Created by executive producer and head writer Bradley Bell in 2020, Finn made his first appearance on July 23 of that year, and is introduced as the doctor who treats Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) after she sustains injuries in a motorcycle accident and develops a dependency to her pain pills.

TV Source Magazine acclaimed Finn as a "strapping young doctor" who infused "a breath of fresh air" to the show; Carly Silver from Daytime Confidential asserted that the character was a "good seed."

Commonly referred to by the portmanteau "Sinn" in magazines, on social media and internet message boards, the pairing of Finn and Steffy attracted a large fan following.

I screen tested and did a chemistry read with Jacqui [Wood] I believe March 11 or 12, literally the day before all of the sports organizations like the NHL and the NBA and all of those seasons got canceled, when the pandemic really took a turn.

Tanner Novlan's daytime television debut and casting was exclusively reported by TVLine on July 9, 2020, alongside Delon de Metz's as a recast of Zende Forrester Dominguez.

"[11] When speaking about the shooting method, Novlan, express that "I don't know their old way of filming, so this is my new normal," but "it's been such a unique process but it's been amazing how all the producers have come together to figure this out and put forth these groundbreaking guidelines, making things safe and efficient and being able to work around all of this and keep everything alive.

He revealed to Soap Opera Digest that he, himself and alongside the entire cast, were "pretty surprised" in regards to his character's direction and most predominantly, co-star, Wood, who he described as rendered "speechless" due to the magnitude of the 'Sinn' fanbase.

"[27] Janet Di Lauro from Soap Hub characterizes Finn as "kind and caring, smart and savvy; the type of man worthy of the Forrester fashion heiress.

In September 2023, Finn's cousin and Li's niece, Luna Nozawa, portrayed by Lisa Yamada, debuted onscreen as a fashion student, interning, at Forrester Creations.

On the cinematic details of the reunion, Novlan reveals that "the church bells were used as a calling to each other, it had a real emotional impact on both characters" specifically "on a spirit and subconscious level", indicating the couple's soulmate connection.

Steffy reveals to Finn the past emotional burdens that have been affecting her, including the dissolution of her marriage to ex-husband and father of her daughter Kelly, Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton), the death of her twin sister Phoebe Forrester (MacKenzie Mauzy), the loss of the adoptive child that she named in honor of said twin sister as well as the missing presence of her mother Taylor Hayes (Hunter Tylo, later Krista Allen).

Liam enlists the help of Finn and Steffy's father, Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) to stage an intervention and convince her to admit she has a problem and agree to enter drug rehabilitation facility.

Upon arrival, he learns from Ridge, that Steffy opted to leave to Paris with her daughter Kelly, in order to let Finn go and not have him endure the responsibility of raising a child that isn't his.

[44] Michael Fairman TV gave Novlan recognition for delivering his scenes opposite Brown, when Finn learns and meets, that the ruthless villainess, Sheila Carter, was his birth mother.

Fairman wrote, "Finn is overcome, and Tanner Novlan turned in a very good performance as a son who has longed to know his real mother unaware of Sheila's history with the Forresters.

"[55] Adam-Michael James of Soap Central wrote that "Tanner Novlan has been turning in some killer performances in this arc" and "his scenes with Kimberlin Brown have been the main reason to watch.

"[61] In December 2022, the aforementioned site placed Novlan at number-one, in their list, of "Top 10 Breakout Soap Stars of 2022", asserting that the portrayer "showed off himself during the storyline surrounding his character's "death" and fighting to get back to his wife and child.

"[66] Earning another "Performer of the Week for B&B" in May 2023 from the site, they asserted that "Novlan delivered the dramatic goods" and "got solid acting chops as evidenced by these jailhouse scenes between Sheila and Finn.

"[70] In August 2023, Novlan and his co-star, Wood, were named "Performers of the Week" by Soap Opera News for their adept portrayal in the confrontational scenes centered around Kelly's near-drowning incident and Finn's display of embrace of Sheila, which led to Steffy's pivotal decision to move out of their home with their children.

"[78] In September 2023, the actor obtained another "Performer of the Week For B&B" accolade by Soap Hub with the online platform noting that "Tanner Novlan brought incredible strength and passion to Finn as the good doctor blasted his [birth] mother for her past actions and let her know they had no future.

"[80] In March 2024, Novlan was honored with another Performer of the Week recognition by Soap Opera News, sharing the accolade with his co-star Wood for their compelling portrayal of the aftermath of Steffy's self-defense killing of Finn's birth mother, Sheila.

"[82] Soap Opera News echoed similar sentiments, giving Novlan an honorary mention for his performance in displaying Finn's heroism as he rescued his kidnapped wife.

[83] On the impact of the character on the canvas, Amber Sinclair from DailyDrama commented that "ever since the moment he walked on set, Tanner Novlan has stolen the hearts of The Bold and the Beautiful viewers" and the "introduction of Finn changed the face of the show.

[91] In July 2021, Steffy and Finn's welcoming of their son Hayes, via, waterbirth proved to be polarizing from audiences, however, earned much praise and acclaim due to the excellent intimacy factor.

[96] In August 2023, Shay McBryde from ShowSnob.com under the FanSided network compiled a list titled "Best Soap Opera couples of 2023: The most sizzling romances on Daytime Television" and ranked Finn and Steffy at number four.

[106] Errol Lewis from Soap Opera Network asserted "fans are currently in an uproar following the recent twist which found Finn’s biological mother, Sheila, being the one to pull the trigger after he came upon her".

[107] Meanwhile, Richard Simms from Soaps.com affirmed that "whole lot of anger was being directed toward the show’s scribes" over Finn's exit on social media and jokingly explained that the outrage has illustrated that "perhaps the writers might want to seek shelter.

"[108] The hashtag #SaveFinn, as well as online petitions, began to circle across various social media platforms, including Twitter, in which fans, were notably advocating and campaigning for Novlan's return on the soap as Finn.

[114] As a guest on The Talk, Novlan emphasized the strong viewer response to his character's presumed death and revealed that he had been sworn to secrecy regarding his return, he stated; "I was blown away at the fans' reaction to this and 'Sinn' nation...I couldn't believe the support, but, in fact, I'm contractually obligated not to tell you guys and I felt awful about it.

"[65] In October 2023, Dylan St. Jaymes, a writer for The List, featured Finn's resurrection in their compilation titled "The Best Soap Opera Return-From-The-Dead Plotlines," dubbing the storyline as "a hero homecoming.