RJ Decker Scored a Sexy Sophomore Season & Honestly, Primetime Needed This Win

Where are my RJ Decker Fanatics at?!

ABC pulled off a shocking sweep by renewing all of its scripted series. That’s right, ZERO cancelations from the mouse network. When is the last time that happened?

But that’s especially great news for those of us who craved the sunshine that RJ Decker provided.

If you’ve been following along with our RJ Decker coverage, then you know how much we adore this series at TV Fanatic.

It’s been one of the brightest spots on primetime this season, quite literally, and it’s due to so many key factors.

Scott Speedman’s potrayal of the earnest, ruggedly handsome, and wholesome RJ Decker had its own type of charm that was a breath of fresh air when you consider that so many series have taken such dark turns over the years.

The series is as sunny as the Sunshine State it takes place in, but it also has its own unique edge that leads to thrills, excitement, and a bit of unpredictability that keeps you hooked.

But what’s most exciting about RJ Decker‘s renewal is that feeling of the “little guy” finally getting a win.

It’s been hard to keep up with the tonal shifts of primetime, as most of broadcast is adopting more cable- and streaming-like qualities and edgier tones in hopes of luring people back to network television.

But RJ Decker offers something reliable and relatable, with a hint of optimism that feels like a rarity.

It has a throwback quality that network needs more of, chasing after a bit of the old school, gumshoe vibes that we’ll also likely see next season with NBC’s The Rockford Files.

And if RJ Decker is a sign of the tides turning for what network television has to offer, then I’m all for it.

The first season was a blast. There’s a comfortable reliability to it, and it taps into some of the common genres and vibes that people gravitate towards.

RJ is just such a genuinely good protagonist and person. His ability to meet people exactly where they are and see the good in them while simultaneously possessing a sharp quality that’s far from naive makes him compelling to watch.

And there’s something interesting about what he’s capable of seeing through the lens of a camera and how that informs how he approaches investigations.

But the series also thrives because of its supporting characters.

RJ’s unorthodox family, which he’s formed with his ex-wife Cath, her current wife, Mel, and Mel’s daughter Sofia, is such a great lure for the series because it captures the modernity of non-traditional families and the genuine love you can find in them.

If anything, one can hope that the sophomore season will work to flesh out that aspect of the show a bit more, as RJ’s dynamic with detective Mel and ex-wife, best-friend, and badass journalist, Cath are both fascinating in their own right.

But we still don’t know nearly enough about these women on their own or even as a unit outside of that. A sophomore season means we will!

And resident scene-stealer, Wish, has also become such an integral part of the series and brings such heart and humor to it, as well.

A series that prides itself in non-judgement and second chances really hits the point home when it comes to what RJ and Wish both bring to the equation, and it’s why it’s one of the series’ strengths.

And then we have RJ’s dynamic with Jaina Lee Ortiz‘s enigmatic Emi. We end the season with the two of them in this indefinable space regarding their relationship.

As the series’ primary romance, it’ll be exciting to dig further into where these two are and see them continue to blossom into one of primetime’s hottest couples.

What’s exciting is that RJ Decker’s season finale opened up new doors and broader possibilities.

We were left with a cliffhanger in regards to the death of the series’ antagonist, but there’s a looming threat that lingers over what this death means for our main players.

But especially what it means for RJ and Emi. Even he admits at one point, that he won the battle, but possibly not the war yet, but what does that look like?

Well, we can at least count on the season looking like sun-soaked views, RJ donning an impressive collection of Hawaiian shirts, and him solving some of the weirdest, quirkiest, most “Florida Man” cases there are.

And that’s the escapism, fun, and wholesomeness we need more of. So thank goodness ABC feels the same way we do!

Of course, with a clean sweep on renewals and The Rookie North likely getting a pickup as well, chances are we’ll see some shortened seasons on the horizon for some of our favorite shows.

But it’s a great tradeoff to have their returns, right?

I’m grabbing a celebratory mocktail, but I’ll meet you in the comments!

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