Diksha Sundriyal
NBC’s ‘Suits: LA’ brings the drama and intrigue back to the profession of law, something that came into vogue following the success of ‘Suits.’ The spinoff spins a brand new story with original characters and shifts the setting to Hollywood. The focus is on a law firm named Black Lane, which boasts high-profile clients from the film industry. The firm is led by Ted Black, a former prosecutor who left that part of his life behind in New York but is still struggling to come to terms with his past. The character seems to be spun from the same fabric as Harvey Specter, the beloved protagonist of the original series. Interestingly, there is a connection between the two.
Ted Black and Harvey Specter Used to Run in the Same Circles
As a spinoff of ‘Suits,’ ‘Suits: LA’ takes place in the same universe and follows the same timeline. The flashback scenes in ‘Suits: LA’ reveal that before he moved to Hollywood, Ted Black used to work as a prosecutor in New York. He left his job sometime in 2010, and two years later, he formed Black Lane with Stuart Lane in LA. By 2010, Ted had already been working as a prosecutor for a few years, which puts him in the same timeline as Harvey Specter working at the DA’s office in New York. According to ‘Suits,’ Harvey worked as Assistant District Attorney under Cameron Dennis for two years and left after he found his boss indulged in corrupt practices. This shows that Ted and Harvey were coworkers at some point.
Their connection is also proven by the fact that Harvey Specter is acknowledged right in the pilot episode. In Ted’s office, there is a photo from his days back in New York, and one of the people in that picture is a young Harvey Specter. Later, Ted’s friend and coworker, Kevin, remarks that Harvey was the only one he knew who was cockier than Ted, to which the latter replies that this is exactly why he liked him. This interaction shows that the duo were on friendly terms, to say the least. More importantly, it sets the stage for Harvey’s appearance in ‘Suits: LA.’
Why Harvey Specter was the Best Person to Bring Back from Suits
When a spinoff is made, there are a few things that have to be checked off. The most important thing is for the new show to have the same DNA. Another one is for it to be connected to the original through important characters from its cast. The same requirement was asked for while ‘Suits: LA’ was in the works. Creator Aaron Korsh had to think long and hard about which character from the original story he’d want to bring back so that it would be exciting for the viewers but would also make sense for the new story. With Harvey’s past as ADA and Ted’s past as a prosecutor, the latter of which was decided before the story was finalized to be a ‘Suits’ spinoff, it made sense for Gabriel Macht’s character to return to the screens.
Before Korsh talked about it with Macht, he went out on a limb to add a photograph of Ted and Harvey from the old days in the pilot episode. If Macht didn’t agree to come back, the photo could be edited out. But if he did agree to come back, Korsh wanted the connective tissue to start forming from the first episode itself. It would be a subtle detail that viewers would be likely to miss on the first watch. But Korsh wanted to have that option, and eventually, his far-sightedness worked in the favour of the show.
Read More: Suits: Is the Series Inspired by Real Lawyers’ Lives?
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