Line #8 Series/TheFinder


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_finder.jpg]]
2	->''"I'm like a whole new experience. Once I start looking for you, I will find you."''
3	-->--'''Walter Sherman'''
4
5	''The Finder'' was an American crime series broadcast on Fox during the spring 2012 adapted from the Richard Greener novels ''The Knowland Retribution'' and ''The Lacey Confession.'' It starred Creator/GeoffStults as Walter Sherman, an eccentric private investigator, and Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan as Leo Knox, his assistant and lawyer. The show's creator is Hart Hanson, better known for the successful crime show he created, ''Series/{{Bones}}'', an episode of which served as a PoorlyDisguisedPilot for this. After a weak showing in two different timeslots, the show was cancelled at the end of its first season. The death of Michael Clarke Duncan promptly forestalled any attempts by fans to save the show.
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7	----
8	!!This show contains examples of:
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10	* AdaptationalBadass: in the books Isabel is a stuttering obituary writer for the ''NewYorkTimes''; in the show she's a Deputy USMarshal with aspirations of becoming Attorney General of the United States.
11	* AdaptationalHeroism:
12	** Leo is a good guy variation on Leonard Martin, the principal antagonist of ''The Knowland Retribution'' [[spoiler:who was murdering corporate executives for deliberately selling tainted food that killed his family]].
13	** In the books Walter is known as "The Locator" for being able to locate missing people.
14	* AffablyEvil:
15	** Uncle Shadrach.
16	** Cuban mob boss Fico Rodriguez, once he finishes making it clear he's going to kill you.
17	** Mob boss Xavier Obispo. [[BlackAndGrayMorality The fact that he is evil is actually a major part of the plot.]]
18	* AgeLift: in the books Walter was a UsefulNotes/VietnamWar veteran; in the show he's a UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror veteran.
19	* AnalProbing: Invoked by Jack Hodgins in 'Little Green Men' after Walter turns up after being missing for three days after being knocked out by a strange guy Hodgins is sure is an alien.
20	-->'''Hodgins''': Was there anal probing?
21	-->'''Walter''': Only metaphorically.
22	* AntiClimax: In-universe. The show is about finding things so as far as anything not related to the actual find, it's unimportant even if the client or villain is particularly notable or some sort of crime has been committed. Often times, any relevant plot threads related to the find are closed in 30 seconds via quick cuts. Lampshaded by Lance Sweets who, after Walter spends the episode finding a bullet, notes that the murder and cover up behind the bullet and the fact that the bullet frees a man from prison after being wrongfully accused are far less interesting than the job of finding the bullet itself.
23	* ActingForTwo: InUniverse. Lisa plays the role of both herself [[spoiler: and her roommate]].
24	* ActionGirl: Willa, when she needs to be one. Isabel more often.
25	* AllOfThem: Walter asks Willa to sort through a large amount of security footage. Willa says that she's "awfully tired" in order to get Walter to pay her. Walter responds by giving her sugar and caffeine, saying it will help her stay awake. (She then directly asks for the money and gets it). Cut to the next morning, where Willa is talking quickly and apparently hasn't slept at all:
26	-->'''Leo:''' How much coffee did you ''drink?''
27	-->'''Willa:''' All of it.
28	* {{Anvilicious}}: InUniverse. Willa thinks that Leo's attempts to reform her qualify as this.
29	-->'''Willa:''' Painted by a reformed criminal. [[SarcasmMode Real subtle, Leo.]]
30	* ArbitrarySkepticism: Walter's ability borders on the supernatural but he does not himself believe in magic. He also believes in government-corporate conspiracies but not in alien visitations.
31	* ArrangedMarriage: Willa and Timo
32	* AssholeVictim: He was assaulted rather than murdered, but the guy who killed Leo's family by allowing contaminated food to reach market definitely qualifies as this.
33	* BackdoorPilot: Got one in Hart Hanson's other show, ''Series/{{Bones}}''
34	* BadassBoast: Willa in the UFO episode: "If they catch me they will not hold me/ I am Gypsy, I am not of their world."
35	* BatterUp: After Leo encounters the CorruptCorporateExecutive whose company shipped tainted food that killed his wife and daughter, [[spoiler: Willa]] tracks him down and clobbers him several times with an aluminum bat.
