Suits LA First Reactions: Fans irritated as spin-off falls flat; say it ‘feels like a TikTok parody of the original’
Suits LA debuted this Sunday, but it’s not the legal drama fans were hoping for. The spin-off struggles to find its footing, leaving fans disappointed
If you were among the many lamenting the end of the popular law series Suits, brace yourselves because the newly launched Suits LA might not be the reboot you were dreaming of. While the original series, with its sharp suits and slick legal drama, won hearts for nine seasons, this new spinoff might just have some fans wishing they'd left it well enough alone.
Suited up, but not quite the same
The new NBC legal drama, which premiered last Sunday, introduces a fresh storyline with Stephen Amell (Arrow) taking centre stage as Ted Black, a former prosecutor-turned-entertainment lawyer in the heart of Los Angeles. Ted’s law firm is in crisis mode, and it’s up to him to navigate the legal storm. Sounds promising, right?
The new show also brings back Suits' own Gabriel Macht, reprising his role as the iconic Harvey Specter. Don’t get too attached, though — Macht’s cameo is brief enough to make you blink and miss it. In fact, his appearance in the pilot is little more than a framed photo of him sitting on Ted’s desk.
Critics and fans aren't feeling it
Suits LA seems to have stumbled right out of the gate, earning a paltry 36% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. To put that in perspective, the original Suits boasted an impressive 91%. Adrian Horton of The Guardian sums it up rather nicely, calling Suits LA an “echo of the original” that fails to capture the magic of its predecessor. She likens it to other lacklustre spin-offs like Frasier and How I Met Your Father, suggesting it’s neither nostalgic enough to please old fans nor fresh enough to stand on its own.
But it's not just critics who are disappointed — fans on social media are also voicing their frustrations loud and clear. One user tweeted, “Is this the pilot episode or episode 3? It feels like they threw all these characters at us without any introduction and expect us to understand their current storylines they’re involved in. I’m trying so hard to like this, but it’s giving rushed production.” Another commenter wasn’t shy about their dissatisfaction, saying, “#SuitsLA Premiere. This is so bad. Every interaction is a horrible attempt at witty banter. Legit feels like a TikTok parody of the original Suits. Zero character development. Zero idea what is going on. Feel like I started midseason. Who are these people?” And one more summed it all up perfectly with: “What a mess. All of us who adored Suits would be fine with a slow buildup to explain the characters. No need to throw the kitchen sink in all at once. Confusing disaster.”
The verdict is still out on whether Suits LA can course-correct and find its footing in future episodes, but the general consensus seems to be that it missed the mark. With a rushed plot and underdeveloped characters, fans are already calling it a confusing disaster; maybe the lawyers behind this one need to go back to the drawing board.
