Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot
"Pilot" is the first episode of both the first season of Suits and the entire series. It made its initial broadcast on June 23, 2011, captivating audiences with its introduction to the compelling world of the show.
In a hurry, Harvey rushes back to the office and interrupts an argument between Jessica and Gerald. Jessica introduces Harvey, and Gerald criticizes him for being absent. Harvey defends himself, stating that there were no issues when he left. Gerald blames the other side, but Harvey asserts that Gerald is the reason for the deal's delay.
Despite Gerald demanding that Harvey fix the problem and even threatening to hire someone else, Harvey reveals that the deal has already been signed by the other party, which means they have been paid in full. Jessica supports Harvey's position. Reluctantly, Gerald leaves. Jessica later discovers that Harvey lied about receiving payment, but she lets it slide with a smile.
Meanwhile, Mike Ross takes the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), but the proctor finds him familiar. Mike denies it, and when the proctor is momentarily distracted, he hides his test among the others. The proctor realizes this and chases after Mike, but he manages to escape by changing his clothes. Mike then goes to collect his fee from the student he took the LSAT for, but the student is unhappy with the score and pays him only half of the agreed amount. Sarcastically, the student suggests involving the police.
Later, Mike confesses to his friend Trevor Evans that he was high during the test and almost got caught. Trevor proposes that Mike join him in selling marijuana, but Mike declines. Just as Trevor's girlfriend arrives, Mike seizes the opportunity to leave.
Harvey and Jessica celebrate their recent victory over dinner, and Jessica informs Harvey about a new major client. When a waitress approaches, Jessica boasts about Harvey being the best closer in the city. The waitress assumes he is a baseball player, but Harvey corrects her, revealing he is an attorney.
The waitress loses interest and leaves, as Harvey starts flirting with her. Jessica teases Harvey about not being the best closer in that particular situation. However, the next morning, Harvey wakes up next to the waitress, and with a little persuasion, they have sex again.
Mike visits his grandmother, Edith Ross, in a nursing center and playfully convinces her to take her pills. Edith asks Mike to stop his current activities and start living up to his potential, acknowledging that life hasn't been kind to him. Mike promises to do so.
At Pearson Hardman, Louis expresses his annoyance to Jessica for choosing Harvey to handle the Gerald Tate situation, believing he could have handled it himself. Jessica disagrees, and their discussion is interrupted by Harvey's arrival. The two men engage in taunting banter until Jessica interrupts and informs Harvey that he must conduct interviews for a new associate. Louis asserts that he deserves the promotion, but Jessica stands by her decision.
At the nursing center, a nurse informs Mike that his grandmother's condition has worsened, and she needs full-time care or will be transferred to a state facility. Mike refuses to allow his grandmother to go to a state hospital and learns that he needs $25,000 to cover the costs. He calls Trevor to accept his offer of making money through a transaction, but he soon discovers the possibility of dealing with undercover cops.
The dealers keep Trevor with them, and when Jenny, Trevor's girlfriend, arrives, Mike uses her presence as an opportunity to leave.
Harvey conducts interviews for the associate position at the Chilton Hotel, growing tired of the "Harvard clones." He instructs Donna, his trusted assistant, to give the candidates a hard time and give him a wink if they say something smart, as he's looking for someone like himself. Donna does so, but none of the candidates stand out.
Meanwhile, Mike, feeling nervous about the upcoming trade, splashes water on his face in the restroom. As he approaches the transaction room, he notices two men tampering with the lock and suspects they might be undercover cops. He engages them in conversation as a distraction before leaving. One of the men follows him, suspicious of the briefcase he carries. Remembering a sign for Harvard Law interviews, Mike heads to the room where the interviews are taking place.
Frantically entering the room, Mike is mistaken for the next interviewee, Rick Sorkin, by Donna.
When Donna assumes he is Rick, she questions him about being late, and Mike honestly admits his desire to escape the pursuing cops and his lack of interest in the interview. Donna, thinking his response was clever, winks at Harvey and sends Mike in. The undercover cop following Mike enters the waiting room but leaves when he doesn't find him.
Mike decides to play along as Rick Sorkin and accidentally spills the marijuana packets from his briefcase in front of Harvey. Mike tells Harvey his story, and Harvey listens attentively.
Impressed by Mike's tactics, Harvey offers him the associate position with a signing bonus of $25,000, which Mike needs. However, Harvey retracts the offer, stating that Pearson Hardman only hires from Harvard Law, and Mike has never attended law school. Mike reveals his exceptional ability to absorb knowledge and informs Harvey that he has passed the bar exam. Harvey tests Mike's legal knowledge, and Mike impresses him with profound answers. Mike even outperforms Harvey, leading Harvey to initially hesitate but ultimately decide to hire Mike, as he doesn't want to interview more Harvard clones. Mike assures Harvey that he will work hard to prove he is better than the other candidates if given the opportunity.
