It was worth the wait.
On July 17th, the first episode of the final season of Suits aired with the world silent in anticipation. Starting right where season eight left off, with Donna (Sarah Rafferty) and Harvey (Gabriel Macht) in bed after their steamy make-out session in Donna’s doorway, audiences were driven insane as the two exchanged declarations of love.
Unfortunately, their sappy love hour is cut short when Louis (Rick Hoffman) interrupts them with issues that continue on from season eight- the disbarment of Robert Zane (Wendell Pierce). Louis, Donna, and Harvey exchange a few humorous words about what they’ll do, a homage to the banter that was used throughout the earlier seasons of Suits, but ultimately decide that, even though Zane is gone, they will do their best to maintain their clients and reputation. This also leads to Donna and Harvey keeping their relationship a secret from the public and, most of all, their coworkers, because they agree that the news should be shared during a time of joy, not stress.
The show then moves on to featuring other series regulars, like Samantha (Katherine Heigl), Katrina (Amanda Schull), and Alex (Dulé Hill). Each character has to deal with the consequences of Harvey, Donna, and Robert’s actions. Samantha must fight for her mentor’s name to remain on the door, Katrina must act as the levelheaded coworker despite her youth, and Alex must deal with the New York Bar’s threats to remove Robert’s name by force.
Featuring a boxing match between Harvey and Samantha, where Harvey gives Samantha his word- backing her and keeping Robert’s name on the wall, and an unexpected meeting between Sheila and Katrina, this episode is both a refreshing beginning for fans of “Darvey” (Donna and Harvey) and a nostalgic breath of air for those who miss the dramedy from the earlier seasons.
Of course, the first episode of the season is not exempt from the bomb dropped at the end of each episode of Suits– a special master (Denise Crosby) from the New York Bar enters in the last scene, forcing Louis to sign a form allowing her to supervise the firm or have all the partners face suspension for six months. He is not allowed to consult any of his partners and reluctantly signs before the camera cuts out to the credits.
Personally, I found this episode of Suits a little dry and a bit more on the soap opera side. While the Donna and Harvey scenes were written very well, it was unreasonable for the firm to keep Zane’s name. Katrina, Alex, and Louis, seemingly the only people with heads on their shoulders at the firm, are right in that the name should be removed. It’s amazing that these top-notch lawyers (Samantha and Harvey) can’t see why. I’d like to blame it on their characters’ fragile egos and mentor-mentee relationships, but they’re highly intellectual, cunning, and witty. Their anger and guilt clouds their thinking plenty, but when the whole world is telling you something’s wrong, shouldn’t you consider changing your mind?
Regardless, I’m still eagerly anticipating the next episode of Suits’ season nine. Even if it feels like they’re running out of ideas at times, I happily welcome the new episodes because that means the return of Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) is coming so much sooner.
Watch Suits live with me at 9/8c on USA Network or catch up with the previous episodes on the Suits website.
