One of the biggest contributing factors toSuits LA’s failure was the lack of a Mike replacement, but the West-Coast spinoff wasn’t without any options. Patrick J. Adams’Mike Ross was arguably the most important character in the original series, and his dynamic with Gabriel Macht’s Harvey Specter helpedSuitsachieve universal acclaim during its initial airing. Though many had high hopes for the California-based spinoff,Suits LAwas canceledbefore its first season had even finished airing on NBC.
WhileSuits LA’s poor ratingscertainly contributed to the spinoff’s downfall, there were issues with the legal drama’s plot, pacing, and characterization that made the cancelation feel inevitable. Additionally,Suits LAnever managed to strike the right balanceof cementing a unique identity while feeling familiar to the original series. WhereasHarvey and Mike’s friendship inSuitscreated a pivotal central pairing, Ted Black (Stephen Amell) felt isolated from most and was often compared to a knockoff Harvey. Rather than emulate Macht’s iconic character, however,Suits LAcould have tapped into the other half of the dynamic duo.
Leah Was The Closest Character To Mike In Suits LA
She Could Have Fulfilled A Similar Role
Admittedly, there were no hidden geniuses inSuits LAwith a criminal history and eidetic memory. In fact, the vast majority ofSuits LA’s cast of characterswere similar archetypes, with Erica Rollins (Lex Scott Davis), Rick Dodsen (Bryan Greenberg), and Stuart Lane (Josh McDermitt) all functioning as talented— and at times ruthless— attorneys. Yet, one character was a shockingly optimistic change of pace: Alice Lee’s Leah Power.Leah was a young associate who worked directly under Erica, secretly conflicted about her career due to her screenwriting aspirations.
Leah was the least established member of the firm, not quite mirroring Mike’s freshness but certainly echoing his endearing inexperience…
While she was nowhere near Mike’s absurdly high IQ,Leah was a savant when it came to the entertainment industry, even filling Erica in on the actors, major projects, and genre trends she needed to understand to land prospective clients. Furthermore, Leah was the least established member of the firm, not quite mirroring Mike’s freshness but certainly echoing his endearing inexperience in the first season ofSuits.Leah’s character inSuits LAwas still vastly different from Mike Ross, but she was the closest to fulfilling the same archetype— which the spinoff could (and should) have capitalized on.
Suits LA Failed To Properly Develop Leah’s Character
She Was Always Relegated To The Back Burner
Sadly, though she could have been invaluable toSuits LA,Leah was either supplemental to Erica’s plots or absent altogetherfor the majority of the season. Despite establishing how important Leah was to Erica’s success,Suits LArarely utilized the associate. The only independent storyline Leah had was her dream of becoming a screenwriter, whichSuits LAtouches on in a brief background plot and promptly abandons. Subsequently, Leah decides she wants to become a more prominent member of the firm, which is resolved in the series finale without enough exploration for it to feel truly earned.
At its worst,Suits LAfailed to treat Leah like a full-fledged character. Oftentimes, Leah was merely a straw man forSuits LAto prop up Erica, sacrificing her character’s depth in the process. For instance, Leah is emotionally distraught after her cat dies and refuses to work, which is only used as a springboard for Erica to reflect on her own repressed emotions. Considering how refreshing Leah felt compared to the monotonous, dog-eat-dog main cast, there were manypotential character dynamics inSuits LAthat wouldn’t have required Leah to exist solely in Erica’s shadow.
What Leah’s Future Could Have Been Like If Suits LA Wasn’t Canceled
Her Legal Career Was Only Beginning
Regardless of its many initial missteps,Suits LAcould have properly developed Leah in season 2, had the legal drama been renewed by NBC. Theending ofSuits LAeven offered the perfect opportunity to integrate Leah into the main cast, since Ted agreed to merge with Stuart and Samantha Railsback (Rachelle Goulding) in the closing moments of the season 1 finale. With all the characters at the same firm, Leah could have emerged as a key member of the team and been recognized for her skill.
All episodes ofSuitsandSuits LAare streaming on Peacock.
The spinoff could never live up to Harvey and Mike’s relationship, butSuits LAcould have given Leah a more enthusiastic mentorfigure, or at the very least redeemed her toxic dynamic with Erica. Additionally,Suits LAcould have left Leah’s creative writing subplot more open-ended and had her make her final decision in season 2, giving the character real stakes and a sense of autonomy. Leah would have been a dose of much-needed originality for the spinoff, but she still would have beenSuits LA’s underdog, much like Mike Ross circaSuitsseason 1.
