Peacock Officially Replaces ‘Suits’ With a Legal Drama That Can’t Be Beat

The USA network has tried for years to come up with a worthy successor to their hit legal drama, Suits. The nine-season series, which ran from 2011 to 2019, managed to capture the cutthroat, yet fascinating world of high-powered lawyers in New York City. Suits became even more popular years later when the show gained a whole new following after becoming available to stream on Netflix in 2023. Since Suits, USA has never managed to come up with a truly entertaining series that matches the show’s smart writing and fun storylines — until now, that is.

What Is ‘The Rainmaker’ About?

In 1995, John Grisham published a popular novel called The Rainmaker. The exciting story, about a young attorney named Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan), was eventually adapted as a film in 1997, starring Matt Damon. The television version of the story kicked off its first season in October 2025. Rudy and his girlfriend, Sarah Plankmore (Madison Iseman), have just passed the bar and are both hired to work at a prestigious law firm in Charleston. But on Rudy’s first day, he’s fired by head lawyer, Leo Drummond (John Slattery), after speaking his mind. Rudy ends up working for the much less fancy firm, J. Lyman Stone, which is run by Jocelyn “Bruiser” Stone (Lana Parrilla, in a gender-swapped role that Mickey Rourke originated in the film). Rudy teams up with Bruiser and her right-hand man, Deck Shifflet (P.J. Byrne), as they take on an intriguing case involving a woman named Dot Black (Karen Bryson), who believes that the hospital where her son died is covering up something suspicious. The rest of the season unfolds with an action-packed story that fits perfectly into 10 fast-paced episodes.

‘The Rainmaker’ Is a Fun, Twisty Legal Thriller That Demands a Binge-Watch

The Rainmaker, which just premiered its second season in October, manages to seamlessly blend several different genres. There are frightening, suspenseful twists in the storytelling one moment, and silly humor the next. No matter the tone of each scene, Rudy’s story is that of a heroic underdog, and he serves as the perfect protagonist to highlight the many injustices in the legal system. He’s also dealing with a painful past that continues to affect his life. The Rainmaker thrives with its unpredictable storytelling, but the series becomes a true standout because of its well-rounded characters. Even supporting characters end up providing valuable building blocks to the narrative. The relationships that form between the characters, especially the mentor connection between Bruiser and Rudy, or the buddy-cop feeling of Deck and Rudy’s partnership, allow the series to offer both serious and lighthearted moments.

The Rainmaker could have fallen into second-rate television without its stellar cast. Callaghan offers a protagonist that is easy to root for, even when he’s failing. It’s also interesting to see the changes in Callaghan’s delivery from Season 1 to 2, as he demonstrates the growth that Rudy has experienced. Parrilla is perfection as the tough-as-nails Bruiser, who is trying to forge her own path beyond that of her disgraced lawyer father. Slattery offers his sly, shark of a lawyer with aplomb, and Merle Dandridge takes over in Season 2 as his equally ruthless replacement. These lead actors help to create a solid framework for the series, but the supporting cast is every bit as impressive. Byrne provides much-needed comedic relief in the series as Deck, with a character that is constantly eating and making wise-cracks. Bryson also supplies the series with its quiet heart as the grieving Dot. Together, the entire cast elevates the series from a traditional legal drama.

Although the show has only aired a few episodes of Season 2 so far, The Rainmaker has set up an even more captivating story revolving around a young boy who seeks out Rudy’s help after he’s unfairly sentenced to a juvenile detention center. Rudy and Deck realize there’s something nefarious going on, and decide to investigate. Bruiser has her own case to worry about this season, when her ex-husband, Tom Cassady (Austin Nichols), requests she defend him. There are several more episodes to go before we reach the end of the season, but it’s clear that The Rainmaker is not holding back in its second outing. If you haven’t watched this entertaining series yet, we order you to binge-watch it today.

The Rainmaker is available to stream on Peacock in the U.S., with new episodes dropping every Friday on USA.

The Rainmaker

Release Date

August 15, 2025

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  Milo Callaghan

  Rudy Baylor

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  Lana Parrilla

  Jocelyn ‘Bruiser’ Stone