Suits Season Premiere – “To Trouble” Advance Review. Orange is the New Suit.

Season 6, Episode 1

Air Date: July 13, 2016, 10/9c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“It’s not a movie, it’s just prison.” – Julius Rowe

One is the loneliest number.

While Mike (Patrick J. Adams) is being processed to begin his two-year sentence at Danbury Prison, Jessica (Gina Torres), Louis (Rick Hoffman), and Harvey (Gabriel Macht) are left to pick up the pieces. Will they be able to restore the greatness that was Pearson Specter Litt, or will the firm remain a ghost town now that a majority of the staff has left?

“To Trouble” picks up right where the season five finale, “25th Hour,” leaves off; however, it’s now a very different Suits. I can’t think of the last time a television series had such a fundamental shake-up that changes the very core of the show. No longer is this a series about a fake lawyer hoping nobody learns his secret. Mike’s been caught and there’s no way to put the genie back in the bottle. Now, after five seasons, the writers find themselves in unchartered territory. Change the show too much and you risk losing fans. Don’t change it enough and the show becomes too repetitive. The end result is a season premiere that seems unsure of itself and the series’ future.

As a fan of Suits, I wanted to love “To Trouble.” And while the episode isn’t horrible, it failed to meet my expectations given what I have come to expect after five seasons of great writing and strong character growth.

What Works

The addition of Malcolm Jamal Warner as Julius Rowe, the prison counselor, is an exciting one. Despite having only a few scenes with Adams, I really like the chemistry between the two men. Working in the prison, Rowe has heard it all before and doesn’t put up with any of Mike’s BS. I’m excited to see where the writers take Rowe’s storyline and how he will impact Mike’s life going forward.

We also learn Benjamin (David Reale), the IT guy, is one of the few who does not abandon the firm. Even with his quirky behavior, Benjamin won me over during last season’s “25th Hour” when he told Mike he knew he was a fraud but didn’t care because of how Mike treated him. That scene caused my eyes to water and I hope with all the other associates gone from the firm, it will mean more screen time for Reale.

What Doesn’t Work

What to do with Rachel?

The writers appear to be totally lost when it comes to what to do with Rachel (Megan Markle) now that Mike’s in jail. Not only is the man she loves a criminal, he basically stood her up at their wedding. Having Rachel moping around at home wouldn’t make for great TV so the writers have her grieving at the office, which isn’t much better. While I did enjoy Rachel’s opening scene with Harvey and their toast “to trouble,” it feels like Rachel serves no purpose. Hopefully, as season six progresses, the writers will find a use for her because I’m not sure I can take much more of Rachel being the helpless damsel in distress.

I really enjoyed watching Paul Schulze as Eddie on Nurse Jackie and when I heard the news that he would have a recurring role on Suits as Frank Gallo, an inmate at the prison that houses Mike, I couldn’t wait to see what he would bring to the role. Perhaps it’s because his character is a criminal and should never be trusted, or maybe it’s because Mike is naive, but from the second Frank is introduced in “To Trouble,” something feels off. For years, I have praised the Suits writers for their terrific dialogue and great character development, but the writing for Frank comes across as forced and not natural. Because of that, I absolutely didn’t buy it.

Just say no.

Finally, I’m not sure if it’s because my parents put the fear of God in me about using drugs, but I’ve never found it funny to use drugs as a way to add a comedic element to a storyline. The urn scene is funny on the surface, but when you really think about it, it’s shockingly disrespectful. Watching what the named partners do and how foolish they act might be funny to some but it takes the quality level of writing I have come to love and expect from Suits and reduces it to gutter humor. This whole plot point comes across as a cheap ploy at juvenile level humor to stall for time as the writers figure out the direction of the show.

Overall, I was disappointed with “To Trouble.” Given the magnitude of how season five ended, I thought series creator Aaron Korsh and the writers would come out of the gate with more confidence for season six. Much like Jessica, Louis, and Harvey being left to wonder what comes next for the firm, the writers seem to be contemplating the same for the series. Despite my frustration over the season premiere, and given this is only the first episode of the new season, I’m willing to wait and see how things play out.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “To Trouble.”

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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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.