Reacher Season 2's Fourth Episode Brings Back A Fan-Favorite Character
This post contains spoilers for "Reacher" season 2, episode 4.
When Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) first arrives in Margrave in the pilot of "Reacher," he meets Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin), the Chief Detective of the Margrave Police Department, who is investigating the same murder case Reacher wants to solve. Sporting wildly contrasting philosophies, Reacher and Finlay do not get along too well initially but decide to become allies throughout the series, with Finlay coming in clutch and saving Reacher heroically towards the end. As Finlay is one of the few characters who maintain a deep bond with Reacher, fans anticipated his return in the newest season, despite the narrative's massive time jump and the decision to adapt "Bad Luck and Trouble", the 11th book in the "Jack Reacher" series.
"Reacher" season 2, episode 4 deepens the shadow of doubt surrounding Tony Swan (Shannon Kook), one of Reacher's colleagues who served in the 110th Special Investigations Unit several years ago. Apart from Neagley (Maria Sten), Reacher is also reunited with ex-110th members Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan) and David O'Donnell (Shaun Sipos), who band together to get to the bottom of the death of their friend, Calvin Franz (Luke Bilyk). With the prospect of Swan's involvement in the murder and a larger conspiracy, the group finds themselves in a tight spot, although they're soon able to get a valuable lead thanks to the help of an old friend.
The friend in question is Finlay, who reveals that he has resumed his career as a Private Detective, as retirement did not suit him, which explains how he was able to help out Reacher and O'Donnell. This is a pivotal moment in the episode, as it allows Reacher to connect with someone he has a history with while allowing the plot to progress organically.
With a little help from Reacher's friends
In an exclusive interview with /Film, "Reacher" showrunner Nick Santora told us about the possibility of familiar faces from season 1 returning in the latest season, stating that he is "a huge fan" of revisiting characters who helped flesh out Reacher throughout his journey and is willing to break canon just a tiny bit to further enrich Reacher as a character:
"I would be a huge fan of that. [...] I think we should at some point. They were just too good. We're building a world here, and although this is an anthology, to be able to remind the audience that this is a real journey that he's taken and there are some people that are still there, I think could be a lot of fun. Yeah, I hope we can do that at some point."
Santora succeeds in integrating Finlay into this new case without relying on plot contrivances, positioning him as a last resort that allows Reacher to impersonate a federal officer to retrieve the intel he needs. Senator Lavoy (Noam Jenkins) is revealed to be involved with a secret weapons project named Littlewing, directly connecting him to the covert operations conducted by New Age, with Reacher questioning his right-hand man for valuable leads related to the operation.
While Dixon tricks the guy into snorting cocaine, Finlay is the one who makes the arrest to apply appropriate pressure on him, allowing Reacher and O'Donnell to pose as feds and learn about New Age's facilities containing the dangerous weapons technology poised for transfer into the wrong hands. While the reveal is serious and puts further pressure on Reacher to act quickly, his reunion with Finlay is a welcome moment of respite during a time marked with danger and acute loss.
Will more characters from Reacher season 1 return?
After Reacher and O'Donnell successfully dupe Lavoy's right-hand man, Reacher speaks to Finlay fondly, and the two engage in some playful banter. Finlay had initially retired after serving the Boston Police Department for 20 years but eventually decided that his time on the field was worth pursuing after all. Neagley and Finlay also exchange some playful jabs, with Reacher commenting on Finlay's preference for tweed suits — a callback to the time when he removed his tweed ensemble to take out the bad guys in Margrave, so as to not spill blood on his favorite suit. While Finlay offers to further assist his old friend, Reacher relays his gratitude for the help he has already provided, stating that it is more than enough for the time being.
Finlay's return also sets the stage for other characters crossing paths with Reacher again, such as Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald), whom he had decided to leave behind in Margrave to continue with his nomadic lifestyle birthed from a non-negotiable code of solitude that helps him do his job well. While Reacher has a new love interest this season (with Dixon helping him navigate his emotional vulnerabilities), Roscoe could easily turn up at some point this season and help Reacher crack the case.
Even if Roscoe is unable to return in season 2, there are countless other stories to be told, as Reacher's journey as a one-man unit and a passionate upholder of moral righteousness is far from over. There is still hope that Roscoe and Reacher might reunite and find solace in their shared sense of nostalgia while moving forward in their respective avenues in life.
The first four episodes of "Reacher" season 2 are currently streaming on Prime Video.