36	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Walter, as he is shown to be a good happy guy, mess with his family and he won't hesitate to snap your neck.
37	* BigBad: Shadrach, or "Uncle Shad", is the slow-burn, over-arching villain of the first and only season. Pope, "The Hider", looks like she might have been one for the series as Walter's ArchEnemy.
38	* BlackAndGrayMorality: A central point of "Voodoo Undo".
39	* BunnyEarsLawyer: Walter
40	* CampGay: A recurring male character has a major crush on Walter, and is ''extremely'' vocal about it.
41	* CatFight: Willa gets into one with a hooker whose resemblance to her gets her in trouble with her probation officer.
42	* CatchPhrase:
43	** "I'mma risk it" by Walter, after Leo gives him legal advice or he tells himself of possible imminent danger.
44	** Willa's "Ends of the Earth", whenever someone calls the bar "The End of the World."
45	** Isabel seems to be often using the phrase "What the Walter, Walter?" whenever Walter does something particularly, [[CloudCuckoolander Walter]]. She adjusts it to someone else's name once.
46	* [[ConMan Con Girl]]: Willa
47	* CouldSayItBut: A variation in "Eye of the Storm": Walter needs to see photos from the social networking page of the school the missing girl attended, but he needs Willa's help since he doesn't know how to navigate social networking pages. Since she's not allowed internet access, Walter sits at the computer and she proceeds to tell him everything she would get in big trouble for doing.
48	* CavemenVsAstronautsDebate: Scribbled on the blackboard in the bar. Once an episode, usually directly after the opening credits. [[RuleOfSymbolism Almost always foreshadowing or at least plot relevant.]]
49	* {{Crossover}}: [[Series/{{Bones}} Lance Sweets]] appears in one episode to evaluate Walter's fitness to consult on federal cases. Hodgins appears in another.
50	* {{CloudCuckoolander}}: Walter can come off this way in-universe, but there's generally a method to his madness.
51	** There may in fact be a method there but Walter is the only one that remotely understands how it works, and even HE doesn't understand a lot of what he does.
52	* CloudCuckoolandersMinder: Leo. He's explicitly referred to as this by Pope.
53	* CombatStilettos: Willa aside, it seems like most women in this universe prefer 4 inch stiletto heels.
54	* TheConscience: Leo to both Walter and Willa
55	* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Walter's goofy and does his best to avoid open conflict... but never forget he was military police, because he ''can'' kill you and your gun-toting buddies in under a minute.
56	* CursedWithAwesome: Leo's point of view. The brain damage may kill Walter, but his finding things is a "gift". It's almost always brought up that Walter will kill himself trying to find something. This is the reason Leo tries very hard to filter out jobs since trying to find something that doesn't exist would be... bad. On the flip side, Walter's sheer determination and single minded focus allows his mind to constantly think about the job even when asleep and in one episode, he's able to hijack a hypnosis session - he's still hypnotized but he's able to re-direct the hypnosis for his compulsion.
57	* DeadpanSnarker: Willa never lets go at an opportunity to snark. Leo's pretty good at it too.
58	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: The illegal casino in episode four has a private area for people doing private things. In private.
59	* {{Determinator}}: Once Walter starts looking for something he won't stop until he finds it. Period. He's also a partial [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]] of this trope: Although it hasn't happened yet, it's implied that if he ever sought something that didn't exist, he would keep looking until he either died or lost his mind. "Little Green Men" also brings up the potential ramifications of him looking for things that very powerful people don't want found.
60	* DirtyCop: The villain of the second episode is a dirty InternalAffairs cop no less.
61	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Walter is arrested, Isabel loses her badge and Willa runs away to avoid an arranged marriage. Also Leo, who has survived his dark time of the soul due to his makeshift family, finds himself alone once again.]]
62	* DreamingTheTruth: Walter's {{DreamSequence}}s always lead to an EurekaMoment.
63	* DroppedAfterThePilot: Ike Latulippe appears in the BackdoorPilot as Walter's bartender and pilot. She is never seen after that.
