suits keeps throwing timeline facts at me and i am incapable of leaving well enough alone. so! the revised, revised, revised histories of mike ross and harvey specter. (with one minor reference to rachel zane.)
ETA: a little bit of clarification for how to best interpret the timeline overall
ETA: thanks to @frivoloussuits for the point about mike being on the wrestling team in high school!
1971
Harvey is born
HARVEY (to MIKE): You found the one mistake I made while drafting those bylaws a dozen years ago, when I was two years younger than you.
(āInside Trackā s01e03)
1981
Mike is born
MIKE (to NICK RINALDI): You donāt take cases like that? What about your case from 1992? Driver plows into a car after drinking about 1,000 Jack and Cokes, killing a happily married couple? James and Nina Ross?
(āBlind-Sidedā s02e11)
1987 (Harvey is 16)
Harvey catches his mother cheating on his father
HARVEY (to MIKE re: LILY): I was 16 when I caught her cheating.
(āHigh Noonā s02e10)
1988 (Mike is 7, Harvey is 17)
Mike and Tess meet
TESS (to RACHEL re: MIKE): Short story is, weāve known each other since we were seven.
(āHigh Noonā s02e10)
Harveyās batting average is .385
HARVEY (to GORDON): I think youāre maybe forgetting I hit .385.
(āThe Other Timeā s03e06)
Harvey injures his shoulder and canāt play in the state championships, but his team wins anyway
TRAVIS TANNER (to HARVEY): And I also know that during your senior year, you missed out on playing in the state championship because of your shoulder. ā¦ And what do you know? They won without you, Harvey.
(āUndefeatedā s01e09)
1989 (Mike is 8, Harvey is 18)
Mike and Trevor meet, or have known each other for some time
MIKE (to TREVOR): You know, that is word for word your offer before I got caught cheating on your math test in the third grade.
(āPilot" s01e01)
Harveyās mother leaves his father
HARVEY (to MIKE re: LILY): The next two years went by, I didnāt say a thing, and she went right on just making him a fool.
(āHigh Noonā s02e10)
1992 (Mike is 11)
Mikeās parents are killed
MIKE (to HARVEY): When I was 11, my parents were involved in a really horrible accident.
(āBlind-Sidedā s02e11)
1994-1998 (Mike is 13-18)
Mike attends St. Andrewās High School, and is a straight-A student and on the wrestling team
MIKE (to EDITH): Yeah, and youāre not at school and all I do is get As.
(āFaithā s05e10 [flashback, nonspecific])
MIKE (to RACHEL): Iām not going to apologize for my lithe physique, okay? And by the way, I was on the wrestling team in high school, so.
(āUndefeatedā s01e09)
After receiving an F on a history paper for cutting class on parent-teacher conference day, Mike transfers to public school
MIKE: You gave that paper an F? It deserves an A.
FATHER WALKER: What about the fact that you cut the entire afternoon last Tuesday? ā¦ I donāt think itās a coincidence that you chose to cut class on parent-teacher conference day.
ā¦
FATHER WALKER: So youāre dropping out?
MIKE: No, Iām going to public school.
(āFaithā s05e10 [flashback, nonspecific])
1999 (Mike is 18-19, Harvey is 28)
Mikeās college GPA is 3.8
MIKE (to TREVOR): But I still have a three-eight. Thereās no way Harvard rescinds my acceptance.
(āThe Other Timeā s03e06 [flashback, āTEN YEARS AGOā])
Mike applies to transfer to Harvard and is accepted, and subsequently expelled and his transfer revoked after he takes the fall for Trevor
TREVOR: You got into Harvard, dickhead.
MIKE: They accepted my transfer?
TREVOR: Yeah, they did.
ā¦
THE DEAN (to MIKE): The young woman you sold the test to was my daughter. Theyāre demanding my resignation. And as my last official act, Iām expelling you from this school. And then, Iām going to call Harvard. Believe me when I tell you, youāre never going there.
(āThe Other Timeā s03e06 [flashback, āTEN YEARS AGOā])
Harvey drafts the McKernon Motors bylaws
HARVEY (to MIKE): You found the one mistake I made while drafting those bylaws a dozen years ago, when I was two years younger than you.
(āInside Trackā s01e03)
2000-2002 (Harvey is 29-31)
Harvey starts working for Cameron Dennis at the District Attorneyās office
(HARVEY [to ALEXANDRA LEEDS]): I worked as an Assistant District Attorney for the County of New York for two years. ā¦ An attorney by the name of Jessica Pearson helped me get through law school. And she felt that I could use trial experience.
(āRules of the Gameā s01e11)
Harvey meets and hires Donna
DONNA: You know, usually when someone wins their first trial, they at least pretend to finish the drink their fellow ADAs bought them.
