If there’s one thing that Suits was known for, it was the characters’ abilities to throw out the best one-liners in the business. Sometimes they were used to put people in their place, to close deals, or even just as a witty comeback, and one person that was never short of an iconic quote was one of, if not arguably the top, character Mike Ross.
Patrick J Adams took a break from suits for the show’s seventh season but returned in season 9 for the final season in a few episodes when the firm was under siege from Faye Richardson. Faye had some good comebacks of her own but Mike Ross was always there to one-up the competition. Even though the show is over, there are plenty of other Law related TV shows on offer from Netflix.
“Whose Story Is Looking More Far Fetched Now?”
In season 5 episode 14, ‘Self Defense’ Mike goes under trial for allegedly not going to law school so the firm undertakes a mock trial to prepare him. When Harvey is put on the stand he questions the fact that Mike made a 3 hour and 20 minute round trip to Harvard from Boston. Mike states he only went up for tests.
When Harvey then questions that Mike graduated without ever going to class, Mike comes back with “See that’s funny because you actually expect these people to believe that I didn’t go to law school at all, yet still managed to convince the smartest lawyers in the world to make me their youngest partner ever. Who’s story is looking more far fetched now?”. Mike 1, Harvey 0.
“The Rules Dictate That You Must Be Precise As The Law Is A Precise Endeavor.”
Way back in season 1, episode 4, ‘Dirty Little Secrets,’ Mike takes part in a quickfire quiz round that Louis is hosting for some of the younger associates. Mike answers one of the questions with “The Bible” and Louis points out it’s the Gutenberg Bible and that he must be precise as the law is a precise endeavor.
On the final question, after Mike’s opponent seemingly answers a question right, Mike points out that the answer is wrong and uses Louis’ own quote back at him to win the quiz.
“Patient Zero Is The First Person Infected With The Disease, Not The Disease Itself.”
After Louis discovers Mike’s secret that he never went to law school, the two take a ride with Harvey and many arguments ensue in the car. Pearson Spectre Litt and practicing law are two of the things that Louis has ever loved.
During one part of the journey, Mike asks what it would take for Louis to forgive him like he has forgiven many people in the past. Louis said he forgives those people because they were infected with the disease known as Mike Ross and now he is here with patient zero. Mike comically corrects him that patient zero is the first infected person and not the disease itself. So in this case patient zero would be Harvey.
“Drink Up”
In the second part of the Pilot, Louis forces Mike to take a drug test, which just so happens to be at the same time that Mike is carrying a suitcase full of Weed. Then, in season 1, episode 2. When Mike finds out Louis showed him a fake result that showed him testing positive he confronts him.
Louis then asks Mike for a second test, after which Mike reveals that he read the drug policy and knows that Louis has to wait three months before he can request Mike to take another test. Mike fills the cup with Louis’s drink, throws it to him, and says “Drink Up”. This was one of the first times Mike Shows Louis who he is.
“Hey Harvey, I Know I’m Not A Partner But Do You Mind?”
Daniel Hardman was one of the show’s biggest “antagonists” who repeatedly tried to take back control of the firm from Jessica and manipulate Louis into being on his side. At a partner’s meeting, Daniel tries to get rid of Harvey after refusing to take a drug test.
When Harvey then reveals to the others that Daniel Hardman lied and made them spend their own money for him to take control of Jessica’s firm, everyone votes for Hardman’s dismissal. Even though Mike isn’t a partner he asks Harvey if he can also raise his hand to vote for this purely because he hates Hardman.
“Shhi****tt”
Just because Mike has a photographic memory, it doesn’t mean he can make connections in an instant. It does still take a minute or two to find a connection or to come up with an idea that will take down his opponent, but once he figures it out he uses this signature catchphrase.
This quote is in reference to The Wire and is used by corrupt senator Clay Davis. This isn’t the first time Mike or Harvey have used pop culture references around the firm either, with plenty more sprinkled throughout the show.
“Peabody Vs. Danthorpe”
This quote is in reference to a much longer exchange between Mike and Harvey. Mike is an expert at getting what he wants without the other party initially realizing that’s what’s happening and he manages to do just that in season 5 episode 9 ‘Uninvited guests’.
When speaking to Harvey, Mike offers two solutions to Mike and Harvey’s problem. Mike knows that Harvey will dismiss the first idea and therefore be more open to the second idea which is the idea Mike wanted to go with all along. When Harvey asks him how long he’s been doing that, Mike says “Peabody Vs. Danthorpe” as a reference.
“You put your interests above mine, and I’m putting them back up next to yours”
In the pilot, Jessica finds out that Harvey lied to a client and Harvey believes that he’ll lose his license if they find out that Mike never went to law school. He fires Mike in response and says he needs to put his own interests above Mike’s. Mike then half-jokingly states that if Harvey fires him that he’ll tell them he didn’t go to law school and Harvey would definitely lose his license.
Mike then justifies his comeback by saying “You put your interests above mine, and I’m putting them back up next to yours”, proving that Mike can go up against the best of the best in Harvey Spectre without the Harvard education, which is a large part of Mike’s likeability.
“When You Go After Harvey, You Go After Me.”
In season 3, episode 9, ‘Bad Faith’ Mike goes to meet Robert Zane, Rachel’s father about legal matters to offer him a deal that will save him money. Robert Zane declines because it’s not really about a win for him, it’s more to do with Harvey and Jessica and their latest in-house problems.
Mike brings up that he could tell Rachel that Robert screwed over his own client to stick it to Harvey, and states that when you go after Harvey you go after him too, a true TV bromance.
“When The Hell Does This Become Your Dirty Little Secret?”
In season 4, episode 11, ‘Enough Is Enough’, in the midst of Louis being angry at everyone for hiding Mike’s secret, Jessica approaches Mike in his office to draft Louis’ new partnership agreement. Mike confronts Jessica about piling on the work and Jessica states it’s because of his secret.
Mike then makes Jessica realize that not only did not fire him when she found out his secret, but there are also countless times she has used Mike and his knowledge of the law to her advantage, making it just as much Jessica’s secret as it is Mike’s.
