Suits may have finished years ago, but the best parts of the show can live on in the new spin-off, Suits L.A.Suits had an incredible run for eight years between 2011 and 2019, but every good show eventually comes to an end. The series boasted an incredible cast, wonderful writing, and gripping legal drama that consistently kept viewers coming back every single week. However, the show didn’t really get the love it deserved until it came to streaming platforms after the show had already ended.
Now, with many more people having found the show and binged all nine seasons of Suits, there is a resurgence in the show’s popularity, and news of a spin-off series to expand on the world established in the original show. While the new show is already releasing news and updates that appear promising, there are some key details that went into the making of Suits that are an absolute must if the show is to be a success. From the humor, to the plots, Suits L.A. has big shoes to fill, but if it ticks these boxes, it could be a hit.
While Suits is predominantly a legal drama series with a procedural format, the show has a distinct and well-exercised funny bone. From Louis’ quips, to the back and forth exchanged by Harvey and Mike, humor is a part of the DNA of the show. The characters feel dynamic and real thanks to this diversity, rather than simply being one-noted figures who fail to develop a personality. It also serves to lighten the tone in moments where things get heavy.
A legal drama could easily fall into the trap of becoming too serious, too exposition-heavy, and too boring, but humor goes a long way to ensuring that is not the case. Suits L.A. needs to incorporate a strong sense of humor, which not only helps to lift the series above the legal drama genre, but also to make it feel similar to the original show. Thankfully, with Suits creator Aaron Korsh returning, this shouldn’t be too great of a challenge.
Equally important alongside the humor for the show is the rest of the dialogue that goes into it. Suits is more than just jokes or silly rivalries, it also uses plenty of clever dialogue to showcase the depth of talent and skill the main characters have. The show takes a look into the secret life of lawyers in a high-powered firm in New York City, which means these people are some of the best in the world, working on high priority cases, and delivering outstanding results.
While Suits L.A. is based on the opposite coast, L.A. is just as much of a hub to high-powered celebrities and businesses as it’s sister city. The show will need to dig deep, include complex legal jargon, and use it in a way that resonates with audiences, no matter how much experience they have with the courts. The show gets a level of authenticity thanks to relevant dialogue, and the spin-off will need to follow the example set by Suits.
On top of the humor and clever dialogue, the show should make frequent use of pop culture references. Harvey and Mike are big fans of film and entertainment media in general. As a result, they frequently use references to things that are relevant and contemporary in a way that connects them to the audience. It became a significant part of their characters, and a way to make them distinct and different from other legal dramas.
While copying and pasting these character traits in with the spin-off would be a mistake, Suits L.A. has a natural and positive way to make references without feeling forced, or like a copy. The show is based in the city of Los Angeles, which is also the global hub of entertainment. Movie stars, famous sports personalities, and musicians from all around the world flock to L.A. At the same time, these rich and wealthy people will often need legal representation to help navigate possible disputes, making it perfect for even more pop culture references.
Outside the scripting, Suits featured some of the best and most well-defined character arcs on TV. Rather than setting up a character in season 1, defining their personality, and seeing minimal change in that character by the end of the show, Suits saw the characters grow and change. However, it also avoided the pitfall of too much change too fast, with these shifts happening slowly and gradually.
Mike begins the show as a lying con man who puts the future of the firm he works for at risk, Louis is a whiny, petulant baby man, and Harvey is cocky and obsessed with his work. But slowly, over the course of the entire series, these characters change, with most major shifts occurring later on. The show’s pacing around character arcs was impeccable, and Suits L.A. has the opportunity to replicate this success with strong and slow character arcs.
Many TV shows rely on intense romance to carry the story. While the show included romantic plots, the more compelling narrative was Harvey and Mike’s relationship. Dynamics that revolve around love and romance have been done to death in TV, and while it can create drama, tension, and excitement, a platonic relationship can be far more rewarding for the audience. Harvey and Mike have mutual respect, and sometimes, they fall out. However, their friendship and the mentor-mentee relationship force them to work through their struggles.
Suits L.A. has already revealed several of the main cast, but exploring a platonic relationship between friends is another part of the essential fabric of the original show that should be copied over. If Stephen Amell’s Ted Black can have a variety of relationships, and some sort of bromance or platonic connection, this could be pivotal to the show’s success. Romance can, of course, also be included, but the bromance is arguably more important.
While the original series starred Harvey and Mike as two male leads, the show had no shortage of strong, driven female characters who could take control. Characters like Jessica Pearson, who leads the firm for many seasons of the show, Rachel Zane, whose ambition is rivaled by none, and Donna Paulsen, who is single-handedly the most effective and proficient person working at the firm. These women are smart, confident, and more than capable of holding their own in any situation.
Suits L.A. can go a step further by not simply including these strong female personalities, but highlighting them as part of the core cast. While Suits eventually promoted several of the female characters from supporting roles to more prominent ones, the show took time to find a balance. Learning from this experience, Suits L.A. and Korsh can make sure to include these characters from the start as central figures on the show.
Speaking of a strong supporting cast, Suits knocked it out of the park when it came to building out the wider cast for the show. The show begins with only Harvey and Mike as the two leads, but thanks to the strength of the performance and writing by other characters, many of the supporting cast were upgraded to main staples of the show. Louis Litt, Donna Paulsen, Rachel Zane and many others established their importance and the role grew to meet their incredible talent.
And while this shifted precious screen time away from characters like Harvey and Mike, it made the show a much stronger offering, which helped it continue to run for some time after Mike’s exit. The supporting cast could be easily brushed off as being an afterthought, or less valuable than the main characters, but their role made the show what it ultimately became, and established the series as much more important and entertaining than if the supporting cast had been weaker.
Some shows, especially procedural dramas, can become repetitive and boring after a few seasons. With every week exploring a new case, and the drama around whether Mike would be discovered as a fraud going on for more than half the show’s runtime, Suits could have fallen into a trap of telling empty stories. The show could have faltered at this pivotal first step, and got some small degree of success among a small number of viewers, but Suits actively pursued bigger and better storylines.
Yes, there were episodes where the narrative did not move along in any meaningful way, but more often than not, the stories meant something. Whether it expanded the relationship between Mike and Harvey, or revealed details about Harvey’s past in the DA’s office, the story always came in hot in Suits. Suits L.A. will need to do the same to ensure the show’s success, as if they don’t include meaningful or powerful storylines, it will quickly flop and put an end to any hopes for yet another Suits spin-off that doesn’t live up to the original.