“R.J. Decker” closed its seven-episode second season with a threat against Mel’s family, leaving series star Bevin Bru eager for ABC to order another chapter.

The Tuesday finale takes the lighthearted crime procedural into darker territory after R.J. (Scott Speedman) and Mel (Bru) expose Jessica as a serial scammer. They also uncover the possibility that Jessica killed her police officer husband to collect his life insurance.

The allegations have immediate consequences: Child Protective Services removes Jessica’s daughter, Danielle, from her custody. Jessica then turns her anger toward Mel, delivering an ominous warning over the phone.

“I don’t know who I am without her, Mel,” Jessica says. “I wonder who you’ll be without your family.”

The episode reveals that Jessica is outside Mel’s home watching Mel’s wife, Catherine (Adelaide Clemens), and their daughter, Sofia (Melodie Rose Romano). Meanwhile, Mel and R.J. are at the trailer park, far from the potential danger.

Bru told TVLine that she gasped when she first encountered the ending in the script. “When I saw that my wife and my daughter get kidnapped, I was just like, ‘This is crazy,’” she said. “Your family being potentially kidnapped or murdered? You don’t get higher stakes than that.”

The cliffhanger — which Bru jokingly called an “edge-of-the-earth hanger” — has stayed with her. “I get goosebumps just talking about the ending of that episode,” she said, adding: “Now we need a Season 3, because what’s going to happen?”

Bru Already Pitched a Rescue Plan

The twist made such an impression on Bru that she called showrunner Rob Doherty after reading the script and began mapping out how Mel could respond.

Her proposed strategy involved keeping Jessica on the phone while sending a SWAT team into the house. Bru also suggested using Mel’s elderly neighbor Estelle as a decoy, asking her to bring sugar to Catherine on the pretense that Catherine was cooking and her phone had died.

“Of course I hope Estelle lives, but for the family, we have to get creative and think outside of the box,” Bru said.

Doherty rejected that part of the pitch. According to Bru, his answer was simple: “No, we’re not going to sacrifice Estelle.” Bru acknowledged that it was not her preferred outcome, but maintained that the desperate situation called for every possible option.

R.J.’s Romantic Future Is Also Unsettled

The finale’s family crisis is the most urgent unresolved story, but Season 2 also complicated R.J.’s personal life.

R.J. and Emi (Jaina Lee Ortiz) had been growing closer last season, but the aftermath of her father’s murder disrupted their romance. Season 2 subsequently introduced Trudy, a quirky scientist played by Shantel VanSanten, as a new love interest. R.J. appears to have developed a genuine bond with her.

Bru said Mel would support R.J. regardless of whether he chooses Emi or Trudy. The character is not deeply invested in deciding his romantic future, she explained, and would be willing to serve as his wingman either way.

Bru herself does have a favorite. Citing her friendship with Ortiz, she said she wants R.J. to be with Emi and hopes a third season would deliver more scenes between Emi and Mel.

ShowBiz Take

The Season 2 ending raises the stakes beyond another case for R.J. and Mel to solve. By putting Catherine and Sofia in Jessica’s path while Mel is too far away to intervene immediately, the series has tied its renewal question to a deeply personal crisis for one of its central characters.

That makes the uncertainty surrounding Season 3 especially significant. The finale does not simply tease another investigation; it leaves Mel facing the possible loss of her family, while R.J.’s romantic direction also remains open. Bru’s immediate attempt to devise a rescue plan shows just how sharply the episode departed from the show’s typically lighter tone.

What Happens Next?

ABC has not yet decided whether to renew “R.J. Decker” for Season 3. Bru said she has heard no news, though she remains hopeful that the show will return.

She said people she has spoken with enjoy the series, including viewers overseas, and claimed it regularly appears in the Top 10 on Hulu and Disney+. Bru described the show as fun and quirky, praising its guest stars and cases that wrap up amid heavier events in the world.

A renewal would also allow Bru to continue playing a character she has grown to admire. She called Mel composed, confident and grounded, with a big heart and an unexpectedly edgy side.

For now, Jessica’s threat, Catherine and Sofia’s fate, and the Emi-versus-Trudy question remain unresolved. As Bru put it, the mystery of whether Season 3 will happen may be another case for R.J. to crack.