Suits had a good run on the USA Network from 2011 to 2019, but last year saw the legal show soaring to new heights of popularity thanks to its first eight seasons becoming available for Netflix subscribers to stream. It ultimately became the most streamed TV show of 2023, and now the pilot for a Suits spinoff has been greenlit by NBC. Now Wendell Pierce, who played Robert Zane, the father of Meghan Markle’s Rachel, has weighed in on both this streaming success and the possibility of him reprising Robert in this spinoff.
Addressing the latter subject first, because the officially-titled Suits L.A. is set in the same world as its predecessor rather than a complete separate affair, the door is certainly open for Suits actors to stop by the spinoff. So while speaking with TV Insider, Pierce, who more recently starred as James Greer in Jack Ryan (which can be streamed with an Amazon Prime Video subscription) expressed interest in filling Robert Zane’s shoes again with these words:
I would love to come back. I wish the spinoff to be a great success. And our returns or little cameos or whatever, hopefully, they’ll be a part of the little Easter eggs that they throw in there with the show.
Although he was never a series regular on Suits, Wendell Pierce nonetheless maintained an import presence on the show, recurring as Robert Zane in all but Season 1. He even ended up becoming a name partner at the main firm, although by the end of Season 8, the character was disbarred because he took the blame for Gabriel Macht;’ Harvey Specter breaking attorney-client privilege as a way to redeem himself for breaking the law on a different matter when he was younger. As such, if Robert did appear in Suits L.A., we wouldn’t see him actually practicing law like before, though that shouldn’t be an insurmountable barrier to incorporating him into whatever story’s being told.
If Suits L.A. is ordered to series, viewers will follow along with Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor from New York who’s now representing powerful clients in Los Angeles, but must deal with his firm hitting a “crisis point.” Ted’s New York past could be enough to tie him to Robert Zane, but even assuming the show happens, don’t assume the spinoff will immediately start delving into crossover territory. After all, a show like this deserves some time to shine on its own before it starts pulling in characters from the hit show that preceded it.
As for his thoughts on how well Suits itself has done for itself over the last year on streaming (remember that all nine seasons can be streamed with a Peacock subscription), Wendell Pierce had the following to say:
It is a wonderful surprise. We’ve talked on a thread saying, who would’ve thunk it? Who are you people? So it’s really fun to have this happen. I wish it on everyone to experience something like this. It’s a unique way of showing appreciation for your work that years later, someone discovers it anew. It’s great.
Pierce’s latest comments come shortly after he got real about the trolling Meghan Markle has gotten and reminded his former costar that wherever she and her husband Prince Harry are in the world, he’s still their friend. Speaking of the Duchess of Sussex, it’s rumored that she might make her return to TV for Suits L.A., and while that would obviously pave the way for a Rachel Zane reprisal, apparently there’s a new character who might be a good fit for her too. Again, nothing is set in stone with this, though as someone who watched Suits during his original run, I’d more into the prospect of Rachel and Robert being back onscreen together.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on Suits L.A.’s progress and more news concerning how popular Suits has become on streaming. Don’t forget to also scan through the 2024 TV schedule to learn what’s airing now and in the near future.
