Rating: 2 out of 5
“Suits LA” is the spinoff series of the highly successful “Suits” and it follows the story of Ted Black (Stephen Amell), a lawyer who moved from New York to Los Angeles, seemingly needing a fresh start. As a standalone show, it has its merits, but as a spinoff of the beloved “Suits,” which is set in New York City, it falls short, especially for an audience expecting more of the magic between Harvey Specter and Mike Ross.
The show starts with a flashback from New York. As the short scene concludes, it cuts to Los Angeles with Ted Black as the name partner of his own law firm called Black Lane, which deals with defense law and entertainment law in partnership with defense attorney Stuart Lane.
As the show starts, one big problem with the plot that can be noticed especially in the beginning stages, is that three different clients are introduced within the first six minutes. This leaves viewers confused as to which client is relevant at the moment. One of the clients appears for only one scene, being used as an unsuccessful attempt to showcase Ted Black as another Harvey Specter. It comes off as too forced, further evident when the client doesn’t show up again for the remainder of the episode.
The characters also lack the charisma and ego of a typical lawyer in the original “Suits.” When remembering the captivating character of Harvey, the bossy and egotistical Louis, and the strong female character of Jessica, there was something about the characters themselves that was worth remembering. Ted Black and Stuart Lane do not give off this charisma, ever more important when audiences expect “Suits LA” to be comparable to the original Suits set in NYC.
Another problem with the characters is the lack of a clear antagonist to hook viewers in the early stages of the show. In the original “Suits,” viewers saw an antagonist in Louis Litt right from the get-go when he is told Harvey is better than him but nothing of that sort happens in “Suits LA.”
The screenplay does not keep the story flowing. It consistently bounces back and forth between New York and LA, from the random flashbacks that do not completely explain why Ted moved to LA from New York.
Some other things to note are the sets and filming locations. The filming locations stuck to locations with the LA skyline, perhaps the least appealing part of LA, and the offices of Black Lane seemed more like a tech company than a law firm. The backgrounds in the windows of the office could have reflected more iconic and defining parts of LA, such as the Hollywood sign in the distance, the ocean, or the hills of Bel Air and Beverly Hills.
The music was good, especially in the intro scenes. It brought the Los Angeles vibe, similar to the summer and California, and made the show feel different from the original “Suits.” But overall, “Suits LA” has very little going for it. Having the word “Suits” in its title significantly increased expectations, and unfortunately, the show could not live up to them. If “Suits LA” was its own standalone show, I would give it a 2 out of 5-star rating. But being a “Suits” spinoff, the show gets a 1 out of 5 star rating.