Suits LA Episode 1 recap: Ted faces a dual betrayal

Hit legal drama Suits' spin-off show Suits LA finally kicked off with an intense pilot on February 23, 2025, on NBC.

While Harvey and Mike's bromance was one of the biggest strengths of Suits, the spin-off might be on a different path.

Ted Black and Stuart Lane are longtime friends turned partners who run their legal firm, Black Lane, in Los Angeles. While Black is an entertainment lawyer, Lane handles criminal cases.

While the pilot starts with both friends hanging out and celebrating a big merger, Stuart's ugly motives and plans are eventually revealed. Ted faces a dual betrayal by Stuart and his mentee, Rick.

Here is the complete recap of Suits LA Episode 1

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Suits LA Episode 1. Reader discretion is advised.

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Ted is betrayed by his partner and long-time friend in Suits LA Episode 1

The most important plot point from the Suits LA pilot was Stuart's betrayal of his partner and friend, Ted. While celebrating 'their' new merger over drinks, Stuart doesn't let Ted go back to their office and insists that they continue their party.

Ted later learns this was because Stuart's people were clearing off their office and making way for Staurt's new firm, Railsback Lane, with Ted's ex-girlfriend, Samantha. Not only did Stuart leave Ted out of the merger, but he also poached some of his biggest clients, whom he had represented over the years.

When confronted, Stuart confessed that he did not like being called a flea publicly (which Ted called him during a negotiation), which is why he planned this betrayal.

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Rick, Ted's mentee, leaves his firm in Suits LA Episode 1

Rick and Erica are Black Lane's employees who are in constant competition and are eyeing the title of Head of Entertainment. Ted had promised Rick the title because he thought Erica was not yet ready for the position.

Meanwhile, Stuart did not stop at poaching Ted's client as he offered a higher position to Erica. He offered her to be a spy in Ted's firm for six months, after which he would shift her to his new firm. While Erica declines his offer, she uses it as an opportunity to convince Ted to make her the co-head of entertainment with Rick.

Frustrated by Ted's decision to make Erica his cohead, Rick betrays his mentor and moves to Railsback Lane with Stuart and Samantha. After Ted learns of this dual betrayal, he makes Erica a partner in his new firm.

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Ted is also struggling in his personal life in Suits LA Episode 1

While Ted is struggling in his professional life, his personal life is also in chaos. Through his conversations with his brother Eddie in his mansion, we learn some back story about his past and why he fled New York 15 years ago.

He was supposedly involved in a case against a powerful crime boss, which went haywire after a key witness was murdered in an explosion, and he had to flee to LA.

Suits LA Pilot also revealed that Ted is not on the best terms with his father, who is on the deathbed. He flies on a private jet to meet him in the hospital but ends up accusing him of breaking their family apart and saying that he deserves to die alone.

In the end, he also blames him for Eddie's death, which is a discovery for fans as he was just having a conversation with him in his mansion. Turns out, Eddie is dead, and Ted was imagining him in the previous scenes.

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