Following Harvey's instructions, Mike gets rid of the remaining marijuana but decides to keep the briefcase. He hides it inside a pizza box in his oven. He then flies to Harvard to gather information about attending school there. However, the tour at Harvard Law is fully booked, so he manages to convince another attendee to give him his name badge. With the borrowed badge, Mike joins the tour in someone else's place.
On his first day at Pearson Hardman, Mike meets Rachel Zane, who is assigned to give him his orientation. Mike immediately starts flirting with Rachel, but she makes it clear that she is not interested and reminds him that she is "just a paralegal" who won't be impressed by his academic achievements. Rachel proceeds to give him a tour of the firm but avoids answering his question about her opinion of Louis Litt.
Meanwhile, Harvey arrives at the office in a good mood after his recent promotion but discovers that someone is removing the letter indicating his promotion from his door. Initially thinking it's a prank, Harvey learns from Donna that Jessica wants to speak with him.
At the end of the tour, Rachel scolds Mike for not taking any notes and suggests that it's because he was too busy ogling her. Mike surprises her by repeating everything he was told and correctly interpreting Rachel's silence about Louis. However, Rachel is not impressed and calls him a show-off.
In Jessica's office, Harvey is informed by his superior that Gerald Tate found out about Harvey's lie regarding their deal and fired Pearson Hardman as a result, leading to Harvey's promotion being revoked. Harvey tries to defend himself and regain his promotion, but Jessica stands firm in her decision. She points out that Gerald might not have fired the firm if Harvey hadn't humiliated him and advises Harvey to accept the consequences.
When Harvey returns to the office, he finds Mike waiting there ready to begin work. However, he informs Mike that due to losing his promotion, he has to let him go to prevent anyone from discovering that he lied about Mike attending Harvard. Donna overhears their conversation. In response, Mike suggests that if he is fired, he could expose Harvey's lie, which would likely result in Harvey losing his license. Realizing that Mike is right, Harvey rehires him before leaving. He then confronts Jessica, threatening to take his clients to another law firm if she doesn't give him his promotion back. Jessica warns him that she can put him in front of the ethics board, but Harvey counters by stating that she should have reported his lie to Gerald Tate. With a smile, Jessica agrees to reinstate Harvey's promotion on the condition that he takes on a pro bono case. Although Harvey is initially reluctant, he eventually agrees but passes the case to Mike, against Jessica's advice.
Mike meets with Nancy, the client in the pro bono case. She shares her story of being sexually harassed by her boss, Charles Hunt, and later fired from Devlin McGregor when she rejected his advances, despite reporting the situation to Human Resources. Mike assures Nancy that he will help her. He then meets with Harvey, informing him that the defense has sent over investigation files, but Harvey reveals that they likely provided those files to mislead them. Harvey teaches Mike that law is about being persistent and advises him to find a former employee who can testify against Hunt and subpoena the personnel files of all women who left the firm during Hunt's tenure. Mike reveals that he had the same idea but doesn't know how to fill out a subpoena. When he asks Donna for help, she declines and instead tells him to visit Harvey's tailor and spend money on a new suit.
At the end of the day, as Mike prepares to leave, Rachel stops him and informs him that Louis Litt wants to see him.
In Louis' office, Mike receives a somewhat warm welcome from Louis, who explains that he is the disciplinarian for the associates. Their conversation is interrupted by Gary Lipski, introduced to Mike as one of the most promising associates from the previous year. Louis questions Gary about a task, and when Gary admits he hasn't completed it, he is promptly fired, leaving Mike bewildered.
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The next day at Pearson Hardman, Mike updates Harvey on the status of the case, informing him that Devlin McGregor is fighting the subpoena for their personnel files and has filed a motion to dismiss due to the lack of evidence. Surprisingly, Harvey sees this as good news, explaining that their resistance indicates they are looking in the right direction.
Mike approaches Rachel and asks for her help in finding evidence to fight the motion to dismiss. Rachel initially refuses due to her workload, but changes her mind when Mike reveals that the hearing is the next day and that Donna recommended her as the best researcher. However, Mike annoys Rachel by objecting to her having her own office. After explaining his client's situation, Rachel agrees to assist Mike and they head to the Pearson Hardman library, where they order dinner.
Meanwhile, Harvey is at a bar flirting with an attractive woman who eventually rejects his advances. As a token of gratitude for her help with one of his clients, she hands him a large brown envelope before leaving.
Back at Pearson Hardman, Mike and Rachel enjoy dinner and engage in friendly banter. Rachel confesses that she hasn't been able to pass the LSATs, and jokingly wonders if someone could take the test for her. This comment makes Mike flustered. Harvey interrupts their conversation and asks about their research progress.
