'Suits' Renewed for 9th and Final Season by USA
"Suits" is buttoning up for one last time.
USA has renewed the legal drama for a ninth and final season. The last 10 episodes are expected to air later this year.
The renewal and finale news comes as "Suits" Season 8B premieres tonight.
The series premiered in 2011 and centered on the shark-like lawyer Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and the brilliant college dropout Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) that he hires as an associate. As Mike hid his fraudulent credentials, he also fell in love with paralegal Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle).
Markle and Adams left the show at the end of Season 7, after their characters got married and decided to move to the West Coast. Their send-off aired just before Markle married Prince Harry and became the Duchess of Sussex.
"Suits" had something of a reboot after they left, with Katherine Heigl joining the cast as a series regular and Dulé Hill and Amanda Schull promoted. Season 7 has followed the ups and downs of the firm as first Harvey and now Louis took on the managing reins.
This isn't the end of the "Suits" universe, however. A Chicago-set spinoff titled "Pearson" starring Gina Torres as her character Jessica Pearson is will premiere later this year.
"Suits" creator Aaron Korsh released a statement thanking the cast, crew, and viewers:
"Though I know it isn’t true, it seems like only yesterday USA Network took a chance on an unestablished writer’s very first hour long script. These days that’s a common thing, but forty seven years ago when I first wrote the Untitled Korsh Project, nobody did it. Nobody except the people at USA and UCP.
"First and foremost I would like to thank Alex Sepiol and Dennis Kim, without whom Suits would never have gotten made. I also cannot thank Bill McGoldrick, Jeff Wachtel, Bonnie Hammer, Chris McCumber, Ted Chervin, Dave Bartis, Gene Klein, Doug Liman, Dawn Olmstead and everyone at the network and studio enough for their dedication and support throughout the years. And to the exceptional writers, cast and crew – thank you for your passion and devotion, without which, Suits would be nothing.
"And last but never least, to the fans who have stuck with the Suits family through thick and thin, through can-openers and flashbacks – thank you for always speaking your mind. Without you, I might start to think I’m getting the hang of this writing thing. And once that happens, nobody wins. I look forward to enraging and hopefully sometimes delighting you with the final episodes. Finally, to my wife Kate and my children Cooper and Lucy. Thank you for enduring countless late nights and times away, for me to get to live my dream. I love you. Love, Aaron”