I’m Sorry, But Stephen Amell Is Wrong About The Reason For Suits LA’s Failure

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Almost a year after the premiere of Suits LA, Stephen Amell is reflecting on the show’s failure, and I disagree with his main conclusion. Following the unexpected success of Suits on Netflix, creator Aaron Korsh decided to revisit the legal drama with a spinoff. Rather than continuing the story with the original characters from Pearson Hardman, the new series focused on a West Coast office of the firm.

The show Suits LA, starring Stephen Amell, aimed to capture the same energy as Suits but within the world of Los Angeles entertainment. The first half of the season focused on setting up a complex storyline, but frequent flashbacks made it difficult for viewers to connect with the show. Ultimately, NBC canceled Suits LA before the next television season. While Amell has taken responsibility for the show’s failure, it wasn’t entirely his fault.

It Isn’t Stephen Amell’s Fault That Suits LA Failed (Arrow Is Proof Of That)

Speaking honestly about Suits LA, Amell explained why he felt it didn’t connect with audiences – something he believed he could have improved. As the show’s lead, he thought a stronger performance from his character, Black, could have made it more successful, since the original Suits was so popular because of its likeable characters. You can read Amell’s complete explanation below.

I recognize the show had its problems, and it was my responsibility to address them – to make things look better, whether through a strong performance or some other means, and essentially cover up any mistakes. The key is to create something captivating and engaging that distracts from those flaws, and I failed to do that.

Although it’s right to expect leadership responsibility, it’s not fair to criticize Amell for not making Black as likeable as Harvey and Mike Ross were in the original series. Amell proved with his role as Oliver Queen on Arrow that he can play a captivating character, as long as the writing is strong. Arrow was a huge success, and Amell’s performance as the first hero in The CW’s Arrowverse was a major reason why.

Black didn’t quite connect with audiences, and that was due to both the way his character was written and the high expectations set by the popular characters in the original Suits. It’s worth noting that Aaron Korsh, the creator and writer of Suits LA, isn’t really at fault. He did excellent work on the original Suits, but it seems studio interference, as John Amell pointed out, limited his creative freedom. I believe Suits LA could have been much more successful if it hadn’t been so closely tied to the original series and if Korsh had been allowed to pursue his own vision.

What Suits LA Could Have Done To Be Successful

The new series felt overstuffed, trying to juggle too many storylines at once. It brought in a complex history for the character involving New York, organized crime, and past relationships with familiar faces. On top of that, the present-day plot included a sudden, secret merger and a betrayal. The original Suits was successful because of its simple, yet compelling idea: a brilliant lawyer hires a fake lawyer, and they must keep the deception hidden.

I really wanted to love Suits LA, but I think the storytelling felt a bit messy. It would have hooked me faster if it had started in the present and let me get to know the characters before dropping all their backstories. I think if I’d been invested in who they were now, figuring out their connections would have been more engaging. I liked the attempt to show how Black and Harvey were linked, but it just didn’t quite land. And honestly, Macht’s return felt a little flat – I was hoping for something more lighthearted than just resolving old problems from New York.

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2026-02-28 22:08