stars on screen
Case closed: Final season of ‘Suits’ debuts this week
By Michelle Rose
TV Media
Case closed: Hold off on the
eulogy — “Suits” may be coming
to an end, but it’s not there yet.
This is a bittersweet time for
fans of USA Network’s flagship
series. The hour-long law drama
kicks off a new season — its final
season — on Wednesday, July
17. And while the series is ending
with a shortened run (10 episodes
instead of 16), those new epi-
sodes couldn’t come fast enough
for Team Darvey, especially after
the surprise steamy ending of last
season’s finale.
The list of series enders that
got it right is much shorter than
the list of those that didn’t. Hope-
fully “Suits” will end on a high
note (no pressure, right?). But if
it doesn’t, the new spinoff series
“Pearson” opens the door for
possible appearances by “Suits”
regulars.
“Pearson” centers on Jessica
Pearson (Gina Torres), who left
the firm, New York City and the
law profession behind when she
moved to Chicago in the Season 6
finale. The spinoff makes its debut
directly after the “Suits” season
premiere.
As for the final season of
“Suits,” viewers know by now to
expect the unexpected—after
all, we’re talking about a show
whose storylines have included
dramatic takeovers, disbarment,
blackmail, prison and plenty of
exits.
Speaking of exits, fans will
be happy to know that Patrick
J. Adams is reprising his role as
Mike Ross (and no, there are no
new developments on that often-
rumored Meghan Markle cameo).
But Adams’ big return will only
happen midway through the
season, when he gets involved
in a case against Harvey (Gabriel
Macht, “The Good Shepherd,”
2006) and Samantha (Katherine
Heigl, “Grey’s Anatomy”). So
you’ll just have to keep watching
until the very end.
Season 7 kicks off Wednesday,
July 17, on USA.
The end is nigh: More bad
news, especially if you’re a fan of
afterlife comedies, Ted Danson
(“Cheers”) and/or Kristen Bell
24 | Screentime
Gabriel Macht and Katherine Heigl star in “Suits”
(“Veronica Mars”) (who isn’t?):
Schur clearly felt the time was
the upcoming season of “The
right for the recently deceased
Good Place” will be its last.
residents of Neighborhood
That’s right, the end is nigh for
12358W to take their final bow.
the NBC comedy. It’s the latest
In a statement posted on Twit-
in a long list of viewer favorites
ter, Schur explained: “Given the
that are bowing out this coming
ideas we wanted to explore, and
season.
the pace at which we wanted
If there’s a silver lining in all
to present those ideas, I began
this, perhaps it’s the knowledge
to feel like four seasons — just
that the show’s abbreviated lifes- over 50 episodes — was the right
pan was a deliberate choice and
lifespan. At times over the past
not a forced exit.
few years we’ve been tempted
As the creative force behind
to go beyond four seasons, but
such shows as “Brooklyn
mostly because making this show
Nine-Nine” and “Parks and
is a rare, creatively fulfilling joy,
Recreation” (he also appeared as and at the end of the day, we
Dwight’s cousin in “The Office”),
don’t want to tread water just
creator Michael Schur knows tim- because the water is so warm and
ing is everything in comedy. And
pleasant.”
July 10, 2019 | East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald
Going for ‘Broke’: Picture this
scenario: After years of little to
no contact, a rich family member
shows up at your door and an-
nounces they’re suddenly broke.
They need your help and a place
to stay for a while. Oh, and they
also brought along their live-in
assistant (and their dog, but you
only find out later).
Sound familiar? Well no, prob-
ably not. But this riches-to-rags
concept is at the heart of the new
CBS sitcom “Broke,” coming in
the 2019-20 season.
The eye network is betting
big that viewers will tune in
to watch former “NCIS” star
Pauley Perrette make the leap to
comedy.
Perrette leads the cast as Jack-
ie, a single mom and bartender
who is barely scraping by when
her estranged sister, Elizabeth
(Natasha Leggero, “Another Peri-
od”), arrives with husband Javier
(Jaime Camil, “Jane the Virgin”).
Cut off from his trust fund, Javier
and Elizabeth are hoping to move
in with Jackie.
The role of loving, sharp-witted
Jackie seems like it might be
a good fit for Perrette, whose
character Abby Sciuto was a
viewer favorite throughout her 15
seasons in “NCIS.” Her final ap-
pearance in the procedural drew
nearly 15 million viewers.
But many were quick to notice
a lack of scenes that featured
Perrette alongside co-star Mark
Harmon. Just a few days later, the
circumstances surrounding Per-
rette’s exit came under scrutiny
when the actress’s alleged “mul-
tiple physical assaults” forced
her to leave. And things took an
unexpected turn last month when
Perrette fired off a series of cryptic
tweets, including one stating she
was “terrified of Harmon and him
attacking me.”
CBS responded with a state-
ment that confirmed Perrette
had previously come to them
with a “workplace concern.” The
network also reiterated its com-
mitment to ensuring “a safe work
environment on all our shows.”