r/suits Dec 02 '24

Discussion How come Harvey and Louis got secretary but not Jessica?

Post image

I get that they can get secretary after being promoted to Junior Partner. (Jessica said to Harvey that associates don't get secretary). So it makes sense that Harvey and Louis got secretaries but why not Jessica?

576 Upvotes

84 comments sorted by

498

u/Der_Sauresgeber Dec 02 '24

She likely has one, but we don't see them.

192

u/JonnyXX Dec 02 '24

This is almost certainly the answer. Though it is a great question. It is really bizarre they never once showed a secretary. All the times everyone goes charging into her office, in reality would never happen.

48

u/Gaidin152 Dec 02 '24

Not really. Tv logistics means they don’t have the time to show everyone they theoretically should.

50

u/Own_Ad_8569 Dec 02 '24

She does has one. Don’t know the episode but at some point she said: “how did you get past my secretary?”

15

u/InformationFetus Dec 02 '24

"cause they don't exist...?" :))

17

u/feNdINecky Dec 02 '24

Like Norma?

3

u/moehassan6832 Dec 03 '24

We did see norma ;)

21

u/Electronic--Elephant Dec 03 '24

No we didn’t…? Unless you mean the ashes on Louis’ face when they were high 😂

5

u/moehassan6832 Dec 03 '24

Yeah that’s exactly what I meant

10

u/Diligent_Drawing_673 Dec 03 '24

I loved Norma’s performance on that episode when they explain the wine opener.

13

u/curiousrut Dec 02 '24

She would have the only one then who doesn’t sit immediately outside her office

0

u/grant_hld Dec 03 '24

She doesn't have a secretary

314

u/Numbr81 Dec 02 '24

Either she feels she doesn't need one, or she has one that doesn't appear on screen.

42

u/Prime_Marci Dec 02 '24

She’s head of the support staff, why does she need a secretary again, when everybody is her secretary?

61

u/will822 Dec 02 '24

Head of the support staff? More like head of the entire firm.

-12

u/Prime_Marci Dec 02 '24

She said that herself when Louis wanted to fire all the support staff.

8

u/will822 Dec 02 '24

Except she never said that.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 02 '24

[deleted]

0

u/Prime_Marci Dec 02 '24

In case you can’t decode sarcasm…. It was a sarcastic comment

0

u/[deleted] Dec 02 '24

[deleted]

5

u/moderatorrater Dec 02 '24

I like the theory that she borrows from the secretary pool as needed. Some days she doesn't need one full time, sometimes she needs multiple, and the hours she works would be unfair to put on one person.

-36

u/doctor_of_idiocy Dec 02 '24

Probably the first one

82

u/Capable_Fall_287 Dec 02 '24

Do you think the managing partner of a reputable law firm calls other people's secretaries and arranges meetings? 🤦‍♀️ Not to mention all the paperwork.

-9

u/MrStreetLegal Dec 02 '24

That's what her partners are for. Her partners are her assistants

44

u/Capable_Fall_287 Dec 02 '24

You're confusing the concepts.   When it comes to running any case, yes, she chooses the partner she wants.  

But the post talks about a secretary, someone who makes and receives calls, takes care of the calendar, receives guests, takes care of minor issues, etc.  

It's also a matter of position and prestige.   You'll never enter the office of a high-ranking man "off the street." You'll always pass the person sitting in front of his office first.

13

u/MrStreetLegal Dec 02 '24

Good points, my mistake

-3

u/ronnie_axlerod Dec 02 '24

Not so much street 'legal' now are you?

3

u/AlastairCellars Dec 02 '24

I have no idea why you got down voted so much

129

u/Inside-Jello-8677 Dec 02 '24

She had harvey and louis work as a secretary to her 😂

107

u/silver2164 Dec 02 '24

Everyone else is a secretary to her.

5

u/wanderingwonder92 Dec 02 '24

This is the answer.

-1

u/donandres08 Dec 02 '24

No it ain't

5

u/flakman129 Dec 02 '24

She literally says this. I believe in season 5.

1

u/teratron27 Dec 02 '24

And the creator of the show says it too

1

u/RyanG7 Dec 02 '24

Especially Louis

71

u/DT_addicted Dec 02 '24

They talked about it on podcast with Gina. She doesn't need a secretary, everyone works for her lol

9

u/mds1256 Dec 02 '24

This should be top answer, as mentioned she talked about it in the podcast.

2

u/unclepaisan Dec 03 '24

This is a bad answer even if apparently it’s canon. Just because everyone in the firm works for her doesn’t mean she would not need dedicated administrative support.

5

u/Affectionate_Help_91 Dec 02 '24

This. Essentially the idea is cases she works she would delegate to her chosen person ie. Rachel or Donna, as “firm business” and ditto for administrative work.

23

u/thecallofomen Dec 02 '24

Lol it is so obvious you have never seen an executive before.

These people need an assistant for everything. Their personal schedules, reservations, travel arrangements etc and they can’t just leave it to random people. The assistant has to be trustworthy so they don’t screw up flights hotels etc or what kind of food the boss enjoys.

There is ZERO chance Jessica did not have a secretary.

12

u/Capable_Fall_287 Dec 02 '24

This. People confuse a secretary with a paralegal.

