TV Recommendation: Suits

If you’ve ever wanted an exactly accurate glimpse into the world of law, don’t watch Suits. However, if what you want instead is an extremely entertaining legal drama series with compelling cases, witty dialogue, and (of course) an impeccable sense of fashion, then absolutely do watch Suits. 

What do I mean by this? Well, if we were to compare the workings of a real-life corporate law firm with the law firm depicted in the show, the key difference would be pacing. In real life, difficult cases can take months or even years to fully resolve, and the majority of work done by lawyers is actually research and reading, and the times spent doing adds up very quickly. This contrasts the pacing of Suits, where cases always have a sense of urgency and importance.

But this is actually a reason to rejoice. After all, who would want to watch an hour-long show of lawyers researching things? The interesting, lively pacing of Suits keeps viewers engaged, and even though it may not be entirely accurate to real life, it absolutely enhances the viewing experience for the audience. And on that basis, I could not recommend the show more.

What’s it about?

But let’s step back a bit. What is this show actually about?

Without revealing too much, the story concerns college dropout Mike Ross, who was accepted to Harvard Law School but was never able to go. Mike has an eidetic memory, allowing him to accurately recall information after only a few moments of exposure to it. As he himself puts it, “I like to read. And I once I read something, I understand it. And once I understand it, I never forget it.”

With his memory, Mike is able to impress Harvey Specter, who is widely considered the “best closer New York has ever seen,” and is a senior partner at Pearson Hardman, one of the most prestigious corporate law firms in New York. As a term of his recent promotion, Harvey is required to hire a Harvard Law-educated associate. He chooses Mike, despite the issue that Mike never went to law school.

Now, this is actually an extremely serious action to be taking, as practicing law without a degree is considered a felony, and should Mike ever be discovered, both he and Harvey would almost certainly go to prison. As Mike and Harvey begin closing cases together, they also need to be careful in order to keep Mike’s lack of a Harvard Law degree a secret from the rest of the firm.

Why is it good?

While Suits may not be as iconic as Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones or some other universally recognized show, there is probably still a good chance you have heard of it before. This is for good reason too, as the show has actually spiked in popularity in the last year or two, despite first airing in 2011. My personal opinion is that the hype is justified, and that if you have heard that Suits is good, you should trust that and go for it. But even if you haven’t heard of this show, or are skeptical as to how much you would enjoy a legal drama, I would still encourage you to give it a shot.

The characters in Suits are likable, the cases are fascinating, and by far one of the greatest driving forces of the show is its dialogue. If you’ve ever enjoyed giving or even hearing a perfectly sassy, snarky and clever remark, with this show you are in for a treat. There are witty jabs aplenty, and on top of being immensely entertaining, these bits of dialogue also serve to enhance the complexities of the characters.

And when I say that the cases are fascinating, I am not exaggerating. Mike and Harvey’s firm has a plethora of clients within the upscale New York community, all of which are extremely demanding of the lawyers they hire, and the issues faced can range from medical drug regulation to multi-million business deals. Not only are these cases interesting to follow, and will keep viewers engaged, but they also leave open opportunities for the audience to think about their own morals and values in some situations.

But beyond that, the production value of the show is phenomenal as well. The set pieces are extremely well done (the firm itself looks extremely classy, as a rich law firm ought to), as is the cinematography. The show may as well be a much-longer movie. Even the opening theme song is extremely catchy, and I found myself humming it after hearing it the first few times.

You don’t necessarily have to be super interested in law to enjoy Suits. But if you’re interested in being entertained, it will not let you down.

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