1. Reacher was travelling, following Blues Music roots - and just happens to stumble upon his brother's murder, who he hasn't spoke to in years?
2. The cop needs some help so he contacts his friend from another state - Pickard. Who just happens to be on the take in the counterfeiting ring?
Not entirely coincidental, at least the first one was not.
That town and Blues music thing was mentioned by his brother, so his brother wanted him there, maybe needed help.
Not really sure why people are so bothered by coincidence like this in a film or a show. It's not as though the movie is a chain of coincidences per se.
shareCoincidence happens a lot in fiction. In fact, most fiction would not exist without it.
shareYou'd love the alternate script where he goes to a different town and there's no music so he spends the night in a motel and then leaves. There's even a scene where he brushes his teeth.
shareIt’s not a coincidence that they were both there at the same time.
What we learn about Reacher in the 1st Season is that has a very particular way of communicating with people. He tends to speak in code with people from his military past, and lies a lot to people that he doesn’t know well. He observes and absorbs everything, and doesn’t actually speak more than he has to.
He doesn’t know Finlay or Roscoe at the start, so he does lie to them a lot until he knows they’re on the level. Reacher is also dismissive throughout the season of letting anyone in, and knowing too much about his past.
Reacher was passively led there by Joe, which is why he abruptly took a bus there. It’s very easy to miss the first time around - because the audience doesn’t really know Reacher yet - but he does quickly mention early on that he wondered if his brother led him there (in code) by bringing up the blues singer. Joe knew what to say to him to get him there. Reacher simply lied about not haven spoken to Joe. He wants to gather all the info he can without giving out any info of his own.
Reacher really was there for the Blues singer, but he was lured there by his older brother. Reacher does mention later on that Joe doesn’t do anything by accident, but I don’t think he knew (at the time) exactly what he was getting into when he first got to the town. Joe got him there, but then he spends the season figuring out why his brother was murdered there.
When it comes to Pichard, he does mention more than once that he advised Finlay not to take that job. Pichard was already neck deep in the scam, and didn’t want Finlay to stick his nose in it. Pichard is the “friendly face that comes to help out”.