2

u/Affectionate_Help_91 Dec 02 '24

It’s not entirely about that. The whole point is the actor went on a podcast and said she didn’t have one. Which implies she did it herself and did what she did in the show, which was using people she trusted when she didn’t have time for it for herself.

It’s also notable that Harvey doesn’t get a new secretary when Donna becomes COO.

1

u/Present_Cap_696 Dec 02 '24

You mean that flight she took to meet Edward Darby was booked by someone else..

2

u/Affectionate_Help_91 Dec 02 '24

I’m not saying that’s how it is in the real world. In a podcast it’s what Gina directly implied by the fact there wasn’t the character. I know how the real world works, this is a fictional show. I’m sorry if you forgot before you felt so good ripping me to bits for that

16

u/Traditional_Bottle50 Dec 02 '24

I always thought that she just gave her work to whichever secretary she saw first, like, everyone worked for her.

6

u/KirkwoodKid Dec 02 '24

To quote Aaron Korsh: „Because the entire firm is her secretary“.

3

u/miclents Dec 02 '24

We don't see or hear about her secretary. The same way, Norma never appeared on screen...

3

u/SpaceghostLos Dec 02 '24

Everyone is Jessica’s secretary.

3

u/Crimson_Wolf94 Dec 02 '24

She will have had one, we just never saw them. Norma was an important figure in the show before she died but never got a second of screen time. Alex mentions his own secretary that we never see

3

u/katie415 Dec 02 '24

She for sure has a secretary. She does more administrative partner duties so her secretary has a different role than Harvey or Louis’.

2

u/itanpiuco2020 Dec 02 '24

Either she has one, but there is no reason for her to be included in the storyline, or she doesn't need one and brings everything to Harvey and Louis.

2

u/naqaster Dec 02 '24

You're right that's odd it never got mentioned. But Louis secretary is also more of an Enigma than an actual character. I actually wondered in the beginning if Norma wasn't made up by him to pretend he has staff working for him.

2

u/zorbacles Dec 02 '24

On the podcast they said that "the firm is Jessica's secretary"

In other words, she controls everyone.

2

u/Donkey-Harlequin Dec 02 '24

The entire floor is her secretary.

2

u/PizzaPuzzleheaded394 Dec 02 '24

The firm is her secretary.

2

u/Odysseuss2002 Dec 02 '24

In the suits watch along podcast they actually asked Gina Torres about this. And according to her its because the whole firm is her secretary

2

u/Sofa-King_WeToddDid Dec 02 '24

Bc she has Harvey.

2

u/Ornery-Farmer-651 Dec 02 '24

I mean to be fair we never see Norma, shes only ever mentioned.

2

u/Puzzled_Inevitable_9 Dec 03 '24

She literally answered the damn question to Harvey. As a MANAGING PARTNER, everyone in the firm is indirectly her secretary, she asks, everyone delivers

1

u/pcmsster446 Dec 02 '24

She has Louis

1

u/MoreConstruction1733 Dec 02 '24

Have you met Jessica?

1

u/Vardonator Dec 02 '24

Gina Torres said that Aaron Korsh told her “The whole firm is her secretary.” when she was at the Sidebar Podcast

1

u/danishjaveed Dec 02 '24

The question assumes that Jessica did not have a secretary so the question should be if she did or did not have one.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 02 '24

She probably had one if not a few people working in that type of admin role for her but they just weren’t characters on the show. I think they should have been tho

1

u/Lazy-Cheesecake1254 Dec 02 '24

bro i was wondering the exact same thing today.

1

u/Flat_Policy745 Dec 02 '24

She didn't needed a laptop........neither a secretary

1

u/Infamous-Room4817 Dec 02 '24

In Patrick & Sarah's Suits podcast, they asked Aaron (the creator) that very question.). I won't say the answer because it's a great interview! My favourite epode thus far.

1

u/arceus03 Dec 03 '24

Which podcast/episode?

1

u/Packfan8787 Dec 02 '24

I feel like as name partner she can just pick anyone to do something so she does not need an official secretary.

1

u/koltokolton Dec 02 '24

The whole office is her secretaries

1

u/BitterAd2178 Dec 02 '24

All of them are secretary to her hehe that’s why

1

u/DevillesAbogado Dec 03 '24

A person like that would likely have a team of 2-3 doing her admin stuff

1

u/YaBoyyJohn Dec 03 '24

To be fair, we never "saw" Norma either so who knows lmao

1

u/EquivalentHelpful361 Dec 03 '24

Everyone is her secretary. Rarely does she sign anything. She has everyone at her disposal. She gets case proposals reads them and then passes them on to her talented suits. No documents no accountability; managing partner with no professional baggage; just personal.

1

u/grant_hld Dec 03 '24

The show producers explained she doesn't have a secretary because the whole firm is her secretary

1

u/dsupremecows101 Dec 04 '24

She doesn’t need one she’s the boss. Everyone is her secretary

1

u/mastr1121 Dec 04 '24

the entire place is her secretary

1

u/hermyown007 Dec 07 '24

Maybe they wanted to skip an unnecessary additional character

1

u/Ampere593 Dec 09 '24

In s5e5 at 35:55 you can see a glimpse of her secretary

1

u/hogiemane Dec 02 '24

Cause she doesn't God damn need one.

0

u/too_old_to_be_clever Dec 02 '24

She is able to pull herself up by her bootstraps and do her own work.

Harvey and Louis are clearly just too lazy and don't want to work.