I'm a Meghan Markle fan, but I've never tuned into Suits. To be honest, I didn't know much about the soon-to-be royal before her relationship with Prince Harry, which didn't sit right with me. Shortly after their engagement, I checked out Markle's performance in the Hallmark movie When Sparks Fly to get to know the actress a little better, and despite never caring or thinking about Suits before, it's why I decided to watch the midseason premiere "Hard Truths" that aired Wednesday night.
Markle's role as Rachel Zane is definitely leaps and bounds better than her work in When Sparks Fly, but it's also intriguing for a different reason. I was immediately taken by her relationship with Mike (Patrick J. Adams), not because I think they're a cute couple, but because they're setting a relationship precedent that I hope Markle mimics in her future marriage to Prince Harry.
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This episode was about a lot of things I Did Not Understand, but I was on board with Rachel and Mike from the start because they're an office romance that's doing it right. As in, sure, they get flirty in private when no one is around, but most of the intimacy of their day-to-day relationship seems to come from supporting each other in their work, and leaning on each other in a way that is healthy and, most of all, equal.
Watching their dynamic on screen, it's something I hope foreshadows the partnership between Markle and Prince Harry as they navigate life as royals. There's no doubt that there's mutual respect there — take the statement Prince Harry released following the first news of their relationship — and we already know Markle is not content with following the royal status quo. She's broken a number of traditions, never egregiously, but in a way that says "I am a modern woman of 2018 and this is what that means."
What I want to see between the couple is not just adorable photo opps, but a partnership on projects and protocols that continues to set an inspiring example for young men and women.