Suits LA never managed to outshine the original, and it’s mainly Harvey Specter’s fault. Gabriel Macht was a pillar of the original series, but the West Coast spinoff boasted its Harvey replacement— Stephen Amell’s Ted Black— was billed as the best lawyer in the country. As evidenced by the California-based installment’s 13 episodes, the empty promise eventually contributed to Suits LA’s cancelation.
Considering Suits LA wasn’t meant to be in the Suits universe, it’s no wonder that the failed spinoff paled in comparison to the original series. From the cases to the guest stars to the overarching narrative, Suits was everything Suits LA couldn’t be. While many factors led to the early cancellation, Suits LA’s biggest issue was Harvey Specter’s lingering presence.
Harvey Specter Set An Impossible Standard For Suits LA’s Ted Black
Nobody Can Beat New York’s Best Closer
Gabriel Macht’s smug lawyer— known as the Best Closer in New York— was undeniably the best character in Suits. Throughout the original series’ nine seasons, Harvey’s pithy character development allowed him to have both substance and style. Furthermore, Harvey leaned into his flaws but quietly revealed his soft side, maintaining a captivating balance between anti-hero, villain, and protagonist archetypes.
When Suits became a streaming success on Netflix, Harvey’s iconic character returned to the zeitgeist, reminding audiences why the Blue Sky hit is one of the best legal dramas of all time. Whether the overwhelmingly positive reactions were due to nostalgia or true feelings, Suits LA was brave enough to be Suits’ successor. Unfortunately, Ted Black was no Harvey Specter.
Granted, it didn’t help that Harvey returned in Suits LA and stole the spotlight. Despite seeming like a shell of his former self, Harvey had more charisma in one line than Ted had in the entire series. Gabriel Macht’s three-episode arc was meant to illustrate Ted and Harvey’s friendship, but there was a fundamental disconnect that made Ted feel inconsequential.
Harvey could have helped pass the torch to Suits LA’s leading man, but Ted Black never gave him a reason to. Even as a watered-down version of his starring role, Gabriel Macht felt like the true main character during his brief stint on the spinoff. Though Ted could never match Harvey’s prestige, Suits LA had a more concerning character issue.
Ted Black Not Only Failed To Match Harvey, But He Was Also An Overall Bad Protagonist
Suits LA Desperately Needed A Hero
Beyond disappointing Harvey Specter fans who expected a carbon copy, Ted Black failed to resonate with the audience. From the opening moments of the series premiere, Ted flaunted his morally grey approach to law, threatening a character witness and coercing him to testify, only for the witness to be killed moments later by Ted’s arch-nemesis mob boss.
The seedy, heartless first impression gave way to a cruel and detached boss…
The flashback should have stood in stark contrast to who Ted became, but the seedy, heartless first impression gave way to a cruel and detached boss who manipulated prospective clients and played mind games on his employees. After meeting him, there was no reason to root for Ted— or even like him. Consequently, Suits LA’s shocking betrayals fell flat.
The spinoff failed to make us care for Ted, even as it interrupted every episode with a melodramatic flashback sequence to explain his dark past. Despite what Suits LA hoped we’d believe, Ted Black isn’t Batman; he’s no vigilante with complex motivations. Based on what Suits LA actually showed of his character, Ted was just another shark in the water.
All episodes of Suits and Suits LA are streaming on Peacock.
The early reviews of Suits LA clocked the impending disaster that was Ted’s character, but the spinoff never fully recovered. There were glimpses of humor and humanity, but they came too late to give him a fighting chance. With his haunted bad boy persona, Ted Black made Suits LA depressing to watch, the final nail in the spinoff’s coffin.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t Stephen Amell’s fault at all. The CW’s Arrow is a perfect example of his ability to play cocky but endearing characters who are cut from the same cloth as Harvey. This is on the writing of Ted Black in Suits LA.
How Suits LA Could Have Succeeded With A Better Lead Character
Almost Any Option Would Have Been Better Than Ted
What makes Suits LA’s cancelation such a shame is that there were many interesting characters that never got the attention they deserved. Lex Scott Davis’ Erica Rollins felt like Suits LA’s true lead with her compelling moral dilemmas and mentor-like role to Leah Power (Alice Lee). From the start, Erica could have been the complicated hero Suits LA needed.
Alternatively, her protégé could have been the new Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams). Suits LA wasted Leah’s character, whose naivety and bleeding heart set her apart from the calculated coolness of entertainment law. The antithesis of Ted Black, Leah was immediately endearing and would have garnered actual emotional investment in Suits LA.
Even flipping the script and focusing on the betrayer instead of the betrayed would have been a more interesting hook. Unlike Ted, Stuart Lane (Josh McDermitt) didn’t believe he was the good guy in every situation. Stuart has other delusions and dangerous character flaws, but seeing him work through his insecurities was more believable than Ted’s struggle to convey vulnerability.
Suits LA built Ted up as Harvey’s replacement, but it doomed itself and its protagonist by justifying his apathy rather than growing past it. Not even Suits was dead-centered on Harvey from the get-go, and it shows why he is remembered as one of the greats, while Ted Black and Suits LA will sadly fade into obscurity.
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