Warning: This post contains spoilers for Suits LA Episode 9Suits LAis wrapping up its premiere season and, despite flaws, episode 9 is one of the strongest entries in season 1. After a major set up in the previous episode, episode 9 pushes the show most of the way in preparation for its season finale. In fact, most of the secrets and details the show has been building towards all come out in this episode, despite having another four episodes to go until the show wraps season 1. And while the timelines and pacing are a little odd, episode 9 is one of the best of the season so far.
Harvey Specter and Ted Black make their way to New York to take care of a problem they hoped would never rear its head again. Meanwhile, in LA, Stuart Lane is handling a client he is struggling to trust, and Erica and Rick continue to see their chemistry blossom. On top of all that, the episode sprinkles in numerous flashbacks, putting the pieces of the puzzle together ahead of the finale.
Suits LA Is Still Disorganized, But Episode 9 Is A Lot Of Fun
ThroughoutSuits LA’s freshman season, it has leaned heavily into using flashbacks and exploring a story that takes place over two separate timelines. The show also spent a significant portion of the early episodes setting up one set of stories. However, as the season nears its end, it’s quickly wrapping up storylines, leaving an apparent lack of remaining mysteries or plots in the lead-up to the finale.
The fact that Harvey stands out so much despite his minor role in the larger show may prove to be a bad omen for things to come.
Episode 9 delivers a lot of fun with Harvey having a prominent presence throughout. As a result, Harvey becomes the highlight of the episode, bringing back some of the spark from the original series. Even Ted Black has some of his best interactions of the season, with some of the primary storylines of the season being resolved.
And yet, the fact that Harvey stands out so much despite his minor role may prove to be a bad omen for things to come. As fun as this episode is, Harvey’s presence meansSuits LAand its characters are not delivering in a capacity that comes close to the charisma and charm of Gabriel Macht’s character.
Of course, the next few episodes may deliver something special that fully turns things around, but the fact that the episodes leading up to the end have been so disorganized and disorientating is a real shame. Making a successful spin-off was always going to be a challenge, andSuits LAhas had nearly an entire season to overcome its issues, but having Harvey around this episode, I fear it backfired and highlighted how good the previous cast was compared to their replacements.
Suits LA Is Missing So Much More Than Just Good Characters
By revealing some of the core mysteries and secrets that have been built up in the season, the show has exposed how thin the overarching plot was. Rather than fill the entire season with this singular idea, or have that as the foundation, the mystery is introduced early on, hinted at in random flashbacks, and then ignored. In the meantime, the show followed meaningless side stories and resolved all the conflicts in one episode.
The show feels aimless, and Ted Black is one of the least enigmatic leads in a show in recent history.
Now, four episodes before the finale, the show still hasn’t taken solid shape, and with more resolutions out of the way, it feels like there is nothing left for the show to do. If this was intentional, it seems like poor planning. And if it wasn’t, then it’s disappointing to see the lack of a clear plan.
While the episode itself is good, I desperately wanted it to provide a ray of hope for what the show could become in the future, but even in the midst of fun and laughter, the series somehow feels less exciting than ever.Suits LAepisode 9 may be one of the stronger episodes of the season, but it’s confusing that it wasn’t a finale, and that it didn’t leave us with any real hook.
New episodes ofSuits LAair each Sunday at 9pm ET on NBC.
Suits LA Episode 9
Suits LA follows Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor who now represents influential clients in Los Angeles. As his law firm faces a critical juncture, Ted must navigate the challenges of a role he once disdained, balancing moral dilemmas with the demands of high-stakes legal battles.
