From Harvey Specter trying to fix a mistake from the past to one last con to save the firm, Suits had a lot of great series finales. TV shows – especially the ones with several episodes per season and that run for many years – are known for saving the best for last and ending each season with major twists and cliffhangers. It was no different for Suits, a show that often had two main storylines per season that somewhat converged toward the end.

Although everyone has their list of Suits’ best episodes are actually season finales. Between betrayals and weddings, Suits knew how to close a season, although some finales were better than others.

9 Season 8, Episode 16

“Harvey”

As the first season without Mike, Rachel, and Jessica, Suits season 8 had the difficult mission of making audiences care about plenty of new character interactions. While the only major new character in season 8 was Samantha Wheeler, names like Robert Zane and Alex Williams were now more important than ever following all the Suits cast who left the show. It took a while for this “new Suits” to get going, which is why season 8, episode 16, “Harvey” is arguably the show’s least interesting series finale.

With Harvey risking being disbarred over breaking lawyer-client privilege, the partners at Specter Zane Litt had to make choices and compromises. While putting Harvey’s future in check could have been a fun way to build up tension, it was clear that he was going to be somewhat okay by the end of the season. After everything that had already happened with Mike and Jessica, Suits was obviously not going to have Harvey disbarred too. Robert Zane’s sacrifice was predictable, and it confirmed how season 8 had very low stakes.

8 Season 1, Episode 12

“Dog Fight”

While most episodes of Suits had to do with corporate law and million-dollar deals, “Dog Fight” revisited Harvey’s days at the DA's office as he tried to prove the innocence of a man he helped get convicted several years ago. This marked the introduction of Terrence Wolf, the new district attorney who did not want to play by Harvey’s rules. “Dog Fight” was a direct continuation of the previous episode, during which we started learning more about Harvey’s past as Assistant District Attorney.

Suits was the most streamed show of 2023, arriving on Netflix four years after the show concluded its run on USA Network.

For a show whose initial premise was all about Mike Ross, it’s interesting how Suits season 1 ended with a Harvey Specter character study. That said, Mike’s story also got some twists and turns, particularly after Trevor returned and found out that Mike and Jenny were dating. Seeking payback, Trevor, who knew Mike was not a lawyer, went to Pearson Hardman and told Jessica the truth about Harvey’s new associate. While “Dog Fight” was an okay episode overall, its ending raised the stakes for the show and set up an exciting season 2.

7 Season 6, Episode 16

“Character And Fitness”

After Mike was arrested, put on trial, and convicted in Suits season 5, it was difficult to imagine what else the show could do with his character that would feel as important. Perhaps one of the most disappointing aspects of Mike’s story in Suits was how easily he got out of jail, particularly after how season 5’s finale was all about him choosing to protect Harvey and the rest of the firm no matter what. Despite the two-year sentence at the end of season 5, Mike was out of jail before the midseason finale.

“Character and Fitness” was a well-executed episode, with Jessica’s sacrifice making it even better.

The only obstacle left for his character was ing the bar and becoming a real lawyer. Suits season 5 ended with a stressful trial where everything was at stake. Season 6 tried to recapture that magic, with Mike standing in front of the New York State Bar. Given how easy it had been for Mike to get out of jail, I found it difficult to even consider he was not going to become a lawyer by the end of the season. Still, “Character and Fitness” was a well-executed episode, with Jessica’s sacrifice making it even better.

6 Season 7, Episode 16

“Good-Bye”

Before Suits’ series finale, the show had its “first ending” when Patrick J. Adams and Meghan Markle left the cast at the end of season 7. “Good-Bye” feels like a series finale in almost every way, and it is not unfair to say that Suits could – or even should – have ended after Mike and Rachel got married. With Mike having now served his time and become a real lawyer, there was nothing else for his character to accomplish, with the only remaining storyline being what he and Rachel’s future was going to be like.

The problem with “Good-Bye” is that it was not only the conclusion to Mike and Rachel’s stories – it was also a backdoor pilot for the Jessica Pearson spinoff that was about to happen. For an episode that should have been focused on saying goodbye to the characters who were about to leave the show, “Good-Bye” had too much going on about it and barely spent time with Mike. Harvey spends most of the episode in Chicago, and Jessica does not even make it to the wedding.

