“What did you just say to me” was one of many expressions that were used dozens if not hundreds of times in Suits become such a popular show with which audiences could easily connect. Rather than focusing on legal accuracy, Suits was about power dynamics and human relationships. For example, seeing Harvey “play the man” was more interesting than learning about a legal loophole that they could use.
Suits could be a repetitive show, even more so due to how some expressions appeared to be part of every episode’s script. The fact that the Suits actors would deliver those lines so powerfully or charmingly also contributed to expressions like “What did you just say to me” becoming part of the show’s identity and even running jokes among fans. Interestingly, a lot of recurring lines in Suits were not necessarily legal jargon. Suits had its own language, from the unusual depositions and the heated arguments between characters that would happen in almost every episode.
8 “This Deposition Is Over”
Depositions Could Escalate Quickly In Suits
One of the most overused routines in Suits was having a deposition that would escalate into a heated argument followed by a “this deposition is over” by one of the sides. Suits was not a courtroom drama, meaning that a lot of the tropes of this genre were not present on the show. However, this does not mean Suits didn’t get to have some dramatic exchanges between lawyers, particularly during depositions. Those would usually evolve into an intense interrogatory in which either one of the lawyers or their client would expose themselves too much.
Another recurring trope in Suits’ depositions was having one of the lawyers, usually the one we were supposed to root against, put their hand over the camera and say something off-record. Those were usually some kind of confession that Harvey would never be able to prove or an offer that could not appear in the record. Either way, Suits’ deposition scenes rarely ended with both sides happy. Even Harvey Specter punching someone was not out of the cards for depositions in Suits.
7 “Your Honor, They’re Testifying”
Someone Was Always Testifying Instead Of Asking Questions
On the rare occasion in which Suits would get to a courtroom, one of the biggest legal inaccuracies shown by the series was how much the lawyers and DAs would testify instead of just asking questions whenever someone was on the stand. From Mike Ross and Harvey Specter to Anita Gibbs, it seems like every attorney on Suits didn’t know exactly how a trial or any kind of hearing was supposed to play out. That said, the show was self-aware enough about it, with characters usually calling out the other side for testifying instead of asking questions.
Mike Ross' trial begins on Suits season 5, episode 14.
“You honor, [the other side’s attorney] is testifying” must have been said dozens of times throughout Suits and was heard almost every time there were in court. It must be noted that lawyers giving long speeches and going over the entire case instead of just asking questions to whoever is on the stand is one of the most popular legal drama tropes simply because it makes for good drama. Having actors go on with long monologues as they try to convince the jury of something can be very entertaining even if not accurate.
6 “What Did You Just Say To Me?”
Harvey Specter’s Signature Line
Perhaps the most famous of Suits’ recurring quotes, “What did you just say to me” was used whenever Harvey or another powerful character like Jessica felt like someone was crossing a line with something they said. While this is a very common expression that shouldn’t necessarily be associated with a TV show, the fact that Harvey Specter used it so many times in Suits makes it difficult not to. Harvey was not the only one to use “What did you just say to me” in Suits, but Gabriel Macht’s delivery of it was just too great.
Even though Suits’ characters were always talking about how the firm was their family, the fact is that they were always arguing with each other. Even Mike betrayed Harvey once, and Louis was crossing lines more often than not. Getting under Harvey’s skin was surprisingly easy, and it was usually followed by a variation of “What did you just say to me?” As repetitive as it was, this line was part of Suits’ charm.
5 “Goddamnit” And Variations
Harvey’s “Goddmans” Were Iconic
Perhaps the only expression that Harvey used more times than “What did you just say to me” is “Goddamnit” and its variations. From “Goddamnit, Mike” to “You’re goddman right I did,” Harvey had a very particular way of expressing himself, especially when he was angry. Like other recurring lines in Suits, Harvey was not the only one to use it frequently but is the character that made it iconic. Harvey’s “goddamnits” trace back to season 1 and were heard throughout the entire show.