Mike admits they haven't found anything yet, and Harvey criticizes his dedication, telling him to focus on the case instead of flirting with Rachel. Rachel comments that they seem like the bad guys, putting the other side under pressure, which sparks an idea in Mike's mind. He finds something useful in a book they were looking through.
The next day, Mike shows what he found to Harvey, who agrees that it could be helpful. Harvey allows Mike to accompany him to the hearing, stating that it would be cruel not to let Mike witness his greatness. At the hearing, Harvey convinces the judge to rule in their favor based on the information Mike found, forcing Devlin McGregor to hand over the requested files.
Mike visits the suit shop recommended by Harvey, where he initially faces derision due to his appearance. However, mentioning Harvey's name changes their attitude, and Mike decides to purchase a new suit.
While leaving the shop, he receives a call from Jenny, but their conversation ends with uncertainty about their relationship. Jenny relays this to Trevor, who is unsure about Mike's behavior.
Back at Pearson Hardman, Mike thanks Rachel for her assistance and updates her on the hearing's outcome. Rachel receives a call informing her that the files from Devlin McGregor have arrived and are placed in a conference room. Mike questions why the files weren't sent to his cubicle, but they discover boxes of files in the conference room instead. Rachel believes they are trying to bury him in paperwork, but Mike asserts that they picked the wrong guy. Harvey approaches them and tells Mike to have it done by the end of the week before leaving to meet a new client.
Harvey meets John Dockery at a tennis court and hands him the brown envelope, which contains an incriminating photo of Dockery with another woman. Harvey explains that he was asked to find Dockery's vulnerability to corporate takeover and suggests he trades shares with his wife to protect his position.
In Harvey's office, Mike informs him about what he discovered regarding Devlin McGregor's attempt to hide information about a dismissed employee named Joanna Webster. Harvey calls Devlin McGregor's lawyer, threatening sanctions if the missing information isn't returned.
Mike visits Nancy and asks if she knows Joanna Webster. Nancy doesn't know her, but Mike explains that Devlin McGregor is likely hiding Joanna, just as they did with Nancy. Nancy urges Mike to find Joanna, and he agrees.
Sitting on steps in front of a house, Mike encounters a woman carrying shopping bags. He asks if she is Joanna Webster and explains he is a lawyer who wants to talk about her time at Devlin McGregor. Joanna initially dismisses him but allows him to tell her about his client. Inside her house, Joanna shares her story but is reluctant to help. Mike convinces her to testify.
Back at Pearson Hardman, Mike appears downcast when he enters Harvey's office.
Harvey asks about Joanna, and at first, Mike says he failed. However, he reveals that he managed to convince her to testify. As Mike leaves, Jessica enters and questions Harvey about the pro bono case. When Harvey tries to hide the fact that he passed it on to Mike, Jessica reveals she knows the truth and scolds him for breaking his promise. She emphasizes that he needs to win the case.
Mike arrives at his apartment only to discover that it has been ransacked. Worried about the safety of the briefcase, he rushes to the cooker where he had hidden it, finding it still there.
Frustrated and angry, he calls Trevor and confronts him about breaking into his apartment. Trevor admits that he needs the briefcase back and accuses Mike of not caring about their friendship. Mike lies, claiming that he got rid of the briefcase when he was being pursued by the police, but Trevor hangs up before Mike can finish his sentence.
The following day, Mike brings the briefcase with him to Pearson Hardman, feeling increasingly nervous when Louis informs him that he must undergo a mandatory drug test. Mike attempts to find a way to temporarily stash the briefcase in his cubicle, but Louis denies his request and insists that Mike accompanies him with the briefcase in hand.
On their way to the medical office, Louis mentions his cousin, Mitch Samberg, who was supposedly in the same year as Mike but doesn't recall seeing him. Mike initially denies remembering Mitch, but when Louis grows suspicious, Mike has a flashback to his Harvard tour and remembers seeing Mitch's name on the list of top students from the previous year. He corrects himself and convinces Louis that he does remember Mitch.
At Mike's cubicle, Harvey calls Donna to inquire about Mike's whereabouts, but she is unaware of his location. Meanwhile, at the medical office, the doctor hands Mike a cup for the drug test.
Mike plans to bring the briefcase into the restroom with him, but the doctor insists that he leave it outside to ensure there's no tampering with the sample. Reluctantly, Mike agrees, not wanting to reveal the contents of the briefcase.
After completing the drug test, Mike retrieves his briefcase and heads to his cubicle, securing it in a cabinet. Harvey appears and informs Mike that they have a deposition for their case that afternoon, instructing him to grill Joanna about anything in her background that can be used against her.
