Suits bringing back Patrick J. Adams is the perfect ending

Patrick J. Adams is returning in Suits Season 9, and nothing is more important for the finale season than having Mike Ross and the man who plays him.

It’s official. Patrick J. Adams is coming back to Suits. Series creator Aaron Korsh confirmed that Mike Ross will appear in at least one episode of Suits Season 9 in an interview with Deadline on Monday.

According to Korsh, Mike will return in the fifth episode—which is currently scheduled to air on Aug. 14—as a case he’s litigating causes him to oppose former mentor Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Samantha Wheeler (Katherine Heigl).

It’s the first time Adams has appeared on the USA show since leaving at the end of Season 7. And though Mike’s case will wrap up in that episode, the story will also leave open the possibility that he comes back again in the Sept. 18 series finale.

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The good news comes with the caveat that Adams won’t be directing in Suits Season 9; Korsh did also reveal that he was supposed to direct the next-to-last episode, but his casting as the star of NatGeo‘s The Right Stuff created a scheduling conflict.

But that’s a small price to pay for having Patrick J. Adams back in front of the camera. Fans have been clamoring for the returns of Mike and Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle) since it was announced that Suits Season 9 would be the show’s last.

There’s still no expectation that Markle will return given that she’s now the Duchess of Sussex, but it’s Adams’ commitment that is critical to giving Suits the sendoff that the best drama series on television deserves. That’s because Mike Ross was the foundation on which the show was built.

Mike’s literally stumbling into a job interview was the inciting incident that started the series, and whether or not he’d be exposed as a fake lawyer was the main thrust of the first few seasons. So, too, was his budding romance with Rachel—he was already smitten with her in the pilot!

But beyond that, Mike was the catalyst who made Suits what it is today, and Patrick J. Adams is an intrinsic part of the show’s DNA.

Mike’s arrival at Pearson Hardman enabled change and growth in the other Suits characters. That was something driven home in Season 4, when he was briefly an investment banker; Aaron Korsh and his writers were brilliant at showing how the firm wasn’t the same without Mike, and how he wasn’t the same without it.

It was bringing Mike in that made Harvey start to think about more than wins and losses, and gave him a much-needed dose of humility—something we’re still seeing unfold with the character right now, as he continues to unpack his emotional vulnerabilities.

It was Mike’s way of thinking which challenged the direction of the firm, and put him into conflict with Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres) and Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman), who wound up learning from him as he learned hard and necessary lessons from them. He brought in a different perspective no one else had, and that fingerprint remains on every case Suits tries today.

At the same time, bringing Mike back for Suits Season 9 is so fitting for him and also for Patrick J. Adams. Mike is not the character he was years ago either; he’s matured, he’s made some choices about what he stands for, and he’s committed to his marriage with Rachel. He’s going to come in with a perspective that’s wiser—even more seasoned than when he left just a season ago.

And the man who plays him has transformed just as much, if not more, than his alter ego. Viewers might not remember that Suits was Adams’ first series regular role. He had never done this before but he rose to the occasion, both on and off screen. Not only did he shine as a true star (getting a SAG Award nomination), but he took being at the top of the call sheet very seriously and put such effort into helping lead the show.

Audiences have watched him grow as an actor, become a director, and exit with a producing credit, too. He’s a veteran, versatile performer who’s also now a husband and recently became a father. He’s taken the same journey as Mike, and one can only imagine how that’s going to inform how he approaches this guest spot. He’s always been able to see so clearly through his character’s eyes, because of how genuinely he’s connected to the character.

It means a lot to the fans to have Mike Ross returning to Suits, but this wonderful news is about a lot more than just a character coming back. It’s about getting to see Mike complete his story while also getting to see Patrick J. Adams once again add something new and special to a universe that wouldn’t be the same without him.

Suits Season 9 premieres Wednesday, July 17. For more on Suits and other USA series, follow the USA category at Hidden Remote.