Heather’s Top 3 Summer Shows: #1 USA’s Suits 

Last, but by no means, least, Suits is my #1 pick of the summer.

As y’all know, due to technical difficulties, a DVR hiccup at the beginning of August wiped out about two years of programming. Among the shows that went poof was Suits, which I’d been dutifully recording every week and kept meaning to watch but hadn’t gotten around to yet, and then the eps were gone. Something or other flipped a switch for me a couple of weeks ago when I saw they were double running them on Thursdays and I thought, what the hell, I’ll bite now and catch up later. Holy cats, y’all. This is some damn good TV.

I labeled Gabriel Macht a summer crush before the show even started, so I was going to watch it regardless, but now that I’ve seen all of the episodes so far, I’m just giddy that he has this role. Thank you to whomever it was in casting that saw Harvey Specter in him. I think this could finally be the role that defines him.

USA is amazing at doing that for actors–if they would just get on board with campaigning the hell out of them for Emmys (Tony Shalhoub aside). I had some seriously dark, mad love for Jeffrey Donovan when he did Touching Evil for USA in the spring and summer of 2004, but the show didn’t take. Cut to three years later and USA put him in Burn Notice, which is wrapping its fifth season. While the Touching Evil role defined him for me, Michael Westen is the role that crystallized Donovan for audiences. I think Specter is going to be that role for Macht.

If I can word play a minute, I don’t think Harvey is a specter at all. I think he reveals what he wants you to know when it suits (heh) him, not you, best. I love, love, love that he is intensely loyal to Mike, to Donna, to Jessica, and to the firm, and equally intense in his dislike for Louis (who I think gets away with too much and is sometimes a detractor to my enjoyment of the show, but I digress).

I love that we don’t go into court every week and that there’s usually some sort of legal sleight of hand that somehow saves the day. I’m not generally a fan of love geometry, so I hope that the season closes with Mike definitely choosing Rachel or Jenny or neither of them. If he decides to play them both against the middle, we’re going to have a chat.

Another “up top” to the casting department for Patrick J. Adams, who has been doing one off-work TV in Canada and the States and has just nailed it as Mike. His rhythm with Macht is damn near danceable. I like that we’ve seen Mike tepidly step into this new life, and then bolstered by his sometimes-accidental successes and backhanded attaboys from Harvey, realize he maybe actually does have a gift for this. I like that he challenges Harvey. I don’t like that they dropped the arc with his grandmother and instead essentially replaced her role with Jenny (not like that!).

I like that Harvey is quietly in control except for when he’s not and he acknowledges that maybe he doesn’t have all of the answers. I’d like to know how it is that he doesn’t seem to have a relationship with Rachel at all. Or is Rachel supposed to be Mike’s Donna? I really liked that when Harvey’s co-counsel with benefits, Scotty, dropped the bomb that she’s getting married, it genuinely rattled him, but he closed the door on the relationship like a gentleman.

I adore Gina Torres in the role of Jessica. I love that she can goof with Harvey about Top Gun references, look the other way when he needs to investigate her friend, defend him down to the ground when his credibility is challenged, and come down on him hard when he’s out of line. I’m so used to her being a vixen or a villain, so it’s a treat to see her be a complete, strong woman here.

I love the Canadian HITG guest star parade because the show shoots in Toronto, especially that three of Gabriel’s co-stars in his NBC series The Others, John Billingsley and John Aylward (who were regulars) and James Morrison, have popped by. Next season, let’s work in the rest (The Others had an awesome cast!). P.S. Let’s also get Gabriel’s dad to do an episode!

So many thoughts. It’s like mainlining a season of DVDs in a weekend. I’ve watched ten episodes over about five days so I’m just silly excited about this show. I’m late, but I got here. The season finale airs Thursday at 10 pm ET on USA (no marathon beforehand–boo!), and season two debuts next year. Booyah!