There are two key items on my wishlist for the nextJesse Stonemovie, and they really must be resolved. I can’t believe it’s nearly been ten years sinceLost in Paradisemarked the unofficial end of theJesse StoneTV movie series. From 2005 to 2015, Tom Selleck played the titular police chief in all nine entries, but the veteran star’s commitment toBlue Bloodskept him away from the character.WithBlue Bloodsending there’s renewed talk ofJesse Stone 10, and I hope the next film can wrap up some unresolved plotlines.
Now, the thing I always enjoyed about the series is that while each entry is somewhat standalone, they feature a large cast of recurring characters and subplots.Lost in Paradisewas a solid entry, but it in no way served as a proper finaleto the series either. It didn’t reveal what became of Rose (Kathy Baker), where the slippery “Hasty” Hathaway (Saul Rubinek) went or whether Jesse ever called back his ex-wife, Jenn. A tenthJesse Stonehas the chance to clear up all of the above - assuming it happens.
Tom Selleck’s 9 Jesse Stone Movies, Ranked Worst To Best
Tom Selleck is famous for his iconic Magnum P.I. role, but he deserves recognition for playing the titular character of the Jesse Stone films as well.
I Need To See Jesse Stone Bring Hasty Hathaway To Justice
The closest thing Jesse Stone has to The Joker must finally get brought down
There is a lot of history between Stone and Hasty in the series, and it would feel incomplete if their rivalry didn’t get paid off. I’m condensinga lotwhen it comes to explaining their history, but Hasty was the corrupt Town Council president who got Jesse hired as police chief - believing a disgraced alcoholic would be easy to control - only to get sent down by him for money laundering. Incredibly, they still formed a friendship, butinBenefit of the Doubt,Selleck’s chief realizes Hasty is secretly a major crime boss and has been manipulating him for years.
2005
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2009
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2012
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
2015
The last we see of Hasty in theJesse Stoneseries is him speeding away in a boat before he can be arrested. If I have one request for the tenth installment, it’s that the Hasty saga is finally tied off.Benefit of the Doubtexposed the amiable former Town Council president turned used car salesman to be a scheming monsterbut took that story no further. Stone still has complicated feelings towards Hasty, who essentially saved his life by giving him a job - even if this was for nefarious reasons.
I can’t see the Jesse Stone story ending without wrapping up the Hasty saga, and it really is the most obvious choice for the tenth installment.
I’d love the next movie to focus on Hasty being brought down, which would only be further complicated by Jesse’s friendship with gangster Gino Fish (William Sadler). Hasty was revealed to be Gino’s boss inBenefit of the Doubtinstead of the other around, and there would naturally be conflicting loyalties if Jesse tracked Hasty down. I can’t see theJesse Stonestory ending without wrapping up the Hasty plot, and it really is the most obvious choice for the tenth installment.
I Want Jesse Stone 10 To Finally Introduce His Ex-Wife, Jenn
The next Jesse Stone can break a series rule
Jesse Stone’screator Parker gave Selleck two rules for the character: he had to always battle his alcoholism, and he had to remain forever pining for ex-wife Jenn. While this character appears in the books, Selleck decided to keep Jenn as a voice on the phone for the TV movies, with the two having a complicated, somewhat toxic friendship.I’d love to seeJesse Stone 10break a longstanding tradition and make Jenn a characterin the next story, so Stone has to finally face his past.
One of the few breakthroughs Jesse had in the later films was deciding to cut off contact with Jenn, after becoming tired of hearing her relationship woes.By the timeLost in Paradisearrived, he hadn’t talked to Jenn in two years- but his feelings hadn’t died down either. Having Jenn appear in Paradise would be a spicy subplot of its own, with the two having to finally decide whether to give their relationship another chance or sever ties forever.
The character of Jenn has been voiced by Sylvia Villagran and Gil Anderson in theJesse Stonemovies.
I think it would be best for both of them to call it quits - even though neither seems to want to. In the event ofJesse Stone 10(or whatever the subtitle ends up being) being the final sequel, some kind of resolution with Jenn (even if it’s only over the phone) should be a given.
I Think Jesse Stone 10 Should End The Franchise
Jesse Stone: Leaving Paradise has a nice ring to it
The first eight movies came at an almost annual pace, but there was a three-year wait for 2015’sLost in Paradise. CBS dropped the franchise as they felt it skewed towards an older audience, with The Hallmark Channel then picking up the tab forLost in Paradise. Now, it’s nearly a decade since the ninth movie, andwhile I really want to see anotherJesse Stone, I also think it’s time for the title character to leave Paradise.
Selleck claimed in an October 2024TV Insiderinterviewthat the nextJesse Stonesequelwouldn’tbe the last, but it’s also unlikely to become an ongoing movie series like it once was. Reuniting the original cast for another film will be tough too - let alone another two or three entries. I’d love forJesse Stone 10to act as a true finale; one that wraps up the overarching storylines, reunites the main cast and maybe even grants its main character a happy ending.
Jesse Stone
The Jesse Stone franchise is a series of television films based on the novels by Robert B. Parker. The series follows Jesse Stone, a former LAPD detective who becomes the police chief of the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts. The films are noted for their character-driven plots, focusing on Stone’s battles with alcoholism, his troubled past, and the crime investigations he leads.