A Suits fan on Reddit did the math for how many times “goddman” and “goddamnit” were used during the show – 459. According to their numbers, season 5 was the one with the most examples of “goddman” and variations at 125. The episode with the most “goddmans” was season 5, episode 13, “God’s Green Earth,” in which Harvey is running against the clock to save Mike from going to jail.
4 “You And I Are Done”
Someone Was Always Done With Someone In Suits
Harvey and Mike’s relationship was all about loyalty in Suits, for better or worse. Those two were tied by trust from the moment Harvey decided to hire a fraud as his junior associate, which later involved a true friendship. Likewise, those are Pearson perceived each other as family, especially the characters that had been there for a while. This is why Suits could get very dramatic whenever there was a disagreement between two friends or partners.
10 Best Suits Scenes That Defined The Show
From Harvey interviewing Mike to Louis blackmailing his way into name partner, Suits has a lot of iconic scenes that are not easy to forget.
“You tell Rachel and we’re done” and “You and I… we’re done” were some of the times Harvey was done with someone, only for them to work things out eventually. Most fights and betrayals in Suits didn’t have any catastrophic repercussions and ended up being forgotten by those involved. This includes Rachel cheating on Mike, Louis tapping Harvey’s office, and Harvey punching Louis in the face. Ironically, no one was ever really done with anyone in Suits regardless of how many times this line was used.
3 “Get The Hell Out Of My Office”
This Is How Conversations Would End In Suits
The easiest way for Suits to wrap up a scene and move into the next one was having one of the characters – usually Harvey Specter – tell someone to get the hell out of their office. Given that most Suits scenes took place inside the Pearson Specter Litt building, the majority of the series took place inside someone’s office. It took a while before Mike got his own office, meaning the show’s primary setting was Harvey’s.
“Get the hell out of my office” was a simple, effective way of putting an end to a conversation and advancing the story as fast as possible.
Harvey’s animosity was usually saved for his enemies but could also be aimed at Mike and other partners at the firm depending on his mood. “Get the hell out of my office” was a simple, effective way of putting an end to a conversation and advancing the story as fast as possible, which Suits loved to do. Things had to move fast in Suits, even if meant that the characters would only look at the first page of a document before commenting on it.
2 “You Did What?”
Whenever Someone Revealed Their Plan
Lies and ploys are common in legal dramas, but Suits’ protagonists were just always lying to each other no matter the circumstances. Mike and Harvey knew each other’s biggest secret – Harvey hired a fraud – but that never stopped one from lying to the other all the time. And that is only one of many examples of Suits characters not telling the whole truth to someone or trying to manipulate them. This is why the expression “You did what?” was so common on the show.
10 Things That Happen In Every Suits Episode
Suits is one of the best legal shows on TV, with a solid procedural formula that sets the tone for each episode and creates an intense legal drama.
Anytime a character would reveal what they had pulled off behind someone’s back, the other would say “You did what?” For example, while Harvey was all about playing life on a different level and taking swings, he wasn’t a fan of many of Mike’s strategies and usually questioned them with a simple “You did what?”
1 “You Should Take This Deal”
Suits Was About Closing Deals After All
Suits was about closers, meaning their goal was to settle things without getting to trial. Harvey’s motto was that things should never get to trial, regardless of what it took to work a deal. There must have been hundreds, if not thousands, of deal offers across all nine Suits. While it was expected for Harvey and the others to eventually save the day by working a deal that would avoid a trial, it was funny seeing them go through variations of that deal before reaching something acceptable.
“You should take the deal” was said countless times on Suits either by one of the main characters or by whoever they were dealing with. This was usually followed by a “This deal is bullsh*it,” after which everyone would leave the negotiation table. “You won’t get a better deal,” “This is the better deal you’ll get,” and other variations of “You should take this deal" were also used frequently.
Suits is a legal drama series that premiered in 2011, centering on Mike Ross, a college dropout with a photographic memory who lands a job at a top New York law firm despite lacking a law degree. Partnering with one of the city's best legal closers, Harvey Specter, they navigate the challenges of high-stakes cases and firm dynamics.
- Seasons
- 9
- Streaming Service(s)
- Amazon Prime Video
- Creator(s)
- Aaron Korsh
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