Suits LA season 1 episode 10 ending explained: Who saved Stuart? The threat to his life explained

There's another murder case in the spotlight in Suits LA season 1 episode 10. Following Ted Black's back-to-back cases—the Lester Thompson case and Pellegrini—gaining attention in the last nine episodes, this week sees the pinnacle of Stuart Lane's David Bowie trial. With Bowie arrested for the murder of one of his whistleblowers, Stuart is forced to defend a man he isn't sure is innocent.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Suits LA season 1 episode 10. Reader's discretion is advised.

The old Stuart rears its ugly head, and he wins the case regardless of the consequences. Unfortunately, he uncovers the truth about the real identity of the killer only after the case is dismissed. In his attempt to correct his mistake, Stuart places himself in the killer's crosshairs in Suits LA season 1 episode 10, but Ted arrives just in time to save him.

Meanwhile, flashbacks to New York in 2005 reveal Ted and Stuart's early rivalry in law school and how they overcame it to support each other.

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Ted Black rescues Stuart Lane in Suits LA season 1 episode 10

Ted saves Stuart from Bowie (Image via NBC)

Suits LA season 1 episode 10 sees Ted Black come to Stuart Lane's rescue at a time when he needs it most. Despite the lies and deceit, especially after Stuart's betrayal in Suits LA episode 1, the latest episode shows that the relationship they have cultivated for decades isn't completely lost.

In Suits LA season 1 episode 10, Stuart Lane starts the David Bowie murder trial. While he has the evidence to get the case dismissed, he fails to do so because the prosecutor, Isaac Adoni, who is also Stuart's friend, wants details about the source of the evidence. The prosecutor insists that the producer who owns the footage must take the stand.

As Erica begs Stuart to ensure that her producer's s*x tape is not released to the public, Stuart remains focused on securing his client’s freedom. The old Stuart, who was determined to win at any cost, reveals the existence of the tape while questioning the producer, who was also on it.

The judge is satisfied with the evidence, enough to dismiss David Bowie's murder case. Bowie appears pleased with Stuart as well. However, Erica is not happy with him. When Stuart returns to his firm and reviews the security footage—Bowie's alleged alibi—he becomes unhappy with himself too, discovering that the footage was doctored.

Wanting to correct his mistake, he decides to visit Adoni's house to explain the doctored tape. Unbeknownst to him, Bowie has been following him and intercepts him just before he enters Adoni's house. David Bowie claims that Stuart knows about the doctored tape and confesses to killing the whistleblower, warning that he won't hesitate to add Stuart to his list of victims if he betrays him.

At that moment, Ted emerges from the bushes and asserts that he recorded the confession, giving David Bowie his own version of a threat if he doesn't stay away from Stuart and his family. Suits LA season 1 episode 10 ends with the two reuniting and realizing that their friendship is a valuable thing.

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Suits LA season 1 episode 10 flashback: Mock trial gets ugly

Ted during the mock trial in Suits LA season 1 episode 10 (Image via NBC)

Suits LA season 1 episode 10 takes audiences back to New York, but not in 2010. The flashback showcases Ted Black and Stuart Lane at Columbia Law School during the height of their long-standing rivalry in 2005. They are friends, yet they compete for the top spot, culminating in a mock trial. The premise of the trial involves a father and a younger brother who hit and killed a pedestrian, with all three being intoxicated.

While they both agree to treat the mock trial as a gunfight, things spiral quickly when Stuart brings Ted's actual father to portray the dad in the trial. Eddie is cast as the brother, who was supposedly in a coma. Ted's father's involvement in the mock trial throws him for a loop, while Stuart experiences similar pain when he puts his then-girlfriend Helen on the stand.

Helen plays the client's therapist, but as Ted starts questioning her, still angry that Stuart brought his father in, he reveals Helen and Stuart's relationship. This is not the end of it; he also discloses that Helen confided in him about wanting to marry Stuart, accusing her of lying on the stand to protect her boyfriend.

Helen gets upset with Stuart afterward, telling him that she never wanted to get involved in the mock trial in the first place. Now, Stuart is furious at Ted and plans to seek his own revenge. He announces that he will put Eddie on the stand, but while Ted persuades him not to do it, considering how it would affect Eddie, Stuart is solely focused on winning and proving he's better than Ted.

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Who won the mock trial between Ted and Stuart?

Stuart in Suits LA season 1 episode 10 (Image via NBC)

During the final day of the mock trial in Suits LA season 1 episode 10, Ted asks his father to change his plea to guilty, which would spare Ted's brother, Eddie, and prevent the mock trial from becoming uglier than it already is. However, his father is reluctant to comply.

Just as Ted's father starts calling him weak and urges him to do what a prosecutor should do—tear Eddie apart—Stuart walks in and overhears the confrontation. What he hears solidifies his decision; he doesn't want to traumatize Eddie, so he informs the judge that he rests his case.

Ted could have secured a victory after Stuart's withdrawal, but Stuart's face and demeanor suggest that he has accepted his loss. Nevertheless, in his closing statement, Ted tells the judge that the prosecution is withdrawing its case.

In the end, neither of them wins the mock trial, but they gain a lifelong friendship. As Stuart tells Ted, "My back got you," something that Ted repays when he saves Stuart from David Bowie's threat.

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Catch Suits LA season 1 episode 10, along with the previous episodes in the series, streaming on Peacock.