Suits LA season 1 episode 9 ending explained: Did Ted and Harvey get the job done in New York?

Ted Black's past and present collide in Suits LA season 1 episode 9, as he returns with Harvey Specter to New York. They have one mission during their return, which is to make sure that Pellegrini returns to prison for good this time, something that Ted failed to do in 2010.

In New York, Ted and Harvey orchestrate a not-so-legal trick to have Pellegrini convicted of murder, making sure that he rots in jail and gives justice to Eddie's death. Harvey Specter is especially eager to bring the mobster back behind bars after he put a major dent in Ted's case during Pellegrini's first trial.

While things heat and blow up in New York, the same thing is happening in Los Angeles, with Stuart finding himself at the beginning of the murder trial of his Hollywood fixer client.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Suits LA season 1 episode 9. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Ted and Harvey's trickery against Pellegrini succeeds in Suits LA season 1 episode 9

When Ted Black returns to John Jackson's office in the Justice Department in Suits LA season 1 episode 9, he brings the affidavit to his old boss that would ensure that Pellegrini will return to jail and would likely stay there for all his life. His and Harvey's trickery succeeds, which means he gets to avenge Eddie's death in a way.

Harvey and Ted team up (Image via NBC)

As Harvey teased early in Suits LA season 1 episode 9, he and Ted have to go back to New York to put Pellegrini back behind bars for good. He has an idea of how they could do it, which he says would involve doing some bad things and breaking some laws. It turns out that Harvey plans to get Pellegrini and his organization to turn against each other.

In New York, their first stop is to meet Pellegrini as he comes out of prison and tell him that his organization has changed and that his old members are itching to turn against him. While the mobster doesn't immediately take their bait, they continue to taunt him that one of these days, one of his old crew members will turn against him.

Meanwhile, they also baited Pellegrini's underling, Vinnie Santoro, who rose to become no.2 in the organization amid Pellegrini's imprisonment. Ted and Harvey tell Santoro that his boss wants him dead, and the only way he can save himself is to flip on his boss in exchange for immunity.

Like Pellegrini, Santoro doesn't take the bait at first until he almost gets a car bombing meant for him. He thinks Pellegrini is the one behind the explosion, so he agrees to give his testimony. Meanwhile, Pellegrini strong-arms Ted into talking to him inside his car while Ted and Harvey are getting drinks. But apparently, it's part of Ted's master plan to get Pellegrini to confess that he sent Santoro to kill Eddie.

Pellegrini in Suits LA episode 9 (Image via NBC)

What Pellegrini doesn't know is that Ted is wired. With Pellegrini's confession and Santoro's testimony, Ted has a foolproof murder case against the mobster. While Santoro, who was the one who killed Eddie, will be free, Ted gets justice for Eddie's death because the man who ordered the hit, Pellegrini, is going to rot in jail.

However, Santoro isn't getting away so easily. While he recuperates in the hospital, Ted visits him with the news. He's in witness protection, but Ted bluffs that he knows where he's going to be and that he will send Pellegrini's men his way. While it's only a bluff, Ted gets the satisfaction from the fact that Santoro will also look over his back and fear for his life, that one day, Pellegrini's men will kill him.

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Suits LA season 1 episode 9: Why is Pellegrini going out of prison in the first place?

Early in Suits LA season 1 episode 9, Ted makes an offhand comment that if it weren't for something Harvey did, Pellegrini wouldn't be going out of prison. The episode's flashback explains what Ted means.

As seen in Suits LA season 1 episode 8, Ted asked for Harvey's help in getting the financial records of one of his clients. While Harvey is unsure at first, he ends up giving the files to Ted, which the latter uses in Suits LA season 1 episode 9 to nail Pellegrini not only for murder but also for racketeering.

Harvey takes the stand (Image via NBC)

However, just as the jury gives their "guilty" verdict to Pellegrini, the latter's attorney shockingly brings Harvey Specter to the stand. Harvey is scared of lying under oath, so he admits to giving Ted the supposedly confidential files, which the judge doesn't appreciate.

So, instead of giving Pellegrini a life sentence with no chance for parole, the judge only gives him 25 years in prison, with a chance for parole after 15 years.

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Stuart ends up with a murder case in Suits LA season 1 episode 9

As things are heating up for Ted, Harvey, and Kevin in New York in Suits LA season 1 episode 9, Stuart is also under fire because of his guilt. He finds out that the second whistleblower is dead, and the suspicion is that his client, David Bowie, is the likely suspect. Stuart then starts blaming himself for the woman's death because he previously mentioned the whistleblower to David.

David, however, swears that he didn't commit the crime, saying that he has an alibi because that same night the killing happened, he was busy breaking into producer Craig Fisher's home. Getting the footage involves Stuart returning something he stole from Erica back when she was still a young associate at Black and Lane.

Unfortunately for Stuart, despite David's alibi being enough to soothe his conscience, it isn't enough to save his client. He's already been arrested for murder, which means Stuart will be going to trial as David's attorney, which would be the second murder trial in the series following Ted's defending Lester Thompson's case in the first half of the show.

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Catch Suits LA season 1 episode 9, as well as all previous episodes of the series, streaming on Peacock.