Summary

• Stephen Amell's Ted Black in Suits: L.A. is the managing partner of his firm, akin to Jessica in Suits.
• Ted Black is the co-founder of Black Lane Law alongside Stuart Lane (Josh McDermitt).
• Suits: L.A. will follow new characters in LA, offering fresh storylines separate from the original show.

Stephen Amell’s role in Suits: L.A. means the Arrow and Heels star has big shoes to fill after Suits’ best character. Suits: L.A., which has yet to be officially picked for a full series, will be the second Suits spinoff show. Unlike Pearson, however, Suits: L.A. will follow new characters, including Amell’s Ted Black. It’s unclear whether Suits: L.A. will feature any of the Suits actors, but the spinoff will take place in Los Angeles instead of New York.

Launching a new Suits show after Suits’ record-breaking success on Netflix is both promising and risky. On the one hand, viewers are craving for good, well-written long-form dramas like Suits, as proved by the show’s streaming numbers. On the other hand, Suits: L.A. will have to deal with comparisons to the original show. Characters like Harvey Specter, Mike Ross, Louis Litt, and Jessica Pearson became fan-favorites in Suits, meaning the bar is high for Suits: L.A.

Amell’s Ted Black Is The Managing Partner In Suits: L.A. (Like Jessica In Suits)

Ted Black is the co-founder of Black Lane Law

Suits: L.A. sees Stephen Amell as Ted Black, the co-founder of Black Lane Law alongside Josh McDermitt’s Stuart Lane. Once a federal prosecutor in New York, Ted Black moved to Los Angeles to start his own law firm. The first synopsis of Suits: L.A. reveals that Black Lane Law will be facing a crisis and that Ted Black’s past will come back to hunt him. While little is known about Suits: L.A.’s story, Amell’s character will be one of the name partners in the show’s main firm. In Suits, this role was filled by Gina Torres’ Jessica Pearson.

Jessica was not a founding partner at Pearson Hardman, which went through several names throughout the show and was originally called Gordon Schmidt Van Dyke. Jessica and Daniel Hardman eventually took over, which is why the firm is called Pearson Hardman in the first two seasons of Suits. As managing partner, Jessica was the one responsible for overseeing the whole firm, rarely stepping up in individual cases but always watching all of the associates and partners closely. Whereas Harvey and Mike would fight case by case, Jessica had to run and protect the firm.

Gina Torres’ Jessica Pearson Was Suits’ Best Character

Jessica stole the show in Suits

Picking the best Suits characters is not easy, as the legal drama was known for a fun, compelling protagonist with whom viewers quickly fell in love. Part of the reason why Suits ran for nine seasons and continues to be so successful on streaming is how many great characters it had, from charismatic forces of nature like Harvey Specter to funny yet layered names like Louis Litt. Jessica Pearson, however, was arguably the highlight of Suits’ first six seasons. Even though Harvey and Mike were technically the protagonists, Jessica would steal the show anytime she was on screen.

The fact that Stephen Amell’s Ted Black has his name on the door in Suits does not necessarily mean he will be the same as Jessica Pearson.

Jessica’s strength helped the firm navigate its most difficult moments, from Daniel Hardman’s attacks to the fallout of Mike Ross’ trial. Throughout six seasons, viewers get to meet different sides of Jessica Pearson other than just “managing partner,” resulting in a complex character whose decisions were always interesting to watch. Jessica had to make a lot of difficult choices and judgment calls during Suits, especially when it came to handling problems created by Harvey, Mike, and Louis. Later Suits seasons also explored Jessica’s fears and insecurities, making the character even better.

How Will Suits: L.A.’s Ted Black Compare To Suits’ Jessica Pearson?

Ted having his name on the door doesn’t mean he’ll be like Jessica

The fact that Stephen Amell’s Ted Black has his name on the door in Suits does not necessarily mean he will be the same as Jessica Pearson. In fact, Ted Black’s past as a prosecutor in New York before becoming a hot-shot private attorney means he shares some similarities with Harvey Specter, who also started as a prosecutor before becoming an associate at a major firm. Another important difference between Ted Black and Jessica Pearson is that the former is presumably still on good terms with his partner, whereas Pearson and Hardman were enemies when Suits started.

Regardless of how Ted Black will compare to the Suits characters, it is interesting that Suits: L.A.’s protagonist has his name on the door right from the start. Harvey Specter only became a name partner in Suits season 3, whereas Louis Litt got his name on the door in season 4. Stephen Amell’s Suits character could be a fun combination of Harvey and Jessica – a “force of nature” who needs to guide his firm through a period of crisis. Suits: L.A. shouldn’t copy anything Suits did, but having parallels between the spinoff and the original show can work.

Suits is streaming on Peacock and Netflix.