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<i>Suits</i> “Back On The Map” Review. No Crying Over Spilled Prune Juice.

SUITS -- Pictured: "Suits" Key Art -- (Photo by: NBCUniversal)

Season 6, Episode 3

Air Date: July 27, 2016, 10/9c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“I wanted to prove to myself that I could not screw this up.” – Louis

Practicing for the prison three legged race?

Big changes are coming to Pearson Specter Litt as Jessica (Gina Torres) begins subletting parts of the office to new tenants. This doesn’t sit well with Louis (Rick Hoffman), who views the offices as an innocent sanctuary not to be corrupted by outside influences. Will Louis find a way to maintain the offices’ pure environment or will the new tenants prove to be Louis’ worst nightmare? Given Louis’s propensity to overreact, what do you think?

During a conference call shortly before the season six premiere, I talked to Patrick J. Adams, who plays Mike on the show, about the change in tone on Suits. Adams mentioned some of the new humor would stem from Louis renting out the office and the hilarious characters we would meet. I could hardly wait when I learned “Back On The Map” would be the episode when that would happen.

It seems to me “Back On The Map” has more off-putting language in this single episode than all six seasons combined. I’m not against foul language, but there’s a time and place for its use. I’m sure there are many who find the dialogue between Louis and Stu Buzzing (Ian Reed Kessler), a Wall Street trader renting the offices, amusing but I’m not one of them. Dialogue like, “If my asshole had an asshole, that’s what it would smell like,” and “You must spend a lot of time on the shitter,” as well as “ Jesus Christ, lick my balls,”  and “What kind of dildo puts bran bars and prune juice in a lease agreement?” comes across as out of place on a show known for its great writing. There are better ways to convey arrogance and annoyance that doesn’t reduce the dialogue to toilet talk.

It’s not that I don’t like Stu, I actually enjoy what he brings to the office, especially the rift he creates between Louis and Harvey (Gabriel Macht). The best part about Stu driving Louis nuts is Donna (Sarah Rafferty) having a front row seat to the madness. Oh how I’ve missed watching Donna mess with Louis’ head. Rafferty’s comedic timing in the office break room is impeccable as Donna toys with Louis about Stu. Rafferty’s performance in “Back On The Map” really stands out as Donna once again shows she runs that office.

Will both survive the season?

Meanwhile, Mike is dealing with issues of his own, namely Frank (Paul Schulze), the prisoner who wants Mike dead. The prison scenes are edgy, confrontational, and intense, yet unlike with Stu, the writers rely on strong writing rather than the trash talk one might expect in prison. I don’t know about you, but I’m absolutely fascinated by the storyline involving Frank, Kevin (Erik Palladino), and Mike. Since his introduction in the season premiere, I assumed Julius (Malcolm Jamal Warner), the prison counselor, would have a larger role in Mike’s daily routine. Instead, the writers use Julius sparingly, which adds to the importance of his infrequent appearances.

It’s always entertaining to watch Harvey wheel and deal but lately, Harvey is the one who appears to be at the top of his game. “Back On The Map” is one of Macht’s strongest performances of the series. It’s riveting to see Harvey taking care of business. I  especially got a kick out of him going head to head with William Sutter (Alan Rosenberg), a Wall Street big shot in trouble with the SEC who makes Bernie Madoff look like a saint. Harvey doesn’t seem worried but Sutter could turn out to be a challenging foe. Seeing Sean Cahill (Neal McDonough) in more scenes with Harvey is also a treat. I would love to see McDonough become a series regular.

Finally, the writers have found a use for Rachel (Megan Markle). Instead of talking about her attending law school, we actually get to see her in class. My only questions question is, what took so long? Mike’s arrest created huge waves in the legal community and it’s no surprise the news about him is a hot topic in class. This opens the door for some great storylines for Rachel that fit her character and don’t involve her moping around the office. Markle gives a standout performance and I absolutely love the way Rachel is used in “Back On The Map,” including how the writers set things up for her going forward.

“Back On The Map” is an outstanding episode that is only slightly diminished by the offensive language. Given that Stu appears to be sticking around for a while, I have no choice but to get used to the language. That aspect aside, “Back On The Map” is one of the top five episodes of the series.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Back On The Map.”

Tune in to Suits Wednesdays at 10/9c, only on USA Network.

For more on the show, go to http://www.usanetwork.com/series/suits/.

Follow Suits on Twitter, as well as some of the cast: <Mike> Patrick J Adams, <Harvey> Gabriel Macht, <Rachel> Meghan Markle, <Louis> Rick Hoffman, <Donna> Sarah Rafferty, and <Julius Rowe> Malcolm-Jamal Warner

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Photos © 2016 USA Network, LLC, a division of NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.