Friday, July 26, 2013

Posts from the Past: Franklin & Bash v. Suits


Welcome to a new series where we will offer updates of previous posts from Addicted to Television, The Idiot Box's predecessor. Written two years ago when the summer brought the premieres of two lighthearted legal shows, TNT's Franklin & Bash on Wednesdays and USA's Suits on Thursdays (currently airing on Tuesdays), this post compared the seemingly similar buddy-lawyer procedurals. Of course, after two full seasons of each (Suits has 29 episodes leading in to its third season, which began two weeks ago, while Franklin & Bash has aired 27 episodes, including its third season so far which will end in three weeks) the differences between them are much more apparent. While both generally offer a new case each week, Suits has actually become more serialized over time, with big cases that continue into later episodes and plenty of hostile firm politics. Franklin & Bash meanwhile, sticks more closely to the traditional legal procedural format with little serialization outside of individual character development. Although a show about lawyers and their cases/firms is nothing new, each series attempts to liven up the proceedings with its own fresh take and style on this familiar genre.

Yes Franklin & Bash is the more straightforward of the two, but its also more outrightly comedic, as both the characters and the cases can be a bit off the wall. The show follows bus-stop bench defense attorneys Jared Franklin (Breckin Meyer) and Peter Bash (Mark-Paul Gosselaar, forever Saved by the Bell's Zack) who abandon their strategy of running after car accident victims and defending hookers to join a large reputable firm run by the eccentric Stanton Infeld (Malcolm McDowell, clearly enjoying himself just as much as Meyer and Gosselaar). However, despite their new positions, the two remain in their trashy house where there's always a party going on, and even bring that atmosphere to the office as they breakdown walls (literally, turning their two offices into one giant shared space). This latest season saw a bit of a shake-up, with them moving to a Infeld's spare Malibu beach house after their agoraphobic roommate/associate Pindar (comedian Kumail Nanjiani) accidentally burns down their home, allowing them to continue Infeld's apparent feud with neighbor Rob Lowe (who finally appears in the finale). This season also brought in a new managing partner, the no-nonsense Rachel King (Heather Locklear), who fills the requisite (but previously absent) role of hard-ass foil to the boys beyond-unorthodox style and freewheeling tactics. A rotating roster of prosecutors and judges who recognize Jared and Peter's infamous reputation for court room shenanigans further liven up the proceedings and give the stars more characters to play off of, as does Infeld's overly-serious nephew Damien Karp (Reed Diamond). Essentially, Franklin & Bash reveals how two immature frat bros became extremely successful LA attorneys in spite of their blatant unprofessionalism, because, with this being a legal procedural, they always find an out-of-the-box way to win their case in the end.

Although its basic premise may be a bit more outlandish, Suits is actually the more authentic program in its overall plot and execution. the central character is unfulfilled prodigy Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), a college dropout who copes with his failed goals by smoking pot and getting paid to pass the LSATs and BAR exams for other people. However, while running from the cops, he ends up in an interview for an associates position at a prestigious corporate law firm that only hires from Harvard. In the interview, senior partner Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), incidentally the best closer in New York, is so impressed by Mike's ability to absorb information (he happens to have a photographic-level memory) and his sheer "unlawyerness" that he offers him the job, despite the fact that he doesn't have a degree. This secret between them, and naturally Harvey's beyond-loyal and hilarious secretary Donna (Sarah Rafferty, who has great rapport with not just Harvey but every other character on the show), is eventually revealed to a few additional members of the firm, but the stakes surrounding it remain high. One such member is actually the firm's no-nonsense head and Harvey's calm mentor, Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres), another strong and successful woman in a seat of power similar to Rachel King. While season one revolves around cases of the week (which include interesting insights into corporate legal matters and business affairs, unlike the more courtroom-oriented proceedings of Franklin & Bash) that are framed by Mike's adjustment to his new lifestyle and apprenticeship under Harvey, season two amps up the series' mythology as Jessica's former partner, the deviously smug Daniel Hardman, returns to seize control of the firm after being ousted by Harvey for embezzlement and infidelity. Aside from these heavy plot developments, the show still has a very light and humorous atmosphere, as the witty banter and incessant film-quoting between arrogant prick Harvey and well-meaning optimist Mike represents the core of the show. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Mike's requisite love interest, paralegal Rachel Zane (the stunning Meghan Markle), and the initially antagonistic Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman) who is head of the firm's associates. Litt is actually a perfect example of how the show carefully establishes the various dimensions of its characters, as his rocky relationship with Harvey is examined while he tries to develop a more collaborative one with Mike (not to mention that he is also a huge source of comedy on the show, as his precise and extravagant tastes allow for plenty of mockery and gags about his social ineptitude). Compared to USA's other lighthearted procredurals like White Collar and Royal Pains, Suits is almost like their own version of Mad Men, that is to say it is a slick office drama with excellent writing and a little edgier than the standard USA formula.

While both shows have leading pairs with great chemistry and are solid lighthearted entertainment, Franklin & Bash is even lighter and plays more like a comedy. The actors on the TNT show are all clearly having a blast, as the show is fairly obvious with its humor and lack of seriousness, much like the series' eponymous duo. Contrastingly, Suits takes a more subtle approach to comedy, framing it with plenty of drama to up the stakes and the audience's investment. Although both are wonderfully entertaining series that are worth watching, Franklin & Bash's more traditional formula renders it less exciting than Suits' more original stories and more fully developed characters, which help establish a greater authenticity that really draws you in instead of merely providing you with a fun way to kill 42 minutes.

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