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<i>Suits</i> Season Finale — “Tiny Violin” and “Good-Bye” Review. It’s So Hard to Say…

Season 7, Episodes 15 & 16  

Air Date: April 25, 2018, 9/8c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“You ready for this?” — Harvey

In “Tiny Violin,” the firm is blindsided when former partner Stanley Gordon (Bruce McGill) takes advantage of an opportunity that was created when Harvey (Gabriel Macht) and Louis (Rick Hoffman) were forced to formally denounce previous managing partner Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres) in “Hard Truths.” With Gordon gunning for the firm, Mike (Patrick J. Adams) is made an offer he can’t refuse. Is this the beginning of the end for Spector Litt or the beginning of something new?

One of my favorite aspects about the last season of Suits was the introduction of the clinic in “The Painting.” Since the beginning of the series, Mike has always had a soft spot for people unable to afford legal help, and the clinic was an interesting way for the writers to find balance in Mike’s life between the dog eat dog environment of the legal industry while still fighting for the little guy. When the USA network announced that both Adams and Meghan Markle would be leaving the show at the end of Season 7, I immediately assumed their departures would be tied to the clinic somehow. One can hope.

Instead, “Tiny Violin” introduces Andy Forsyth (Harry Judge), who makes an offer too good for Mike to pass up. While the move essentially fits Mike’s character, the story line is weak and viewers never get a feel for Forsyth or a reason to connect with this new character. It is obvious to me Forsyth was created because the writers needed a quick and easy way to write off Mike and Rachel (Markle). It would have been more symbolic had the writers used a character from a previous season who was touched by Mike’s body of work and makes an offer similar to Forsyth’s.

This past March when USA Network officially announced Gina Torres would be getting a spinoff series based in Chicago, I admit I was intrigued. I loved Jessica’s series arc as she goes from the original cutthroat lawyer, who often referred to Mike as “that goddamn kid,” to the woman who sacrificed everything to protect Mike and her firm. There was a redemption for Jessica and I was excited to see that continue in the new series.

Unfortunately, the Jessica in “Tiny Violin” and “Good-Bye” reverts back to the Jessica of previous seasons. Watching the Chicago scenes in “Goodbye” and seeing the Jessica of old do nothing to get me excited about the spinoff. 

I can’t remember the last time a TV series has fundamentally changed as much as Suits has. With the season one tagline, “Two lawyers. One degree,” Suits has gone from a series about a fake lawyer and one with a real degree, only to have the fake lawyer become a real lawyer, who in the end leaves the series. With Mike gone, will season eight’s tagline be “One lawyer. One degree?”

“Tiny Violin” and “Good-Bye” do have some nice moments, especially the return of popular characters like Jack Soloff (John Pyper-Ferguson), Dana “Scottie” Scott (Abigail Spencer), and Father Walker (Scott Michael Campbell), but the season finale takes on too much for it to be enjoyable. 

Between Mike and Rachel’s long awaited wedding, and saying goodbye to them, as well as bringing back a former character in order to set up Torres’ spinoff series, “Tiny Violin” and “Good-Bye” try too hard to tie things up and set up the future. Because of that, other scenes are diminished or missing entirely. 

With so much going on, the writers rush through one of the biggest revelations in “Good-Bye” — Louis’ earth shattering deal to stop Gordon and save the firm. There are so many scenes that could have happened to see but unfortunately, they never come to fruition. For instance, how would Harvey react to the news about Robert Zane (Wendell Pierce)? Would Robert regret his decision when he learns Rachel is leaving? Instead, both Robert and Harvey show up at the wedding like nothing happened. Sure, the fallout will play out next season but it is a missed opportunity for this one. 

Speaking of Rachel and Mike’s wedding, it has been anticipated by the fans since the moment they met in the pilot. What should have been an epic episode seven seasons in the making instead feels rushed. I wonder how much of the future was known when the writers first laid out the season. Did they anticipate having to write off two main stars? Not only that, but they also had to set up Jessica’s new series. In the end, I found myself questioning why I should even bother with the next season of Suits or the spinoff, for that matter.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Tiny Violin” and “Good-Bye.”

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

Follow Suits on Twitter, as well as some of the cast: <Harvey> Gabriel Macht, <Louis> Rick Hoffman, and <Donna> Sarah Rafferty.

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Photos © 2018 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.