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Warning: SPOILERS for Suits LA episode 9.Suits LA has bittersweetly wrapped up its Harvey Specter arc, and Gabriel Macht’s final appearance was fittingly dedicated to Billy Miller. The spinoff set up by Suits’ ending has had a bumpy freshman year, but each episode seems to improve on the last, even as the overarching mysteries find suspiciously simple resolutions. Granted, it’s no secret that Gabriel Macht returning as Harvey Specter (even in a limited capacity) has breathed some much-needed life into Suits LA. Unfortunately, despite more original Suits characters slated to appear in future episodes, Suits LA season 2 is still up in the air.
As such, the season 1 finale of Suits LA may have to function as a series finale as well, giving Stephen Amell’s Ted Black a premature sendoff. Ted’s troubled past— which was originally meant to be a selling point of the series— has cluttered the plot with cutaways to 2010 New York that often made the current events of Suits LA seem inconsequential. Even Harvey Specter’s role in Suits LA’s flashbacks seemed out of place, but episode 9 finally focused on New York’s former best closer in the present-day. Despite his secretive nature, Suits LA revealed two big Harvey updates.
Billy Miller Played Harvey’s Brother In Suits, Marcus
Marcus First Appeared In The Season 4 Finale Of Suits
Along with disclosing that Harvey had a son after the end of Suits with his wife, Donna (Sarah Rafferty), Suits LA episode 9 mentioned his brother, Marcus Specter (Billy Miller). Throughout Suits’ 9 seasons, Marcus only appeared a handful of times, but his impact on the series was extensive. Harvey’s little brother first appears in Suits season 4, episode 16 as a major character in a series of flashbacks. In his first episode, Marcus Specter was introduced as a former gambling addict who, in an effort to turn his life around, asks Harvey for a loan to open a restaurant.
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The New York flashbacks have been hit or miss in Suits LA, but episode 8’s big reveal ties the spinoff to the original series beautifully.
Most of Marcus’ appearances throughout Suits were in the form of flashback sequences, with his character typically explored as a facet of Harvey’s past. However, that’s not to say Marcus Specter was one-dimensional. Aside from the complicated relationship between him and Harvey following their mother’s infidelity, Marcus had a rich storyline about his battle with cancer and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Marcus eventually appeared in the modern day during Suits season 6 and had sparse but significant appearances in subsequent seasons, culminating in him giving Harvey a devastating final message from their mother in the penultimate episode of the series.
Miller Died In 2023 Amid A Battle With Bipolar Disease
The Actor Is Fondly Remembered For His Television Roles
Sadly, Billy Miller passed away in September 2023 amid his battle with bipolar disorder. The talented actor portrayed Marcus Specter sporadically from 2015-2019, but Miller had many other iconic roles under his belt. After getting his start in modeling and commercial work, Billy Miller landed his breakout role as Richie Novak in All My Children in the mid-2000s. As soon as his work on the ABC soap ended, Billy Miller joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in 2008 as Billy Abbott, a well-known character who would earn Miller three Daytime Emmy Awards.
Billy Miller’s Notable TV Roles | ||
|---|---|---|
Title | Character | Year |
All My Children | Richie Novak | 2007-2008 |
The Young and the Restless | Billy Abbott | 2008-2014 |
Ringer | John Delario | 2011-2012 |
General Hospital | Jason Morgan/Drew Cain | 2014-2019 |
Suits | Marcus Specter | 2015-2019 |
Miller spent nearly 20 years in the entertainment industry, tirelessly working on some of the most recognizable soap operas of all time. Regardless of the small scope of his character, Miller had an undeniable presence in Suits, and Marcus Specter is still a widely-beloved, endearingly-flawed character who left a lasting impression on the original series. Although Miller never got the chance to appear on the spinoff, Suits LA episode 9 was dedicated to the actor. Through the storyline of “Bat Signal,” Marcus Specter also got closure during Harvey and Ted’s final conversation.
How Suits LA’s Story Referenced Miller’s Death
The Spinoff Gave Marcus A Sad But Necessary Ending
Although Harvey spends most of Suits LA episode 9 dodging questions about himself, he eventually opens up to Ted about how Marcus’ cancer returned and unfortunately claimed his life a few years prior. The revelation naturally tied into the driving conflict of the episode: the murder of Ted’s brother, Eddie (Carson A. Egan). The ghost of Ted’s brother in Suits LA has been a recurring plot since the pilot, but it comes to a head in episode 9 as Harvey, Ted, and Kevin (Troy Winbush) plot to put away the man responsible for Eddie’s death: John Pellegrini (Anthony Azizi).
New episodes of Suits LA can be streamed on Peacock the day after they air on NBC.
Although the New York trio manage to successfully orchestrate Pellegrini’s demise, the justice served will never be enough to make up for Eddie’s death in Suits LA. Harvey understands that Ted is truly haunted by his brother’s death, which prompts him to share the news of Marcus’ cancer relapse. The two commiserate over how their grief fluctuates “depend[ing] on the day” and— though it’s in a different vein entirely— forge their own fraternal bond. Billy Miller’s work as Marcus Specter was limited, but Suits LA episode 9 ensures his character is part of an overarching legacy.
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