Note: This article contains crucial SPOILERS for Suzanne Collins’ novel Sunrise on the Reaping.
The latest installment, Sunrise on the Reaping, reexamines the intricate 75-year legacy of the Hunger Games by reintroducing familiar characters, while also highlighting the conspicuous absence of two significant figures: Finnick Odair and Johanna Mason. This prequel reveals a botched coup against the 50th Hunger Games, an event that occurred 25 years prior to the successful rebellion during the third Quarter Quell. The narrative features established characters such as Mags, Wiress, Beetee, and Plutarch, all of whom played critical roles in Haymitch’s previous Games.
Finnick & Johanna’s Noteworthy Absence
The Timeframe for Victors from Districts 4 & 7
Given the timeline, it is impossible for Finnick and Johanna to feature in Sunrise on the Reaping, aside from potential flash-forwards. The narrative centers around the 50th Hunger Games, while Finnick doesn’t emerge victorious until the 65th, and Johanna only wins later at the 71st. At the time Haymitch participates, Finnick is merely 14 years old, and Johanna is younger still, meaning they were not yet born during Haymitch’s Games.
The return of familiar faces like Mags, Beetee, Wiress, and Plutarch highlights the other prominent figures involved in the future coup, making the absence of Finnick and Johanna even more striking. Their absence is woven into the series’ larger arc, as Katniss encounters these characters in later stages of life, while Finnick and Johanna are in their twenties during this earlier timeline. Notably, Wiress won the Games the year before Haymitch, and Beetee ten years prior. This timeline emphasizes Mags’ experience and her likely victory shortly following Lucy Gray’s landmark win for District 12.
Revisiting Finnick & Johanna’s Hunger Games
Capitol’s Manipulation of the Games
Sunrise on the Reaping challenges preconceived notions about the Hunger Games history. Collaborating with readers, Suzanne Collins brilliantly reveals how the Capitol manipulates public perceptions of the Games, often omitting key events and relationships. For example, the version of Haymitch’s Games that Katniss witnesses is heavily edited, obscuring pivotal alliances and moments, including Haymitch’s attempts to dismantle the arena.
These omissions raise intriguing questions about what really transpired during not only Haymitch’s Games but potentially in Finnick and Johanna’s as well. The possibility that other tributes and mentors attempted to resist can hardly be dismissed. Although it may seem like a retcon, it provokes serious contemplation about how much we truly know regarding their Games.
Finnick’s backstory suggests he encountered a relatively manageable road to victory, boasting Career training, sponsors drawn to his charm, and appealing looks. However, his youth raises eyebrows, especially when there could have been older tributes vying for the opportunity to compete. Likewise, Johanna’s cunning strategy—using deception to appear weak before showcasing her true strength—invites curiosity about the untold chapters of their narratives. The stories of both victors remain notoriously sparse in the original trilogy.
Unveiling the Longstanding Rebellion of Victors
Collaborative Efforts Among Victors
Another significant revelation in Sunrise on the Reaping is that the rebellion against the Hunger Games is not a recent development; it has been cultivated over decades. Rather than uniting only in response to the events surrounding Katniss and Peeta, the victors had been covertly collaborating, often with Plutarch Heavensbee acting as their inside man. This web of resistance began with figures such as Mags, Beetee, and Wiress, with Haymitch being aware yet reluctant to engage for years.
Seemingly, by the time of Catching Fire, both Finnick and Johanna had likely integrated into this clandestine circle. They may have collaborated for years to find the Capitol’s vulnerabilities, ultimately bolstered by the pivotal third Quarter Quell and Plutarch’s ascension as head Gamemaker. Given Finnick’s close mentorship with Mags, it is plausible she introduced him to the inner workings of this rebellion. However, Johanna’s recruitment remains a mystery, raising questions about her mentor’s potential ties to the resistance.
Anticipating Finnick & Johanna’s Potential Prequels
Resisting the Capitol: Finnick & Johanna’s Narrative Arcs
Finnick’s potential prequel could answer pressing questions surrounding his early involvement in the Hunger Games at such a young age. It suggests a possibility that he might have volunteered, perhaps influenced by Mags’ guidance and a larger strategy against the Capitol. If the victors had indeed deployed a Career tribute as their agent, Finnick’s strengths could have proven invaluable to their cause.
Moreover, the narrative surrounding Snow’s oppressive actions against Finnick post-Games may carry deeper implications than initially apparent, possibly linked to actions taken within the arena itself.
Johanna, on the other hand, navigated her Games through deception, perhaps leading her fellow victors to underestimate her resilience. After her own Games, her lack of family further eliminated any restraints she faced, rendering her a compelling addition to Plutarch’s inner circle or others who identified her potential. What remains clear is that Sunrise on the Reaping has not only expanded upon existing storylines but also unveiled numerous possibilities for future explorations within the world of The Hunger Games.