Episode 1, Season 5 - Denial

Fava Beans and a Nice Chianti – In the original script, when Vince Sanfillipo greets Harvey and Mike with a line from “Silence of the Lambs,” their quote-off was only meant to last for two lines. But the cast – having memorized the entire Hannibal Lecter/Clarice Starling exchange – had so much fun getting their characters into character, that unless the director stopped them when he did, they might have quoted the entire movie.

Ordering Off Menu – When he thinks Donna will just go back to Harvey, Donna finds Louis eating his “sandwich of commiseration” at his favorite deli. However, the place where this scene was shot wasn’t a deli at all, but an Italian eatery, Mercatto. Unfortunately for Louis, Mercatto’s menu doesn’t have a “Reubin on rye with bacon instead of Russian Dressing.”

British Invasion – New to the cast in Season Five is Harvey’s therapist Dr. Paula Agard, portrayed by London-born actress Christina Cole. Much like Edward Darby (Conleth Hill) and Ava Hessington (Michelle Fairley), Cole’s Dr. Agard continues a Suits tradition of entrusting important recurring roles to top actors from across the pond. But unlike in most American series employing actors from the “British Invasion,” Cole gets to keep her accent.

Truckin’ – Trucking magnate Kevin Slattery’s office looked to be in New Jersey, with the Manhattan skyline seen far off in the distant. But in reality, Slattery Trucking was shot at a truck and car rental facility outside of Toronto; New York’s iconic skyscrapers were added in through visual effects.

Fragile Cargo – The story of Slattery’s trucking company trying to avoid bankruptcy was loosely inspired by FedEx founder Frederick Smith. With FedEx on the verge of collapse, Smith infamously took the company’s last $5,000 to Las Vegas, where he gambled it – and won just enough to keep the company afloat. Harvey and Mike take a similar “gamble” by sending Slattery’s trucks across the Canadian border, tanking the value of the company and preventing Slattery’s creditors from cashing out.