Who says ‘Reacher’ has to start and end with Jack Reacher himself?

THE BIG PICTURE

 Detective Oscar Finlay, played excellently by Malcolm Goodwin, should star in a Reacher spin-off, given his likable charm and ability to carry emotional weight.
 Finlay’s character is intriguing and layered, with a backstory of emotional trauma that makes him relatable and sympathetic.
 A spin-off could explore Finlay’s new role in the Boston PD, as well as his attempts to move on from his wife’s loss and his relationship with his adopted dog, Jack.

Reacher Season 2 came to an action-packed conclusion last month, and now fans are looking ahead to Season 3, which will adapt the seventh book in Lee Child‘s Jack Reacher series, Persuader. But who says Reacher has to start and end with Jack Reacher himself?

Now that the book series has become a live-action media franchise, the powers that be should start thinking of expanding the Jack Reacher Universe with some spin-offs, and the first one should star the fan-favorite character, Detective Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin).

Finlay made a welcome return to the Reacher series, appearing as a guest star in Season 2 after being part of the main cast in the first season. Goodwin is so excellent in the role of Finlay that it’s the perfect time to explore a Jack Reacher spin-off centered around the stern, austere detective.

Reacher

TV-MA
Drama

When retired Military Police Officer Jack Reacher is arrested for a murder he did not commit, he finds himself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy full of dirty cops, shady businessmen and scheming politicians. With nothing but his wits, he must figure out what is happening in Margrave, Georgia. The first season of Reacher is based on the international bestseller The Killing Floor by Lee Child.

Release Date: February 4, 2022
Cast: Alan Ritchson , Maria Sten , Malcolm Goodwin , Willa Fitzgerald , Robert Patrick , Serinda Swan
Main Genre: Action
Seasons: 2
Streaming Service(s): Prime Video

Malcolm Goodwin Can Carry a ‘Reacher’ Spin-off

Although the name of the show is Reacher, co-star Malcolm Goodwin asserted himself remarkably well throughout the show’s first season. It is striking how well Goodwin was able to carry a significant amount of the emotional weight and heft of the series, especially when star Alan Ritchson was not onscreen.

Goodwin imbues Finlay with a likable charm, despite his often overly serious, no-nonsense attitude. The first season establishes Finlay as an intriguing, layered character. Later episodes demonstrate that he enjoys classic rock, annoying Reacher when he starts playing Kansas’ “Carry On My Wayward Son” when they drive together.

Goodwin’s Finlay also holds his own in the action sequences that require it, stripping off his tweed jacket and having one last smoke in the first season finale before going into battle in an epic, Die Hard-style moment for the character.

The best reveal for Finlay comes in Episode 6 of the first season, “Papier.” While Finlay and Reacher are on a stakeout at the Kliner Foundation’s factory, Finlay reveals that he and his wife are not divorced, which Reacher incorrectly inferred in the series premiere.

Instead, we discover that Finlay’s wife, Sharon, passed away from cancer. The reality is that Finlay experienced a great deal of emotional trauma after losing his wife, which precipitated his move from his hometown of Boston to the middle of nowhere in Margrave, Georgia, where he was resented by the locals and even some of the officers in the Margrave Police Department.

Finlay blames himself for his wife’s illness and inability to save her, viewing his move to Margrave as a self-imposed exile and penance for her death. When Reacher asks why Finlay didn’t explain the mistake, Finlay explains that everyone assumes that a man like him is divorced, so he opts not to correct them because he doesn’t want anyone’s pity.

Finlay has even continued paying his wife’s cellphone bill so he could still leave her voice messages and hear her voice. The episode’s reveal ultimately serves to make Finlay a much more interesting, sympathetic, and relatable character.

What Could an Oscar Finlay Spin-off Be About?

In Season 2 of Reacher, Finlay makes a guest appearance in the fourth episode, “A Night at the Symphony,” assisting Reacher and David O’Donnell (Shaun Sipos) in interrogating Daniel Boyd (Kyle Mac), the aide of Senator Lavoy, regarding the Little Wing technology.

While Reacher and Finlay share a prickly working relationship, Reacher demonstrates his deep respect for the detective by saying, “If he was in the Army, I’d have asked him to join the 110th,” referring to Reacher’s old unit in the Military Police.

The episode establishes that Finlay has relocated back to his hometown and returned to the Boston Police Department — not only that, he’s moved up in rank, earning the position of lieutenant. Finlay also shares that he’s still taking care of Jack, the neglected dog he adopted at the end of the first season.

Finlay’s appearance in Season 2 continues the expansion of Reacher‘s recurring and supporting cast and also creates the perfect backdoor for a spin-off. Now that Finlay is back home in Boston, a prospective series could explore Finlay’s new role for the Boston PD. Ideally, the series would also show Finlay attempting to move on from his wife’s loss, as well as living with Jack the dog as his roommate.

Since Finlay is a working detective who very much likes to play by the rules, he’ll often have to be restricted in ways that Reacher is not. However, that does not mean that some of Reacher’s more unconventional methods haven’t rubbed off on Finlay along the way.

Prime Video creating a spin-off for Reacher around a supporting character would not be a huge stretch. The streamer recently gave series orders to two upcoming spin-offs for the Bosch franchise, as well as to a prequel spin-off of The Terminal List starring Taylor Kitsch. Why not kickstart a Jack Reacher TV universe while they’re at it? Plus, Goodwin is so good in the role that it would be a shame if the Finlay character is never revisited.

Until Amazon Studios explores or greenlights an Oscar Finlay spin-off, fans can enjoy the first two seasons of Reacher, which are streaming now on Prime Video. Season 3 is currently in production and will be released at a date yet to be announced.