5 things to remember before watching The Irrational season 2

NBC made a smart move when they ordered The Irrational to series in early 2023 and then moved into production immediately. That meant they had seven episodes finished when the 2023 Hollywood strikes halted production. Thus, this was one of the few new network series to premiere on broadcast that fall. 

The show follows Alec Mercer (Jesse L. Martin), an expert in behavioral science who uses his skills to crack odd cases for the cops and other law enforcement agencies. He’s brought into a few investigations by his ex-wife, FBI agent Marisa Clark (Maahra Hill), and her current fiancée, fellow agent Jace Richards (Brian King). 

Mercer was badly burned years ago when a bomb exploded in a church. He always assumed the convicted Wes Banning was responsible, only to realize Wes was the fall guy for someone else. So how did The Irrational season 1 end? Here's what you need to know.

Jace paid the price

Sadly, Jace was the one who paid the ultimate price for trying to solve the case as he was shot dead by the mysterious Mathias. That obviously rocked Marisa, who was consumed by wanting to find out who was responsible. Alec also felt guilty over Jace’s fate, thinking he’d suffered because Alec wanted to find out the truth. While the finale ended with justice being done, the loss of Jace is clearly going to affect Marisa for a while and perhaps cloud some of her dedication to the job in season 2. 

Sanford was behind the bombing

Thanks to help from Alec’s girlfriend, Rose (Karen David), and her shady contacts, the team finally discovered what happened. Corrupt senator Sanford was behind the bombing to cover up the fatal accidental drug overdose of a staffer he’d been having an affair with. He got now-FBI director Bob Caswith to carry out the bombing. In his defense, Sanford had thought the church would be empty and didn’t expect the deaths that occurred but did use it to boost his popularity for his Senate campaign.

It looked like Sanford might get away with it, but Mercer tricked him into a confession before the press, and he was arrested. It closed the case, although Alec would carry the scars, both physical and mental, for the rest of his life. 

Kylie joined the FBI

After helping with the cases, Alec’s sister Kylie (Travina Springer) has agreed to become an FBI consultant. It’s an interesting turn as Kylie has been vocal on not being a fan of law enforcement but did aid her brother and saw not all cops were bad. Seeing her on the side of the FBI should be fun and make season 2 even more exciting. 

Phoebe accepted a new job

Phoebe (Molly Kunz) was a good Mercer aide alongside Rizwan (Arash DeMaxi). But in the finale, Phoebe was offered a research apprenticeship with Professor Rachel Myers. Phoebe explained she was just overwhelmed by so many crimes and a bombing and needed a change. She worried about telling Alec only for him to relate that he was the one who had recommended Phoebe in the first place. That leaves Rizwan without his friend, but Kunz is still a cast member, so it’s likely that somehow Phoebe and Mercer end up working together again. 

Rose got into hot water

The finale looked to wrap everything up with the bombing solved. It then jumped ahead a few weeks to show Rose driving when her car broke down. A man offered to help, but Rose could tell something was wrong and tried to fight him off, only to be surrounded by gunmen. She was then shoved into a van that took off. No doubt, the search for Rose is going to be the focus for the first part of season 2 and kick off The Irrational next installment in a great way. 

The Irrational season 2 premieres Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 10/9c on NBC. Stay tuned to Americans Undercover for coverage. Follow us on X and Facebook for more content!