HARVEY: Iām sorry, do weā
DONNA: Know each other? Not yet. But todayās your lucky day.
HARVEY: And why is that?
DONNA: Because itās the day you get to meet Donna.
(āNot Just a Pretty Faceā s04e16 [flashback, nonspecific])
Harvey borrows $150,000 from Charles Forstman and loans it to Marcus
HARVEY: My brother needs $150,000 for a new restaurant.
ā¦
CHARLES FORSTMAN: Weāre not a good fit. Because restaurants fail. And when this one does, youāll leave. So, you might as well leave right now.
HARVEY: Then how about we bet on it?
(āNot Just a Pretty Faceā s04e16 [flashback, nonspecific])
Harvey meets Alex Williams
HARVEY: Well, Iāve known him for 15 years, and Iām vouching for him.
(āThe Statueā s07e02)
2003 (Harvey is 32)
Harvey quits the District Attorneyās office and returns to Pearson Hardman as a sophomore associate
HARVEY: I decided what kind of attorney I want to be.
DONNA: I heard. You quit.
ā¦
HARVEY (to JESSICA): Instead of thinking about what I want to be doing in ten years, I started thinking about who I want to be doing it with.
ā¦
JESSICA (to HARVEY): So, let me get this straight. You turned me down before, and now youāre saying you want to come back? ā¦ Welcome back, Harvey. You start Monday.
(āThe Other Timeā s03e06 [flashback, nonspecific])
MIKE: Where did you go for your rookie dinner?
HARVEY: I came into the league a sophomore.
(āInside Trackā s01e03)
Harvey hires Rahim āRayā Benghazi as his personal chauffeur
HARVEY: Rayās worked for me eight years.
(āBail Outā s01e05)
2007 (Mike is 26, Harvey is 36)
Mike and Trevor meet Nikki and Jenny
MIKE (to TREVOR): Oh, yeah, that girl, Nikki, called me. ā¦ I donāt know, itās I just felt like I kind of hit it off more with that Jenny girl, thatās all.
(āRewindā s02e08 [flashback, āFIVE YEARS AGOā])
Mike and Harvey have their forgotten first meeting
MIKE: Look at this clown. He walks like heās got a rod up his ass.
TREVOR: Nice haircut, guy.
MIKE: Man, if I ever look like that, shoot me.
(āRewindā s02e08 [flashback, āFIVE YEARS AGOā])
Mike agrees to take the LSATs for Nikki
NIKKI (to MIKE): I want to pay you $1000 to take the LSATs for me.
(āRewindā s02e08 [flashback, āFIVE YEARS AGOā])
DONNA (to HARVEY): Your dad. He had a heart attack.
(āRewindā s02e08 [flashback, āFIVE YEARS AGOā])
Harvey is a Senior Associate
(āRewindā s02e08 [flashback, āFIVE YEARS AGOā])
Harvey is promoted to Junior Partner
HARVEY (to LOUIS): You know, I just figured Iād treat myself for making Junior Partner.
(āRewindā s02e08 [flashback, āFIVE YEARS AGOā])
2008 (Mike is 27)
Mike courts Claire Bowden and lies about being a law student at Columbia; she finds out and breaks up with him
CLAIRE: Where do you go?
MIKE: Mmm-mmm. You first. Where do you go?
CLAIRE: NYU.
MIKE: Columbia.
ā¦
CLAIRE: Please get away from me. Nathan told me everything.
MIKE: Wait, please. Let me explain, okay?
CLAIRE: No.
(āFork in the Roadā s04e13 [flashback, āSIX YEARS AGOā])
Against Edithās wishes, Mike moves in with Trevor
MIKE: His name is Trevor, and heās my best friend. Iām going to do this thing with or without your blessing. But it sure would be nice to have it.
EDITH: Okay, Michael. Iām not going to lie to you and pretend I approve. But youāre a grown man and I respect your decision.
(āFork in the Roadā s04e13 [flashback, āSIX YEARS AGOā])
Rachel is hired at Pearson Hardman
JESSICA: Iām hiring you because I like what I see.
RACHEL: Hiring me?
JESSICA: You start Monday, if thatās not too much trouble.
RACHEL: I will be the first one in.
(āFork in the Roadā s04e13 [flashback, āSIX YEARS AGOā])
2009 (Mike is 28)
Mike is broke and banned from a casino in Atlantic City for card counting
MIKE: Iām sort of banned from here.
HARVEY: For smoking weed?
MIKE: Counting cards, I mean, I was smoking weed, but they banned me for counting cards. ā¦ It was three years ago.
(āAll Inā s02e06)
2011 (Mike is 30, Harvey is 40)
Harvey is promoted to Senior Partner and required to hire an associate
JESSICA (to HARVEY): Well, I would, Harvey, except all senior partners get an associate. Itās just a rule.
(āPilotā s01e01)
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