Warning: SPOILERS for Suits LA season 1, episode 1, “Seven Days a Week and Twice on Sunday.”Stephen Amell’s Ted Black spends the Suits LA premiere trying to keep a number of plates spinning at once, but the one he might have dropped is his decision whether to promote Erica or Rick to head the firm’s entertainment department. Although Suits LA’s story establishes that the firm focuses on both entertainment law and criminal defense, relatively few Suits LA characters focus on the latter. Ted abhors the practice of defense law, so those who work most closely with him primarily specialize in closing clients who work in the entertainment industry.
Both Erica and Rick fall into this camp, and Suits LA episode 1 tells us that they each have their own unique set of strengths. While the fact that more of this is told than shown may be a contributing factor to Suits LA’s negative reviews, Rick’s work with clients such as John Amos and Dylan Pryor (Victoria Justice) features strongly in the episode. That’s part of what makes it so surprising that Ted eventually picks Erica to head the department instead, and it’s a decision he may come to regret.
Ted Teaming Up With Erica Instead Of Rick Explained
Erica Played An Underhanded Game To Get Her Way
Although Ted spends half the episode turning Erica down because he’s already offered Rick the promotion, he eventually informs him that he’s decided to go another direction. This follows a conversation about the need to lock down clients in the wake of a disastrous betrayal by his partner Stuart, a conversation during which Erica manipulates Ted into allowing her to close on Rick’s clients. She convinces Ted that he was the one asking Erica to take Rick’s clients, but she was actually the first to mention his name at all.
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But even if Ted had initially chosen Rick as promised, he’s forced to promote Erica by the end. After he informs Rick about his choice, Erica plays mind games with Ted and her associate Leah by pretending to accept an offer from Stuart. She claims she’s doing this to see if Ted trusts her and if she can trust Leah, but the conversation leads to one of Suits LA’s major twists — Rick actually did accept Stuart’s offer. The fact that he cites moral reasons rather than bitterness about Erica’s promotion highlights an important difference between Erica and Rick.
Erica’s Tendency To Play Mind Games Is Exactly Why Rick Is A Better Ally For Ted
Rick At Least Believes That His Decisions Are Morally Justified
Ted Black’s father is responsible for his distaste for people who try to jump the line to become a partner, but that’s exactly what Erica’s games are designed to accomplish. She talks her way into a partner position that wasn’t originally on the table simply by using the upcoming murder trial against him, whereas Rick honestly calls out Ted’s hypocrisy for poaching a murder case when it goes against his beliefs. Rick’s moral compass and compassion for his colleagues provide Ted (and Suits LA itself) with an ethical balance Erica simply can’t provide.
Erica’s arguably more of a hypocrite than Ted, considering she chastises Leah for demanding a promotion when Erica herself spends the episode doing nothing but demand promotions.
In fact, it’s never really clear what Erica brings to the table at all. Rick helps Ted sign Dylan Pryor, meets with John Amos when Ted is blowing him off, and advises Ted on which attorneys he needs to court back from Stuart. But Erica’s never shown doing any actual work the entire episode aside from claiming to have shored up a few clients offscreen. Erica and her mother both assert that Erica is the smartest lawyer and hardest worker in the firm, but Rick is the only one seen trying to demonstrate those qualities rather than simply alleging them.
Can Suits LA’s Team Still Change Moving Forward?
Anything Can Happen After Stuart’s Betrayal
Rick was Ted’s biggest fan. If he could be poached away from the firm, there’s no reason to believe Erica couldn’t as well. Erica primarily dislikes Stuart because he thought she should only work with diverse clients, but she’s clearly established as someone who values ambition above all else. Whether in this season or a possible Suits LA season 2, Stuart could find a way of feeding Erica’s thirst for success. Additionally, Ted admits that he’d rather have kept Rick instead of Erica. Based on Rick’s letter, Ted just needs the right moral appeal to win back Rick’s favor.
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Leah could also shake things up quite a bit. Erica claims she lied about taking Stuart’s offer to see if Leah was trustworthy, but what her subordinate actually proved is her loyalty to Ted and his firm. This could give her a foothold to go over Erica’s head and prove that she has more value than what she has shown thus far. If Leah were to take such an opportunity, there’s no telling how Erica would respond. With Suits LA set for a first-season run of 10 episodes in total, there’s still plenty of time for anything to happen.
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Suits LA
4/10
- Release Date
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February 23, 2025
Cast
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josh mcdermitt
Stuart Lane
