The Best TV Drama Hardly Anyone Ever Talks About Returns In Two Days

In January, among the big dramas, Justified and Shameless tend to get most of the attention, but two days out from the mid-season premiere of USA Network’s Suits, here’s my semi-annual push to get you folks to watch one of the best shows on television hardly anyone talks about. In fact, the USA Network is so confident in their show that, right now, you can watch every single episode of the series leading up to the mid-season finale for free on Hulu. My advice to you, if you haven’t been watching Suits, is to take the next two days off (go out and contract the flu!) and catch up. In addition to Hulu, you can watch them all on USA Network’s website, and they are also available on Video On Demand.

I caught this week’s premiere last night, and it is good. If you haven’t caught up, there’s some season two spoilers in my mini-review:

As you’ll recall, last season, Mike lost his grandmother (oof, a devastating blow), and he and Rachel nearly hooked up, but Mike ended up sleeping with an old friend he reconnected with at his grandmother’s funeral, despite the fact that she’s married. Rachel finds that out when she goes over to Mike’s apartment to declare her love for him. The premiere picks up there, and while I won’t say much, the show certainly continues in its efforts to keep Mike and Rachel apart, and we learn some naughty things about Rachel that make her even more alluring.

Meanwhile, Louis Litt is in the dog house with Harvey Spektor, still suffering the consequences from the failed coup to have Daniel Hardman take over as managing partner. But, the good news is, Louis’ character has returned to his earlier season role as comedic foil, trading hiring favors for sexual favors with a law school recruiter played by Racheal Harris. A potential hire from Harvard renews concerns that Mike’s sham identity will be revealed.

Elsewhere, what looks like the arc for this half of the season is also introduced: A case involving a hit-and-run death brings up some old baggage for Mike, whose parents died as a result of a hit and run driver who was under the influence. The case sends him reeling, and a mistake he makes introduces a new character and potentially a some new problems to the series.

Oh, and Jacinda Barrett — Real World: London cast member, and Gabriel Macht’s real-life wife — returns, although it’s hard to say if she’ll be around much this season. The only downside to the episode: Not enough Donna. That woman could part the Red Sea with her hip wiggle. Where was Sarah Rafferty on your list of the 2012′s Hottest TV Gingers, HUH JOSH? HUH?

The episode, as all Suits episodes tend to be, is fast-paced, entertaining, and there’s enough substance to hook you, but not enough to weigh you down. It’s televisual candy, but there’s a little bacon in the center to give it some substance. Suits is certainly not the best show on television, but there are weeks when it is one of the most fun to watch.