Suits L.A. Is Missing The One Thing That Made Suits Great (But That's Good News)

By Nadica Terzieva

Published Jan 26, 2025

Followed

Thread 2

Custom Image by Ana Nieves

most anticipated network TV shows of 2025.

The creation of Suits L.A. comes after Suits received a surprising resurgence in popularity after it moved to streaming in 2023. The spike in popularity acted as the basis for the creation of the Suits spinoff since Suits ended in 2019 and could no longer continue its stories. Even though Suits L.A. is not a sequel, and will have notable differences from Suits, the show's dissimilarities are for the best. One of Suits L.A.'s biggest differences might be the best thing about it.

Suits L.A. Has One Main Lead Character, Not A Duo

Suits L.A. Follows Ted Black

Stephen Amell as Ted Black sitting in an office chair near windows in Suits LA

While Suits L.A. will generally follow a group of criminal and entertainment lawyers, its main focus will be on Ted Black. Ted, played by Stephen Amell, is a former New York City prosecutor who makes a career change to become a defense attorney in Los Angeles. His team will feature other lawyers at his successful law firm who will make up Suits L.A.'s ensemble cast. Other than Amell, Ted's firm will be made up of Lex Scott Davis as Erica Rollins, Josh McDermitt as Stuart Lane, and Bryan Greenberg as Rick Dodson.

Suits LA Adds The Office And MCU Stars To Debut Season Cast, And They're All Playing Themselves

The legal drama spinoff Suits LA, which stars Stephen Amell, adds three more guest stars, including actors from The Office and the MCU.

Posts 2

The significance of Suits L.A. having a lead actor with a ing ensemble cast is that Ted's story will be the focus of the show. While there will likely be some character arcs and personal plots of his colleagues, Suits L.A. has set up Ted as the series lead. His struggles and successes will be highlighted the most. Even the Suits L.A. teaser trailer shows that Ted's personal story overshadows his colleagues as he is the only character to appear in every clip.

Suits Was Defined By Harvey And Mike's Friendship

Suits Would Be Nothing Without Their Iconic Friendship

One major aspect of Suits that made it stand out was that it featured a duo as its main lead. Both Mike and Harvey were massively important characters in the show and their friendship was a large factor in explaining Suits' popularity. When Mike left Suits in season 8, and only returned briefly in season 9, his absence was felt immensely because his friendship with Harvey defined the show. Neither Harvey nor Mike were more important than the other, and that was key to the show's longevity.

Mike only appears in Suits season 9 in episodes 5, 9, and 10.

Besides their friendship, Mike and Harvey also worked well together as professionals. When Mike ed Harvey's firm in Mike's secret in Suits, his attention to detail and photographic memory, in combination with Harvey's confidence and legal expertise, made them a fantastic duo. While Suits' Louis, Jessica, and Donna were also highly important characters, they did not compare to Harvey and Mike, who really elevated Suits.

Why Suits L.A. Isn’t Following Suits’ Precedent of A Legal Duo

Suits L.A. Follows A Different Story

Two lawyers laughing at a rooftop dinner in the Suits LA teaser

While Suits has shown that a duo can be a great way to showcase a show's characters, it is not the only way. As Suits L.A. is a Suits spinoff and will feature some similarities to the flagship series, having a singular protagonist is a great way to offer a different look at a similar story. Whereas Mike and Harvey were lawyers trying to elevate their careers by moving up a firm, Ted has his own firm and is dealing with other issues. In of his career, Ted is more similar to Jessica than Harvey.

Having Ted be the main character helps limit the similarities between Suits and Suits LA.

If Suits L.A. were to feature another duo, it would just seem like it was trying to mimic Suits. Suits L.A. is its own show and deserves the chance to shine even under Suits' overarching shadow of popularity. Suits L.A.'s Ted is already set to be similar to Suits' Harvey in of their arrogance, so having Ted be the main character helps limit the similarities between Suits and Suits LA. Having Suits L.A. feature a singular lead rather than a duo is also a great way for the franchise to try something new.

Enjoy ScreenRant's primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for our weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check "Network TV" in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series.