Suits LA Teaser Trailer Is Heavy On Nostalgia, but Can Stephen Amell Break Free From Arrow?

With Suits LA premiering on NBC next month, the promotional train is leaving the station, and the first footage was unveiled over the weekend. 

Stephen Amell is the show’s leading man in the role of Ted Black, a high-powered former federal prosecutor from New York “who has reinvented himself representing the most powerful clients in Los Angeles,” according to the synopsis. 

“His firm is at a crisis point, and in order to survive, he must embrace a role he held in contempt for his entire career,” the description continues. 

“Ted is surrounded by a stellar group of characters who test their loyalties to both Ted and each other while they can’t help but mix their personal and professional lives.”

“All of this is going on while events from years ago slowly unravel that led Ted to leave behind everything and everyone he loved.”

The teaser showcases Ted and those in his orbit as we’re introduced to the franchise’s take on Los Angeles law.

Still, it’s already proving difficult to distinguish the leading character from a role Stephen played so effortlessly for eight seasons. 

Suits LA May Already Have Sealed Its Fate

Yes, we’re talking about Oliver Queen and Arrow. Stephen went for something completely different with Heels, and it was a great way to show off different nuances of his acting ability. 

But we’re not sure Suits LA was the right next step for him. The Suits franchise is alive and well thanks to the resurgence of the former USA Network hit on Netflix. 

Although the series soared to astronomical viewing figures, NBC has gotten Suits LA off the ground years after its ending.

If the network wanted to capitalize on the success of the original series, the new offshoot should have had a splashy debut last year. 

The hope is that Ted is a complete departure from Stephen’s role on Arrow, as it would be highly unsatisfying for both him as an actor and viewers tuning into Suits LA when it hits the air. 

The first footage shows that Ted is cocky and willing to go as far as he can for his clients, which is very reminiscent of Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), who will appear for a guest arc on the spinoff. 

Suits LA Should Focus On New Characters Before Franchise Alums

The first promo with actual footage from the show lasted just 30 seconds

Yet it’s a bit of a slap in the face that NBC is using it as an opportunity to showcase that, yes, Harvey Specter will return in some capacity. 

The focus should have been on establishing Suits LA as its own show within the universe, and character crossovers should have been an afterthought because the show has set itself up for disaster. 

Harvey will likely be a much better character than most of the new additions to the Suits universe on Suits LA, so viewers will want much more of him than they’re getting. 

The only interesting aspect of Harvey’s mention is that it teases a history between him and Ted.

Ted speaks about Harvey in the past tense, suggesting that something happened to derail their friendship, which means there should be fireworks when they do cross paths in LA. 

Lex Scott Davis (The L Word: Generation Q), Josh McDermitt (The Walking Dead), and Bryan Greenberg (One Tree Hill) round out the cast of Suits LA. Victoria Justice (Eye Candy) is also present in the trailer, but NBC lists her only as a guest star. 

What do you think of the first look at Suits LA?

Should the series focus on its characters first before teasing appearances from franchise alums? 

Suits LA premieres on NBC on Sunday, February 23, at 9/8c.