Diksha Sundriyal
NBC’s ‘Suits: LA’ takes the audience back into the suave, stylish, and cut-throat world of lawyers. The spin-off transports the original setting of ‘Suits’ from New York to Los Angeles, where a law firm that focuses on the entertainment industry becomes the focus of the conflict. The said firm, called Black Lane, is headed by Ted Black (Stephen Amell), who moved from New York to LA leading to a massive career shift from a prosecutor to a lawyer who represents people in Hollywood. Right in the first episode, we see the complex nature of Ted’s past and present, and his flaws and follies add more realism to the character.
The Fictional Ted Black Wasn’t Supposed to be a Lawyer
Following the success of ‘Suits,’ one would think that the idea of creating a similar story set in the same universe would be a natural progression for Aaron Korsh. The truth, however, is pretty far from that. Having dabbled into the world of corporate law for nine seasons, the writer and producer wanted to explore a new story, and he already had an idea in his mind. During his early years, he was pursued by an agent to become his client. Whether or not Korsh became his client remains unknown, but there is one thing about the man that stuck with him, and that became the foundation of the character of Ted Black.
Before becoming a Hollywood agent, the man practiced law and majorly worked in prosecution. He was involved in cases related to the mob and had sent a lot of criminals behind bars. Years later, when Korsh thought about that man, he liked the idea of the career switch, which had immense possibilities for drama and conflict. He imagined what the agent’s life as a lawyer would have looked like and, more importantly, why he decided to completely change the trajectory of his career. It was amidst these questions that the character of Ted Black was born.
During the pandemic, Korsh started writing the script, and the project was simply titled ‘Ted’ at the time. It would follow the story of a man who turned into a Hollywood agent following a career as a prosecutor, much like the real agent that Korsh had met. However, when he sent the idea around, he was given a note that was quite similar to the one he had received when he was writing ‘Suits.’ Initially, ‘Suits’ was supposed to follow investment bankers, but Korsh changed their profession to law following a note he received. This is exactly what he was told to do for ‘Ted’ as well. And once again, this switch made complete sense to him.
Ted Black’s Complicated Past Makes His Character More Compelling
Once Korsh knew that Ted Black had to stay within the confines of practicing law, he started to explore new options. Instead of turning him into a Hollywood agent, he turned Ted towards a career in entertainment law, which gave him more berth to explore his twisted past and complicated present with an array of characters. The fictional Black Lane law firm came into existence to set the grounds for Ted’s story while also serving as a critical take-off point for the show’s plot.
When Stephen Amell came on board, he brought his own touch to the character. He tapped into the mysterious nature of Ted’s past, which is told through a series of flashbacks throughout the season. The actor also noted that the character was living a dual life where he acted as a confident, invincible person in front of everyone, but when alone, he was alone and scared, which also influenced the questionable decisions he would make. Amell also credited the suits for making it easy for him and other actors to slip into their roles and automatically boosting their confidence to act like a lawyer who is ready to take on the world and might actually win.
Read More: Where is Suits LA Filmed?
