The first look ofThe Rainmakerbodes well for the 2025 adaptation, but everything it does best only further illustrates the wasted potential ofSuits LA. The West Coast spinoff of the critically acclaimed legal drama was one of the most highly anticipated shows of 2025, but news ofSuits LA’s cancellationsadly broke before its freshman season had even wrapped up. WhereasSuits LAtried and failed to build on a beloved, well-known, and well-established title,The Rainmaker’s source material leaves more room to develop a unique and lasting impression.
The 2025 adaptation will be based on theJohn Grisham bookof the same name, which was previously brought to life by Matt Damon in a 1997 film. While the plot is public knowledge, the USA network’s version seems poised to breathe new life into the story, somethingSuits LAcould have desperately benefited from, as its conflicts fell flat without much to make up for them. ThoughSuits LAandThe Rainmakerseem analogous at face value, given their similar standing as thrilling legal dramas, the latter has one key characteristic that may explain NBC’s failed spinoff.
USA Network’s The Rainmaker Adaptation Will Feature A Morally Strong Character
Rudy Baylor Has Integrity, Even As A Young Gun
In stark contrast toSuits LA’s Ted Black (Stephen Amell) or even Suits’ Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), there will be a young yet dedicated lawyer at the helm ofThe Rainmaker: Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan). After being ousted by a high-power attorney at his first post-grad law firm, Baylor joins forces with Lana Parrilla’s Jocelyn “Bruiser” Stone, far removed from the high-rise bureaucracy of Leo F. Drummond (John Slattery). As Bruiser explains inThe Rainmaker’s season 1 trailer, the unassuming team will fight for clients"on the worst day of their lives.”
The Rainmakerpremieres August 15 on the USA network and will be available on Peacock after its initial airing.
There’s something inherently familiar and even comforting aboutThe Rainmaker’s story, aclassic David vs. Goliath structure set against the backdrop of cutthroat legal practices. Like any other legal drama, there will be moral dilemmas and murky gray areas, but at the root of the action is a young, perhaps overly passionate lawyer who has respectable courage in his convictions. Rudy isn’t the type to boast about being the best closer in the state or smugly banter with criminals, but he already has more heart in one teaser trailer thanSuits LAdid in its entire season.
Suits LA’s Main Characters Were Mostly All Morally Gray, & That Made It Difficult To Root For Them
It Was Too Hard To Sympathize With The Main Cast
Whereas Rudy is all stringent values and a moral compass pointing north, the cast ofSuits LAwere all sharks in the water. Ted Black’s cruel indifference undercut his gritty, dark past in New York. Erica Rollins (Lex Scott Davis) and Rick Dodsen (Bryan Greenberg) had a background love story, but they were still ruthless lawyers first and foremost. Even when Stuart Lane (Josh McDermitt) was overcome by fear for his family’s lives, there was the nagging reminder that Stuart betrayed his best friend to open the series.
Granted, there’s something to be said about lawyers who are hardened by life and always prepared to do what’s necessary. The cold and calculated ensemble wasn’t necessarilywhySuits LAfailed, but it certainly got excessive when every main character seemed like they could backstab their closest ally at any time. Rather than adding suspense, the unfeeling workplace environment quickly veered into paranoia. There was never room to breathe or build believable relationships, which madeSuits LAfeel like a lose-lose game.Without the heroic qualities of a traditional protagonist, Ted’s success never mattered muchto the audience.
How The Rainmaker Can Revive USA Network’s Golden Age
The Network Is Responsible For Some Of The Most Memorable Series Of All Time
More is resting onThe Rainmaker’s pilot showing than an iconic page-to-screen adaptation, however. The legal drama could usher in a new age of“blue sky”television for the USA network, which originally coined the term in the 2000s and early 2010s. USA stood out from its contemporaries by crafting character-first shows, starting with the titular Monk (Tony Shalhoub) in 2002 and ending unofficially in 2019 with the series finale ofSuits. Alongside a solid central character, the USA network took unique premises and balanced drama with a near-constant air of levity.
2002-09
89%
2006-14
2007-13
88%
2009-14
96%
2009-16
94%
2011-19
91%
2015-19
Depending onThe Rainmaker’s performance, Rudy could join the list of theUSA network’s best characters, but the legal drama could also inspire a full-on resurgence of blue sky television. Part of what earnedSuits LAsuch poor ratings was the overly-dark storylines and lack of personality. If USA can tap back into the magic of its golden age, the network can potentially start creating more original series and return to the uplifting optimism of blue sky programming. While that puts pressure onThe Rainmaker, it’s clear based onSuits LAthat a single season can be make-or-break.
