Speaking of Donna, #DonnaPaulsenDeservesBetter took over the SUITS live tweets this season. What kind of story would you like for Donna in the future, and how can we work her into a more central role without an increased Donna presence reading like the dreaded “fan service?”
Shana: I just want Donna to be Donna. That probably sounds like a cop-out; but I swear it’s not. There’s so much potential for material, just based on what we already know about Donna Paulsen, that simply following the trail of characterization bread crumbs that have already been left for viewers should do the trick. (Also, I already wrote, like, a bajillion words on this back in August. Clickety click. And in case you don’t feel like reading? Just keep this in mind: “Donna Paulsen deserves better. Sarah Rafferty deserves better. SUITS viewers, on the whole, deserve better for this character.”)
Lizzie: Can we just stop having Donna serve someone else’s storyline? I want Donna to do shit because she wants to do shit, not because Louis or Mike or Harvey or anyone else need her to, asks her to, etc. I don’t even care what she does, as long as she does it because she wants to do it. And if the fans cry fan service, to hell with them. Fan service isn’t even a thing anyway.
Laura: I want to know more about Donna. How have these 12 (or 13?) years by Harvey’s side changed her goals? How’s her family? What are her dreams now? Does she still want to be an actress? How many plays is she involved with? Does she have other goals? I want her to have her own storyline, besides the firm, and besides Harvey.
Jenn: I just want an episode where Donna has a day off and we follow her around (not like that time she got fired, you guys — happier!) to see what her life is like outside of the office. I know that SUITS is a workplace-driven drama, but I’d really like to know more about what she does when she isn’t there. Does Donna have a rivalry with a spin-classmate? What is her weekend like? Can SUITS just do an episode about everyone not at the office, so we get to know these people’s’ home lives a bit better? I feel like that would be fun.
Cammie: While I’d quite happily argue that 100% of entertainment is created to entertain fans and is therefore all fan-service, I do understand what you are asking: Do we think Donna will be given a storyline central to her growth, and will it be smoothly integrated with the rest of the show. And I would love to say yes – certainly now, after several seasons, I’d imagine one would have to consistently struggle to keep her development from occurring, as that should naturally happen and should have happened throughout.
Donna is played to perfection by Sarah Rafferty, and her micro-writing (individual dialogue and character traits and behaviors) is pretty consistently fantastic. Her macro-writing (over-arching storyline and growth) has occasionally left all of us wanting more: thus the hashtag. We’ve been disappointed to see her play only supporting roles to others grand development arcs, and there have been many times we’ve not been given her reactions, responses, or resolutions outside of her support to other characters. Thankfully, the times we have seen her given a strong character development opportunity, it’s been delivered fantastically, so I am looking forward to the promised story for her in the back half of this season.
After Jessica Pearson’s grand exit, the firm is going to undergo some major changes. How do you see it all unfolding?
Shana: First and foremost, the firm is going to have to find a new leader in SUITS 6.5. The obvious candidates are Harvey Specter and Louis Litt, but neither character is perfect for the job. My hope would be for these two men to (finally) learn to work together and complement one another with their unique strengths; my guess is that there will be plenty of their usual bickering instead. I’d love to be wrong.
Lizzie: It’s going to be chaotic because Harvey and Louis need to work together…and Harvey and Louis don’t know how to work together in a constructive manner. They really don’t. And it’s been six years. At this point, I want more than the usual back and forth, as fun as that is. I want both of them stepping up and putting in the work — and I don’t just mean actual work, I mean the relationships too.
Jenn: I agree with Lizzie. It’ll be utter chaos for a while because Harvey and Louis cannot work together to save their lives. But I think eventually the firm will settle into some sort of normalcy and start having small victories again.
Laura: I cringe when I think about Louis and Harvey fighting instead of working towards a common goal. They’re both adults, and Jessica isn’t there anymore. With that being said, I really hope this is the season of character growth and they actually find a point where they can work together without it being an alpha male showdown. But I can’t really say how I see things unfolding because SUITS usually surprises me.
Cammie: After shedding many tears for the empty space where Jessica once was, I would like to see the firm move into a state of future-focus, where all of the characters in play are thinking more specifically about where they want to be in ten years. This is not just because I think that sets the stage for a fabulous unfolding of Harvey’s and Donna’s growth thus far (though that’s a perk) but also because I think the haphazard handling of the passing of time on this show has put the characters in a place where they’ve not necessarily had a chance to fully explore out loud what their long-term goals are; and I think this is a good space in which to do that before moving into season 7. Also, while I understand one or more characters will of course step up in leadership, I would not prefer to see that be structured in such a way as to fill Jessica’s shoes, as they are unfillable. </3 But I’m looking forward to seeing where the back half of this season does take these characters as they are all left afloat.
That’s it for now, folks. Make sure to tune in to the SUITS mid-season premiere on Wednesday, January 25 at 10:00 p.m. ET (read spoilers from the premiere) on the USA Network to find out what’s next for our favorite characters.
