good things for Darvey shippers? If so, what would you like to see happen with that relationship as we move forward? If not, what are some other possible implications?
Shana: They held hands (fangirl flails)!
Ok. Now that that’s out of my system: Yes, I believe that the closing scene in “P.S.L.” was a good sign for Darvey shippers. No, I don’t think it’s necessarily the hand-holding that created that positive outlook. The actually important part of that gesture is two-fold: First of all, someone made the choice to end the SUITS mid-season finale with that image, meaning they wanted the picture of Donna and Harvey together to be viewers’ lasting image of those characters until the series returned. Secondly, Harvey Specter admitted to not wanting to be left alone to brood. That’s a big deal for the character, folks.
Lizzie: It’s been too long. It’s time. It’s really, really time. This show can make it with Darvey as a couple. I promise you: It can. Please give it to me, SUITS.
Wait. That wasn’t the question? Fine, I do think this means good things because that’s the image they chose to leave us with. I’m legit just hoping we get a chance to see a relationship. No more stalling, no more “I don’t know how I feel” or “I can’t admit it now that I do know.” A relationship. A real one.
Jenn: I want to believe this means good things. I really do. That hand hold was such a big step for both of them! I’m overly cautious when it comes to SUITS because it doesn’t seem like Korsh will ever pull the trigger on these two, totally. He likes to dangle bait, and (having seen the midseason premiere) that will likely continue in the back half of the year. That aside, I think that Harvey took a huge step in letting Donna into his vulnerabilities. He’s always concerned with her seeing him at his best — always polished, always winning, always saving the day. And I think this time around, she expected it to be like every other. But Harvey being willing to open up at his weakest moment is a sign that he’s growing in the right direction. Who’s to say where Harvey and Donna could go from here, but I’m hopeful their relationship will grow and evolve into something deeper.
Laura: I can’t stop saying that that image was important because, as Shana said, someone chose to have that as the final image of the midseason finale. And as Lizzie pointed out, it has been too long! I’m not even going to dwell on the fact that they have purposely not touched each other for years; but for me, the thing that makes me be hopeful is that the cliffhanger ended with them, together, looking out at the window, as a classic movie would use the trope for the leads to look over their future. (And they were holding hands!!! – fangirl moment over.)
It’s been 6 seasons, so it’s time for this dynamic to move forward and not go back. Even if, as Donna said several times, you can’t.
Cammie: What I’d like to see in the back half of SUITS season 6 for Harvey and Donna is a clear path. We as viewers don’t need to be hand-held through a path of lovely flowers only — we can go through a bit of angst and stress — but I’d like to see some indication that the story we are trying to follow is actually the story the creators are trying to tell. While I find the dynamic between Harvey and Donna (as well as their individual arcs) has been leading them to each other and the character growth seems to be going there, it has been slow and up-to-interpretation for so long we’re left to wonder not if they’re going to get together but when that story will start. Certainly, we can cite moments prior to this season which were (in my hopeful opinion anyway) leading there, but it’s nice to see that begin to take shape on screen.
Harvey and Donna have been such a fan-favorite part of the show for so long, it really does seem a bit late-in-the-game to just now feel that their storyline is starting. I loved the ending of them holding hands after the midseason crisis, and I’m hoping this is the beginning of a rich and complex storyline for them. As lovely as a happily-ever-after scene will hopefully be someday, I think we’d all definitely like the path there, and I’m hopeful that said path is starting.
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Speaking of Donna, #DonnaPaulsenDeservesBetter took over the SUITS live tweets this season. What kind of story would you like for Donna in the future, and how can we work her into a more central role without an increased Donna presence reading like the dreaded “fan service?”
Shana: I just want Donna to be Donna. That probably sounds like a cop-out; but I swear it’s not. There’s so much potential for material, just based on what we already know about Donna Paulsen, that simply following the trail of characterization bread crumbs that have already been left for viewers should do the trick. (Also, I already wrote, like, a bajillion words on this back in August. Clickety click. And in case you don’t feel like reading? Just keep this in mind: “Donna Paulsen deserves better. Sarah Rafferty deserves better. SUITS viewers, on the whole, deserve better for this character.”)