64	* EurekaMoment: Walter will suddenly realize a missed truth about either what he's looking for, or who hired him. Something he missed earlier, but is very obvious in retrospect. Anytime he has a DreamSequence this follows when he wakes up. But he has others, usually caused by something someone says off hand and Walter takes a different meaning from it. Sometimes drifts into BatDeduction, but given Walter's a little bit crazy, it can be ignored.
65	* EvilCounterpart: Pope, the Hider.
66	* TheExoticDetective: Walter and his compulsion to find. It's suggested that he's always had the compulsion but the death of his squad in Afganistan to an IED (along with the myriad of problems of being caught in an IED has on a person) turned it up to eleven due to survivor's guilt and a sense of atonement for his failure.
67	* {{Expy}}: Of ''Series/{{Psych}}.'' The general premise is extremely similar (even more so than ''Series/TheMentalist,'' a common target for ''Psych'' fans), and the two lead characters are ThoseTwoGuys, one white and one black. However, the first of the two books upon which the show is based on were published in 2004 while ''Psych'' premiered in 2006.
68	* FanService: Isabel coming out after a gunshot in her underwear
69	** Willa sunning herself in one episode in a bikini top and short shorts
70	* FourTemperamentEnsemble
71	** Walter is a very [[CloudCuckoolander Space Case]] Sanguine.
72	** Leo is Melancholic.
73	** Isabel has all the tropes applied to Choleric female characters.
74	** For a given definition of reliable (nobody ever said you had to rely on her to do good things) you get Phlegmatic with Willa.
75	** And the good Gypsy Timo is Leukine, non-confrontational means he can get away with his tricks and games.
76	* FriendOnTheForce [[FriendsWithBenefits with Benefits]]: Walt's relationship with Deputy US Marshal Isabel Zambada.
77	* FriendsWithBenefits: Isabel and Walter. Explicitly defined as such when Isabel finds a new paramour and suspends their "pact".
78	* GenderLift: in the books Ike (Saffron Burrows from the BackdoorPilot) is male.
79	* GeniusBruiser: Leo. Lawyer and capable taking down thugs with one punch.
80	* TheGhost: Magdalena, the woman Timo loves, is mentioned several times but is never sr seen.
81	* GreenEyedEpiphany: Implied that Walter suffers one after watching Isabel and Frankie together.
82	* GrievousHarmWithABody: Leo threatens a guy that if he shoots Walter [[spoiler: again]] he will rip off his arm and beat him to death with it.
83	* TheHeart: Leo
84	* HeroInsurance: In the second episode, Walter shot a DirtyCop so that when the medics found the bullet, they'd also find the bullet that'd expose the DirtyCop as a murderer. He explained that, if he went through bureaucratic ways to force the DirtyCop to reveal the bullet, it wouldn't be found in time to clear the name of an innocent man framed with one of the murders, [[AcquittedTooLate before his execution]]. That justification cleared him for shooting the DirtyCop and stealing the gun from another nearby cop.
85	* HeterosexualLifePartners: Leo and Walter
86	* HypocriticalHumor: In "Little Green Men", Hodgins (from ''Series/{{Bones}}'') and Walter have an argument about their conspiracy theories. Walter thinks the UFO is an experimental drone covered up by the corporations, and Hodgins thinks it was an alien spacecraft, and aliens control the people Walter thinks are controlling everyone. They both call each other "paranoid".
87	* HypotheticalFightDebate: This is a RunningGag. The hangout for the main characters has a chalkboard specifically for hypothetical debates. See the page image for one example.
88	* IllPretendIDidntHearThat: When Timo is worried about discussing family business in front of Leo, Leo casually mentions that he's "pretty engrossed in his book."
89	* InspectorJavert: Cristina Farrel, Willa's parole officer. At least until she got more than 5 minutes screentime. Subverted in that Willa ''is'' often guilty.
90	* InvisibleWriting: On the BackDoorPilot on ''Series/{{Bones}}'', the treasure map has writing that can only be revealed with blood.
91	* IWillFindYou: If the title didn't clue you in, it is pretty much TheSeries.
92	* {{Jerkass}}: Uncle Shad. Where despite Willa and Timo doing all that was necessary to end their arranged marriage, he still forces them to be married for no reason other than it is his decision.
