WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Suits LA season 1, episode 3, “He Knew.”
Suits LAseason 1, episode 3, “He Knew” gave Erica Rollins a lot more to do than the first two episodes and showed that she has what it takes to be the spinoff’s version of Jessica Pearson. It is impossible for those of us who watched allnine seasons ofSuitsnot to find parallels between the original show’s characters and theSuitsLA’s cast. With Ted Black being an obvious answer to Harvey Specter, it remained to be seen which character from this new series could be as interesting and talented as Jessica Pearson.
Jessica wasSuits’ silent hero – a character that was not always directly involved with whatever shenanigans Harvey and Mike were up to but was still essential for the show to work. Unfortunately, considering that Jessica was already an established lawyer and head of the firm inSuitsseason 1, we didn’t get to see much of her backstory and how she got there. InSuits LA,we’re seeing Erica Rollins make her way to the top, although it was only in episode 3 that the series showed how good she really is.
Suits LA’s First 2 Episodes Barely Showed Erica’s Skills
Erica Was Playing Office Politics In The First 2 Episodes
Thefirst two episodes ofSuits LAtold us that Erica Rollins was a promising lawyer who, had it not been for Rick, would probably have been Ted Black’s first choice for head of entertainment. However, those episodes did not actually show us why Erica was considered to be this good. In fact, between Ted choosing Rick before the betrayal and Rick stealing Dylan,Erica’s character was not living up to what was being said about her.She did play office politics smartly in those initial episodes, but her first onscreen case was not particularly impressive.
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Rick, on the other hand, immediately showed why Ted valued him so much. Even after Erica and Leah had come up with a smart plan that would solve everyone’s problems and giveVictoria Justice’s characterwhat she wanted, Rick was still able to steal Dylan and convince her that he was the better option. For a character that became a senior partner in the pilot, Erica needed to show more, namely during a case. Fortunately, that was what happened in episode 3, during whichErica handled Brian Baumgartner’s case in a way that highlighted what makes her a good lawyer.
Erica Finally Gets To Show Off Her Abilities As A Lawyer
Erica Handled A Tricky Client’s Request In Episode 3
Knowing how to play office politics is an important skill in the world ofSuits, but, ultimately, this is a legal drama about lawyers cracking difficult cases. In “He Knew,” Erica saw herself in a difficult position after Brian Baumgartner – playing himself – asked for a meeting with Tom Hanks. Brian is Ted Black’s client in theSuits LAuniverse, and so is Tom Hanks. Seeking to break out of typecasting and become an Oscar-level drama performer,the actor most known for playing Kevin Malone inThe Officewould not accept half-measures– he wanted advice from Tom Hanks.
Leah once again helped Erica understand what their client needed, suggesting they will continue to work closely together.
Erica made a smart playinSuits LAepisode 3that acknowledged what her client needed without giving him exactly what he wanted. A meeting with Tom Hanks would have been impossible, so Erica brought in Patton Oswalt (also playing himself) instead. Her real plan, however, was for Patton Oswalt to offend Brian Baumgartner by saying thatTheOfficestar didn’t have what it takes to be a dramatic actor. This is what urged Brian to go out and get himself a dramatic role in an off-Broadway play, which is what he wanted in the first place.
Suits LA Still Needs To Do More To Justify Erica’s Promotion At Black & Associates
Erica Is Supposed To Be Just As Good As Ted Or Rick
While Erica did well in this week’s case,Suits LAstill needs to give her more to do to justify her big promotion at Black & Associates. Erica went from Ted’s second choice for head of entertainment to a senior partner during the pilot after all. The problem is that, withSuits LAcurrently focusing on the murder case, anything else feels like the B plot.Erica is perhapsSuits LA’s most promising character, which is why the show shouldn’t sideline her for too long.
Although Ted trusts Erica“seven days a week and twice on Sunday,”we have yet to see those two working together on a case from start to finish. Rick was clearly not our new Mike Ross, meaning that Ted and Erica’s dynamic could be the true heart of the show if done right. More than a new Jessica Pearson in a journey to put her name on the wall, Erica Rollins can be the most important character on the show after Ted, but only if she gets to be part of the majorSuits LAstorylines.