Lizzie: Can we just stop having Donna serve someone else’s storyline? I want Donna to do shit because she wants to do shit, not because Louis or Mike or Harvey or anyone else need her to, asks her to, etc. I don’t even care what she does, as long as she does it because she wants to do it. And if the fans cry fan service, to hell with them. Fan service isn’t even a thing anyway.
Laura: I want to know more about Donna. How have these 12 (or 13?) years by Harvey’s side changed her goals? How’s her family? What are her dreams now? Does she still want to be an actress? How many plays is she involved with? Does she have other goals? I want her to have her own storyline, besides the firm, and besides Harvey.
Jenn: I just want an episode where Donna has a day off and we follow her around (not like that time she got fired, you guys — happier!) to see what her life is like outside of the office. I know that SUITS is a workplace-driven drama, but I’d really like to know more about what she does when she isn’t there. Does Donna have a rivalry with a spin-classmate? What is her weekend like? Can SUITS just do an episode about everyone not at the office, so we get to know these people’s’ home lives a bit better? I feel like that would be fun.
Cammie: While I’d quite happily argue that 100% of entertainment is created to entertain fans and is therefore all fan-service, I do understand what you are asking: Do we think Donna will be given a storyline central to her growth, and will it be smoothly integrated with the rest of the show. And I would love to say yes – certainly now, after several seasons, I’d imagine one would have to consistently struggle to keep her development from occurring, as that should naturally happen and should have happened throughout.
Donna is played to perfection by Sarah Rafferty, and her micro-writing (individual dialogue and character traits and behaviors) is pretty consistently fantastic. Her macro-writing (over-arching storyline and growth) has occasionally left all of us wanting more: thus the hashtag. We’ve been disappointed to see her play only supporting roles to others grand development arcs, and there have been many times we’ve not been given her reactions, responses, or resolutions outside of her support to other characters. Thankfully, the times we have seen her given a strong character development opportunity, it’s been delivered fantastically, so I am looking forward to the promised story for her in the back half of this season.
After Jessica Pearson’s grand exit, the firm is going to undergo some major changes. How do you see it all unfolding?
Shana: First and foremost, the firm is going to have to find a new leader in SUITS 6.5. The obvious candidates are Harvey Specter and Louis Litt, but neither character is perfect for the job. My hope would be for these two men to (finally) learn to work together and complement one another with their unique strengths; my guess is that there will be plenty of their usual bickering instead. I’d love to be wrong.
Lizzie: It’s going to be chaotic because Harvey and Louis need to work together…and Harvey and Louis don’t know how to work together in a constructive manner. They really don’t. And it’s been six years. At this point, I want more than the usual back and forth, as fun as that is. I want both of them stepping up and putting in the work — and I don’t just mean actual work, I mean the relationships too.
Jenn: I agree with Lizzie. It’ll be utter chaos for a while because Harvey and Louis cannot work together to save their lives. But I think eventually the firm will settle into some sort of normalcy and start having small victories again.
Laura: I cringe when I think about Louis and Harvey fighting instead of working towards a common goal. They’re both adults, and Jessica isn’t there anymore. With that being said, I really hope this is the season of character growth and they actually find a point where they can work together without it being an alpha male showdown. But I can’t really say how I see things unfolding because SUITS usually surprises me.
Cammie: After shedding many tears for the empty space where Jessica once was, I would like to see the firm move into a state of future-focus, where all of the characters in play are thinking more specifically about where they want to be in ten years. This is not just because I think that sets the stage for a fabulous unfolding of Harvey’s and Donna’s growth thus far (though that’s a perk) but also because I think the haphazard handling of the passing of time on this show has put the characters in a place where they’ve not necessarily had a chance to fully explore out loud what their long-term goals are; and I think this is a good space in which to do that before moving into season 7. Also, while I understand one or more characters will of course step up in leadership, I would not prefer to see that be structured in such a way as to fill Jessica’s shoes, as they are unfillable. </3 But I’m looking forward to seeing where the back half of this season does take these characters as they are all left afloat.
That’s it for now, folks. Make sure to tune in to the SUITS mid-season premiere on Wednesday, January 25 at 10:00 p.m. ET (read spoilers from the premiere) on the USA Network to find out what’s next for our favorite characters.