Forget ‘Tracker,’ Disney+’s Forgotten 13-Episode Crime Series Is a Perfect Weekend Binge

For 12 seasons, the Fox series Bones proved to have an unbeatable formula. With the will-they-won’t-they main characters played by Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, the series delivered years of classic procedural drama with a twist as they look into a corpse’s body (and bones) to get to what really happened. But while the series was certainly a hit, Bones’ spin-off series never reached the same fate.

In the sixth season of Bones, audiences tuned to an odd backdoor pilot episode titled “The Finder.” In the episode, they were introduced to Geoff Stults‘s Walter Sherman, a character who inspired his very own spin-off, also titled The Finder. The series premiered on January 12, 2012, but, like many TV shows over the years, was canceled after one season and never had enough time to find its groove.

What Is ‘The Finder’ About?

The Finder is a crime procedural that follows Walter Sherman (Geoff Stults), a character from Bones who’s sought for his ability to find anything, from the incredibly important to the mundane, like a pair of socks. Walter’s talent was refined after he suffered brain damage from his time serving in the Army in Iraq, which caused him to be incredibly paranoid about the people and the world around him. This brain damage also created an inherent impulse to find missing things, hence Walter’s nickname as “The Finder.”

Along the way, Walter has the friendship of Leo Knox (Michael Clarke Duncan), a former lawyer who acts not only as a local bar owner, but as Walter’s manager, and sometimes, his bodyguard. Walter, who lives out in the Florida Keys, also relies on Willa Monday (Maddie Hasson), a rebellious teenager who becomes his assistant. Together, the unlikely team takes on cases involving missing people, stolen valuables and unexplained disappearances.

‘The Finder’ Deserves a Second Chance

While fans of Bones might’ve rejoiced when they heard about a series spin-off, The Finder was never able to achieve the same success. The show was met with significant barriers from its inception; after originally being slated for Thursday night airings, the series was moved to Friday nights and aired out of order. Also important to its lackluster success was The Finder‘s mid-season premiere. The odd-timed premiere meant that already established and returning shows are midway through their seasons, meaning The Finder‘s pilot slot had a bigger risk of not gaining the same viewing audience as something premiering in the fall.

Overall, while critics were not overly supportive of the series, The Finder did receive a warm reception from audiences, even if not enough to warrant a renewal. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds 82% on the Popcornmeter, with reviews calling the series “entertaining and fun.” “Good, lighthearted, fun show. Talented and engaging cast,” wrote one review. “At every episode I wanted to watch another. Never knowing what unexpected thing Walter was going to be asked to find next.” The Finder also marked one of Duncan’s last credits before his death on September 3, 2012. He passed just four months after The Finder came to an end.

With all that said, while The Finder never achieved the same success and numbers as Bones, let alone another comparable show, The Tracker, The Finder still makes for an entertaining, light watch. With a fascinating protagonist, an excellent cast of supporting characters, and mind-bending cases, it delivers another well-done procedural, and the perfect weekend binge.

Release Date

2012 – 2012-00-00

Network

FOX

Directors

Daniel Sackheim, Adam Arkin, Alex Chapple, David Boreanaz, David Straiton, Dwight H. Little, James Hayman, Kevin Hooks, Milan Cheylov, Seith Mann, Terrence O’Hara

Writers

John Zinman, Matt MacLeod, Patrick Massett, Sanford Golden, Aaron Ginsburg, Karen Wyscarver, Wade McIntyre

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  Blake Shields

  Young Eddie Ross

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  Chris Tardio

  Det. Curtis Gillespie

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  Cloie Wyatt Taylor

  Teacher

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