Saagar Kote
Created by Robert Doherty, ABC’s ‘RJ Decker’ explores the life of RJ Decker (Scott Speedman), a former conman and newspaper photographer who leads a modest life in a trailer park in South Florida, often experiencing mundanity and a sense of meaninglessness. To turn his life around, he decides to put his investigative skills to use and becomes a private investigator. When he comes across a corpse in the boot of a car, RJ finds himself challenged in unexpected ways.
He is reluctantly aided by his former journalist wife, Catherine Delacroix (Adelaide Clemens), and her current wife, Melody “Mel” Abreu (Bevin Bru), a cop in the city. As he tries to solve a series of mysteries, he must also deal with difficult relationships, hilarious situations, and unforeseen danger. The crime drama series is inspired by Carl Hiaasen’s novel ‘Double Whammy’ and is a grounded exploration of a man’s journey of redemption. These shows, similar to ‘RJ Decker,’ will entertain you with their spirit, tone, character dynamics, and themes.
8. High Potential (2024-)
ABC’s ‘High Potential’ centers on Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson), a single mother with an exceptionally high IQ and deductive skills. She works as a cleaner for the LAPD and leads an ordinary life with her kids. When the cops notice her brilliant abilities, they hire her as a civilian consultant to the city’s Major Crimes Division to help them crack cases that require more than just procedural knowledge or linear thinking. Morgan’s uneventful life takes a sudden turn and becomes more unpredictable when she is teamed up with a strict cop, Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), who plays by the rules. The crime comedy-drama series, created by Drew Goddard, is based on the French-Belgian series ‘HPI’. Akin to ‘RJ Decker,’ the narrative follows a middle-aged individual who uses investigative prowess to make life more meaningful in an urban setting, encountering danger and chaos along the way.
7. Tracker (2024-)
CBS’ ‘Tracker’ is an action drama series that follows Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley), a solitary survivalist who uses his skills to locate missing persons for a fee. While dealing with the ghosts of the past, he also tries to redeem himself and lead a better life. Colter travels across the country in his RV, aiding law enforcement and citizens in solving crimes and locating missing individuals. With the help of lawyer Reenie Green and technology expert Bobby Exley, he hopes to achieve some stability, only for one case to threaten to fundamentally alter his path forever. Created by Ben H. Winters and based on Jeffery Deaver’s novel ‘The Never Game,’ Colter’s experiences in the narrative reflect RJ’s struggles in ‘RJ Decker,’ who also finds himself in a mid-life crisis amid a series of legal cases and unexpected encounters.
6. The Finder (2012)
In Fox’s ‘Finder,’ an Iraq war veteran named Walter Sherman (Geoff Stults) acquires a unique talent after an IED explosion causes brain damage. This injury enables him to identify connections between people, places, events, and more. The skill set also gives him the opportunity to help people solve cases that not everyone is equipped to handle. However, Walter’s talent comes with troubles of paranoia and other psychological effects, which he refuses to treat due to the fear of losing his ability. As memories of the past haunt him, Walter must do everything in his power to keep focusing on the present. Created by Hart Hanson, the crime drama show is a spin-off of the series ‘Bones.’ Due to its exploration of an individual’s investigative skills, journey towards redemption, and layered social dynamics, the story complements the world and characters of ‘RJ Decker.’
5. Stumptown (2019-2020)
Created by Jason Richman, ABC’s ‘Stumptown’ is a crime drama series that revolves around the ups and downs of Dexadrine “Dex” Parios (Cobie Smulders), a military veteran working as a private investigator in Portland. She utilizes her brilliance and skills to fuel her investigations, while also handling PTSD due to her time in Afghanistan as a Marine. Facing financial troubles, Dex also finds herself challenged by the responsibility of taking care of her younger brother, Ansel Parios (Cole Sibus), who is a person with Down syndrome.
Though she helps the cops solve difficult cases, she must find a way to balance her own mental health to truly lead a better life. Based on the eponymous novel by Greg Rucka, Matthew Southworth, and Justin Greenwood, the show reflects the essence of ‘RJ Decker’ through its navigation of detective skills, personal troubles, complex relationships, and the psychological cost of brilliance.
4. Burn Notice (2007-2013)
‘Burn Notice,’ created by Matt Nix, follows the life of Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), a former secret agent. After a mission abroad goes wrong, his identity is purged from official records, leaving him isolated and helpless in Miami. With his government spy career over, Michael begins working for private clients, offering his expertise in exchange for money. Simultaneously, he seeks revenge against those who erased his spy identity and teams up with his former colleague, Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell), and his ex-lover, Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar). Michael’s character arc in the story and his struggles to find himself again are spiritually connected to RJ’s experiences in ‘RJ Decker,’ who also carries the weight of the past while investigating cases in the present.
3. Panhandle (2022)
The crime comedy-drama show ‘Panhandle’ centers on Bellwether Prescott (Luke Kirby), a man dealing with the trauma of his wife’s death in the past. Due to his anxiety and trauma, he leads an isolated life, restricted to the boundaries of his estate. His loneliness makes him develop an interest in solving murder cases in the area. Things take a turn for the worse when a murder takes place on his property, and he teams up with a local traffic cop named Cammie Lorde (Tiana Okoye). The two unlikely partners try to solve the difficult case while also attempting to uncover the identity of the one who killed Bellwether’s wife. Created by Carla Kettner and Nicholas Stoller, the narrative is related to ‘RJ Decker’ as it delves into the trials and tribulations of a man in crisis, whose only real hope is to use his skills to investigate crimes and come to terms with his past.
2. Terriers (2010)
Created by Ted Griffin, FX’s ‘Terriers’ is the tale of Henry “Hank” Dolworth (Donal Logue), a former police officer who collaborates with his best friend, Britt Pollack (Michael Raymond-James), a former criminal, to establish an unlicensed private investigation service. Henry also deals with the troubles of being a recovering alcoholic, which makes his journey more difficult. Living in the unpredictable and wild area of Ocean Beach in San Diego, the friends attempt to solve cases despite having no official standing. As the two try to avoid danger and responsibility in the process, they run into situations that challenge them in unforeseen ways. The crime comedy-drama series, like ‘RJ Decker,’ intricately explores layered professional partnerships, crime-solving skills, and the idea of redemption.
1. Bad Monkey (2024-)
Apple TV+’s ‘Bad Monkey’ is a comedy crime drama series that delves into the life of Andrew Yancy (Vince Vaughn), a former cop who now finds himself doing restaurant inspections in Southern Florida. When a severed arm is discovered in Miami, Andrew is tasked with investigating the case without his cop privileges. As it comes to light that Nick Stripling (Rob Delaney) might be the one to whom the severed arm belonged, Andrew interrogates his wife, Eve Stripling (Meredith Hagner), who seems to have secrets of her own.
As new angles emerge in the case and Andrew encounters differing perspectives, his journey to the truth gets more complicated. The Bill Lawrence creation, based on the novel of the same name by Carl Hiaasen, is an adrenaline-fueled ride. The show shares similarities with ‘RJ Decker’ as it is set in Southern Florida and focuses on a middle-aged man trying to solve crimes and find redemption. The visual flavor, the subtle comedic tone, and the character motivations connect the two shows on a greater level.
Read More: Where is RJ Decker Filmed?
