Suits is officially coming back for Season 8, but stars Meghan Markle and Patrick J. Adams are not. Markle's royally justifiable reason for exiting the series has been highly publicized, but Adams has been relatively quiet about why he specifically decided to leave. That changed recently as the actor explained he felt it was time to hang his Suits hat when he realized his character had the chance for a perfect exit:
When I looked at the work I was doing, Mike would become a full-fledged, certified, legal on paper lawyer. That's a long way from when we met him and he was this brilliant burnout pothead with no real prospects. I thought we'd come so far and now Mike is going to work to be a lawyer and he's engaged to the woman of his dreams and he's got the means and opportunity to do whatever he can imagine. I had this voice in my head that said that we've told his story and if he hangs out longer, Mike is just going to be another lawyer on television. That didn't feel right for him. It didn't feel right for where I was at in my life, either.
Patrick J. Adams decided to pull the trigger for the end of Season 7, but admitted that he'd been thinking of leaving even prior to that. Adams said the first time he thought about leaving Suits came towards the middle of Season 6, telling THR that after Mike got out of prison, he began to wonder what else there was for the character to do. When contract negotiations rolled around for Season 8, Adams himself was the one to press pause so that, as he stated above, he could contemplate what more there was to Mike's story.
Suits fans will still have to wait for that answer, though, as Patrick J. Adams is still very much with the series until its Season 7 finale, which is set to air on Wednesday, April 25. With Adams' Mike engaged to Meghan Markle's Rachel Zane in the show, fans have wondered if Suits will write the two off following their big wedding. Adams didn't share any spoilers for what'll happen to the two at the end of the season, but he still appeared to indicate that whatever happens, the two will avoid an unhappy ending.
A lot of times when actors leave shows, a gun gets pulled out in a courtroom or something. Without spoiling too much, yes, I think Mike and Rachel are two characters that there has never been any question that they're in love and that they're meant for each other and that they're willing to go to great lengths and sacrifice a ton in order to keep their relationship going. It just so happens that the timing of how I was feeling [about leaving Suits] and what was going on in Meghan's life created an opportunity where there was no need to force some conflict or tear Mike and Rachel apart. It allowed us to go on to whatever happens next for Mike and Rachel together. The only thing I can say is that you should really watch episode 16.
Episode 16, non-coincidentally, will be Suits' Season 7 finale, and it has already been confirmed to be both actors' final episode. After that, Patrick J. Adams said he's taking a break from acting to spend time with his wife Troian Bellisario and his dogs, as well as to figure out his next career move, which could see him possibly getting behind the camera. Adams apparently has some projects he's looking to get made, so fans will want to keep a close eye on his post-Suits career.
Suits will return to USA for the back half of Season 7 on Wednesday, March 28, at 9:00 p.m. ET. 2018 is in full swing and that means new television and new episodes of old favorites are surfacing every week. Stay in the loop on what all is happening by visiting our midseason premiere guide.
