Reacher Character Return Makes It Better Than Book

The Intricate Plan and the Return of a Season 1 Character

Reacher season 2 controversially marks the return of a season 1 character, which surprisingly makes the show better than the books in one way. In Reacher season 2's episode 4, Jack Reacher and his team formulate an intricate plan to interrogate Senator Lavoy's legislative director, David Boyd, to get to the bottom of the mysteries behind the murders of their former team members. Although the show initially avoids revealing the details of their plan, Alan Ritchson's Reacher hints that one of his old friends is involved in their plan.

Malcolm Goodwin as Finlay in Amazon's Reacher-1

When David questions whether his friend is reliable, Reacher pays the highest compliment to him by saying that he would have recruited him in the 110th Special Investigations Unit if he had been with them in the military. This establishes that the friend Reacher is referring to could be a season 1 character. When the show finally reveals the friend Reacher was talking about, it turns out to be a season 1 character whose appearance in season 2 is controversial but beneficial for the series.

Finlay returns in Reacher season 2

Finlay's Season 2 Return Adds More Layers To Reacher's Characterization

Finlay's Reacher season 2 return is controversial because the show's primary selling point has always been its loyalty to its source material. By marking the return of a season 1 character, Reacher season 2 risks drifting a little too far from Lee Child's Bad Luck and Trouble. However, Reacher season 2 surprisingly portrays Finlay's return in such a way that it adds more layers to Jack Reacher's characterization without compromising the essence of the original Lee Child novel. Without making him appear needy or less badass, it portrays how characters like Finlay are naturally drawn to Reacher because of his altruism.

Finlay and Reacher in Reacher season 2

As seen in Reacher season 1's prison arc, Jack Reacher helps people without expecting anything in return. Even in season 2's opening sequence, he does something similar by saving a woman and her child from a carjacker without letting anyone notice his act of heroism. After arriving in Margrave in season 1, he even helps Roscoe and Finlay get to the bottom of their town's mysteries solely because he has a strong sense of justice. By marking Finlay's return in season 2, Amazon's Reacher highlights how Jack Reacher's helpfulness is so contagious that people from his past cannot help but be there for him when he needs them.

Willa Fitzgerald as Roscoe, Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher, and Malcolm Goodwin as Finlay in Reacher

Finlay's Season 2 Return Means Other Reacher Characters Can Reappear In Future Seasons

In his books, Lee Child describes Jack Reacher as a drifter who enjoys the transient nature of his relationships. Owing to this, he rarely runs into people from his past. This made it challenging for the Amazon series to reinstate season 1's characters in season 2, even though audiences had grown attached to Roscoe and Finlay. By making Finlay return in season 2, Amazon's Reacher has proven that it can still bring back old characters without changing how Lee Child described the main character in the books. By striking the right balance between satisfying the audience's desire for familiar faces and accurately portraying Jack Reacher's nomadic lifestyle, Reacher has established that even season 2's characters like Karla, David, and Neagley can return in the future seasons.

Reacher season 2 Malcolm Goodwin Finlay