WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Suits LA season 1, episode 5, “You’re On Your Own.”
Suits LA episode 5 confirmed beyond doubt which characters will be the spinoff’s version of Harvey and Mike. While it seemed clear from the start that Stephen Amell’s Ted Black was going to be Suits LA’s answer to Gabriel Macht’s Harvey Specter, we had yet to learn who was going to be the Mike to his Harvey. With Suits LA‘s cast having three other lead characters – Erica, Stuart, and Rick – many assumed that one of them was going to be the “new Mike.” However, it soon became obvious that none of them quite fit the description.
As Ted Black’s partner and co-founder of their firm, Stuart Lane was our first suspect for who was going to be Suits LA’s version of Mike. However, Stuart betrayed Ted midway through the first episode of the show and established himself as an antagonist. Rick, who was described as Ted’s protégé, was the next logical choice. However, Rick also betrayed Ted by choosing Stuart over him. Lastly, while Erica and Ted appeared to have an interesting dynamic, they’ve barely interacted in the last three episodes. Ted’s real best friend this whole time was Kevin, played by Troy Winbush.
Suits LA Episode 5 Cements Ted & Kevin As Its True Harvey & Mike Replacement
“You’re On Your Own” Focused On Ted And Kevin’s Friendship
When the first official character descriptions for Suits LA were revealed, Kevin was said to be a private investigator who could do the things Ted couldn’t. The “private investigator who finds all the convenient clues” is an old trope from procedural TV shows, but Kevin has been more than that in Suits LA. Turns out that Ted and Kevin have been friends for years, and there is no one Amell’s character trusts more than Kevin. Amidst so much betrayal and backstabbing, Ted Black knows he can trust Kevin no matter what.
Suits LA‘s New York flashbacks are set in 2010.
Kevin knows Ted Black better than anyone on the show, especially because they have pulled some dangerous stunts together in both New York and Los Angeles. Winbush’s character was directly involved with the case that seemingly imploded Ted Black’s prosecutor career, and he saw firsthand how far Ted is willing to go to win a case. This is why they make such a good team – Kevin can anticipate what Ted will do, whereas Ted knows he can always count on Kevin. For example, in episode 5, Kevin knew that Ted was the reason Lester didn’t show up in court.
Why Kevin Works As A Great Mike Replacement (Even Though He’s Barely Like Him)
Kevin Is Ted’s Best And Most Loyal Friend In Suits LA
Kevin is a very different character from Mike, from their line of work to their role on the show. That said, Ted and Kevin’s friendship is the closest thing Suits LA has to Harvey and Mike’s dynamic in the original show. Mike earned Harvey’s trust and became not only a good friend but also a good partner. Harvey could always count on Mike, and while they had some problems along the way, they became brothers as the show went on. By the end of Suits season 9, Harvey and Mike were all but family.
When talking to Erica about his relationship with Ted, Kevin said that, when you work close with someone for too long, you become brothers. Unsurprisingly, Ted and Kevin also have a great dynamic outside of work, which often leads to some very funny dialogue. All the humor and sense of camaraderie that we saw from Harvey and Mike in Suits can be found in Suits LA whenever Ted and Kevin are having a conversation. This became particularly obvious in episode 5, which focused a lot on Kevin and how important he is to Ted.
Ted’s Friendship With Kevin Is So Much Better Than His Dynamic With Stuart
Ted And Stuart’s Relationship Has Been Predictable So Far
Given how Suits LA was going to take place in a firm whose founding partners were Ted Black and Stuart Lane, I assumed that the dynamic between those two characters was going to be the focus of the show. While Ted and Stuart’s difficult relationship has been a major plot point in Suits LA after all, they are not as interesting to watch as Ted and Kevin. Stuart Lane is sort of meant to be Suits LA’s Louis Litt in the sense that he both respects and antagonizes Ted Black, but their dynamic lacks substance.
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Apart from the first few minutes of the pilot and a flashback sequence, we never got to see Ted and Stuart being friends before they turned into enemies. So far, they have only antagonized each other, meaning that all of their scenes end the same way. Ted and Stuart punching things out might change their dynamic going forward, but for now, Ted and Kevin are by far my favorite pairing in Suits LA.
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