Suits LA Immediately Gives Stephen Amell's Ted Black A Huge Advantage Over Gabriel Macht's Harvey Specter

WARNING: Spoilers for Suits LA season 1, episode 1, "Seven Days a Week and Twice on Sunday."

Suits LA episode 1 gave Ted Black the closure that Harvey Specter never got in the original show. Stephen Amell’s character in Suits LA might not be entirely similar to Gabriel Macht's, but it is difficult not to compare these two considering how much they share. Not only are Ted and Harvey the respective protagonists of their shows, but they also have a shared history that has already been hinted at in Suits LA. Before he was in charge of his own firm, Ted Black was a prosecutor in New York around the same time Harvey also worked at the DA’s office.

As expected, Suits LA’s pilot included a couple of important flashback sequences that helped establish who Ted Black was and why he went from a New York prosecutor to a corporate lawyer in Los Angeles. While most of it has to do with a delicate case that went sideways after he orchestrated a risky scheme following the death of a witness, Ted Black’s backstory is also defined by his relationship with his dad. Played by Arrowverse alumni Matt Letscher, Ted’s father was dying in the present day but appeared in the flashbacks.

Ted Is Able To Say Goodbye To His Dying Dad In Suits LA (Harvey Wasn't)

Ted Found (Some) Closure In Suits LA Episode 1

Custom image of Stephen Amell and Matt Letscher in Suits LA

Although Ted Black initially refused to come to see his dying dad after being informed that he only had a couple more days, Suits LA’s protagonist ended up paying his dad a visit toward the end of the episode. Ted’s father was at home in a critical condition and could not talk, but Amell’s character was able to say his piece and get a few things out of his chest. Ted and his father did not have a good relationship, and in their final moments together, all that Ted wanted was to remind his father that he was going to die alone.

Ted Black finding some closure right at the start of the new show means that he will have a different arc from Harvey when it comes to family.

Even though this was far from a reconciliation, the fact that Ted Black was able to confront his father and say goodbye on his own terms gave him an important sense of closure that Harvey Specter never quite got in the original series. Harvey’s dad died before the events of the show, with Donna being the one to tell Harvey about it after it had already happened. The death of Harvey’s father only made his relationship with his mother and brother more complicated, as they were not able to sort out their problems during the funeral.

Why Harvey Wasn't Able To Say Goodbye To Both Of His Parents In Suits

Harvey Suffered Two Similar Losses In Suits

Harvey was not able to say goodbye to either his dad or his mom in Suits. Whereas Gordon Specter died when Harvey was still not on good terms with his mother, Lily died shortly after Harvey finally forgave her. While I was glad that Harvey and his mom were finally able to reconnect despite everything that happened, it is bittersweet how Harvey never got to say goodbye to her. Interestingly, in both cases, Donna is the one who told Harvey what had happened, which puts into perspective how big of a role she always had in his life.

The Real Meaning Of Ted's Conversations With Eddie In Suits LA Explained

Ted's conversations with Eddie are some of the most poignant moments in Suits LA but it's more important to the show's story than initially perceived.

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It took several seasons for Harvey Specter to finally open up about his feelings in Suits, which added a lot to his character and made him more three-dimensional. Ted Black finding some closure right at the start of the new show means that he will have a different arc from Harvey when it comes to family, even though Suits LA’s main character likely still has a lot of other scars from the past that will come into play eventually.

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