The defining part of theSuitsTV show isn’t the legal drama, romance, or shocking betrayals; it’s the central friendship between Mike and Harvey.Played by Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht,Mike and Harvey aren’t just business associates; they’re also best friends and close confidants who would do anything for each other. All thebest episodes ofSuitscentered on the relationship between Mike and Harvey, as their connection was the heart and soul of the show. Though Harvey was Mike’s mentor at first, it didn’t take long for the pair to rely on each other fully.
Part of the reason thatSuits L.A.failed was because it didn’t have Mike and Harvey, which was why audiences tuned into the show for so many years. ThoughSuitscontinued for two seasons after Mike left the show, it was never really the same without him. When it comes to the series that also centers on a key friendship between main characters, it’s often the case that the show falls apart without one of the characters. Fortunately, these series successfully avoided losing their dynamic duos or skillfully found a way to replace the missing piece of the relationship.
6Psych (2006–2014)
Shawn & Gus
Shawn (James Roday Rodriguez) and Gus (Dulé Hill) are so compelling and believable as best friends that it’s no surprisePsychran for eight seasons and had three spinoff movies.Full of heart, humor, and obvious joy, Shawn and Gus' dynamic rivals Mike and Harvey’s at times,as they work well together but aren’t afraid to call each other on their flaws. Shawn might be the protagonist ofPsych, but Gus is just as likable and interesting a character, if not more so at times, giving their storylines equal weight in the eyes of the viewer.
Harvey and Shawn have more in common, while Mike and Gus are the more hesitant and malleable of the pair,but both shows are willing to let this dynamic shift and evolve as the series progresses.Psychmight deal with murder and crime, but it’s a silly, offbeat adventure at the heart of the story, which allows Roday Rodriguez and Hill to play with their characters and the concept of the series. Even as Gus and Shawn find romantic partners and discover meaning outside of their psychic detective agency, they’re always pulled back because they love being together.
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5Rizzoli & Isles (2010–2016)
Rizzoli & Isles
Every good TV duo, whether they’re starring in a crime drama or a legal procedural, works because oftheir opposite but compatible approaches to getting the job done.InRizzoli & Isles, Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) is an outgoing and assertive homicide detective. Conversely, Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) is a medical examiner who prefers a quiet life, taking her work very seriously. While it might sound as if they wouldn’t get along, this couldn’t be further from the truth, as they make the perfect professional and emotional pair, letting their friendship guide their work.
InSuits, Mike might start out emulating Harvey and trying to become the kind of lawyer Harvey is, but as the show progresses, the key differences between their outlooks crop up and make them both better attorneys. This is the case inRizzoli & Isles, which sees the women use their opposing ideologies to see the cracks in the other’s style of investigation, often saving the day.It’s exciting to watch a show likeRizzoli & Islesbecause there are few shows anchored by a female duo,with most series centering on a bromance or male-female pair with romantic tension.
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4White Collar (2009–2014)
Neal & Peter
Putting Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay together turned out to be a stroke of geniusforWhite Collar, as Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke are a duo that rivals Mike and Harvey. There’s a more sticky power dynamic between Neal and Peter, as Neal is a criminal consultant for the FBI, and Peter is his handler. However, as the seasons progress, the pair grows to rely on each other. Peter makes many close calls that involve him placing his full trust in Neal. Time and again, he’s rewarded by Neal’s loyalty.
Without the dynamic between Neal and Peter,White Collarwouldn’t work.
TheWhite Collarreboot can fix some of the original problemswith the show. However, there aren’t too many elements ofWhite Collarthat don’t hold up besides the obviously dated aspects. What has keptWhite Collarso fresh and relevant all these years later is the strong premise and the fact that Peter and Neal will always be fun to watch. They each have the perfect set of specialized skills that make them the ideal team and allow them to track down every bad guy they face. Without the dynamic between Neal and Peter,White Collarwouldn’t work.
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3Scrubs (2001–2010)
J.D. & Turk
Medical and legal shows likeScrubsandSuitsoften have a lot in common,as both deal with iconic professions that involve tough emotional issues. Mike and Harvey don’t hold people’s lives in their hands, but this doesn’t make them take their jobs any less seriously than J.D. (Zach Braff) and Turk (Donald Faison) inScrubs. Balancing its elements of comedy and magical realism with deep, emotionally resonant episodes that reflect on the hardships of being a doctor,Scrubsis one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, and J.D. and Turk’s relationship is part of that.
J.D. is positioned as more of the protagonist than Turk, but they’re seen as inseparable by everyone, characters and audience members alike.Scrubsis a little lighter thanSuits, and J.D. and Turk aren’t as directly competitive as Mike and Harvey, which is a key facet of the latter’s relationship. Nonetheless, this allows J.D. and Turk to be there for each other in different ways and offer support without having an ulterior motive, which frequently comes between Mike and Harvey inSuits.J.D. and Turk aren’t immune to having conflicts,but their fights aren’t as explosive.
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2New Girl (2011–2018)
Nick & Schmidt
New Girlis more of an ensemble than a series that centers on one particular friendship, as all the members of the loft are key pieces of the overall dynamic. Though Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson) drove the show’s romantic tension, it was Nick and Schmidt (Max Greenfield) who had the most enviable friendship.Much like Harvey does to Mike, Schmidt tries to push Nick to be betterand more ambitious, encouraging him, sometimes a little harshly, to be more than he thinks he can be. Conversely, Nick and Mike both serve to tone down their counterparts.
However, the core of Nick and Schmidt’s dynamic is an enduring love and the fact that they have so much fun together, even when they get on each other’s nerves.New Girlis a low-stakes sitcom with far less tension than a typical episode ofSuits, butNick and Schmidt still face hard times like Mike and Harvey.While no one goes to jail for defrauding the Bar Association, Nick and Schmidt weather their biggest personal and professional changes together, making their relationship one of the most realistic and genuine in the show.
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1MAS*H (1972–1983)
Both Hawkeye & Trapper, And Hawkeye & B.J.
Though Alan Alda’s Hawkeye isMASH’s best character, he isn’t the same without his best friends and partners in crime throughout the show. At first, Hawkeye is joined by Trapper (Wayne Rogers), but their tragic parting after season 3, when Trapper doesn’t say goodbye, cements them as the second-best duo in the show.It’s Hawkeye and B.J. (Mike Farrell) who are the true best friendsinMASHand who rival Mike and Harvey, paving the way for all TV bromances to come.
In some ways,MAS*Hcouldn’t be more different thanSuits, as the classic sitcom is of its time and takes a more episodic approach to storytelling throughout the seasons. However, the relationship between Hawkeye and B.J. is similar to Mike and Harvey’s as both pairs work together and bounce off each other in these environments. Simultaneously, Hawkeye and B.J. enjoy getting loose and pulling pranks, something Hawkeye is known for, never taking things too seriously amidst the high intensity of war.
