Stephen Amell Reveals Suits LA's Biggest Mistake

The Rise and Fall of "Suits LA"

In 2011, the USA Network launched a legal drama titled "Suits," which quickly became a hit. Over the course of nine seasons, it gained a massive following and sparked significant discussions when it concluded in 2019. Fans were left wondering why the show was canceled and whether it would ever return in any form. While the answer may seem straightforward in an era of spin-offs and reboots, the continuation of the "Suits" legacy only happened due to a massive resurgence in viewership on streaming platforms.

This revival led to the creation of a spin-off series called "Suits LA." The show starred Stephen Amell, best known for his role as Oliver Queen in "Arrow," as Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor who transitions into being an entertainment lawyer. Unfortunately, "Suits LA" was canceled by NBC after just one season, failing to capture the essence that made its predecessor so compelling.

Stephen Amell's Reflections

During a recent appearance on Michael Rosenbaum's podcast "Inside of You," Amell shared his thoughts on the fate of "Suits LA." While he acknowledged that the show had "issues," he ultimately took responsibility for its quick cancellation. He explained:

"Look, ultimately, I think that the blame rests with me because whatever problem you have with the show, because I think that there were issues, but it's my job to solve those, to smooth them over, to gloss them up with some type of performance or something, tangible or otherwise, that covers up those mistakes. Because you do something that is magnetic, that is charismatic, that fixes those problems. And I didn't do that. I didn't find anything ultimately with Ted Black, that character, that translated, that smoothed those things over that gave us a chance to keep going."

Despite his self-criticism, Amell admitted that the challenges faced by "Suits LA" went beyond his portrayal of the character.

Creative Differences Behind the Scenes

The original "Suits" is often described as anti-prestige television. It features intricate storylines spanning nine seasons, though they are not always complex in their approach to the legal drama genre. This formula can become repetitive at times, but "Suits" always maintains a sense of glamour and charm. Even the least-received season of "Suits" has redeeming qualities. In contrast, "Suits LA" attempts to draw viewers in with its glossy worldbuilding, but its lack of depth becomes evident early on.

During his podcast appearance, Amell also revealed that the original creator of "Suits" and "Suits LA," Aaron Korsch, had concerns about the pilot episode. The actor hinted at possible creative differences between Korsch and NBC, suggesting that this might have affected the quality of the show's narrative and how it was handled:

"When I saw the pilot of 'Suits LA', and this goes back to about a month after we finished shooting, I sat down with Aaron Korsch, who created 'Suits' and 'Suits LA', and he was editing the pilot, and he was like, 'I don't know if this is going to work.' And a lot of what he wanted to do seemed to run up against what the network wanted. [...] I don't want to say they battled because I wasn't a part of those conversations, so I'm not going to speculate, but it just seemed like what he wanted to do and what they wanted to do were different."

Conclusion

If true, these creative differences could have significantly impacted the quality of "Suits LA." As it stands, the spin-off fails to live up to the standards set by its predecessor. For fans looking to stay updated on major movie and TV news, there are several ways to keep informed. Subscribing to a free newsletter is one of the easiest methods. Additionally, adding preferred search sources on Google can help streamline the process.