Suits: Does Mike Come Back To The Show?

Working as a lawyer with a fake degree — what could possibly go wrong? It's the question that "Suits" aims to answer as top attorney Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) hires Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), a bike messenger who uses his photographic memory to make a business out of taking the LSATs for prospective law students. Once Harvey learns about his super power and his legal know-how, he creates a scheme in order to hire Mike and cover up his past. Of course, keeping this all a secret is much harder than they originally thought, especially as Mike starts a romantic relationship with paralegal Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle). Those secrets even lead to a brief prison sentence for Mike during "Suits" Season 6.

It's safe to say that, without Mike, there would be no "Suits." He's central to overarching plot, so his departure is a shocking and somber one for fans who initially tuned in for a show that largely focused on Mike's secret for the first few seasons. Here's a look at why Patrick J. Adams left the series and what went down when he eventually came back.

A new chapter in Mike Ross' relationship with Rachel Zane also means a job change for the couple. As they plan their wedding during "Suits" Season 7, Episode 16 (the fittingly-titled "Good-Bye"), they receive an offer to take over a law firm in Seattle. They take the opportunity, which means that they have to move up their ceremony. As Donna Paulsen (Sarah Rafferty) works to put together the last minute nuptials, Mike is trying to help the Eastside Legal Clinic with a case surrounding the lead poisoning of a school's water supply. Soil samples from the area test negative for lead, putting Mike in a panic. His plate gets even more crowded when Donna asks him to talk to Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman), who is discouraged as the future of the law firm hangs in the balance.

While enjoying Rachel and Mike's wedding reception, Harvey apologizes to Mike for not believing that he could be a senior partner. He offers him the job, but Mike tells him that it is too late, adding that he is tired of being called upon to save the firm. It's a season finale that gives a satisfying conclusion to Mike and Rachel's storyline, especially as Meghan Markle said goodbye to the show to start her own marriage.

Patrick J. Adams has revealed that he left "Suits" for a few reasons. During an episode of the podcast "Dinner's on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson," Adams said that the secrets surrounding his character had all been revealed. "By the end of the seventh season, I was just a lawyer at a law firm," he explained. "It just all had happened and I was like, 'Where do we go from here?'" Meghan Markle had already announced her departure, and Adams realized that he was only staying because of the money. He talked about it with his mother, who agreed with his decision. He also wanted to concentrate on his relationship with actress Troian Bellisario, who he married in 2016. 

It was also toward the end of Season 7 that Adams realized that he needed to focus on his wellbeing. He told Ferguson that he was "pretty depressed," adding, "I didn't have the tools to deal with that depression beyond just spending money and drinking too much, and not really knowing how to talk about it." He went on to reveal that he quit drinking during the COVID-19 pandemic because he realized how it was impacting his relationship and causing him to not be present as a father. "The best thing I think I ever did for myself was stop drinking. It just needed to happen in order for all of these other things to happen."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Mike Ross returns to "Suits" during the show's last season. He reappears in Season 9, Episode 5 ("If the Shoes Fits"), taking on Harvey Specter so he can help one of his clients back out of a contract with an athletic company. Mike finds out that the company that was once Harvey's client is now under the expertise of Samantha Wheeler (Katherine Heigl), who will stop at nothing to win. The case creates tough feelings between Mike and Harvey, but Louis Litt saves the day by having a heart-to-heart with Mike.

Mike reappears during the series' last two episodes. Season 9, Episode 9 ("Thunder Away") finds Harvey leaning on Mike amid his mother's death. Donna Paulsen asks Mike to take down the firm's acting managing partner Faye Richardson (Denise Crosby), and he enlists Samantha to help get the job done. They barge into Faye's office and announce that she is being sued over Samantha's termination from the firm. Faye counters by asking Harvey and Louis to represent her, promising that she'll leave the firm if they win.

However, things are not that cut and dry, leading Mike and Harvey to team up for one more scheme during Episode 10, "One Last Con." The two put on quite the show in the courtroom as Faye makes her own maneuvers. Mike and Harvey then enlist the help of their friends to stage a fake fight, distracting her so that she accidentally signs a statement saying that she ordered Harvey to perform witness tampering, leading to her exit.

"Suits" is taking on a new city with the upcoming spin-off "Suits LA," and it is possible that Mike Ross will appear once again. This new installment in the "Suits" universe stars "Arrowverse" alum Stephen Amell as federal prosecutor Ted Black, who leaves the Big Apple and heads to Los Angeles. Fans will get to see the inner workings of his firm, which seems to be struggling at the start of the story.

During a question and answer session for Fox's "Accused," TVLine asked Patrick J. Adams about the idea of Mike Ross appearing in the Los Angeles spin-off. "I've offered my services at all times," he said. "I love Aaron Korsh and I love that world; it changed my whole life." As for the current status of Mike's marriage to Rachel Zane, Adams believes that the power couple is still together. "Of course they are. Or at least I hope so.... That will be the interesting thing, if we can get Mike back in the fold somehow. I guess we'll figure out how it's going [with Rachel]– or if it's going," he said.

Adams is no stranger to reprising his role: He and Gabriel Macht suited back up for a few T-Mobile commercials. Also, Adams and his co-star Sarah Rafferty started the rewatch podcast "Sidebar: A Suits Watch Podcast" in September 2024. "Suits LA" kicks off on NBC on February 23, 2025.