Suits – Hopes & Fears for Season 8B

It’s just under two weeks until Suits returns to our screens, with the final six episodes of season eight, or as many refer to it, 8B. I had already written most of this post before the latest promo came out, so I’ve had to do some tweaking to give me initial thoughts on what we also saw in those 30 seconds.

Overall, I enjoyed 8A. The new dynamics were given time to settle in, Samantha Wheeler is already an interesting addition to the team and as I’d started to notice along the way, Louis had grown up so much, that by the end it made perfect sense for him to step in between Robert Zane’s and Harvey Specter’s egos! We already know some plot lines, particularly Donna seeing a new man (more later), a few guest stars returning in some capacity and the promo also suggested other possible storylines, a few of which I admit, I was not thrilled about.

So, I thought I’d take some time to set out what I’d like to see and what I really don’t want to see. If nothing else, it’ll prove amusing to look back on it and see how this list measured up with the reality of the back six.

We are also of course, still in the dark about the show’s future. I’m assuming were these the final stories, we’d already know by now, but the question still remains as to whether season nine will be the last and if so, whether it’ll be a full 16 episodes or a shorter run, of say 10. Hopefully the writers already know if the end is near and can therefore ensure the ending is satisfying for characters, cast and fans.

So, back to 8B. Let’s start with the positives.

What I Hope To See in 8B

1. A united front at ZSLWW – enough of the in-fighting. Yes, new personalities and dynamics needed to be established and there were bound to be some clashes in the process, but it went on a bit too long for my liking and I hope to see a new, united team, pulling together in 8B, drawing on each other’s strengths to succeed.

2. Louis being a fantastic Managing Partner – I accept 8.11 will very likely have him making some mistakes and rubbing people up the wrong way, but I want to see Louis showing the maturity and leadership we saw towards the end of 8A. He doesn’t have to be dreadful at it to provide comedic content.

3. A further insight in to Samantha’s past – We’ve already learnt a fair amount about Samantha Wheeler in a short time, but there’s certainly still some enticing questions. How did she serve her country? I’m assuming military service? Are those sealed records referred to in 8.10 juvenile or military and why was she so keen to keep whatever is in them hidden? What assault happened in her past that Robert was there to support her through? There’s plenty to delve in to!

4. The old Sheila Sasz – I really haven’t enjoyed the recent incarnation of Sheila. She used to be fun and a bit nuts, but her and Louis fitted with their quirkiness. They seemed to be equal in that respect. Since she returned in 7B, Sheila has become much less likeable. She’s constantly putting Louis down and walking all over him, but not in a fun way. I miss the old Sheila and I hope I enjoy her presence more in 8B.

5. Harvey finding his feet again – Rewatching 8A over Christmas really reinforced that one of the big arcs over the ten episodes was just how adrift Harvey was. It was great to see Mike’s departure affect him and it would have been unrealistic if it hadn’t, but on top of that, he’s found himself being knocked from all sides in 8A, from Louis, Robert, Alex, Samatha and even Donna. I do think he needed some knocks to keep things interesting, but I hope he finds his mojo again in this run. Please let him keep seeing Dr Lipschitz!

6. More of an interesting role for Alex – I love Dule Hill and I do like Alex Williams, but I’m still not that bothered about him. I hope they find a way to make him more interesting.

7. A personal life for Donna – We know this is going to feature in 8B and I’m actually looking forward to it, as Donna’s personal life had barely been covered so far in Suits. Sure, we know her father lost his money and she wanted to be an actress, but besides that? Nothing. After all this time, it’s madness! So, I’m all for seeing her outside of the office, thinking about her own needs for a change. It’s also about time she had a decent, respectable, successful man ready and more than willing to let her know how special she is.

8. Katrina continuing to be fabulous – Katrina has become one of my favourite characters and it’s been lovely to have her become a series regular. Personally, I think Katrina’s struggles at finding her place in a position of seniority has been one of the most enjoyable of season 8 so far and I hope we see more in 8B.

And of course…………

9. Darvey progress that makes sense – The ball’s in Harvey’s court. Donna is dating someone else. It has to build to something, or at the very least, set something up for next season. Plus, I want it to make sense, unlike that last scene in 8.10, which just didn’t fit with where Donna and Harvey were at that point in time. I’m in the process of finishing a separate post on Darvey, so look out for that over the weekend.

And now for the negatives (and that new promo didn’t really help put me at ease)!

What I Hope I Don’t See in 8B!

1. Brian & Katrina Being “More” – No, writers. Don’t you dare. This would leave a very sour taste in my mouth. Fair enough, Katrina is realising a career isn’t all she wants, but that doesn’t mean she wants Brian! She wants someone as decent as Brian and he has a wife and a new baby! Does every relationship in this show have to have a cheating element?! From the promo, it seems they have a “moment” – I’m already unhappy about that idea and if this truly becomes a storyline, it’ll ruin two characters that I really like. Please don’t do it! The below image from the promo better not be what it looks like. You’ll hear me yelling from London if it is!

2. Harvey and Louis taking three (million) steps back in their friendship – Yes, Harvey will want to kill Louis initially as Managing Partner. That’s inevitable, but I don’t want to see these two go back to the nastiness of earlier seasons. That’s not who they are now. They’ve both grown past that and it’s far more satisfying to see them as friends (think about that scene in 8.04).

3. Donna Having a Relationship that serves no purpose – As I’ve said, I’m all for Donna’s new man, but if it serves no purpose, I’ll be beyond frustrated. If he’s a one episode wonder (which doesn’t seem to be the case from his filming time), or she simply decides he isn’t for her and ends it quietly, I’ll riot! This romance has to serve a purpose and I see that as being one of two things – (1) someone she can actually be genuinely happy with if that’s what she truly wants, or (2) to be the final kick Harvey needs to wake up and be the catalyst for Darvey! I can’t believe the writers won’t have decided by now on which path is endgame, so this relationship needs to serve that overall story if it’s going to have a satisfying conclusion.

4. Samantha holding a grudge against Katrina – I’ve watched this show long enough to work out that Katrina impersonating Samantha to help Alex in 8.10 will come back to bite her! All I hope is that a huge nasty cat fight is not on the horizon. I like Samantha and I like Katrina. No stereotypical grudge holding between women please!

5. No tragedy for Louis and Sheila – At the moment they are expecting a baby. I’ve no idea whether we’ll see the arrival of Baby Litt in 8B (I assume not), but I do not want to see any tragedies for these two.

6. Scottie coming back & still running after Harvey – I loved Scottie’s return in 7.15, as she seemed to finally realise that he’ll never be able to make a relationship work with anyone else other than Donna. It’s always been Donna. It always will be Donna. We know she’s back in 8.14 and I’d hoped she was back to reiterate that point, yet the promo possibly hints that she’s still trying to get Harvey’s attention. Please, can we just not have her continuing to run after him.

………………………

It’s true that 8B is brimming with possibility and that’s been exciting to look forward to. There are only six episodes and yet we know that there’s a whole heap of returning characters in the mix (and who knows who we don’t know about). Here’s the current list that I can remember:

• Malik
• Stu
• Scottie
• Sean Cahill
• Dr. Lipschitz
• possibly Daniel Hardman (based on the last shot of the promo)

On top of that, we know we’re meeting Thomas Kessler, as Donna’s new man. That’s quite a lot of content to cover without rushing anything! My fingers are crossed that whatever these six episodes hold, the narrative makes sense and there’s a satisfying end to the season. That’s not unreasonable………is it………?!

Suits returns for the remaining episodes of season 8 on Wednesday 23rd January in the US & Canada and in the UK on Thursday 24th January via Netflix.