Suits: Sarah Rafferty Weighs In on Darvey's Uncertain Future

Suits has been playing the will-they-won't-they game with Harvey (Gabriel Macht) and Donna (Sarah Rafferty) since the beginning of the series, but it's reached new levels in the second half of Season 7. A game-changing kiss in the mid-season finale set them on a collision course that should decide once and for all if Donna and Harvey have what it takes to be together.

Most recently, Harvey gave up his most promising relationship yet with his former therapist Paula (Christina Cole) in order to keep Donna at the firm. It was the first time he's made such a personal sacrifice for Donna, but it didn't end with the passionate union fans have been hoping for. Instead, Donna invited Harvey into her apartment and he declined with a cryptic, "Not tonight."

TV Guide talked to Sarah Rafferty about these crazy mixed signals and what it means for "Darvey" heading into the rest of the season.

At the end of the last episode, Donna invited Harvey in for a drink. Was that strictly a "Hey let's get back on track" drink or was it a "Let's talk about us being more" drink?
Sarah Rafferty: That is precisely the ambiguity that was intended, in the way we were directed in that scene. And I was actually surprised that that's what they wanted it to be. I think my answer to you is, it was probably both, but in that typical Darvey way, where they think they mean one thing, and maybe their subconscious means another. I think when Donna asked the question, she saw her friend in pain, and it was the thing to do, to say, "I'll stay up till 4 in the morning if you want to talk about your girlfriend. We can talk about what's going on with you, we can do tea, whatever." But I do think that there's always that element of, what Donna and Harvey aren't actually telling themselves about how they feel.

After the kiss, Donna was sort of very adamant that she felt nothing, but Harvey said that he did feel something before he went on his whole rage spiral. Does the fact that he felt something sort of change how she perceives the kiss, now?
Rafferty: I think she was caught up in that moment, that panicked moment -- her conversation with Mike and her conversation with Louis, that led up to that kiss. She was really shaken about, well, what are my feelings? And questioning it. And she thought she needed to check in on it. And then again, she didn't feel what she thought she was going to feel. It didn't move, it didn't shake the earth for her. Or at least that's how she perceived it.

I believe that she thinks she's telling the truth when she does that, but again, she does have a subconscious, that she's not aware of, operating. I think that they both go through these ebbs and flows. I think that that might be why this is such a slow burn, is that they have moments when they feel something, and they have moments when they don't feel anything, which just seems kind of human.

Suits: Did Donna's Kiss Ruin Any Chance of "Darvey" Happening?

What does it mean to Donna that he finally put her first, after she's been doing it for him for so many years?
Rafferty: I think, obviously it means a lot to her. That's exactly what she said to him in that scene. She said, "I want you to put me first like I've been putting you first for years." You know? With tears flowing down her face. That betrayal that he committed by having Stu Buzzini offer her a job -- that was really painful for her. So look, who doesn't want to get picked? It's nice to get picked. But I think she carries a tremendous amount of guilt, too, that she maybe, that she kind of broke that relationship up. And I personally, as an actress, am bummed about it because I've got to tell you, I loved working with Christina Cole. I hope there's some way that she can come back.

The kiss already complicated their working relationship. How long is it going to take before we can see them sort of have that almost borderline psychic connection, again?
Rafferty: Shortly, like within a couple of episodes. And then by the end of the season, they're totally connected. I mean, you've probably seen pictures from the finale, they're dancing with each other. They're in each other's arms, they're truly partners, as we leave Season 7, and we know we're going to move forward with them as a team, which is great, I think. Which is how it should be, as we move forward.

You know, I think you zeroed in on the fact that Harvey admitted that he felt something. And I think, again, that that plays into Donna's sense of responsibility and sense of guilt, a little bit. But that she knows she made a mistake doing that, and so she's going to try to be the best partner to him, moving forward. And partner really is ... It doesn't seem to have enough gravitas for what they have. I mean, they have a really messy, complicated partnership. We can't ever really put our finger on it. It's always moving, I think, moment to moment.

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Well, since the kiss didn't shake the earth for Donna, is there a chance that we could see Jay Harrington return to the show?
Rafferty: I tweeted that, two nights ago. And Jean Klein, one of our producers, favorited it or something. And I was like, "Maybe they're listening to me!" Yes, more Jay Harrington. I think that would be great. Wouldn't that be fun?...I would love Jay Harrington to come back. I had so much fun working with him. And I still appreciated seeing that side of Donna, that loneliness come up and confusion...Donna and Mark really were good together, it seemed.

I definitely thought they were. I was like, if she's not going to be with Harvey, then this is the guy that I can approve of.
Rafferty: Yes, me too. I wholeheartedly agree.

Suits continues Wednesdays at 9/8c on USA.