Spoilers are ahead for Reacher season 1.
Amazon Prime Video’s Reacher can’t bring back Finlay and Roscoe without completely changing Lee Child’s books — or deviating wildly from the source material. Based on Child’s debut novel Killing Floor, Reacher season 1 centers on Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson), a former U.S. Army military police officer. A drifter in his post-Army days, Reacher ends up in the fictional town of Margrave, Georgia, where he’s arrested for committing a murder. Soon enough, Jack teams up with Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin), Margrave’s police captain and chief detective, and Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald), another member of the Margrave PD.
Together, the Reacher season 1 characters investigate what turns out to be a department-wide corruption scandal — one that even implicates local politicians and business people. Part of what made the show’s first outing such a surprise hit was the chemistry between Reacher, Finlay, and Roscoe; in an action-crime series, that kind of rapport goes a long way. That said, in the wake of the show’s first installment, viewers wondered if Finlay and Roscoe would return in Reacher season 2. Given that Reacher never stays in one place too long in Child’s book series, it’s not likely that he’ll team up with Finlay or Roscoe in season 2.
Roscoe & Finlay’s Book Roles Don’t Allow For A Reacher TV Show Return
In Reacher season 1’s ending, Finlay decides to move back to Boston and, much like Jack, leave Margrave, Georgia in his rearview mirror. Roscoe, on the other hand, puts more roots down in the small town; she gives Reacher her phone number, hinting at a potential future between the two, but she also outlines her plan to run for mayor. Clearly, Roscoe feels a measure of responsibility when it comes to getting Margrave back on its feet post-corruption scandal. Unlike Jack Reacher, she’s happy to settle down. While Amazon’s take on Reacher keeps the door open to Roscoe and Finlay’s returns, it still seems to be an unlikely move.
Bad Luck and Trouble, the Reacher season 2 book that serves as the sophomore outing’s source material, doesn’t feature Finlay or Roscoe. In fact, sparks fly between Reacher and his ex-teammate Dixon, leaving little room for Roscoe to return in a romantic-interest capacity. While Bad Luck and Trouble‘s premise follows the series’ typical murder mystery format, it takes Jack Reacher’s story in a new direction, far from Margrave, Georgia. Instead of getting mixed up in a random series of crimes, Reacher finds himself at the center of a string of murders that are targeting members of his former military police unit, creating a much more personal season 2.
Why Amazon’s Reacher Could Still Bring Back Roscoe & Finlay
Even though Reacher season 2 trades its small-town setting and cast of characters for fresh elements, Amazon’s adaptation of Lee Child’s popular series could still bring back Roscoe and Finlay. Reacher showrunner Nick Santora hasn’t ruled a return out entirely. “If there was a way to organically have them somehow pop in once in a while into Reacher’s life, wonderful,” Santora told Collider. “But we’re not gonna force anything.” Given that Reacher is up against someone who’s murdering his former squad-mates, he could turn to his season 1 pals for help — or even just to chat. After all, Roscoe did make sure Jack had her phone number.
Reacher Season 2 Is Better Off Sticking To The Books On Roscoe & Finlay
If Reacher brings back Roscoe, it’d be a mistake, as there’s really no place for her in the Bad Luck and Trouble narrative. That is, Reacher gets caught up in a new romance, while Roscoe is busy running for mayor of Margrave. Even Roscoe giving Reacher her phone number isn’t much evidence of a return; she does the same thing in Child’s book, but never crops up again. Similarly, Finlay, who’s back in Boston, just wouldn’t fit naturally into the new storyline. While it would be great to see both fan-favorite characters return to the screen, it wouldn’t be worthwhile if they were shoehorned in to Reacher season 2.
The first three episodes of Reacher season 2 premiere on Amazon Prime Video on December 15, 2023.
