But the content alone is hardly enough to spur a mass return to this procedural. In addition to its extreme watchability, there are a few other factors at play.
First and foremost, there is the simple fact that Netflix dropped the series this June and promoted it — a lot. “Every time I open Netflix it’s being aggressively shown and playing,” one person wrote on Reddit.
And then there is the Meg of it all. From marrying a prince, to becoming a constant figure in the British tabloids, to exposing her side of the story in first an interview then a Netflix documentary, Meghan’s story is one we all know. And so, when Netflix began promoting Suits with clips of Meg strutting around in her suit, many of us were curious. If we didn’t make the effort to tune in when she was first making headlines, perhaps now, realising that this was the Meghan Markle show was enough to seal the deal for undecided Netflix viewers.
And, of course, there are two ongoing strikes in Hollywood, which see the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA, the actor’s union, both on the picket lines. In other words, few TV shows are actually being made on released right now. So, it’s only natural that Netflix is over-promoting old material — especially material that has the extra selling point of an ex-princess.
Now, there is even talk of the show returning for a reboot. As the show’s executive producer Gene Klein told TV Line, “In this era of reboots and reunions and all this other stuff, that I’m expecting a call at some point. But I’m not aware of any serious conversations. It’s just one of those things where, in this day and age, you wouldn’t be surprised if somebody called you someday.” But, he added, he couldn’t imagine that Markle would be able to return to the show — but then again, who knows.
It just goes to show — we should never underestimate the power of a procedural and a princess to get people bingeing.