Original Suits star Patrick J. Adams will return for the series’ upcoming 10-episode final season. He will reprise his character of Mike Ross in Episode 5 of the USA Network series as he gets involved in a case that puts him toe to toe with Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Samantha Wheeler (Katherine Heigl). While that is Adams’ only confirmed involvement so far, I hear he also is expected to make an appearance in Suits‘ series finale.

photo: Zac DeZon

“I couldn’t be happier to be part of the final chapter of Suits. I’ve missed my TV family, and am looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble Mike Ross can stir up at the firm one last time,” Adams told Deadline before adding, “But if the wardrobe department thinks they’re getting back the suits I stole when I left, they’re going to be very disappointed.”

Back when Suits was renewed for a ninth and final season, series creator, executive producer and showrunner Aaron Korsh told Deadline that “you can’t contemplate it without contemplating bringing Mike back.”

Now that Adams’ return had been finalized, Korsh talks with Deadline about how it came together, provides more details about Mike’s storyline and addresses the questions on many Suits fans’ minds: Did Mike and Rachel have a baby, mirroring both actors’ real-life experiences as new parents, and whether there is any chance for Meghan Markle, now a British royal, to come back for the final season.

Ian Watson/USA Network

“There was never a question in my mind that I wanted him back for this season,” Korsh said of Adams. “He is the foundation of the show; it was built on him, others also but the very foundation we built on Patrick and Mike, and we all wanted to have him back. It was about how to integrate him organically and in a satisfying way. Then I had to make sure that he had the time to do it and could do it, he a new father also. After we came up with what it was going to be, I called him. I went to his house, he showed me his olive trees, which were awesome. We went out to dinner, and we talked about it. I said what we had in mind, he was very excited. And then we did it.”

Season 9 of Suits will follow Harvey (Macht) and Donna (Sarah Rafferty) balance their relationship with work as they fight to salvage the firm’s tarnished reputation alongside their partners, Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman), Alex Williams (Dulé Hill), Katrina Bennett (Amanda Schull), and Samantha.

When Mike comes back in Episode 5, “he’s going to end up getting embroiled in a case against Harvey and Samantha,” Korsh said. “He doesn’t exactly know that Samantha is going to be involved when he comes back, but he does know Harvey is going to be. (A series of events get her involved in it also.)”

It won’t just be a battle, and there will be a balance, Korsh notes.

Ian Watson/USA Network

“What we tried to do with the case is, we want to have some fun scenes with Mike, we don’t want it to be all contentious. But we also didn’t want it to be just be no conflict, no contention,” Korsh said. “They are on opposite sides but it doesn’t get too testy for the first chunk of it, and then as it ratchets up, things get a little bit more heated. I won’t say how it ends but when it’s over, there’ve been one or two twists and turns in the case and there is more than meets the eye going on. But in addition to that, we try to get some fun scenes and some emotional scenes with Mike and the old gang. He will interact with more than Harvey and Samantha.”

Original cast members Adams and Markle left Suits at the end of Season 7 when their characters Mike and Rachel got married and moved away. When Mike comes back, will Rachel be referenced?

“Since they both left, If you take a look throughput season 8 and 9, people refer to both Mike and Rachel, even before he comes back. When he comes back, I do believe there is a little update on Rachel.”

Photo by: Ian Watson/USA Network

Would that update include Rachel and Mike having a baby?

“As of this moment no, we have not determined that they’ve had a baby, but you never know,” Korsh said.

Korsh did not confirm that Adams will return for the series finale but alluded to that when asked by Deadline.

“He leaves and we are not sure if he is going to be back or not after he leaves,” Korsh said. “He may or may not be back again. If you know the history of my answers to that question, I’m leading you down a certain answer.”

The table read for Episode 5 is slated to take place in about a week or so, with filming set to begin in mid to late June. Since committing to the episode, Adams signed on to star as John Glenn in Nat Geo’s upcoming series The Right Stuff, based on Tom Wolfe’s book. That won’t get in the way of Adams doing the Suits finale.

“He could still act as we need him towards the end of the season,” Korsh said.

But Adams’ commitment to the new series will prevent him from directing the penultimate ninth episode of the final season as previously planned. (Adams has directed four episodes of the show, including its 100th.)

“I am so happy for him for this other part but I’m also sad I won’t have Patrick directing 9,” Korsh said. “I really want it both for us and for him. He is a stellar director.”

USA

While Korsh has addressed this a number of times in the past, I asked whether there is any update in Markle possibly returning for a cameo in the final season.

“You never know,” Korsh said. “There is always a chance she is going to pick up the phone and call me and say can I come back, and if she did she would be welcome back her with arms wide open. But no, l don’t see that happening.”

Since wrapping his seven-season run on Suits, which earned him a SAG Award nomination, Adams has recurred on the third season of Amazon’s Sneaky Pete. He is repped by ICM Partners, Andy Corren Management and attorney Lev Ginsburg.

From UCP, Suits is executive produced by Korsh as well as Doug Liman, David Bartis and Gene Klein of Hypnotic. Genevieve Sparling, Ethan Drogin and Christopher Misiano also serve as executive producers.