The only R.J. Decker Season 1 recap you need before the next chapter premieres

R.J. Decker Season 2 is premiering on September 15 this year, and before watching the new chapter, let's go through what happened in the last season. The show is set in beautifully weird South Florida.

The series is about the story of a former newspaper photographer named R.J. Decker who lost his career and freedom after being wrongly convicted through false testimony. He begins a new life as a private investigator in South Florida. There, he starts working with his ex-wife, who is a police detective.

The pilot of the show starts with a scene showing RJ in a nervous situation where he is debating whether to eat his favourite candy bar outside the Fort Lauderdale courthouse. Soon after, Emilia approaches and asks what is happening because earlier she and her friend had a bet about him. They believed he might be a homeless man, and so he would eat the candy bar without removing its wrapper.

Continue reading more about the recap of R.J. Decker Season 1.

Here's what R.J. Decker Season 1 reveals

RJ's first meeting with Emilia Ochoa

When Emilia thinks he is a homeless man, RJ explains that he is on the final day of his trial because he attacked a man who was trying to break into his car. Later, he finds that the man is the son of a state senator. He fears that eating a candy bar could bring bad luck to the verdict. A nearby woman reminds him that there are several other things he will lose if he is sent to prison.

Episode 1 quickly shows RJ's unlucky nature. Just minutes before his sentencing hearing, he met with a stranger named Emilia Ochoa, and soon after a twist came when Emilia is revealed to be the sister of the man he is accused of attacking. While testifying in court, she lies and sends RJ to the state prison for 18 months.

In the second episode, Emilia keeps supporting RJ with his private investigation work. One morning, RJ waits for Emilia in the parking lot of her workplace. When she arrives, he asks her to find out what the DEA and the police already know about the case. RJ also meets Darius, who teaches him skills, and Marcus at the prison to find out what happened. Marcus reveals that Clem Crayshaw hired him to take care of the Venus flytrap plant.

Emilia and RJ start working together on a case while RJ finds out about the Little League coach

As the episode progresses, Emilia calls RJ and tells him that the police found John Doe to be Clem. Emilia further adds that Brody works at a local strip club. After hearing this, RJ visits the club and gets caught while trying to break into Brody's car. After getting caught, RJ reveals to Brody that Clem died. Brody reveals that his wife, Lacey, had cancer, and Clem assured them the Venus flytrap would save her life.

Brody further reveals that after Lacey died, Clem began investigating the company seriously. He also left Brody a voicemail in which he apologised and promised to make the company face consequences.

RJ turns to Catherine for support, and she arranges an interview with Venusian Health’s CEO named Remington. When Catherine asks about hydrogen peroxide inside the building, Remington becomes defensive, and RJ takes photographs. Later, it turns out that Remington used hydrogen peroxide and sulphuric acid to dispose of Clem’s head. The police later find Clem’s teeth and a bullet fragment inside the drains of Remington’s company. When confronted with this evidence, the police decide to release Marcus.

In R.J. Decker Season 1 Episode 3, Emilia recruits RJ to investigate the disappearance of the son of a wealthy rehab businessman. Meanwhile, Mel and Catherine realise that they hold different opinions about parenting and money. The next episode shows RJ involved in a murder mystery surrounding a suburban housewife. Meanwhile, Catherine grows concerned that RJ is getting too close to Emilia.

In Episode 5, RJ uncovers the truth about a Little League coach whose family is mysteriously targeted. At the same time, his parole officer grows concerned that RJ is crossing the limits of his conditional release.

RJ investigates the case of Huck Evan

In episode 6, RJ investigates the suspicious drowning incident of Huck Evan, only to realise that he was being framed for the murder. The episode ends with the discovery that Brenner and his girlfriend planned the trap, and it also introduces a bigger mystery about who is going after RJ and his family.

R.J. Decker Season 1 finale explained

The R.J. Decker Season 1 finale has a different impact when RJ and Emilia finally find the truth. They discover that Emilia's father, Victor, was not only a corrupt businessman but also the one who caused RJ's downfall. Then, RJ gathers his trusted group to help him bring down Victor and send him to prison. When Victor ends up in prison, RJ's victory feels deserved. For a brief moment, it seems the good guys might finally get some rest.

More on upcoming R.J. Decker Season 2

The next chapter of R.J. Decker will put RJ at the top of the suspect list after the death of Victor in his pool and reveal who actually killed him. Showrunner Rob Doherty stated in a TV Insider interview,

"I think the people closest to him will have to find themselves under a magnifying glass."

He adds,

"Victor copped to being a shady politician, which I hear is a very rare thing. But he confessed to Emi that he maintains relationships with a lot of people that on paper he should not, but he has decided that it’s for the greater good."

Victor's murder will also shake the relationship between Emilia and RJ. Emilia will carry the guilt. She never expected this outcome, yet the truth was that she had set him up for an arrest, and that arrest made him vulnerable to someone else who still needed to be identified.