Reacher season 2 is taking a gamble by not bringing back any of the key supporting cast from season 1, which might make or break the show. Amazon's Reacher rebooted the franchise following the Tom Cruise movies and took the property right back to its roots by adapting the original Reacher book Killing Floor. The series was a huge success for the streamer, with Ritchson receiving praise for bringing the hulking avenger to life. Vital as Ritchson was, Willa Fitzgerald's Roscoe and Malcolm Goodwin's Finlay were key to season 1's success too.
Not only did they flesh out their novel counterparts, but they also shared great chemistry with Reacher and helped humanize him. In creating the character, author Lee Child designed Reacher as something of a nomad who is always moving from town to town. This worked for the books as it always kept the cast of characters fresh, but for Reacher season 2, this presents a unique issue. Roscoe and Finlay were so well-received that viewers are already disappointed they won't be coming back for season 2, which adapts the eleventh book Bad Luck and Trouble.
Reacher Season 2's Biggest Risk MUST Pay Off
Reacher season 2 wouldn't be a complete reboot as the title character's pal Neagley (Maria Sten) will also return with a larger role, but other than her, it's a new story. Instead of civilians who are in awe of Reacher's almost supernatural competence in just about every field, Bad Luck And Trouble will see him reunite with his former Army unit when one of them is found dead. This promises a much different dynamic to Reacher's first season, and this format change will either secure the show's future - or cause viewers to switch off.
It may not sound like much of a risk to focus on a new storyline and characters, but the popularity of Roscoe and Finlay shouldn't be underestimated either. An easier route to take would have seen the showrunners finding a way to insert one or both of them into Bad Luck And Trouble's story, but they chose to be faithful to Child's work instead. Whether Reacher season 2 will be received nearly as well is another question.
Why Roscoe & Finlay Aren't Returning For Reacher Season 2
The simple reason Roscoe and Finlay won't be making an encore appearance in Reacher season 2 is that they never returned in the book series either. Reacher never encountered them again beyond Killing Floor, and while season 1 saw Roscoe handing Jack her number, this tease wasn't paid off in the novels. The format of the Reacher books is both a blessing and a curse in this sense, but in the same way Neagley was introduced in season 1 despite not appearing in Killing Floor at all, maybe they'll make guest appearances in the future.