The highly anticipated premiere of Suits LA failed to deliver, courtesy of a miscast performance and some cringe-worthy storytelling. The episode “Seven Times A Week and Twice On Sunday” tries to tackle serious themes, but ends up being undermined by the lack of age gap between Ted Black (Stephen Amell) and his father, played by Matt Letscher.
The show attempts to fill in the backstory of Ted’s character, a former mob boss-turned-lawyer, through multiple flashbacks. However, this narrative thread is marred by the Letsher casting, which raises questions about representation and ageism in Hollywood. The fact that the two actors are around the same age, despite Letscher being 11 years older than Amell, makes it difficult to distinguish between them.
The episode’s emotional turning point, where Ted has a heart-to-heart with his dying father, is instead reduced to a comical scene. Ted delivers an impassioned monologue to his sleeping father, which would have been more impactful if the father had reacted in some way. The entire setup feels like a mental bridge between the Green Arrow and Reverse Flash from the CW’s Arrowverse.
To make matters worse, the episode’s storyline is further complicated by inconsistencies, such as Ted calling his deceased brother Eddie (Carson A. Egan) instead of using a different name. The fact that Ted’s father doesn’t have a character name other than “Ted’s father” only adds to the confusion.
Ultimately, Suits LA’s premiere fails to deliver on its promises due to miscasting and confusing storytelling. With some improvements to these elements, the show might be able to find its footing. Until then, fans will have to wait and see if the series can recover from this rocky start.
Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/the-suits-la-premiere-features-an-unintentionally-hilarious-moment-for-the-television-history-books