Harvey and Donna’s Secret Can Opener Ritual in Suits, Explained at Last
A ritual left unexplained
The can opener and thumbtacks first appeared as a running gag in Suits’ first season. Harvey and Donna had been doing the ritual before their time in the corporate law world, but the show never depicts what they actually do.
The mystery helped define the pair’s romantically tense friendship. Their earlier ritual involved whipped cream, but they stopped using it after spending a night together. Some viewers wondered whether the can opener routine also had a sexual explanation, though the show offered no such answer.
A random diner choice
Season 3, episode 6 reveals how the pair settled on the can opener. After deciding they needed a new ritual, Harvey took one from a nearby waitress at a diner. The choice was spontaneous, with no deeper significance given for the object.
That scene explains the can opener’s origin, but not how it became part of their pre-trial routine. The thumbtacks are also left unexplained, so the central question remains open.
A possible purpose emerges
One theory is that Harvey used the can opener as an audience while practicing opening statements. In season 9, episode 9, “Thunder Away,” Donna tells him to practice his statement on her rather than on the can opener.
The scene makes the theory plausible, but it does not confirm what the pair did during their earlier ritual. The routine itself is never shown on screen.
The mystery stays intact
Suits creator Aaron Korsh took responsibility for leaving the ritual unexplained when viewers raised the question on Twitter. The article says he stood by the creative decision, with the mystery considered more satisfying left unresolved.
The unexplained detail drew fresh attention as Suits gained popularity on Netflix in the 2020s. Even after the show ended in 2019, viewers continued to ask about Harvey and Donna’s peculiar pre-trial habit.
Key points
- Harvey chose the can opener at random in a diner after the whipped-cream ritual ended.
- The show never reveals what Harvey and Donna do with the can opener and thumbtacks.
- A season 9 scene suggests the can opener may have been used to practice statements.
- Creator Aaron Korsh stood by leaving the ritual unexplained.