93	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Both Walter and Willa can classify as this at times. As does Willa's probation officer, Cristina Farrel.
94	* LightningBruiser: Leo is surprisingly fast.
95	* LikeBrotherAndSister: Whenever someone points out Willa and Timo aren't actually cousins, they invoke this trope.
96	* LimitedWardrobe: Walter wears the same basic jeans and t-shirt ensemble all the time, even when [[spoiler:meeting President Barack Obama.]]
97	* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: much debated within the show about Walter's ability.
98	* MeaningfulName: The Ends of the Earth, which serves as Walter's home base. The name makes absolute perfect sense when you see how far Walter goes just to find things.
99	* SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou: Michael Clarke Duncan is about to punch you in the Opening credits.
100	* NoodleIncident: Many of Walters old cases. For example whatever he found for [[spoiler:Barrack Obama]].
101	* OutOfOrder: It's not very noticeable during the first few episodes, but some key events being shuffled around make for Continuity issues. Generally this has to do with Walter and Isabel's relationship, Willa's relationships with everyone else, and Leo's concerns about Willa. The biggest problems are Timo and Leo 'first meet' in "The Conversation" (aired as ep 10, really ep 6) and while Ms. Ferrel lightens up on Willa in "Eye of the Storm" (Aired 7th, really 10th), she's suddenly harsh on Willa in "The Last Meal" (Aired 9th, really 2nd) and the computer privileges Willa was given back are gone again in Life After Death (aired Aired 8th, really... 8th but ''before'' "Eye of the Storm").
102	* PocketProtector: Played with in "The Voodoo Undo." Walter is shot in the chest and survives for two reasons: one, the bullet was a dud, and two, most of the impact was taken by the medallion he was wearing - the one he bought from La Bruja in exchange for information about the maker of the voodoo doll he's searching for. [[spoiler: The protection is only temporary as he gets a subdural hematoma and winds up in the hospital again, but still.]]
103	* PrivateInvestigator: Essentially what Walter is. He finds things...people, evidence etc.
104	* PostStressOvereating: Leo is known for indulging in junk when dealing with reminders of his old life.
105	* RaceLift: in the books Isabel is white and Ike (Saffron Burrows in the Backdoor Pilot) is black; in the show Isabel is Latina and Ike is white.
106	* RealityIsUnrealistic: The whole idea of 'pay what you want' has actually been attempted by a number of companies, big and small. Prominent ones are various indie game bundles but Panera Bread has set up a non-profit retail store under the premise (and much of the workforce is volunteer). Surprisingly? It works, at least as far as being able to stay in operation.
107	* RealLifeRelative: Langston Sherman is played by Geoff Stults' brother George.
108	* ReplacementGoldfish: Willa accuses Leo of using her as this for his daughter, something he angrily denies. YMMV as to whether or not she's right.
109	* RelationshipUpgrade: From FriendsWithBenefits. Walter proposes this after Frankie dumps Isabel.
110	* RenaissanceMan: Walter seems to have a wide variety of skills, knowledge, and the tools needed to accomplish his goals, presumably picked up during his MysteriousPast. He just lacks, y'know, sanity.
111	* RequiredSpinoffCrossover: Twice thus far. Lance Sweets once and then Jack Hodgins.
112	* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: The rich boy that took a liking to Willa on the beach. When she steals the AlphaBitch's car he immediately goes with her and wants to drive the vehicle. However when he crashes the car, [[BitchInSheepsClothing he automatically changes his tone about her and claims how she will get all the blame due to her record]]. She informs him that there is nothing connecting them to the vehicle and if they walk away the police cannot connect them to it. When he walks away, Willa pickpockets him, takes his cash and then leaves the wallet inside for the police to find. The end of the episode shows the police coming to arrest him.
113	* RunningGag:
114	** Someone calling the bar "The End Of The World", only for Willa to correct them that it's "The Ends Of The Earth"
115	** Also Leo explaining to Walter what laws he's about to break, followed by Walter saying "I'mma risk it" and doing whatever illegal act he was about to do anyways. {{Lampshaded}} in "The Last Meal", when Walter asks Leo for the "standard legal disclaimer" before breaking into a building and then drops the CatchPhrase in response.
