Suits L.A.’s Harvey Specter Connection Means It Can Continue A Classic Suits Trick

Summary Ted Black's backstory as a NY prosecutor could connect with Harvey Specter in Suits L.A.

Flashbacks could reveal more about Ted Black's past, similar to the storytelling in the original Suits.

Suits L.A. could benefit from utilizing flashbacks to develop characters like in the original series.

Suits L.A. has a potential Harvey Specter connection through Stephen Amell’s character, Ted Black, and this can allow the spinoff to continue a classic Suits trick. With Suits L.A.’s pilot currently in production, it is still soon to say how the upcoming spinoff will compare to the original show. However, some interesting character descriptions have been revealed already, including for Amell’s Ted Black. Per Deadline, Ted Black built a career as a federal prosecutor in New York before moving to Los Angeles to start his own firm alongside Stuart Lane (Josh McDermitt).

Suits L.A.’s release date, should the show move forward, remains to be announced. Following Suits’ massive success on Netflix, the bar will be higher for the spinoff series than it was for the original show when it premiered in 2011. One of the best legal dramas of its generation, Suits had amazing characters with whom viewers quickly bonded. While Suits L.A. should not aim at replicating Suits’ formula, some things that worked for the previous series should make a comeback in the new series.

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Suits L.A. Could Bring Back Harvey Specter (Through Flashbacks)

Ted Black may have met Harvey Specter in the past

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Considering Ted Black was once a federal prosecutor in New York, Suits L.A. could bring back Harvey Specter in flashbacks set before Black Lane Law was founded. Before he was the “Best Closer in the City,” Harvey Specter worked as Assistant District Attorney in New York for two years. It is unclear how the timeline of Ted Black’s career on the East Coast intersects with that of Harvey, but Suits L.A. already has the perfect way of connecting these two characters. If Ted Black worked with Harvey Specter at some point, the latter could perhaps return in a flashback.

Suits: L.A. Characters Confirmed So Far Actor Ted Black Stephen Amell Stuart Lane Josh McDermitt Kevin Troy Winbush Erica Rollins Lex Scott Davis Rick Dodson Bryan Greenberg Leah Alice Lee

The Suits universe is no stranger to flashbacks. There were several flashback episodes in Suits, starting with season 2. These were often used to reveal more context about something that was happening in the current episode, revealing elements from the characters’ pasts that audiences were not aware of. For example, the beginning of the relationship between Harvey and Donna was shown in a flashback episode set when Harvey was still working at the D.A.’s office. Something similar could be happening in Suits L.A., allowing viewers to learn more about Amell’s character and even meet a young Harvey Specter again.

Harvey Specter was played by Gabriel Macht, who appeared in all nine seasons of Suits.

Ted Black’s Backstory Is The Strongest Connection Between Suits L.A. & Suits So Far

Ted Black & Harvey Specter were both prosecutors in NY at some point

Custom image by Yeider Chacon

Whether any of the Suits actors will be in Suits L.A. remains to be seen. While there will likely be references or even cameos from Suits in the spinoff show at some point, there haven’t been any major connections between the two shows so far. All of the confirmed Suits L.A. characters so far are original names created for the show, not to mention it will be set in a different city and follow a different company. Ted Black Lane specialized in criminal and entertainment law, whereas Pearson was focused on corporate law.

Suits’ flashback episodes were a great way not only to reveal more information about the characters but also to change the pace of the story.

Therefore, the biggest and perhaps only tangible connection between Suits L.A. and Suits is that both Ted Black and Harvey Specter once worked as prosecutors in New York. This does not mean that they worked together or even knew each other, but it might be too big of a coincidence not to be brought up at some point in the spinoff series. Rather than casually having Suits characters appear in Suits L.A., the new show could slowly establish some connections between the current and previous characters – starting with Ted and Harvey’s potential shared history.

Suits Flashback Episodes Were A Great Trick (& Suits L.A. Should Use It)

Flashbacks helped Suits develop its characters

Suits’ flashback episodes were a great way not only to reveal more information about the characters but also to change the pace of the story. While flashback episodes can often be perceived as filler, a long-running series like Suits needs to have side stories. Otherwise, the show’s formula becomes repetitive too quickly. When viewers are introduced to the Suits characters in season 1, most of them already have established relationships with each other, Mike being the only exception. The flashbacks allowed viewers to understand how those relationships came to be.

Related Suits: LA’s New Character Has A Bigger Challenge Than Its Harvey And Mike Replacements The latest Suits: LA character poses a bigger challenge for series creator Aaron Korsh than the spinoff's replacements for Harvey and Mike.

For example, much of Daniel Hardman’s story in Suits season 2 was told through flashbacks. The events that led to Mike not being able to go to law school, as well as his friendship with Trevor, were also established with the help of flashbacks. Suits L.A. should take this particular page from Suits’ playbook, especially because Ted Black’s past seems to be an essential part of the character. The description for Amell’s character mentions “events from years ago,” and that Ted Black had to “leave behind everything and everyone he loved.”

Sources: Deadline

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