While Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) were great, the best characters inSuitswere the ones the show ignored due to not knowing how to handle their arcs. These two central characters were often responsible for thebest episodes ofSuits,as their banter and growing friendship were both dynamic and compelling for audiences to witness. That being said, Harvey and Mike’s joint arc superseded several other aspects of the show despite the fact that they shared similar storylines and themes.
Suitshighlight Harvey’s loyalty to Mikeand Mike’s desire to keep his secret warring with his desire to excel, amplifying their already extraordinary characteristics.Though that was the backbone of the show, those larger beats of wanting to succeed in the cutthroat world of corporate law were mirrored by many supporting characters, whose arcs often got shoved aside. Two specific characters are the biggest examples of this, asthey are fascinating characters who could have expanded on these themes had the show known how to include them: Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres) and Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman).
Louis Litt And Jessica Pearson Were Suits' Most Interesting Characters
Jessica And Louis Were Equally As Complex As Harvey And Mike
Louis and Jessica are some of the most complex characters inSuitsbut are given little time to showcase that complexity. Jessica’s role in the show as Harvey’s mentor means she is one of the few people who checks his superior attitude at times, an ability often solely attributed to Donna Paulson (Sarah Rafferty). Louis, meanwhile, is a rival lawyer in the firm who is predominantly displayed as a comedic foil to Harvey and has moments to shine, demonstrating his skill and even his deep empathy in certain cases.
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Both of these characters are among thebest characters inSuitsbecause they know what they want and are clear pillars of what the two protagonists desire.Jessica’s success and Louis' tenacity match Harvey’s determination and Mike’s growing understanding of the world around him, giving both something to achieve. They also provide Harvey and Mike something to avoid and overcome, as both characters are allowed to fail and learn to grow beyond it, adding to the series' themes on the power of perseverance. Even so, these two characters were underutilized, wasting their potential inSuits.
Suits Didn’t Know What To Do With Jessica And Louis For Most Of The Show
Suits Mostly Relegated Them To Their Arctypical Roles
For most ofSuits’run, the series seemed to not know how to flesh out Jessica and Louis, minimizing their arcs and restricting them to their roles. As mentioned, Jessica is defined as a mentor character and the boss of the firm, but the series gives her little else to do beyond those roles throughoutSuits’best and worst seasons.Jessica’s role in many episodes is to force Harvey and Mike onto certain paths or help move the story along, with only a few moments of actual growth before her departure from the main series.
Through the underdevelopment of these supporting characters,Suitslimited itself, which hurt the overall franchise, especially once it tried to branch out.
Louis, meanwhile, is able to grow somewhat but that arc is undercut by the comedy his role requires.The series never committed to making Louis Harvey’s equal and often reset parts of his character growth, such as his relationships with others in the firm, for the sake of humor or drama. As a result, his characterization stagnates towards the end of the series, replacing any complexity with a more stock character feel. Through the underdevelopment of these supporting characters,Suitslimited itself, which hurt the overall franchise, especially once it tried to branch out.
Harvey And Mike Were Great, But Suits Should’ve Developed Its Other Characters More
Suits' First Spinoff Suffered From That Lack Of Development
Even though Harvey and Mike are the center of the story,Suitsshould have developed its other characters sooner, as it could have saved their attempts at expanding the franchise later on.The large focus on just Harvey and Mike’s development limited the stories the series could tell.Suits’spinoff showPearsonproved this as Jessica’s restricted characterization does not work outside her role in Harvey and Mike’s story. The series attempted to rectify this, but since so little was given outright,Pearsonwas unable to replicate the strong emotional core of the original series despite its new approach.
Pearsonwas canceled in October 2019 after one season.
Jessica and Louis do have their strong moments and various aspects of their characters are as fascinating as the two leads. However, the minimal development they received and the regulation of their roles made it so that the ensemble aspects of the show felt uneven during the series' major beats.Suitscould have added more to their story arcs to strengthen the show’s thematic center; instead, the series made it so that the overall message of the story came strictly from two characters, leaving the rest to grow only from them over the larger narrative.
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.