116	* ScaryBlackMan: Leo can be pretty scary sometimes. [[BerserkButton Especially if you bring up his deceased family.]] Most of the time though he's a GentleGiant.
117	* SettingUpdate: in the books Walter lived in [[USVirginIslands Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI]]; in the show he's in the Florida Keys.
118	* ShameIfSomethingHappened: [[EvilCounterpart Pope's]] warning to Walter in "Little Green Men".
119	* ShellShockedVeteran: Walter incurred traumatic brain injury in Iraq. His compulsion to find is shown to be a symptom.
120	* ShoutOut:
121	** In "Bullets" to ''Series/MiamiVice''. The person Walter and Leo are talking to at the moment even claims the two police officers in question were the original inspirations from Crockett and Tubbs
122	** In "The Great Escape", [[Series/ArrestedDevelopment the magician client takes offense to Walter calling his illusions "tricks"]].
123	** In "The Conversation", Leo says that Willa "looks like a vampire" when hyped up on caffeine and sugar. Willa responds that "vampires are hot", which seems to weird Leo out. Walter tells him "Get with it. [[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Vampires sparkle now.]]"
124	** In "Voodoo Undo" there's a brief scene where a mob goon is describing a show that sounds an awful lot like ''Series/Awake2012'' .
125	*** Actually ''{{Series/Fringe}}'', to fit with the "Finder/Fringe" bloc. (See SimilarSquad, below, for more details.)
126	*** Some of the establishing shots in that episode strongly resemble those of ''Series/BurnNotice''.
127	** In "The Boy with the Bucket" Walter asks Leo 'what did we learn tonight, Craig?' referencing MCD's many appearances on Late Late show with Craig Ferguson
128	* ShownTheirWork: "Life After Death" addresses several common conspiracy theories and rumors around Tupac Shakur's death. Most prominently, [[FakingTheDead the idea that that he may not have been]].
129	* SidelinedProtagonistCrossover: This series features [[RequiredSpinOffCrossover visits from]] ''Series/{{Bones}}'' supporting characters Sweets and Hodgins, but not Booth or Brennan.
130	* SimilarSquad: A meta example: Where else have we seen a show with a [[CloudCuckoolander brain-damaged guy named Walter]], [[KidSidekick a sidekick who isn't technically his kid]], [[FairCop a hot female law enforcement officer]] and a bald black guy who keeps an eye on everything? And they solve mysteries? Oh right, [[strike:the next night, same time]] [[{{Series/Fringe}} right after Finder, same channel]].
131	* TheSociopath: {{Subverted}}. Willa displays some sociopathic tendencies and her probation officer sees her this way, but there's some evidence to suggest that she isn't completely irredeemable.
132	** Walter is shown to have difficulties understanding that what he says and does can easily anger the people around him.
133	*** His disclaimer before taking a job is basically "Be careful what you ask for." He understands; he just doesn't care.
134	* StepfordSmiler: The client in "The Inheritance", whose father was an optimist who told her to keep smiling.
135	* TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening: Walter's powers of deduction are purportedly because of a few bumps to the head that occurred during military service.
136	* TroubledButCute: Willa
137	* UndyingLoyalty: Leo to Walter. After Leo's family was killed, Leo went off the deep end and hunted down the man who killed his family. Leo was very close to killing the man when Walter found him and stopped him. For that, Leo is eternally grateful.
138	* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The series was canceled due to the actor who plays Leo died.
139	** The series was canceled first, but Michael Clarke Duncan's death ended any hopes of reviving it.
140	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:
141	** Saffron Burrows appeared in the ''Bones'' episode but couldn't do the show, meaning that her character of Ike just disappears without a trace.
142	** We haven't seen [[EvilCounterpart Pope]] in a while either. Shame, since she would have made a pretty awesome recurring nemesis for Walter. [[spoiler:She's also the only character absent in the finale.]]
143	* WhenHeSmiles: Not that Michael Clarke Duncan is ugly, but when he smiles, it's positively radiant. See the end of "Swing and a Miss" for a really good example.
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Context Series / TheFinder