Critic’s Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
3.5
When NBC announced the pickup of Suits LA after the Suits renaissance, I had many reservations.
After Suits Season 9, what else was there to say about the world of lawyers?
The one-and-done spinoff Pearson was brilliant because it took a completely different approach and told a compelling story world away from the legal battles the original series charted.
So, I wasn’t thrilled with NBC’s decision to shift the action to Los Angeles for Suits LA.
It felt more like reheating an already tired format with some changes and calling it a spinoff. It’s the way forward nowadays, but this franchise deserves much better than that.
Fortunately for viewers, I was wrong with my initial concerns because Suits LA Season 1 Episode 1 remarkably reinvented the wheel.
The episode threw us into the deep end, with Ted Black in a crisis as some significant changes happen in his life.
Suits LA Gets Off the Ground Running
If anything, the episode felt like a season finale. It started on the slow side but took a hard left turn midway through and didn’t take its feet off the gas until the final scene.
Of course, Stephen Amell is best known for Arrow. After playing Oliver Queen for nine seasons, it would be a tall order to shed that character.
But Stephen took his career in a convincing direction with Heels, playing someone who is the polar opposite of Oliver.
While Ted may be suited and booted like Oliver, they could not be more different, and I have to admit, he’s far better on Suits LA than he ever was on Arrow.
Ted’s past could derail his future, and Stephen brought a lot of depth to a character we have just met.
That takes skill, and I can’t wait to see what he does with the role for the rest of the series.
On the surface, Ted is a no-holds-barred lawyer who is shown to be a goliath in negotiations, but the truth is that his personal life is in shambles.
There’s so much we don’t know about this character, but somehow, the series premiere alone taught us a season’s worth.
The major flaw with the premiere is that the series didn’t better distinguish the past and present timelines because some parts were confusing.
It seems that Ted had everything at one point but lost it all through a spate of bad decisions. The series will revolve around him finding redemption and taking down the people who oppose him.
Turning to his brother, Eddie, for emotional support highlighted that Ted is breaking down behind the scenes because these moments showcase raw emotion.
The twist that Eddie was dead and this was just a coping mechanism for Ted was shocking and heartbreaking.
Ted is Poised to Confront His Demons
If Ted struggled at the beginning of the premiere, I don’t know how to describe his state by the end of it.
Stuart and Samantha’s betrayal came out of left field, but it was a successful inciting incident that carved out a wealth of storylines.
Stuart, played by the incomparable Josh McDermitt, is suave and smooth-talking, but he’ll turn on anyone he perceives to wrong them on a dime.
His moments with Ted in the first half of the premiere showcased a strong bond with an even stronger foundation, but what went wrong between them?
Stuart had to have felt slighted or worse to turn on Ted in such a public way.
It’s obvious Stuart didn’t expect Ted to fight back, which made it all the more satisfying when Ted rocked up in court, determined to take down his friend-turned-enemy.
If the rest of Suits LA Season 1 is about these two legal titans coming to blows, I’m all for it because it creates this messy narrative where things can change on a dime, much like the original Suits.
The Samantha part was a little frustrating because it made me question whether Suits LA had stealthily cast Katherine Heigl as Samantha Wheeler, which would have been a resounding success in my book.
Why Did Samantha and Ted Split Up?
But in hindsight, I’m interested in discovering more about why Samantha and Ted’s relationship became so terrible.
There’s plenty of story potential here.
The supporting characters felt right at home in the Suits universe, but Erica is poised to become one of the series’ best.
Lex Scott Davis embodies this lawyer who is determined to elevate her career to perfection.
Erica has this fierce loyalty to Ted, but I can’t shake the feeling that she’ll resent him for initially earmarking Rick for the post.
In Erica’s eyes, she paid her dues and deserved the position fair and square, so throwing these hurdles her way was unfair.
We got a good view of who Erica is for standing by Ted and not firing Leah for her actions.
Everyone is looking to get ahead in the legal world, but Erica’s quick wit is underpinned by a heart of gold that she doesn’t let people see very often.
Keeping Leah around highlights that she’s willing to give people who have wronged her another chance, and I hope this doesn’t come back to blow up in her face.
Leah will hopefully take this as a learning experience, but something tells me Stuart will see her as the weak link and offer a similar deal to the one he offered Erica for information.
By the end of the series premiere, Suits LA firmly established itself as a worthy follow-up to Suits, and I have high hopes that it can continue to flip the script to keep the show from going stale.
Over to you, TV Fanatics!
What’s your take on Suits LA?
Do you like that Stuart turned his back on Ted?
What’s your take on Ted having chats with his dead brother?
Who’s your favorite character out of the gate?
Consider yourself subpoenaed, and you can put your testimony in the comments section below.
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