Summary
Suits’ last couple of seasons confirmed Harvey Specter’s true role in the story and reaffirmed something that the show had already made clear as early as in season 2. WhileSuitswas successful during its original run on USA Network, it has since become even more popular thanks to streaming. After breakingThe Office’s record in 2023 to become the most streamed show in a year,Suitswill now return with a spinoff set in Los Angeles.Suits: L.A.will follow new characters, meaning that, if names like Mike and Harvey appear, they will be cameos.
Suitshad a lot of great characters, but the series was primarily focused on Mike Ross and Harvey Specter. It is reasonable to say thatSuitsstarted as the story of Mike Ross. A character who never went to college but somehow got hired as a junior associate in a major law firm made for a very compelling protagonist, especially because Mike also had a gimmick – his photographic memory.Most ofSuitsseason 1’s cases were solved thanks to Mike’s tricks, all while he and Harvey tried to keep their fraud a secret. However,Suitssoon began to change.
Suits Series Finale Ending Explained & How It Sets Up The L.A. Spinoff
Suits’ series finale showed how much Mike Ross changed Harvey Specter’s life and brought the show full circle in an emotional final episode.
Suits’ Seasons 8 & 9 Confirmed Harvey Specter Was Always The Show’s Main Character
Harvey Made Suits’ Final Two Seasons Work
In hindsight, Mike was only the main character in the first couple ofseasons ofSuits.Harvey Specter quickly became the face of the show, namely because his character was slightly more realistic yet in any way less interesting than Mike’s. It was fun watching Mike saving the day with his memory or trying to fool people who suspected his Harvard lie, but both of these elements got repetitive very fast. Mike’s character was often reduced to his gimmick and his secret, thus making him predictable. Harvey, on the other hand, was always a wild card.
Suits’ final two seasons were flawed, but Harvey made them work.
AsSuitswent on,Harvey began to have the most compelling storylines.Harvey was also a more flawed character than Mike, namely because the former was not very good at talking about his feelings. It was only by the end of the show that Harvey fixed his relationship with his mother and realized what he felt about Donna, both of which happened when Mike was no longer around. After Mike left,Suitshad no choice but to place all bets on Harvey’s character, and it paid off.Suits’ final two seasons were flawed, but Harvey made them work.
Harvey Specter Was The Best Thing About Suits’ Final Seasons
Suits Lost 3 Major Characters But Not Its True Protagonist
Suitsstruggled a lot during its final two seasons not only because three of the show’s main characters had left but also because it was starting to become repetitive. There were only so many crises that could happen atSuits' Spector Littbefore no amount of suspension of disbelief would make the storylines plausible. ForSuits’ final seasons to have any drama or tension, character developments had to be reversed, and old plot lines rehashed. Mike had not been the best thing aboutSuitsfor a while, but his absence in season 8 was missed.
Patrick J. Adams reprised his role as Mike for three episodes ofSuitsseason 9, including the series finale.
The best thing aboutSuits’ seasons 8 and 9 was seeing more of Harvey Specter, particularly how Mike’s departure affected him. Mike may have learned a lot from Harvey, but it is fair to say that Harvey learned just as much from his protegé if not more. Harvey was a more mature character by the end of the show, yet he still needed to work some things out. Additionally,Harvey’s charisma helpedSuitsmaintain some of its identityeven without Jessica, Rachel, and Mike. Without a protagonist as compelling as Harvey,Suitswould not have survived.
Harvey Was Great (But Suits Was A Different Show Without Mike)
Mike And Harvey’s Friendship Was The Heart Of Suits
Seeing more of Harvey Specter was great, but that alone was not enough forSuitsto make up for Mike’s absence. Even though Harvey had arguably beenSuits’ main character for several seasons now, he worked better when around Mike. Mike’s approach to law challenged Harvey’s beliefs, whereas Harvey’s methods tested Mike’s resilience. Even the humor inSuitsfell off after Mike left, as some of the show’s funniest moments came from the interactions between him and Harvey.Suitsseason 8 felt like a different show, and not just because of Mike’s absence.
Having Harvey take on the managing partner role was not as interesting as it could have been, which the show itself acknowledged. Even still, Harvey spent most of the final two seasons working as a mediator – someone who needed to watch out for the entire firm instead of going after clients and enemies one by one. Harvey’s charisma never changed, butSuitsdid not know exactly what to do with it in the final seasons. That said,Suitsended on a high note partially because following Harvey’s final years at the firm was worth it.
Suits
Cast
Suits is a legal drama series that premiered in 2011, centering on Mike Ross, a college dropout with a photographic memory who lands a job at a top New York law firm despite lacking a law degree. Partnering with one of the city’s best legal closers, Harvey Specter, they navigate the challenges of high-stakes cases and firm dynamics.