5 Season 4, Episode 16

“Not Just A Pretty Face”

Suits’ flashback episodes were hit and miss, with some being far more interesting to watch than others. Fortunately, “Not Just a Pretty Face” was one of the good ones. To explain what is happening between Harvey and Charles Forstman in the present, “Not Just a Pretty Face” takes us back to Harvey’s final days at the DA’s office and reveals how he came to make a deal with the devil to help his brother. Harvey’s family matters were always a delicate part of his character, and it was always interesting to learn more about his past.

Harvey presumably met Ted Black, Stephen Amell's character from Suits: L.A., while working at the D.A.'s office.

“Not Just a Pretty Face” was one of the few flashback episodes in Suits where the flashback portion was actually more interesting than whatever was happening in the present. Still, Louis’ eulogy to Norma was very emotional, and Mike and Rachel getting engaged was a natural next step in their characters’ journeys. Suits season 4 ended with Donna quitting her position as Harvey’s secretary to work for Louis, echoing how, at the end of the flashbacks, she started working for Harvey after vouching they would never get together and would remain work partners only.

4 Season 2, Episode 16

“War”

Suits season 2’s main storyline was one of many battles for the fate of the firm, and it all led to Harvey’s arrangement with Darby to prevent the merger. This was the first time in Suits that Harvey openly acted against Jessica’s best interests, which, at the time, he judged were not the firm’s best interests. This made for one of the most interesting, high-stakes batch of episodes in Suits. To make things more complicated, Harvey brought Mike into the mess but was not expecting that Jessica would use her leverage on him.

Seeing Harvey and Jessica acting behind each other’s backs was a mixture of emotions, although it did make for a great finale. Additionally, the fact that Mike Ross essentially betrayed Harvey Specter by not telling him about Jessica’s threat made it all more dramatic. Suits’ seasons 2 and 3 were some of the show’s best, and one of the highlights of this “Derby saga” was precisely the season 2 finale. Harvey and Mike’s relationship came close to a breaking point and was only fixed later in season 3. This is also when Mike tells Rachel the truth.

3 Season 3, Episode 16

“No Way Out”

Mike was only exposed for his Harvad fraud midway through season 5, but that was not the first time he was arrested. In “No Way Out,” Mike is taken by the FBI under orders of Eric Woodwall, who believes he and Harvey tempered a witness to win the Ava Hessignton case. While Mike thinks at first that his secret has been exposed, he soon understands that Eric Woodwall is after Harvey. Mike would never sell out Harvey in a situation like that, but the fact that the FBI also had Harold made things more complicated.

Seeing Harvey and Louis both come to the rescue was a perfect conclusion to a great season.

Set almost entirely inside an interrogation room, “No Way Out” is not only one of the best Suits series finales but also one of the show’s greatest episodes in general. It does not waste time with B-plots and acknowledges how delicate Mike’s situation is. For three seasons, it seemed like Harvey and Mike were invincible, but “No Way Out” showed that this was not the case. Seeing Harvey and Louis both come to the rescue was a perfect conclusion to a great season.

2 Season 9, Episode 10

“One Last Con”

Ending a nine-season show that had a lot of highs and lows is not an easy task, but Suits’ series finale did it. With plenty of things to tackle and a lot of storylines to wrap up, “One Last Con” found the time to give each remaining character their time in the spotlight. Everyone got the ending they deserved, from Mike returning to help his best friend one more time to Harvey accepting that it was time for a change. Although there were two weddings and a baby’s birth, Suits’ series finale also had a classic case for Harvey and Mike to win.

The title “One Last Con” suited season 9’s finale perfectly, as it saw Harvey and Mike teaming up for the final time on the show. Their mission was now to stop Feye from destroying the firm – or at least what it represented – while also making sure that no one would get caught in the crossfire. Mike had to play both sides of the lawsuit, and it was nice to see how Suits’ “Batman and Robin” still knew how to work together. “One Last Con” was a beautiful sendoff for Suits.

1 Season 5, Episode 16

“25th Hour”

Suits had a lot of great characters and storylines, but the show’s original premise and biggest hook was Harvey Specter hiring someone who did not have a law degree as his junior associate. Suits played with Mike’s secret several times, and a lot of characters either came close to discovering it or did discover it. In fact, by the time he was arrested for fraud in season 5, episode 10, most Suits characters already knew Mike's secret.

Still, everything from the moment Mike was arrested to the conclusion of his trial in “25th Hour” was incredible and arguably the best portion of Suits. Mike and Harvey had won dozens of cases by that point, yet they were now facing their biggest challenge yet. Seeing how Harvey and Mike were ready to go to jail for the other added another layer to their friendship, with Mike’s sacrifice at the end cementing his character arc.