Suitshas proved on more than one occasion that the legal drama’s driving force and true protagonist was Mike Ross. Released in 2011,Suitsinstantly drew audiences with its unusual story about a fake lawyer with a photogenic memory who got hired at one of the biggest firms in New York. GivenSuits' success, it’s not surprising that it eventually got spinoffs. Unfortunately, while bothPearsonandSuits LAhad their merits, they failed to capture what led to the original show’s success.
Suitswas really a cut above the rest in the legal drama world. AlthoughSuitswasn’t necessarily the same in its last two seasons, that in itself highlighted a harsh reality about the show that the spinoffs should have learned from.Suits' characterswere the real selling point of the series, and while names like Donna, Jessica, Louis, Rachel, and Harvey were all great, it’s Mike who truly stole the show. The franchise’s failure to understand that is one of the reasonswhySuits LAwas canceled.
Suits LA’s Cancellation Is Another Reminder That Suits Was About Mike Ross
Mike Ross Was The Glue That Held Suits Together
Six years afterPearsonwas canceledafter one season, anotherSuitsspinoff shared the same fate. BothPearsonandSuits LAwere missing a key ingredient that made the original show stand out from other generic legal dramas. WhileSuits LAwas an entertaining series, it didn’t have the spark that definedSuits, and that was Mike Ross. Granted,Ted Black was an interesting enough lead character, but there was nothing particularly extraordinary about himother than that he was a good lawyer.
Mike, on the other hand, stood out for a variety of reasons. He had a photogenic memory, had a great sense of loyalty, and he was practicing law without ever graduating from law school or passing the bar.Suits’ premise was about Mike and his relationship with his mentor. So it’s no wonder that the series fell apart without him and thatSuits LAdidn’t work without such an enthralling primary protagonist such as Mike.
Mike Ross' Secret Is What Made Suits More Than Just Another Legal Drama
Without Mike’s Secret, Suits Lost Its Best Hook
At its core,Suitswasn’t a show about lawyers or the interesting cases they handled. It was about two friends going up against the world. For five seasons,Mike’s secret was the backbone ofSuits, so when everyone found out that he had been doing something illegal, the show lost its hook.Mike not being a real lawyer raised ethical questionsand kept the other characters who knew he was a fraud on edge, which in turn kept the show going.
Mike’s true identity added a high-stakes situation that no other similar show had.Suitschanged drastically without the hook of Mike’s secret, a problem that became even worse once Patrick J. Adams left the show entirely. While there were good things aboutSuits' final two seasons, they are widely considered the show’s worst. In other words,Suitsjust wasn’t the same without Mike.
Harvey Is Great, But The Suits Franchise Needs Both Of Its Protagonists
Harvey And Mike’s Dynamic Was The Best Thing About Suits
Harvey is undoubtedly one ofSuits’ best characters. His charisma, arrogance, and complexity saved the show after Patrick J. Adams left. However, without Mike, Harvey’s storyline became a tad boring. Mike and Harvey were a dynamic duo that fed off each other’s energy.Harvey taught Mike how to be a good lawyer, and Mike, in turn, showed that Harvey did have a soft side due to how he cared for his protégé.
It’s difficult to replicate the kind of witty banter that the two primary protagonists ofSuitshad, and it’s ultimately why the spinoff shows couldn’t achieve the same level of success.
Suitsseasons 8 and 9 tried to go on without the show’s best team, and it failed to do so. Suits LA suffered a similar problem, as it didn’t really have a relationship that was as strong and entertaining as the one between Mike and Harvey. It’s difficult to replicate the kind of witty banter that the two primary protagonists ofSuitshad, and it’s ultimately why the spinoff shows couldn’t achieve the same level of success as the original show.
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.
