Series Feature: Suits (2018)
I think Suits was the first Korean law drama that I’ve watched and I must say, it was actually a good one, given the few lapses here and there. I like the characters’ relationship in this show. Despite not being in good terms all the time, they still try to treat each other with respect which means less drama – well, except for Mr. Ham but I won’t talk about him. I don’t even want to. The little bursts of humor here and there were also helpful as it helps the audience breathe, given the tight energy the drama gives off. I also like how they squeezed in the main character and his love interest’s love line naturally as it adds a fresh touch, rather than a scripted feel, to their love line.
The main focus of the story, however, is the character development of the main leads – Go Yeon-Woo, the mentee and Choi Kang-Seok, the mentor – and not the actual cases so it’s better to not expect that much of court action if you’ve been a fan of How To Get Away With Murder (my first law series ever) like me since day 1. The problem once you’ve got a taste of How To Get Away With Murder is that every other law drama with the exception for the real good ones of course, becomes a little disappointing. Actual law scenes in Suits were more about talking and intimidation – which kind of didn’t work for me – that it failed to showcase the abilities of the characters as well as made its audience think.
While I find the first episodes thrilling, the later episodes became lenient that it felt like I am just literally waiting for the next scene to occupy the TV screen. The process of finding evidence, which is one of the best way to engage with the audience, weren’t given that much attention and was cut short for some reason which I find a little off-putting given that this is a law drama. Choi Kang-Seok’s monotonous speaking can also be annoying that I was in the verge of dropping this show because I don’t want to hear it anymore but because I am curious what would happen to Yeon-woo, as he was actually just a sham of a lawyer, I tried my best to keep going on.
Despite being characterized as a genius, the show didn’t always give Yeon-Woo the upper hand, letting him face failures here and there which is a nice way to balance everything. With this, he proves to the audience that he is not a plain character whose life is predictable. As for Kang-Seok, I wish they showed more of his character in court rather than just talk about it because to be honest, the show did not convince me that he was deserving of the “ace” title.
The ending is quite satisfying though gives off some season two feels so I am lowkey hoping there will be as there are still so much questions left unanswered. Overall, it’s still a good watch but only if you’re interested enough in what will happen next to Yeon-Woo because as what I’ve said, this law series is more talk than court action.
PS. It is actually a remake of the American series, though I read somewhere that some scenes from the Korean remake weren't in the original version. If you're interested to know what happens next, you might want to watch the American version.