Suits Season 1 Episode 5 Recap/Review

            Oh Suits, you make me feel like such a fan boy. I know it is not that original to just heap praise on a show, but seriously, that was a great hour of television. Mike Ross is easily becoming one of my favorite characters to watch on television. On the one hand, Harvey was absolutely right in calling him a puppy. He is young and naïve, always looking for the absolutely best out of people. If anything, though, that just makes him more charming. Sure, at some point he needs to grow up, but it is truly nice to see how big his heart is. He helped out Trevor when he had absolutely no obligation to, clearly feels bad about and loves his grandmother, and has not absolutely given his all to every client. The kid is driven by compassion, and is an absolute dreamer. It is even more impressive that he sticks to those principles, given that the world he inhabits is so blatantly juxtaposed to those ideals. Hell, even his mentor tries to crush those tendencies of his on a regular basis. By all rights we should be watching Mike turn into a bitter and jaded man. Yet, he brazenly clings to his greenness, and is actually a better man for it.

            On the other hand, I also really enjoy his irreverent sense of humor. Do not get me wrong, just because I find Mike’s puppy like qualities endearing, does not mean I want him to be some innocent little wall flower. I love his irreverent sense of humor, and that biting wit he has in spades. In a lot of ways, Mike is a representative of my generation; smart and jaded enough to be ready for a harsh world, but young enough to still hope for the best out of it.

            And if Mike is who we are now, Harvey is who we want to eventually be. For all his bluster, Harvey is nothing but a grown up and more experienced Mike. Sure, he is more cynical, but that is only because he has been through more battles and letdowns. Ultimately, however, he still has his ideals, and always seems to win without compromising them. That, more than anything, is what makes him be what we all want to be. We all want his intelligence, his success, his wit, his drive, and so on. Most importantly, we want all of that without sacrificing our souls. We root for Harvey and Mike, because we want to hope and believe there is a way for a kid like Mike, or ourselves, to get to be a person like Harvey. If anything, Bail Out was exactly about that. That was made especially clear when Jessica mentioned she made the puppy comment about Harvey years ago. Suits is not really about lawyers, or cases, or anything of that nature. It is about how Mike will become Harvey, and I for one have absolutely enjoyed the ride so far.

To the quick hits:

            -Because I was unable to recap last week, I will now take the time to sing the praises of Gina Torres. Girl, go on! Loved her last week in a more central role, and thoroughly enjoyed her biting humor tonight. I will be adding “Don’t make me set your desk on fire” and “The really important thing is that I am taller than you” to my verbal repertoire from now on. It is fantastic; let me say that again, fantastic, to see a powerful woman on TV who is not portrayed as a total bitch. Sure, she can pull out the claws, but she does so from a place of authority, not some overwrought idea of female cattiness.

            -Also stepping up to the plate tonight was Donna. Just like with some of Gina’s bon mots, I will also be incorporating “I don’t appreciate limitations placed on my beauty” and “It’s like my soul hurts” into my everyday conversation whenever I can. Watching her give Lewis the run around was great, and made even better when Harvey realized she has done it to him before. If Suits somehow does not make it to season two, I want a spin-off with these two ladies pronto.

            -You know whom I do not love? Trevor.  Not only is he a deadweight to Mike, he tends to drag down the show too. Look, I get Mike has a past life and he and the writers cannot all of a sudden just forget it, but maybe they could kill Trevor off? Yes that is terrible, but raise your hands if you would have been sad I Harvey just showed up five minutes late to help him out. I kid I kid. Thankfully the writers did the next best thing by putting his ass on a bus to Montana. It is like they heard my pleas from the future. Nicely done people.

            -Just because I want to see Trevor gone does not mean I want Grandma Ross to disappear though. We have not seen her in a while, so I feel like she needs to make a return soon. Writers you cannot have Mike tell the crazy doll lady how much he misses her and feels guilty, then have him not act on those feelings. Here’s hoping Grandma Ross and her sassiness return soon.

            -This is totally a personal thing, but I love that the characters cuss. Real people cuss all of the time, and I always find it terribly unrealistic when characters on TV do not. Yes, shows have to deal with the FCC and blah blah blah, but bring on more of the God damns and shits!

            -Will Harvey ever not win? Is that a stupid question? I enjoy that he is at least velvet hammer, never outright crushing people. I will be quite please, however, when he finally does just completely destroy a person. I am talking utter decimation on all fronts. Basically, I want him to end up destroying someone’s life both personally and in business, and then set their desk on fire. He can invite Jessica.

            -It was also nice of him to acknowledge Lewis. Yes it was totally backhanded, as it only could be, but nice all of the same. As a sidenote, poor Lewis’ imaginary wife. Never has an imaginary person been so disparaged.

            -Finally, some quick rants at Mike. Turn off your damn phone! Leave the random bar hos alone! Do not run out of your place of business from criminals! Get a car or use a taxi! Find an iron and straighten your tie! End of rants.