Suits (2011)

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1. 

   Siskoid

   The basic premise behind Suits is a fun one, though I do wonder how they stretched it out to 9 seasons. Even by the 2nd (that's where I'm up to and through), suspension of disbelief has become strained - how long can Mike be allowed to practice law without a degree (photographic memory or not) even though more and more people know his secret? - and the tropes cycling into themselves - how often can Lewis betray his team, be forgiven, etc.? At this point, it still amuses me, and I buy into the fantasy, i.e. that this corporate law firm somehow manages to have clients who are honorable, or makes them morally pay even when it wins settlements for them. Suits in fact usually eschews court room drama in favor of back room shenanigans. Once the week-to-week formula has been established, Season 2 allows itself longer cases and a slimy recurring villain, but also annoying romcom elements where couples have stupid fights to keep them apart, etc. Ultimately, if it still works after two or more seasons, it's because of the humor and the characters, and sure, the leads are good, but I'm watching for a good chunk of the supporting cast. Gina Torres is a great presence, no surprise, but Rick Hoffman is awesome as the comic and dramatic foil, and the best character of all is Sarah Rafferty's super legal secretary Donna. So okay, let's keep chugging.
   
   After two more seasons of Suits (3 and 4), I'm not sure I can keep going. Having abandoned the "case of the week" format of the first season and extending cases and their consequences over most of a season or all of it does make it more of a binge-watch, but the soap elements have become obnoxious and repetitive. The central love affair is particularly annoying, with the characters acting like they have the emotional maturity of 5 year olds, in a constant cycle of stupid fights to cute reconciliation, but it infects every other relationship. Everyone seems to be on an infinite loop of betraying and making up, getting fired and re-hired, etc. etc., and since the larger plot requires less introduction per episode than "case of the week", there's a lot more of this soap filler than I want to endure. The writing is tic-heavy, with all the characters having the same speech patterns, which becomes quite noticeable when you are binging. Sadly, while the show started with an interesting grift plot, it quickly lost its way while trying to make itself must-see TV.
   
   [17/08/22] Got sucked back into Suits despite the CW-style writing and withstood it in part by often adding "BECAUSE I'M A CHILD!!!" to characters' dialog. (It actually helps.) But Seasons 5 and 6 are just generally better at making you press the "Next Episode" button, with higher stakes and a real shake-up of the status quo. After a couple seasons, I was asking for Mike to either go to jail or get his actual law license, and these seasons actually maneuver the show in those directions. Season 6 is the prison season, but disappointingly, they don't make Mike a lawyer-to-the-inmates, not really. It's more like Oz Lite. The addition of a therapist for Harvey and Donna moving over to Team Litt (adding a new, also interesting secretary to the cast) help bolster Season 5. Still, there is the sense that the show is just spinning its wheels, with more internal strife at the firm, and people going back and forth on their decisions because emotionally THEY ARE CHILDREN. Some characters seem to be spun off into their own show, but that one-season deal is still several years in the future and the characters do still show up fairly frequently, but they stick to some of these changes longer than they usually do. While it pulls you in like the best trash, I still think it's trash, especially the writing. Characters are either volatile to the point of parody, or loyal and supportive because they're just accessories. And they're really leaning into the sexual innuendo, so much so it feels like we're in later seasons of a sitcom, by which point comedy characters have become absurd. In Season 7, exploring the new status quo, they also gain access to dropping F-bombs, which is a blessing in disguise because the show was really in love with using the word "shit", a LOT, in ways no one really does. The new curse word actually leads to more organic language. Used to be, dramas went to 7 and stopped (usually because of salary inflation), and Suits' has all the hallmarks of a show ending naturally. It goes on for two more, somehow. In for 7 pennies, in for the full 9, but let's take a break here. 1 year 9 months ago
2. 

   maxdbn

   Brilliant. 9 years 8 months ago

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