The highly anticipated spinoff series, Suits LA, has officially been canceled by NBC after just one season, marking the end of a brief chapter in the beloved Suits franchise. The legal drama, which premiered in February 2025, featured a fresh cast led by Stephen Amell, alongside Lex Scott Davis, Josh McDermitt, and Bryan Greenberg. Despite the initial excitement surrounding its launch, the series struggled to maintain viewership and critical acclaim.
Suits LA followed the story of Ted Black, played by Amell, a former federal prosecutor from New York who ventures into the competitive world of entertainment law in Los Angeles. The show aimed to explore the challenges and ethical dilemmas faced by Ted as he navigated a new professional landscape, all while dealing with personal conflicts and the high stakes that come with representing powerful clients.
The series was set against the backdrop of a law firm in Los Angeles, contrasting with the original Suits, which was centered around the fast-paced legal environment of New York City. The creator of the franchise, Aaron Korsh, assured fans that the spinoff was not intended to replace the original series but rather to introduce a new crew handling different types of cases. In a post on social media, Korsh expressed hope that viewers would give Suits LA a fair chance, stating, "I can only hope they give #SuitsLA an open-minded try. If they do, I really believe they will grow to love it."
However, despite these reassurances, Suits LA failed to capture the same magic that made its predecessor a cultural phenomenon. The original Suits series, which aired on the USA Network from 2011 to 2019, boasted an impressive 91% approval rating from critics and 87% from audiences across its nine seasons. In contrast, Suits LA only managed a disappointing 39% score from critics and 54% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, leading to its eventual cancellation.
As of May 9, 2025, only 11 episodes of the 13-episode season had aired, with the series finale scheduled for May 18, 2025. The show had featured cameo appearances from original cast members, including Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter, Rick Hoffman as Louis Litt, and David Costabile as Daniel Hardman, in an effort to attract fans of the original series. Macht, who reprised his role for three episodes, emphasized that his participation was primarily for the fans, noting, "I’m just doing it for the fans. I’m not doing it for me. I’ve done it 134 times."
Despite the star power and nostalgia of the original cast, the spinoff struggled to resonate with audiences. Many fans took to social media to express their disappointment, with one viewer stating, "Coming from the #1 suits fan on the planet, Suits LA is disgustingly bad. May be the worst acting and script on TV." Another fan lamented, "#SuitsLA is a flop. Poor writing. Disingenuous characters and a plot that doesn’t hold the original #Suits jockstrap. #TryAgain." Yet, not all viewers were critical; some found merit in the new series, with one fan claiming, "Suits LA is BOMB. Same high stakes feeling from the original but a whole new arena and areas of expertise but still very intense."
The cancellation of Suits LA comes amid a broader trend at NBC, which has recently opted to renew several successful franchises while cutting others, including fan favorites like Night Court and Lopez vs. Lopez. The network had hoped that leveraging the popularity of the Suits brand, especially following its resurgence on streaming platforms, would lead to a successful spinoff. Korsh noted the significant boost the original series received after being made available on Netflix, stating, "The amount of exposure that we’ve had since getting on Netflix, I never in a million years could have anticipated."
Despite the disappointment surrounding Suits LA, the original series remains a hallmark of legal drama television, having launched the careers of several actors, including Meghan Markle. The franchise's enduring popularity underscores the challenges faced by spinoffs in attempting to capture the essence of their predecessors while carving out their own identities.
As fans prepare for the series finale on May 18, the future of the Suits franchise remains uncertain. Korsh and the original cast have yet to comment on the cancellation, leaving viewers to ponder what could have been for this ambitious new chapter. For now, fans can only hope that the legacy of Suits continues to thrive in other forms, whether through potential reboots or new stories within the established universe.
