Why Patrick J. Adams' Mike Left Suits After Season 7 (2024)

When fans ask, "Why did Mike leave Suits in season 7," the answer is that it was a creative decision by actor Patrick J. Adams. It's never easy to say goodbye to a character, especially if they leave a show before it ends in a shocking manner as Adams did. Mike, played by Adams, served as a main character in the show for seven seasons. He was quickly an easy character to root for as he was a struggling young adult who was expelled from college and took one too many LSATs for a living to pay his grandmother's medical bills.

During the Suits pilot, Harvey Specter hired Mike when he accidentally stumbled upon interviews Harvey was holding for his associate attorney at the Pearson Hardman law firm in New York City, and the rest is history. Mike continued to be a fan-favorite character as he furthered his law career and developed both professionally and personally. Unfortunately, his story came to an end when Adams left Suits following the season 7 finale. While Mike leaving Suits was a loss for the series, there are a few key reasons behind the unexpected departure.

Patrick J. Adams Believed Mike's Story Was Complete In Suits Season 7

Mike Ross Left Suits Because His Narrative Arc Was Complete

During the Suits season 7 finale, Mike and Meghan Markle's Rachel Zane got married and decided to leave New York and move to Seattle. There, they started their own law firm and seemingly lived happily ever after. After seven seasons, Mike and Rachel deserved a happy ending, but it was still sad to see them leave Suits all the same.

The reason Mike left Suits along with Rachel was due to behind-the-scenes decisions by both Meghan Markle and Mike actor Patrick J. Adams. Markle exited Suits because of her impending duties as a member of the British Royal Family, and Adams was confident that there was no more story to tell for his character. Adams told The Hollywood Reporter:

"After seven seasons — really, eight years of being away from home and away from my now-wife, and there was that pressure. I started thinking about leaving at the end of the first half of season six, after Mike was released from prison. From a story point of view, I was a little unsure of what was left for him to do. Mike had made the pledge during his trial that if he were allowed to continue to practice the law, he would dedicate his time and energy to underrepresented people and not big, corporate interests. I wasn’t sure how we were going to work that version of the character into the fabric of the show."

So, while Adams felt the pressure of being away from his family, the actor also believed that Mike's story was complete. Given that Rachel was also leaving the show, it made it even easier for Mike to depart the law firm. However, the Suits season 7 finale wasn't the last time Adams played Mike in the series.

Why Patrick J. Adams Returned For Suits Season 9 In A Recurring Role

Mike Ross Returned To Suits Because Adams Missed His Co-Stars

Adams reprised his role as Mike during Suits' ninth and final season. Mike returned to New York City because of one of the cases he was working on. One of Mike's clients was entangled with one of Samantha Wheeler's, pitting him against his former law firm. When asked by Entertainment Tonight about why he decided to return to the USA Network series in a recurring capacity, Adams said:

"Ultimately, it was about coming back. It was about, 'We'd love to get the band back together,' basically. Do one last trip around the world. It was as simple as that. For me, it was just an excuse to come and see everybody and really be here for the final moment."

So, Adams wanted to celebrate Suits and its nine impressive seasons. The actor set out to give his character and the show one final sendoff before the story came to an end for good. Plus, given how Harvey and Donna Paulsen's story ended during the Suits series finale, with them moving to Seattle to work alongside Mike and Rachel at their law firm, it made sense for Mike to return.

What Patrick J. Adams Has Done Since Suits

Adams Has Continued To Act On Television Since Leaving Suits

While Patrick J. Adams felt that it was time to move on from his role on Suits following season 7, that doesn't mean that the actor was done with acting. In fact, Adams has continued to be a regular fixture on television since the show ended with several notable roles in high-profile shows. In 2018, Adams took the lead role in America 2.0, playing another young newcomer to a high-stakes world as first-term Congressman Seth McGuire. He then joined the final season of the underrated crime series Sneaky Pete as Stefan Kilbane.

Adams continued to find new television roles, starring as legendary astronaut John Glen in the television adaptation of The Right Stuff. He followed that up with a recurring guest role in the television adaptation of A League of Their Own. On the movie side of his career, Adams played Simon in The Swearing Jar and appeared opposite Jacob Elordi in He Went That Way.

Adams continues to have an active career with his upcoming projects including the miniseries Lockerbie and Wayward as well as the movie Young Werther. While there has been no news on original Suits cast members appearing in the upcoming Suits: LA spinoff series, it is possible that Adams could return as Mike for at least an appearance.

Suits

TV-14

Comedy

Drama

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Suits follows Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), who, despite never attending law school, is able to use his photographic memory to become a lawyer. The legal drama ran from 2011 to 2019 for a total of nine seasons and also starred Gabriel Macht, Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty, and Rick Hoffman.

Release Date

June 23, 2011

Cast

Patrick J. Adams , Sarah Rafferty , Gabriel Macht , Meghan Markle , Rick Hoffman , Gina Torres , Amanda Schull , Dule Hill , Katherine Heigl

Seasons

9

Network

USA