Who died in Suits season 9 and how is it important for the show? Details explored

Suits is considered one of the most popular courtroom drama series' ever created with characters like Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle), and Donna Paulsen (Sarah Rafferty) propelling the show to extraordinary fame.

The series ran for a total of nine seasons, with the final season aired on the USA Network in 2019. Suits regained its mass popularity after the streaming service Netflix added it to their library. The final season of Suits arrived on Netflix on July 1, 2024 (it was previously exclusive to only Peacock).

The final season of Suits concluded the series on a bitter note, tying up the loose ends of several major characters. However, one of the major deaths on Season of Suits was that of Harvey Specter's mother, Lily (Brynn Thayer). Harvey had a difficult relationship with his mother, which was hinted at throughout the series. The final season finally saw the rifts between the two heal. The death of Lily, loomed large on Harvey who lamented not mending their relationship earlier.

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How did Lily die in Season 9 of Suits?

Lily Specter made her appearance on the show in Season 5. A flashback finally portrays the tense relationship between Harvey and his mother. The flashback showed Harvey coming face-to-face with his mother during his father's funeral. Although Harvey's brother tried to ease the tension between them, he still held a grudge against her for repeatedly cheating on his father.

Tensions eased up between Harvey and Lily in Season 6 of Suits when Donna urged Harvey to take steps toward mending their relationship. Lily apologized to Harvey for her actions, which led to a significant change in their relationship. By the end of Season 9, Harvey and Lily had reconciled, as Harvey worked through the issues of his mother's infidelity during his childhood years. Donna was the one who pushed Harvey towards repairing the relationship with his mother.

However, the final episode of Suits Season 9 witnessed the sudden death of Lily Specter. She succumbed to a surprise heart attack. The finale sees Harvey finally reconcile with his mother. Upon her death, he laments that if they had made up earlier, their relationship might have been much better. The death of Lily Specter gives the victory of Harvey's forgiveness a very melancholy undertone.

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How does Lily Specter's death impact the series?

The death of Lily Specter impacts Harvey significantly, as he goes through a traumatic chapter following a joyful reconciliation with his mother. Lily's funeral prompts the return of the iconic Mike Ross for the series finale.

Mike Ross returns to stand by his friend during his time of grief. Mike also partners up with Samantha (Katherine Heigl) to fight a wrongful termination suit against Faye Richardson (Denise Crosby). This ends up pitting Mike and Samantha against Harvey and Louis since Faye asks them to represent her.

Lily's death came at a difficult time for Harvey as he is pitted against his friend and firm partner Samantha in a legal case. This in turn sees Harvey and Mike conduct a final 'con' to get Faye to step down from the position of a partner at the firm. However, the conclusion also sees Harvey leaving the firm (as part of a deal with Faye).

Lily's death also brought a major realization within Harvey as he ends up proposing marriage to Donna. He realized how Donna was the person who helped Harvey mend his relationship with his mother, prompting him to get married to her by the end of the season.

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Suits Season 9 is currently available for streaming on Netflix.