During the deposition, Joanna shares her experience at Devlin McGregor, revealing that her boss, Charles Hunt, had tried to sexually harass her. She explains that she requested a transfer but was ultimately fired for having a "bad attitude." Charles, present at the deposition, scoffs at Joanna's claims, deeming them ridiculous. Joanna confronts Charles, questioning why he even attended the deposition, to which his lawyer asserts his right to be there.
The lawyer then brings up Joanna's arrest when she was seventeen, contradicting Joanna's earlier statement of never having been arrested. This revelation leaves Joanna shaken, and the lawyer implies that she may be lying about her entire time at Devlin McGregor. Joanna storms out in frustration.
Harvey and Mike follow Joanna outside, and Harvey reprimands Mike for not uncovering Joanna's arrest record. Mike defends himself, explaining that he questioned Joanna extensively about her background but couldn't have known about the sealed arrest record.
Outside Pearson Hardman, Mike catches up with Joanna, but she refuses to stop, citing the events of the deposition as the reason she didn't want to testify. Mike tries to reassure her, emphasizing that what happened doesn't matter, and that they still need her testimony as there isn't enough time to find another witness. However, Joanna insists that Mike not contact her again and walks away.
Back at his cubicle, Mike gazes at the briefcase he had locked in the cabinet. After a moment of contemplation, he grabs the briefcase and leaves his key card on the desk.
As he exits Pearson Hardman, Harvey catches up with him and questions him about the situation with Joanna. Mike admits that he couldn't fix the problem. Holding Mike's key card, Harvey asks if Mike is planning to quit. Mike believes that Louis will fire him anyway for mishandling the case, similar to what happened to Gary Lipski. Harvey encourages Mike to go see Joanna again, but Mike insists that there's no way to fix the problem and suggests that Harvey go in his place. Mike expresses his feeling that Harvey hasn't stood up for him, and Harvey counters by stating that he has put himself at risk for Mike. He questions whether Mike has the courage to continue working at Pearson Hardman.
Mike asserts that he does, but Harvey points to the briefcase as evidence that Mike is still undecided about leaving his old life. Harvey walks away, leaving Mike alone.
In the restroom at Pearson Hardman, Harvey confronts Louis about the threat of firing Mike. Louis appears confused, and Harvey reveals that he knows about Louis firing Gary Lipski in front of Mike. Louis smiles and explains that Gary actually works in the mailroom, and the public firing is a tactic to convey expectations to new associates.
Harvey realizes something regarding his sexual harassment case and abruptly leaves.
In his grandmother's hospital room, Mike visits her while she's sleeping. She wakes up, and Mike informs her that he wants to quit his job at Pearson Hardman. His grandmother offers words of reassurance and makes him promise not to leave unless they forcefully remove him.
Harvey confronts Joanna at her house and reveals that he knows she never worked at Devlin McGregor. He tells her that unless she discloses what happened, she will go to jail. After some hesitation, Joanna admits that her role was to waste their time until after the trial, ensuring they wouldn't have enough time to find another witness.
Understanding the consequences, Harvey instructs her on what she needs to do.
Trevor and Jenny are having dinner when Mike enters, holding the briefcase. He hands it to Trevor, stating that he no longer needs it. Mike then goes into Trevor's room and returns with several suits, revealing the drugs inside the briefcase, much to Trevor's annoyance and Jenny's surprise. Mike claims that they are now even.
The following day, in Harvey's office, Mike apologizes for his previous behavior. Harvey confesses that when he first started, he used to "quit once a month" but only told Mike what he needed to hear. He hands Mike a file, which Mike reads with astonishment. Harvey suggests that Mike should go and pursue the matter aggressively.
In a courtroom, Mike hands Hunt's lawyer several files that contain evidence of payments and phone calls between Hunt and Joanna before her testimony. He also presents an affidavit from Joanna stating that Hunt paid her to provide false testimony. Nancy watches the proceedings. Mike informs Charles Hunt that tampering with a witness is a criminal offense carrying a prison sentence. Hunt dismisses the idea, believing that they won't find anyone to prosecute such a minor charge.
However, Harvey reveals that he went to law school with the current US attorney in New York and was the best man at his wedding, indicating his influence. Hunt's lawyer realizes that Harvey is not bluffing when shown pictures on Harvey's phone confirming his statement. Hunt's lawyer asks what they want, and eventually agrees to all of Mike's terms, including reinstating Nancy to her job, despite Hunt's objections.
They leave the courtroom, and Nancy expresses gratitude to Mike for his assistance.
As they exit, Mike asks Harvey why he went to Joanna's house, suggesting that it was because he cared. Harvey responds that he did it because it was his job and hands Mike a new case they will be working on.
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