Suits closed the deal on Harvey (Gabriel Macht) and Donna (Sarah Rafferty).
In the long-running legal drama’s series finale, Louis (Rick Hoffman) and Sheila’s (Rachael Harris) wedding ended abruptly when Sheila’s water broke and she was rushed to the hospital. While Louis and Sheila were at the hospital, everyone else hung back at the wedding venue. During that time, Harvey, ever the gambler, spontaneously proposed to Donna and the two of them decided to get married right then and there. It was the moment Suits fans — especially Darvey lovers — have been waiting ages for.
That wasn’t the only big move for Darvey, though. As part of the deal to get Faye Richardson to leave the firm, Harvey decided to quit, move to Seattle, and work with his protégé Mike (Patrick J. Adams). After years of working for the man, Harvey was ready to give up the corporate law firm life and use his willingness to do whatever it takes to win to benefit those less fortunate. Of course, his new wife agreed to follow him there. Meanwhile, Louis, Samantha (Katherine Heigl), Alex (Dulé Hill), and Katrina (Amanda Schull) were left to run the firm.
Below, Macht and Rafferty share their thoughts on some of their biggest moments in the finale.
On Harvey and Donna’s impromptu engagement and wedding
GABRIEL MACHT: I think Harvey always subconsciously knew [Donna was the one]. With his mother’s passing and him telling her, “Look, she’s the one,” I think the ring in the envelope was sort of the symbol to basically s— or get off the pot. He realized this is the moment. I think it was a surprise for him. He lives on the edge, as he has been for years, and when Louis and Sheila have now gone to the hospital to deliver, this is his moment to make things exciting. It was going to happen at some point, so let’s make it a surprising double whammy. I think that’s what the writers did and the fans will be quite surprised.
SARAH RAFFERTY: I thought it was just such a lovely, organic way for them to publicly pledge themselves to each other. I’ve always said I never really thought of Donna as a big white wedding kind of girl, like someone who has been planning her wedding in her head forever, so this seemed like this a really way to do it. There was something really beautiful about it being spontaneous. It was just great that Mike was there, and even that the proposal happened right there in front of him. I loved that.
On their lovely and reflective vows
MACHT: Harvey really sums up his journey with Donna [in his vows]. It was a great culmination of challenges he’s been through and what he has seen that he’s needed in his life. I love that if you go back nine years, you’ve seen a real beginning and an end as far as his arc is concerned; this guy who kept his emotions real tight. He never let them out and always thought that if he was vulnerable, it was weakness. Through the years, he’s learned, more so from Mike and from Donna, that sharing your feelings and getting in touch with your feelings and knowing who you are allows you to enjoy life, you don’t have to live so far on the edge, and having the highs and lows of all the events of your life. I hope the fans can recognize that in themselves and relate to that — vulnerability is an absolute strength.
RAFFERTY: I loved the part, “Even if I have 100 years, I’ll never have enough with you.” I thought that was so beautiful and bold to say as we were running out of time playing these characters. We had very little time left making this show, but then thinking they’ll be together forever [in] spirit in our minds. I think it’s so lovely. Yeah, I thought it was great.
On Harvey and Donna’s decision to move to Seattle
MACHT: It’s a great bookend to have Mike interview Harvey at the end, to go through some the same lines. Look, Mike could remember. He’s got a photographic memory. But the idea that these guys would remember word for word what they said to each other nine years ago makes me laugh. As far as the story goes, I think, again, the fans always wanted to see Mike and Harvey, basically Butch and Sundance, get back together and do what they do best. I think that Harvey recognizes that it’s time. He’s done enough of the corporate deals, he’s worked for the man for many, many years, and now he wants to work for the everyman. Harvey has always had the best intentions of what’s just, and that’s why he’s always really believed in Mike, because he relates to him in that way. So I think it was the right idea for him to move to Seattle.
RAFFERTY: In my imagination, Donna’s not moving away because she got the guy and that’s the end of her journey. Donna’s done everything she can at the firm and is leaving them in a great place. She even witnesses them celebrating as she’s leaving. I see that last moment as she’s walking through that she’s walking into her future, where she has a lot of career aspirations still to conquer. Those are alive and well, and Donna’s of course going to support her husband and friends at the firm, but I can imagine that she’s going to possibly go back to being an entrepreneur and have a lot of independent career things happen to her as she takes on this new chapter. She’s definitely going to continue to be a breadwinner.
On Donna and Louis’ heartfelt goodbye and elevator moment
RAFFERTY: I even called Aaron [Korsh, the showrunner] to say I’m concerned about her leaving Louis. Like, how is that going to make sense? That’s such a huge betrayal. Then when I read the scene where he says, “But you said you’d always be there for me!” and she said, “I meant we’d be there as long as you needed us, and you don’t need us anymore,” I thought that was such an economical and beautiful way to address that concern that I had in such an honest way, because it is so wonderful that Louis has everything he wants by the end of the show. As a fan that made me really happy, and as the person who plays Donna, who is Louis’ best friend, that makes me happy. So that was a win-win.
[The scene in which Donna and Louis hold hands in the elevator] was the like the second-hardest thing I had to do when were shooting. I had said to Rick a few days before we shot that, “You realize that the last time we’re ever on screen on Suits after a nearly a decade is together?” I was really moved by that, and I was really happy. I was thrilled that was my last moment on Suits and I was sharing it with my friend Rick, and that our characters were sharing that moment together.
On what Rafferty will miss the most about playing Donna
RAFFERTY: I will miss wearing her clothes, for sure. I will miss walking around in the shoes of a woman who is so deeply and authentically unapologetic for who she is, somebody who knows her value and has such incredible emotional IQ that she uses as her superpower and contributes to every professional and personal situation. I really loved how feminine she was and is, even down to her clothes. I joke about the clothes, but she was really feminine and that was her strength. She was never trying to keep up with the men in a man’s world. She was her own woman in her own world. It rearranged my molecules in a very special way, and I’ll miss it and I’ll always carry it with me.
