Meghan Markle exited from Suits leaving quite a mark in the history of that show. She was Rachel Zane and had left when her personal life began to take more prominence. This article talks about “what season did Meghan Markle leave Suits,” meaning this goes into detail and sheds light on her role, reasons for leaving, and what it brought about for her character and the show.
When Does Rachel Leave Suits?
Rachel Zane leaves Suits at the closing of Season 7 Episode 16 named ‘Good-Bye’. This episode is also the final episode for both Rachel and Mike Ross when they elope to Seattle for their wedding.
The episode is quite touching emotionally and dramatic as it marks the conclusion of the story of Rachel and Mike while the fates of the remaining characters open future possibilities at the firm.
Why Did Meghan Markle Leave Suits?
Meghan Markle had to quit her show Suits since she got engaged with Prince Harry in late 2017. Newfound Royal duties as well as her new title, the Duchess of Sussex meant she could not pursue her acting career any longer.
Markle also came out to thank fans for their support while on the series Suits and called it a dream job. In an interview, she stated:
I’ve been working on it for seven years, and I think I did a great job and am proud of what I contributed there. But now it’s time for a new chapter in my life …
Meghan Markle in Suits
Meghan Markle portrayed the role of Rachel Zane, one of the most important protagonists in Suits. Here is some information about the character:
- Character Information: Rachel Zane is a paralegal who works in the big law firm Pearson Hardman, later known as Pearson Specter.
- Love Life: She had significant relationships with both Harvey Specter, the actor Gabriel Macht, and Mike Ross, that of Patrick J. Adams.
- Career Development: Rachel was under considerable development, and in fact, one of the biggest plotlines is in how she became a lawyer.
At What Point in the Series Did Meghan Markle Depart Suits?
The key point here is, what season did Meghan Markle leave Suits? Meghan Markel left Suits after Season 7, specifically Episode 10 better known as the ‘The Wedding’ which aired in April 2018.
Key Points:
| Exit Episode | “The Wedding” (Season 7, Episode 10). |
| Exit Reason | Meghan Markle left to concentrate on her royal duties soon after promise to Harry. |
| Final Episode | Rachel Zane, played by Meghan Markle gets married to Mike Ross and jets out of Seattle with him. |
In Which Season Did Meghan Markle Leave The Operative Series Suits?
| Season | Episode | Title of Episode | Character’s Departure Reason |
| Season 7 | Episode 10 | The wedding | Meghan Markle left to focus on royal duties after her engagement to Prince Harry. |
Factors For Meghan Markle’s Departure
Several things were mainly responsible for Meghan Markle’s exit from Suits:
- Engagement to Prince Harry: Markel became engaged to Prince Harry in November 2017. After this announcement, her existence was wholly conquered by the expectations of being a royal.
- Wedding: There was a wedding in May 2018 which the two had to focus on and that was a wedding that proved to be the introduction of Meghan into her new office, the office of the Duchess of Sussex.
- Focus on Charity: Meghan went to do royal work, which was concerned more about charity and public service than acting.
- Natural End to the Story of Rachel Zane: A suitable way out was crafted by the writers for the character of Rachel Zane. Her character was written out to relocate with the character Mike Ross to Seattle, a storyline that parallelized changes in Meghan’s life away from film.
Impact of Meghan Markle’s Departure on Suits
There were quite a number of effects brought about by the departure of Meghan Markle in Suits apart from the loss of the character. This includes changes in the show as a whole.
1.The Finishing of Rachel’s Story
- Character Development: Rachel’s narrative especially her love life with Mike Ross has been the major focus in the series. It was time for the story to reach its inevitable conclusion with the actress’s departure.
- The exit of Mike and Rachel: It was plausible to think that because both Mike and Rachel had left the company and relocated to Seattle, it was a clean slate for the characters.
2. Changes in the Dynamics of Characters
- In the absence of Rachel Zane, the show shifted almost all its attention to the other main characters such as Harvey Specter, Louis Litt, and Donna Paulsen.
- This goes on with the legal drama, yet in the absence of Rachel and Mike there was less emotional drama since their love affair and personal backgrounds were not as much explored.
The Royal Engagement and the Post Suits Phase
After switching from Suits, Meghan Markle’s life completely transformed. Here’s detail, what followed:
- Being engaged to Prince Harry: Meghan Markle received engagement from Prince Harry in the end of the year 2017, two celebs received media explosion.
- Wedding: The wedding of Meghan Markel and Prince Harry took place in May 2018 and attracted worldwide attention and also was shot a month after she left Suits.
- The Transition Into The Royal Position: When Meghan became Duchess of Sussex, she was involved in charity events as well as performing royal duties when on the side of Prince Harry.
- California’s Move: As of early 2020, Meghan and Harry chose to disengage from their formal responsibilities as royals and moved to California instead, where they engaged in personal endeavours.
Meghan Markle’s Post-Suits Timeline
| Year | Event |
| 2017 | Engagement to Prince Harry |
| 2018 | Exit from Suits and wedding to Prince Harry |
| 2018 | Marries Prince Harry in May |
| 2020 | Stepped back from royal duties, moved to California |
Effects on Other Cast Members
- Patrick J. Adams (Mike Ross): Patrick, who stars opposite Meghan Markle, also exited the series during Season 7. His exit just like Meghan’s caused a very notable shift in the relationships on the set of Suits. The rest of the actors in turn had to acclimatise themselves to the works minus two of the key characters in the series.
- Gabriel Macht (Harvey Specter): Harvey Specter, who was among the major characters of the series, had to contain the emotional, and the professional, and many other storylines in the absence of Rachel and Mike even though the storyline still continued to revolve around him.
Conclusions: What Season Did Meghan Markle Leave Suits?
Meghan Markle exited the show in Season 7 post the 10th episode of the series entitled ‘The Wedding’. This was around the year 2018 when her engagement with Prince Harry was making her the centre of attraction for her royal responsibilities. That episode was the beginning of the end for the series. While this gave closure to the character of Rachel Zane, especially after the events in the previous season, this also meant that there was a new phase which would revolve around Meghan Markle.
What season did Meghan Markle leave Suits? Season 7, and her leaving the show not only affected the audience’s exposure to the plots but also made it possible for Meghan to engage more with her royal duties, thus pulling her out of the acting career.
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