“Suits: LA” is dumb. This is a show where one character tells another, “You have a lot of flaws,” and it’s supposed to come off as insightful and not something that could be said about, well, anyone. In the pilot, the attorneys at Ted Black’s firm repeat the phrase “every day of the week and twice on Sunday”—even writing it down and sending it to each other! —like it’s the most clever thing they’ve ever heard and not a standard phrase that started circulating a century ago.
And that’s just the writing. The plot holes also require a sort of brain-numbness to surpass. When Ted Black (Stephen Amell) takes on a last-minute case that a rival attorney has been working on for months, he’s able to quickly get a whole bunch of information she hasn’t uncovered. How? Unknown! His old colleague from the DA’s office Kevin (Troy Winbush) does it all off-camera like only a magical Black sidekick can. And “Suits: LA” asks us not to worry about it.
Or there’s an entire plotline about leading entertainment lawyer Erica Rollins (Lex Scott Davis) not knowing anything about the business—to the point where she can’t read a script and form an opinion on whether it’s good or not. How’d she get so far without a basic understanding of her own industry? Again, it’s better not to ponder too closely.
But if you like dozing off and looking at beautiful people in beautiful places wearing beautiful clothes, “Suits: LA” has got you covered. As our lead, Black has the most potential crossover with the original “Suits,” thanks to his time as a New York DA, which we see in flashbacks. He’s joined by a “like a brother” peer in Stuart Lane (Josh McDermitt)—you can tell they’re equals because they’re both confident white guys—an ex named Samantha (Rachelle Goulding), two ambitious underlings in Rollins and Rick Dodsen (Bryan Greenberg), and one surprisingly charming associate Leah (Alice Lee).
We see this cast of characters traipse through well-appointed offices and lovely restaurants. The blazers are tailored, the blouses sumptuous, and everyone’s hair is perfectly blown out. Flattering lighting abounds. The aesthetics are glossy network TV—nice to look at but not striking in any way, nothing to remember, nothing that stands out.
“Suits: LA” does reach for some depth in Ted’s backstory. We see his haunting, ostensibly final case in New York, his poor-excuse-for-a-human father, and happier times with Samantha. The lasting anger, grievances, and pain from that time carry over to current-day Black, giving the show a personal touch a bit deeper than the standard bed-hopping.
But these flashes of humanity are short-lived as “Suits: LA” is as invested in asking us to care about whether a rich Hollywood producer killed his business partner. Theoretically, the fate of Ted’s firm is tied up in the case, but it’s truly hard to care about, particularly as Lester Thompson (Kevin Weisman) is generally a jerk with plenty of character-damning potential motives. Without a compelling central case, “Suits: LA” doesn’t even function as a legal drama.
It’s more of a character study of a handsome, rich white guy who’s wholly consumed with his little corner of the world. Which is to say, if you watched “The Good Wife” and wished it had fewer morally complex situations and no biting social commentary, this might be the show for you. Did you find the “Lincoln Lawyer” too edgy? Did you watch Kathy Bates’ award-winning turn in “Matlock” or Ramón Rodríguez’s in “Will Trent,” and think, “These shows have too strong of a moral compass?” If so, maybe check out “Suits: LA.”
Now, obviously, it’s a spin-off of “Suits,” which ran on USA Network from 2011 to 2019. That show also inspired the Gina Torres vehicle “Pearson” and recently topped the charts on Netflix, reminding us all how much viewers like network TV and its formula. Still, perhaps this particular well has run dry.
Because “Suits: LA” harkens too far back to the “TV is rotting your brain” age of the form, ignoring how its peers have advanced the genre in favor of good-looking nothingness. This is a show that asks you to please turn off your brain before viewing and let the whole thing wash over you like a warm bath. It’s pleasant enough, soothing even. But you better bring your own things to think about because it offers nothing more.
Three episodes screened for review. Premieres on February 23.
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