Suits LAReview: A Hit Legal Series Gets an Uneven Reboot with Stephen Amell

Mar. 15, 2025

Stephen Amell as entertainment lawyer Ted Black in ‘Suits LA’.Photo:David Astorga/NBC

David Astorga/NBC

Maybe you remember the USA Network’s original-programming heyday.

Probably the best known USA series wasSuits,a sleek Manhattan legal drama that ran for nine seasons (and recently resurged on Netflix). For 108 episodes, it also happened to featureMeghan Markle, the now-Duchess of Sussex, as an ambitious paralegal named Rachel Zane.

This gives the show a special place in royal history, although what wasreallymost memorable aboutSuitswasPatrick J. Adams' breakout performance as legal genius Mike Ross. His narrowed eyes glinted with impressive analytical shrewdness. Oh, was he good!

NowSuitshas been moved out to the West Coast and rebooted as NBC’sSuits LA.

The new show focuses ona powerful entertainment-law firmthat’s on the verge of collapse as its founding partners, Stuart Lane(The Walking Dead’sJosh McDermitt), and Ted Black(Arrow’sStephen Amell, looking a bit like the original series’Gabriel Macht), hit what might be described as a rough patch.

This doesn’t bring out the best in either of them or in their staff. The first three episodes, in fact, are at their most entertaining, and most promising, as all the lawyers maneuver to snag promotions, field counteroffers and throw dirt at opponents.

Bryan Greenberg (left) and Lex Scott Davis in ‘Suits LA’.David Astorga/NBC

Unfortunately,Suits LAdoesn’t haveSuits’ smoothness, sexiness or snap, all of which probably had something to with the original’s enjoyable, easygoing shallowness. Here, there seems to be a misguided attempt to drum up gravitas for Amell’s Ted.

Early on, he’s pleased as punch to spot George Clooney in a swank restaurant, and real-life stars (including thelate John Amos) have a way of popping in and out, playing themselves. But the show tends to spend too much time on earnest, soggy explication of Ted’s complicated history.

He used to be a Manhattan prosecutor, you see, but he abandoned that career after a messy case ended with a Mob informant going kablooey. (Some of this ties in with Mach’s Harvey Spector onSuits.)After a while your mind drifts back toEntourage,the foul-mouthed but lively HBO comedy that starredJeremy Pivenas agent Ari “Hug it out, bitch!” Gold.

Patrick J. Adams as Michael Ross, Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane on the original ‘Suits’.Shane Mahood/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Shane Mahood/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Ted’s past is of much less interest than his new clients, among them a movie producer(Alias’sKevin Weisman) accused of murdering his partner while they were at target practice and ingesting large quantities of ecstasy.Muchmore suitable.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Suits LApremieres Sunday, Feb. 23, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

source: people.com