Suits – a law programme with a twist

Looking for something to spice up an otherwise dull Tuesday night? Let me introduce a show slicker than John Travolta’s hair in _Grease_. _Suits_ is the new law firm based show packing quick-witted punch with a side order of heart. Working on new territory, the show doesn’t drag up the overused high flying, experienced and rich lawyer stereotype, but instead the show follows a complete novice through the cutthroat world of law.

The concept of the show is that Mike, the protagonist, accidentally stumbles into an interview for a law firm and manages to secure himself a job. This might sound like a fortunate type of mistake, but when he enters into the interview room, he is actually running from a drug deal gone wrong. Also, there is that slight problem that having some form of law experience is a prerequisite for a job in law – Mike has no such experience: he is a college dropout, a stoner, and what society might call, a waste of space. The obvious question therefore is, how is it plausible that he gets a job at a law firm then? In the immortal words of Miranda, _bear with_.

Mike has the ability to consume knowledge and then use it to his needs; whatever he reads stays in his head for him to use later. Pretty handy when you consider he made a living by doing essays for other students. A friend even bet him that he couldn’t pass the bar (law qualifications); he was swiftly proven wrong. I’m pretty sure many students would be willing to do indecent things to obtain that ability. Mike is essentially the antithesis of the traditional lawyer, and it is precisely this that gets him a job at the law firm. The recruiter, Harvey, a hotshot lawyer, is told to hire someone who doesn’t fit into the Harvard law school cardboard cut-out; Mike is anything but traditional.

From the outset, _Suits_ is inherently the opposite of all other law-based shows flooding our TV screens. Many may well have dismissed the rather convenient basis of the show, but doing so deprives you of the pleasure that comes from watching it. Most law programmes are filled with legal technicalities, corporations fighting dirty and, quite frankly, a lot of hot air. _Suits_ presents a whole new outset on the minefield that is the law. The unique highlight of the show comes from its underdog motif, in the world of justice administration, Mike is David, facing the Goliath of trained and highly professional lawyers. The show is a bit like a bildungsroman novel: the audience see Mike developing as a lawyer, and as a person, through the course of the series, whether that’s learning the tricks of the trade or getting one over on his boss. To become a lawyer, Mike has to grow and develop, and this includes cutting off his drug-dealing best friend. The audience is instantly drawn to him because he doesn’t represent the elite, so we are invested in his development rather than just the duels in the courtroom.

What makes the show work is the interplay between Mike and Harvey. Harvey is Harvard Law School trained and is therefore equipped with the ruthlessness of an established corporate lawyer. Mike is the very opposite, even when it comes to methods of transport: Henry has a thing for flash cars whilst Mike cycles to work. However, they also compliment each other in terms of personality and experience defects. Mike provides the emotional, people-friendly side with an actual interest in the welfare of those he is helping to represent. Meanwhile, Harvey constantly has pound signs in front of his eyes. Together they share these attributes and it makes for hilarious interplay between them.

_Suits_ is a masterpiece of quick-witted, fast-paced (as much as it pains me to say it) banter. It completely rejects the traditional lawyer show in its unorthodox plot and manages to present something hilarious and, at times, emotional too. 9pm, Tuesdays on _Dave_ should be the most important date in your diary because the show is just too good to miss out on, and it makes a welcome relief from the re-runs of out-of-date-shows usually reserved for this channel.