Are TV shows dead? The entertainment industry is in the middle of a nostalgia wave, driven by the urge to recreate lost magic and repackage familiar stories for a new generation. We have seen it pay off at the box office, with sequels like Zootopia 2 drawing big crowds this year. But does that same pull of nostalgia translate when it comes to television, where audiences invest weeks, not hours, in revisiting worlds they already know?

Suits: LA makes one thing clear - nostalgia alone is no longer enough to carry a TV show.

Suits: LA was meant to extend the legacy of a fan-favorite legal drama, right down to bringing back Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter for a special cameo. But even that fan service could not save the reboot from harsh critical reception.

Variety has placed the NBC reboot among the worst TV shows of 2025, calling it “truly a disappointment.”

In its assessment, the outlet noted that creator Aaron Korsh “attempted to showcase a new crop of lawyers on an entirely different coast,” but that the series “lacks the original magic and intrigue that made the original such a success.” 

The review also lays out why the show’s story fails to find its footing. Suits: LA opens in 2010 New York with federal prosecutor Ted Black, played by a “miscast Stephen Amell,” fleeing a mob case gone wrong, before jumping to present-day Los Angeles, where he runs Black Lane, an entertainment law firm facing a shaky merger. On paper, the setup promises tension across two timelines, but in execution, it becomes cluttered and disorienting. Nearly half the narrative is spent revisiting Ted’s past, leaving viewers scrambling to connect with the present-day LA world. 

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Such a dilemma leaves viewers with only two choices: rewatch all nine seasons of Suits, or move on in search of a worthy alternative.

With Suits: LA cancelled after just one season and not renewed for a second, viewers disappointed by its abrupt end are looking for better legal drama alternatives, particularly on Netflix. It aired its 13-episode run before NBC decided not to bring it back. 

For those seeking strong legal storytelling on Netflix, there are several quality options beyond the Suits universe. Netflix’s lineup features Pro Bono, a Korean legal drama with a redemption arc for a disgraced judge thrust into public interest cases, adding global diversity to the legal genre on the streamer. 

The Lincoln Lawyer, based on Michael Connelly’s novels, follows charismatic defense attorney Mickey Haller as he navigates complex cases and moral ambiguity in Los Angeles, and continues to be available with multiple seasons on the platform. Partner Track, another Netflix legal drama, adapts Helen Wan’s novel about a driven associate striving to make partner at a prestigious firm. 

International offerings include The Law According to Lidia Poët, an Italian legal series centered on the first modern female lawyer fighting for her place in the courtroom.

In the end, Suits: LA becomes the very answer to the question it raised. Its swift cancellation and worst-of-2025 tag turn the reboot into a full-circle moment. An experiment that shows nostalgia can no longer be a substitute.

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What is your take on Suits: LA? Did it deserve its fate, or could it have been saved? Share your thoughts below.