Hello, friends. I’m Gabriela, your new television columnist! Now, I’m a very talkative person — hence my fitting nickname of Gabby — so I’ll be treating this column as a constructive conversation on progressive storytelling, complex characterizations and television in general.
Now, let’s get down to business “to defeat the Huns.” Oh, wait — this isn’t the movie column. My bad.
Summer shows have the tendency to heavily focus on bright, exciting, flashy things. More action, more star power, more elaborate plotlines. Often, however, this flashiness comes at the expense of character development.
Take “Teen Wolf’s” Lydia Martin, for example, who, despite being heavily involved in the current chaos of its plot, hasn’t developed much in the past season beyond growing into her banshee powers.
I, personally, get more invested in internal conflict, conflict of a character’s inner morality, than I do in heavy action sequences or high-budget special effects. So imagine my immense pleasure upon tuning into the season five premiere of USA’s sharp law drama “Suits.”
For those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure of watching the show, “Suits” chronicles the career and life of the most aesthetically pleasing lawyers on television. The premise, once you suspend your disbelief, is actually a pretty fun one: While on the run from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), a law school dropout with a photographic memory and razor-sharp wit, stumbles into an interview with one of New York’s top lawyers, Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht).
After a quick, clever exchange, and despite the fact that Mike is not a lawyer, Harvey hires him on the spot. However, Harvey’s law firm only hires Harvard graduates, so Mike forges his way into the firm with Harvey’s help.
Four years later, after an incredibly plot-driven season four finale, “Suits” returned in a surprising way: quietly. The premiere, instead of centering on a big case, revolves around a single, brilliantly acted therapy session with Harvey.
Throughout its five seasons, “Suits” has done an exceptional job of using complex plotlines to enhance its characters’ journeys, not detract from them. The week-by-week cases tie in seamlessly with the show’s excellent ensemble of characters, but the premiere and subsequent season took it to a whole new level.
Perhaps that’s why “Suits” has been doing so well in a season that has been brutal for other series’ ratings. It doesn’t go bigger; it goes deeper.
Although the characters of “Suits” are known for being clever and cocky, season five has allowed them to explore their vulnerabilities, and as we all know, characters are at their best when they’re at their worst.
Harvey’s secretary and partner, Donna (Sarah Rafferty), is dealing with a seemingly unrequited love and recent career change as she moves from working for Harvey to his friend/rival, Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman). Harvey is coping with losing her from the firm along with the mental and emotional baggage that has been building within him since season one.
Mike, for his part, is struggling with the effects his fraudulent occupation will have on his impending marriage and future career.
Some characters deal with these issues better than others, but perhaps what makes these plotlines so interesting is that, unlike many other cable dramas, we actually get to see how these struggles affect the characters. Many other shows sacrifice moments of emotional distress or clarity for the sake of action or plot, but “Suits” explores the emotions of its characters, their inner turmoil. And, it’s beautiful.
A lot of credit can be given to the actors. Macht, in particular, has stood out in spades this season. The subtle ticks he has infused into Harvey over the years have built a surprisingly human character from the monster of a man we were introduced to in the pilot.
As “Suits” reaches its mid-season hiatus, I hope the producers and writers keep up the character-driven momentum they have built throughout the summer. It is refreshing to see a show take a step back and examine the characters who have helped build it instead of steamrolling into a wild and crazy plotline it might not be ready for.
“Suits” airs on USA Network 8 p.m. central time on Wednesdays.
