'Suits L.A.' Season 1 Episode 11 "Tearin’ Up My Heart" Review
- Kae
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
In the latest episode of “Suits L.A.,” we return gratefully to the core strength of television’s newest law drama from NBC Universal — the use of more robust storylines centered around the peculiarities, personalities, and quirky personas of the entertainment industry. It’s a lane the series can pick up speed in and truly stand apart from its small screen counterparts.
At the start of the episode, entitled “Tearin’ Up My Heart,” we find criminal defense attorney Stuart Lane living his best life car-dancing to 90s boy band mega hits as he ferries his uninterested preteens to school. When a fender-bender with comedy actress Yvette Nicole Brown, best known for her role on the hit show, Community, literally stops him dead in his tracks in the school drop-off line, the day takes a turn. When the incident continues to escalate as the day precedes, the curtain drops on a much more serious issue for Stuart.
Portrayed with depth by Josh McDermitt, Stuart’s ongoing struggle with his anger throughout the episode forms this compelling, at times, insult-laden narrative, as it explores the hidden psychological repercussions of unconfronted fear. Stay with me.
McDermitt’s performance captures the subtle anguish of the underlying trauma of Stuart’s run-in with former client David Bowie, of the non-musical Bowies, that is beginning to surface, manifesting itself in unexpected ways when Stuart finds himself laboring in its aftermath (whether he knows it or not).
As the episode unfolds, we slowly witness the toll that the Bowie encounter (which played out in episode 10) subtly takes on Stuart in his denial of his current frustrations. Most notably when the confrontations with Brown resurface as Stuart repeatedly refuses to take an appropriate seat on the apology struggle bus. Things come to a head when the comedy actress, playing herself, secures a restraining order, of sorts, from their kids’ school barring Stuart from being on campus. Devastated by the prospect of being kept away from supporting his kids in their activities, Stuart seeks fellow attorney Rick Dodsen’s (Bryan Greenberg) assistance, who, in a crazy twist, represents Brown for the Railsback Lane firm. Yes, Stuart’s own
firm.
McDermitt’s take on the emotionally complex Stuart continues to be a standout for the show. At once, you find yourself cringing at Stuart’s hubris and myopic moral superiority, and the next, you are feeling sorry for his vulnerability. McDermitt embodies the character's internal conflict with a mixture of sensitivity and aggression, perfectly illustrating how unrealized trauma can distort one's reality. It was a subtle, yet effective way to address the ways in which anxiety can take shape.
I must applaud the writing in this episode as it expertly weaves in Stuart’s backstory to create a complex character who is equal parts the overly confident lawyer and equal parts anxious man who is often overcome by his lingering insecurities. The use of flashbacks this go-round actually does the best job, to date, in rounding out the present-day narrative, instead of running parallel to it with what feels like a separate storyline.
Furthermore, the brotherly love dynamic between Stuart and Ted Black (Stephen Amell) adds another layer to their friendship. In a poignant moment where Ted is called in to confront Stuart about his behavior—a touchstone of hope amidst Stuart’s spiraling anger emerges. This exchange highlights the potential for healing, even in the most volatile circumstances.
And, in what I would love to believe is the powers-that-be listening to me, what was also a nice departure from previous episodes this week was a better use of the series’ female characters to also drive a compelling narrative — specifically, Erica Rollins, played by Lex Scott Davis, and Amanda Stevens, portrayed by Maggie Grace. Serving as the fictional heads of the entertainment division and the criminal defense division, respectively, for Black & Associates, the two women are afforded an opportunity to work more closely together, truly for the first time since the series began, both from a character standpoint and an acting one.
In the episode, criminal defense attorney Amanda seeks help from her entertainment law counterpart Erica in defending a teen star accused of assaulting her father. When the circumstances by which Amanda approaches the case are revealed to be fueled by her relationship with her own estranged father, Erica gives her another perspective to consider, in an effort to help save the case.
Davis and Grace are beautiful onscreen together — not just from a visual aesthetics lens but more so from the way the women are allowed to display equal power and poise opposite one another without the threat of pitting them against each other. It was refreshing to watch two strong women get to collaborate instead of compete.
When Ted was not facilitating Erica and Amanda’s collab on the assault case, he was faced with a new challenge of his own related to his celebrity client, Patton Oswalt, again playing himself, who is seeking a fictional negotiation of a contract that would have the comedian confronting his own fears. Who knew law came with so much personal therapy.
Nevertheless, as I have said previously, the regular appearance of real-life celebrities on the show as key figures in the storylines, is truly what gives Suits L.A. its most effective selling proposition over other shows in the crowded field that is the law genre. With built-in recognition of these “characters,” their addition to the stories actually make the plots, in some ways, more relatable.
Thank you Suits L.A. for finally giving us the best case use of this ensemble cast with a more balanced use of emotion, humor, angst, and self-actualization — the show we have been waiting for this season may have arrived.
Suits L.A. will wrap up its debut season with just two more episodes. If you missed last night’s entertainment law action, there is still time to check out episode 11, which begins streaming tonight on Peacock.
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