Aaron Korsh opens up about the failure ofSuits' first spinoff,Pearson. On the heels ofSuits' streaming renaissance in 2023, interest in the legal drama skyrocketed, resulting in the expansion of the franchise. Ideally, a revival could have been better, considering how beloved the original cast from Pearson, Hardman is, but NBC decided on a new spinoff,Suits LA, which will debut a new ensemble. What is not widely known, however, is that this isn’t the first time thatSuitstried opening up their storytelling universe, asPearsonwas previously launched.
In a new interview withEntertainment Weekly, Korsh talks about the Gina Torres-led show, and what he thinks spelled its end.Pearson follows Jessica as she moves to Chicagoto be a power broker in politics. Korsh says that"it took the network a year to commit to making Pearson, so it ended up being a year and a half between the air date of the original embedded pilot and the second episode.“However, he also admits thatmoving away from what madeSuitssuccessful also contributed to Pearson’s cancellationafter just 10 episodes. Read his full quote below:
We didn’t embrace its similarities to the originalSuits.We made a conscious decision to attempt to distinguish it in tone. I think the fans were like, ‘This isn’tSuits. This is darker and not as funny.’
How Suits LA Can Prevent Suffering The Same Fate As Pearson
Korsh Is Aware Of What Led To Pearson’s Cancelation
Based on Korsh’s comments, it seems like he fully understands whyPearsondidn’t work and is aware not to repeat the same mistakes as theSuitsuniverse evolves. The good thing is, that he is theprimary creative force behindSuits LA, so not only does he know what worked in the original show, but he also has control over how to use the lessons from bothPearsonand its parent series to ensure his new show’s success. So, whileSuits LA’s cast and storyare separated from what happened in New York, it still has a good chance to take off.
The Real Reason Patrick J. Adams Left Suits Makes It Easier To Accept Mike Ross' Exit
Patrick J. Adams reveals the real reason he left Suits in season 7 and it makes it easier to accept Pearson, Hardman losing Mike Ross.
It’s no secret that while the weekly cases kept the show going, it was definitelySuits' characters that were the main reason for its success. As great as Torres was in the role of Jessica, she just didn’t have the same ensemble inPearsonto interact with. This resulted in a boring political show that didn’t get to highlight her wit and personality. SinceSuits LAis an ensemble like the inaugural show, it has a better chance of replicating what made the people atPearson, Hardmanso beloved.
Our Take On Pearson’s Failure In Connection To Suits
Harvey & The Rest’s Story Was Still Ongoing In New York
It’s also worth noting that when NBC launchedPearson,Suitswas still on the air. Granted that, at that point, the show was no longer what it was during its peak,people would still be more interested in Harvey, Louis, and Donna’s shenanigans in New Yorkthan seeing what Jessica was up to in Chicago. If anything, watching Torres on her own may have highlightedPearson’s mistake of not having a lighter tone like its parent show. In the end, while the concept of Jessica transitioning to a new circle was great, it failed because of its execution.
Suits
Cast
Suits is a legal drama series that premiered in 2011, centering on Mike Ross, a college dropout with a photographic memory who lands a job at a top New York law firm despite lacking a law degree. Partnering with one of the city’s best legal closers, Harvey Specter, they navigate the challenges of high-stakes cases and firm dynamics.
