10 burning questions for Alert: Missing Persons Unit Season 2
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Alert: Missing Persons Unit Season 1
Alert: Missing Persons Unit surprised many by earning a second season renewal from FOX. Now, the big questions are what will come for Season 2, particularly since the Season 1 finale wrapped up its big mystery.
The start of the series focused on divorced parents Jason Grant (Scott Caan) and Nikki Batista (Dania Ramirez), who work for a special unit handling missing person cases. The couple was broken when their son Keith vanished years before and thus overjoyed when they finally rescued him.
After various twists and turns, the Season 1 finale finally revealed the truth: “Keith” was actually a boy named Lucas, whose con artist mother Evelyn had set this whole thing up to scam Jason and Nikki out of a “ransom.” In the final fight, Lucas ended up killed by his mother.
As they deal with the fallout, the couple has to adjust to the knowledge Keith is gone and handle a new relationship. Now, with a new season to come, fans have some expectations for what will happen.
1. Is Keith really dead on Alert: Missing Persons Unit?
One person who always doubted “Keith” was his sister Sidney (Fivel Stewart) for good reason: As she confessed, she had seen Keith fall through an icy pond and drown years before and kept it quiet. It seemed a skeleton found in the pond was indeed Keith, although further testing was needed.
That raises a tiny bit of doubt that Keith could be dead, yet it’s unlikely the show might play on him surviving. It’s clear Keith is gone, but at least now, the family can have closure on it with Sidney overcoming her guilt over keeping her brother’s death quiet to bond with her parents.
2. How will the fallout of Keith’s secret turn out?
While the family may have closure, they’ll also have to face the issue of falling for Lucas’s scam in the first place. While blinded by parental love, Jason and Nikki must question their own judgment believing this was their son all this time. That they saw him die before their eyes is also likely to haunt them.
It’s also likely a plotline will focus on Evelyn’s trial and surely someone in the media is going to turn this into a sensation. So while Lucas is gone, the fallout of his charade will affect the family for a long time.
3. Will Jason come between Mike and Nikki?
Jason seems to have made peace with Nikki’s engagement to Mike, there are hints he still has a torch for his ex-wife. The question is if Jason tries to win her back or lets Mike and Nikki have their own shot at happiness. It also makes fans wonder if Jason might find a new romance and finally putting Keith to rest has him seeking out his own shot with someone else.
4. Will Alert: Missing Persons Unit keep to season-long arcs?
The first season had the main story arc being on “Keith” while the team solved stand-alone cases. This leads to the question if there will be another such arc or if Season 2 switches to just stand-alone storylines.
Speaking to TV Insider, showrunner John Eisendrath related the plan would be to keep to the Season 1 formula while finding a new mystery to tackle.
"“My dream would be to always have a season-long, serialized personal story that ultimately mirrors thematically and dramatically some, if not all, of the episodic procedural missing persons cases. So yes, I would hope that we would have those, because I think they are always value added to me. I feel like they are part of the sort of larger puzzle that helps us understand our characters more than any individual episode or missing persons case ever could.”"
5. What comes with Kemi?
A fun team member is Kemi (Adeola Rode), the analyst and self-proclaimed Shaman with good insight. A major twist was revealing that Kemi had been abducted as a child and her father had refused to pay the ransom. Kemi was shocked to learn her abductor, who she assumed was long dead, was still alive and in the city.
Eisendrath revealed they had hoped to get more of Kemi’s story in Alert: Missing Persons Unit Season 1 but were unable to fit it in, but Season 2 can afford the chance.
"“I had hoped we would have room to tell more of her story in Season 1, but we didn’t and what we left on the cutting room floor I think is going to be great for Season 2. The entire story about her father and how he was and how what he did contributed to her becoming who she is, almost all of it awaits us in Season 2. It’s not just backstory, it will be something that is going to be very present tense.”"
6. Will C and Rachel’s relationship grow?
Another popular team member is C (Petey Gibson), the forensic imaging expert who’s struck up a good relationship with medical examiner Rachel (Elana Dunkelman). Eisendrath has hinted that Season 2 will show more of C as his smarts and wit aid in cases.
"“What I like about C is that he’s not the sort of typical procedural show nerd. He’s very edgier and darker and more sly than most people who fill that role. I’m hoping that he can take that surprising edge into the field next year, that he can go out and — I don’t think he’s kicking ass and taking names, but he’s using his slyness, cleverness, and smarts in the field next year more, which I think will be great.”"
7. Will there be more of Jason’s past?
Eisendrath confirmed part of Season 2 will involve exploring Jason’s past as a military contractor. He threw himself into it after Keith’s vanishing and it’s hinted he did some dirty stuff in that time.
"“I do think that world is going to come back and we are going to see the echoes of it both practically in terms of case work, but also more importantly emotionally in terms of how it has left an impact on Jason.”"
8. Is everyone coming back?
It’s no secret that TV shows can shift their casts a lot, particularly between the first and second seasons. It’s possible that the producers might want to add a new face to spark things up. However, Eisendrath assured that the plan now is for everyone to come back and continue the fun chemistry that makes the show work.
9. What about Mike and his dad?
A major plotline of the show was Mike (Ryan Broussard) growing up under the shadow of his father, a cop busted for corruption. Mike had not talked to his father in years and was raised by George, who got him into the police force. But Mike was rocked to discover George had actually framed his father for his own crimes.
The episode ended with Mike apologizing to his dad, who welcomed him back. Season 2 hopefully can show more of them bonding over lost time, although Mike might also question his judgment on not recognizing the truth so much earlier. Either way, Season 2 offers more chances to explore Mike and his unique family bonding.
10. When does Alert: Missing Persons Unit return?
A major question is when the series returns. FOX may decide with it being popular enough, they can have it for a fall premiere. However, with the fall schedule on Fox always affected by coverage of MLB playoffs, the network might decide to hold it back until January 2024. Either way, at least fans are assured Alert: Missing Persons Unit will be making a big return and still the fun mix of mysteries and family drama that made the first season a surprise success.
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