ABC’s crime drama R.J. Decker wrapped up its first season on April 28, 2026, leaving viewers with a major cliffhanger. The series starring Scott Speedman as a former prisoner turned private investigator has fans asking one question: Will there be a second season?
As of now, ABC has not canceled or renewed R.J. Decker for Season 2. The network is still reviewing the show’s performance before making any official announcement.
Strong Debut Numbers Give Reason for Hope
The series got off to a strong start when it premiered in March 2026. The first episode brought in 3.69 million viewers, making it ABC’s most-watched 10 p.m. drama premiere in five years. That is a big deal for any new show trying to find its audience.
The numbers have stayed steady too. According to reports, viewership went up for the last three episodes of the first season. That upward trend is something network executives pay close attention to when deciding which shows to keep.
ABC also moved the show to a better time slot. R.J. Decker got promoted to the 9 p.m. primetime slot after High Potential Season 2 finished its run. Getting a better time slot usually means the network sees potential in the series.
What the Season 1 Finale Set Up
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the R.J. Decker Season 1 finale.
The finale, titled “Even Walls Fall Down,” ends with a shocking murder. Victor Ochoa (played by David Zayas), the corrupt father of Emi (Jaina Lee Ortiz), is found floating face down dead in his pool. The audience never sees who killed him.
R.J. and his friends are celebrating thinking they have won. They took down Victor, and R.J. is finally free from the threat of going back to prison. But viewers know something the characters do not. A much bigger problem is waiting for them.
“I like seeing these two things at the same time. The night of, RJ and Emi and Catherine and Mel and Wish, they’re right to celebrate and feel good and gather as a family. But I liked that simultaneously the audience has this sort of God’s eye view that lets them know there’s a much bigger mess coming.” – Rob Doherty, showrunner
If the show returns for Season 2, the main mystery will be finding out who killed Victor. Scott Speedman told PEOPLE that R.J. will likely become one of the top suspects. That puts the character in serious danger.
Showrunner Reveals ‘R.J. Decker’ Season 2 Plans
Executive producer Rob Doherty spoke with TV Insider about what a second season would look like. He confirmed that Victor’s death was always part of the plan, even from the middle of writing the first season.
Doherty explained that Season 2 would balance two things. First, R.J. would take on new cases that keep the show’s fun, Florida-style weirdness. Second, the characters would have to deal with the fallout from Victor’s murder.
The death will also affect R.J.’s relationship with Emi. Doherty said Emi will carry guilt because she helped set up her father’s arrest. That arrest made him vulnerable to whoever killed him. Looking at R.J. might remind her of everything that led to her father’s death.
One thing fans want to see more of is the whole team working together. The finale brought together R.J., Emi, Catherine (Adelaide Clemens), Mel (Bevin Bru), and Wish (Kevin Rankin) in the same room for the first time. Speedman told PEOPLE those group scenes were fun to film, and he hopes Season 2 would include more of them.
“That’s the DNA of the show. People are always like, ‘Well, what’s his special skill?’ His special skill is he’s got a lot of people that love him and that are really good at helping him out.” – Scott Speedman
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Other ABC Shows Already Renewed
ABC has already announced renewals for several of its scripted shows for the 2026-2027 season. 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Nashville, Abbott Elementary, Grey’s Anatomy, High Potential, and The Rookie will all return with new episodes.
R.J. Decker is not on that list yet, but that does not mean bad news. The network often waits until later in the season to decide on newer shows.
The R.J. Decker Season 1 finale aired on ABC Tuesday, April 28, at 9 p.m. ET. All past episodes are available to stream on Hulu.
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