Suits LA has been largely secretive about revealing what the show is all about, but I think a recent tease about the series reveals something much bigger about the new spin-off. To be honest, legal dramas are not usually the most exciting shows on TV. Medical dramas create a tense environment where death and suffering lurk around every corner. Crime dramas do something similar, with the action pumped up to another level as law enforcement and criminals face off, but legal dramas need something else to ramp up the excitement.

Legal proceedings are rarely fun. They require hours of research, hours of discussion, hours of paperwork, and further hours of complex and often dull legal negotiation. But Suits took these ideas, packaged it into a sexy and fun setting with engaging characters and a tense premise to make something that broke the mold and made things a lot more exciting than anything that centers on the daily lives of lawyers really should be. And for Suits LA to work, it needs to do the same.

Ted Black Is Hiding A Dark Secret In Suits LA – Theory Explained

Ted Black's Story Is At The Heart Of Suits LA

So, while Suits LA has a potentially more exciting location, taking place in LA and catering to Entertainment and Celebrity Legal proceedings, it still needs something else to make this legal drama work. And in a recent piece from Entertainment Weekly, the show dropped a line on what to expect from the new series that opens up exactly what will be happening in the new show.

All the while, viewers will slowly learn about the mysterious events that drove Ted out of New York City in the first place.

After pointing out that the story is set in LA, and follows a lawyer named Ted Black, played by Stephen Amell, who formerly worked as a prosecutor in New York, the above line highlights that the audience will be partaking in uncovering a mystery tied to Ted's life in New York. Clearly, Ted has a secret, and that is where the drama of Suits LA is supposed to stem from. And interestingly, this twist on the idea of a traditional legal drama is similar to what made Suits work in the first place.

Ted Black’s Past Might Be Suits LA’s Equivalent To Mike Ross’ Secret

Ted Black Could Have Something In Common With Both Leading Characters From Suits

As much as Suits does follow all the aspects of a lawyer's career, and time is spent digging through files, in the courtroom, and deposing witnesses and clients, the driving force behind the show came from Harvey and Mike's relationship. Yes, the pair became good friends, and their dynamic was fun, but more than that, from the first episode, the pair were bonded together by a dark secret. Mike Ross was not officially a lawyer, and did not have the necessary qualifications to practice law.

As such, the show spent much of the first several seasons playing with this idea, and showcasing the drama and tension that came from Mike and Harvey protecting Mike's secret, and trying to avoid getting caught. So, Suits LA is being smart by following suit, and introducing something that seems to echo that same idea. While its unlikely that they rehash the same exact concept, Ted Black clearly has a secret, and he's nervous it could get out, which would destroy everything he has built for himself on the sunny coast.

Suit LA’s Pilot Must Have Some Type Of Catch To Win Over Suits Fans

The Hook In Suits Won Over The Fanbase Quickly

It's wise for Suits LA to try and implement something similar, though it should not be a direct copy. If the show simply drops that Ted is only ed as a Lawyer in New York, and doesn't have the qualifications to practice in California, it would be a huge disappointment. Instead, I'd like to see them apply some similar shady dealings, with Ted Black having gotten his seed money to start the firm from some criminal, or trying to build an honest business with dishonest earnings. This contradiction provides a similar tone to Suits, and thus appeals to fans of the original show, while still doing something unique.

I'd also love to see some sort of secret that is not rooted in criminal dealings or dishonesty in that way, but more likely shame or guilt from Ted, just to shake things up. Making two shows where the lawyers are acting in underhanded ways could be intriguing, but I'd like to see some nuance and variety. Either way, the slug from EW certainly implies that something is up, and there will be more than meets the eye in Suits LA.