Warning: Major spoilers for Reacher season 2 episode “A Night at the Symphony” below!
Reacher episode 4’s game-changing cameo is proof that the show’s missing characters should return. Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books follow a fairly simple formula; Reacher arrives in a new city/town, gets roped into a mystery, meets some new friends, kills the bad guys and then moves on. That’s oversimplifying things, of course, but nearly all the novels follow this pattern to some degree. This formula helps keep the series fresh, as Reacher is always meeting new characters and threats, but it doesn’t leave room for fan favorites to return. In fact, outside of Neagley – played by Maria Sten in the Amazon series – there are very few returning characters.
Audiences learned that the hard way because after Reacher’s season 1 finale aired, it was confirmed neither Roscoe (Willa Fitzgerald) nor Finley (Malcolm Goodwin) would be returning. These characters only appeared in the first Reacher novel Killing Floor, so it made sense they wouldn’t be coming back. That said, Fitzgerald and Goodwin were both a major part of what made the first season work, and viewers had grown to love the chemistry they shared with Alan Ritchson’s title character. However, it appeared the showrunners were committed to following Child’s storytelling style.
Reacher Season 2 Cast & Character Guide
Season 2 of the Amazon Prime Video series Reacher features many new cast members – read on to learn more about every new and returning character.
Finlay’s Cameo Is The Highlight Of Reacher Season 2 So Far
Malcolm Goodwin makes a guest appearance in episode 4
During season 2’s “A Night at the Symphony,” Reacher and his “Special Investigators” teammates from the 110th needed to talk with the legislative director to a senator. To do so, they needed help to fake an arrest, so Reacher called upon his old pal Finlay for help. It’s a genuine shock to see Goodwin suddenly turn up, as his appearance in season 2 had been kept a surprise. Finlay only appears in three scenes, and it doesn’t seem like the character will return again in season 2.
While season 2 has been doing a great job developing new protagonists like O’Donnell (Shane Sipos) or Dixon (Serinda Swan), Roscoe and Finlay are still missed. Not only was the latter’s cameo organic to the story, but it’s clear he and Ritchson still share the same chemistry they had during the first season. Finlay’s surprise appearance is already a Reacher season 2 highlight, and while likely renew calls for Willa Fitzgerald to return.
Finlay’s Return Proves Reacher Needs Him & Roscoe
That CAN’T be the last viewers see of Finlay
With the Finlay cameo, the showrunners were clearly testing the water to see if returning characters could work. Finlay doesn’t appear at all in Bad Luck and Trouble – the novel the second season is adapting – and the response to Goodwin’s cameo will no doubt be rapturous. It says a lot that Reacher would trust Finlay so completely he would ask for his help on the New Age case, even if they hadn’t seen each other in years. Finlay and Reacher say goodbye in Goodwin’s final scene, and while he offers to help some more, Reacher refuses.
It would be great to see Finlay join in for the rest of season 2, but Reacher wouldn’t risk placing him in danger. It would be a real shame if this genuinely is the last audiences see Finlay, and hopefully means a future series will reunite Reacher with Finlay, Roscoe or perhaps both. Alongside his 110th colleagues, Roscoe and Finlay are the two people Reacher trusts the most in the world, so if he genuinely needed help, they are the ones he would turn to.
How Finlay & Roscoe Can Be Involved In Reacher Season 2 (& Beyond)
Could Roscoe return in season 2 as well?
While Finlay’s last scene in episode 4 very much looks like a farewell, there’s a chance he could still reappear. There are four episodes left, and Reacher or the 110th may still need police assistance with no questions asked. While Finlay’s appearance feels nicely woven into the story, it would be trickier to explain a Roscoe cameo. Reacher may still have her phone number, but he wouldn’t risk placing her in danger. There’s also little reason she would travel from Margrave in Georgia down to New York either.
Roscoe probably won’t cameo in Reacher season 2, but she and Finlay could always return for the next series. Reacher season 3 has already been greenlit by Amazon, so whichever novel it adapts, maybe Finlay or Roscoe could fill in for a pre-existing character. Hopefully, the showrunners won’t force a return for the sake of pleasing fans, but now they’ve opened the door to returnees with Finlay’s cameo, it would be a shame not to explore the possibilities. Assuming they survive the season, maybe Dixon or O’Donnell could pop again too.
Reacher season 2 drops new episodes every Friday on Amazon Prime Video.
Reacher
- Genres
- Drama , Crime , Action
- Season List
- Reacher – Season 1 , Reacher – Season 2
- Streaming Service(s)
- Amazon Prime Video
- Franchise(s)
- Jack Reacher
