Introduction
Jack Reacher (2012) and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) were not bad films. They were ‘above average’ Tom Cruise vehicles with frequent collaborator Christopher McQuarrie turning in a solid script and direction, as he so often does. In the second film, Cruise reteamed with writer/director Ed Zwick (The Last Samurai) and the results were not as good, both critically and commercially and that was the end of that. That is until Amazon stepped up to the plate and said ‘we can do better.’ And they most certainly did.
The main issue with the films was that Cruise looked nothing like author Lee Child’s popular title character, which he brought to life in 1997 with the best-seller, Killing Floor. By the time it was announced that Cruise was cast, Child had published fifteen books and the fan base had grown exponentially. The character of Reacher, as written, is 6’5 and is often described as a ‘giant’ or ‘colossus.’ with a muscular and chiseled build. That’s not what we think of when we think of Tom Cruise. In 2018, Lee Child reflected to Deadline on the casting of Cruise:
“I really enjoyed working with Cruise. He’s a really, really nice guy. We had a lot of fun. But ultimately the readers are right. The size of Reacher is really, really important and it’s a big component of who he is…So what I’ve decided to do is – there won’t be any more movies with Tom Cruise. Instead we’re going to take it to Netflix or something like that. Long-form streaming television, with a completely new actor. We’re rebooting and starting over and we’re going to try and find the perfect guy”
A Fresh Start
With the second film not living up to the financial expectations, the planned franchise was shelved. Lee Child also wanted to go in a different direction and give the fans what they had so longed for. A Jack Reacher that was the size of an oak tree. In 2019, Amazon announced an eight-episode series with Nick Santora (The Sopranos, Scorpion) writing and show running. Much like the films, Paramount and Skydance Media would be backing the series with McQuarrie also signing on as an executive producer. The big question is who would portray this mountain of a man?
Enter human mountain man Alan Ritchson (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Fast X) who was cast as the titular character in September 2020. Appropo for an actor whose acting debut was playing a jacked-up Aquaman on the CW’s television show Smallville. However, Ritchson is more than just muscle and is perfectly cast as the former U.S. Army military police major (with extensive investigative and combat experience) who now travels across the United States, living as a drifter, and helping those who need it.
One thing that can be said of Cruise is he ‘acted’ the way Child wrote Reacher. The sharp wit. The sardonic quips. And especially the eagle-eyed attention to small details that a military investigator like Jack Reacher would have. The Oscar-nominated actor brought his A-game. Could Alan Ritchson put an entire series on his boulder-sized shoulders? The answer was a resounding yes. Turns out that season one of Reacher was the most-watched Amazon series ever. According to Nielsen, its eight episodes racked up 1.84 billion minutes of viewing time in its first three days!
Season One
Released on February 4, 2022, Season One of Reacher was based on Killing Floor, Child’s 1997 debut novel. Traveling with only the clothes on his back and his toothbrush, former U.S. Army MP officer Jack Reacher decides to stop off in Margrave, Georgia for a piece of peach pie. Before he can take his first bite, he’s arrested for the murder of his older brother, Joe Reacher (Christopher Russell). The Homeland Security Agent is found dead in a field, covered in cardboard. Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin), the investigating detective at first thinks Reacher is guilty, but that quickly changes when Reacher’s alibi holds up.
Further complicating things, accountant Paul Hubble (Marc Bendavid), falsely confesses to the murder. Now out of county lockup, Reacher is convinced by Finlay to stick around town for a while so that, together, they can get to the bottom of Joe Reacher’s murder. Deputy Sheriff Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) also believes that Reacher is telling the truth and the trio form an uneasy (at first) alliance to try and get to the bottom of things.
As is the norm with Lee Child’s novels, investigating the murder of Reacher’s brother uncovers a web of conspiracy and corruption that shakes the entire Margrave community to its core. Paul Hubble disappears, endangering the lives of his wife and young daughter. More murders start to pile up, including that of Police Chief Morrison (Peter Skagen) as well as his wife. All of it points to the nefarious Kilner Corporation and its founder Kilner Sr. (Currie Graham) and possibly the Mayor of Margrave, Grover Teale (Bruce McGill). Can Reacher, Roscoe, and Finlay stop Kilner and avenge Joe Reacher’s murder? It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Why It Works
At the very top of the list as to why Season One of Reacher works so well is Alan Ritchson. His casting is inspired and he not only delivers the brawn but delivers the brain. His sharp wit and snappy one-liners go hand in hand with the tremendous amount of ass that he kicks. Also, Ritchson as Jack Reacher is so inherently likable. This is the fundamental difference between Cruise’s and Ritchson’s portrayals. Cruise is a good Jack Reacher, but he’s not particularly likable. There’s also something to be said of the town of Margrave. It’s a small, friendly little southern town and Reacher instantly sticks out, becoming the focal point of everything, which also works.
Another reason Season One works so well is its source material. Lee Child’s first Reacher novel ‘Killing Floor’ is one of his very best. It’s got a great story, set in a great locale and full of fleshed-out and fully developed supporting characters. Speaking of which, Willa Fitzgerald is positively fantastic as Roscoe and the chemistry that she and Reacher have is significant and a big part of the reason that Season One works so well. While Amazon is staying true to the source material and did not bring back Fitzgerald for Season two, the fans may demand that she return in subsequent seasons. Author Lee Child has raved about her performance, stating:
“Willa is the icing on the cake and the cherry on the top…That is a better version of Roscoe than I thought of, and in a way that sucks because why didn’t I think of it in the first place?…I was so sad I would never see Finlay or Roscoe again…I was almost in tears at that prospect”
Season Two
Season two of Reacher was based on Child’s eleventh book, Bad Luck and Trouble. It premiered on Prime on December 15, 2023. This time around, while checking on his pension check in Arkansas, Reacher gets a coded message on his ATM receipt. It states that members of the 110th (Reacher’s old unit in the Army) are being killed off. Once again, our hero is drawn into a web of intrigue – and extreme violence. Reacher and three of the soldiers formerly under his command – Frances Neagley (Maria Sten), Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan), and David O’Donnell (Shaun Sipos) head for Atlantic City to get to the bottom of things.
Switching locations to the northeast, Reacher soon, once again, finds the bodies starting to pile up and Reacher becomes a prime suspect. Also, once again, the local NYPD detective (Domenick Lombardozzi) soon realizes that Reacher is not the perp that he’s looking for and they cautiously join forces to try and stop the killer (or killers) while also avenging the murdered members of Reacher’s former team. If it all seems familiar that’s because it is. Although this time around there is a whole slew of supporting characters to take your attention away from Jack Reacher, which is always a bad thing.
Season two of Reacher also introduces veteran character actor Robert Patrick (The Sopranos, Terminator 2: Judgement Day) as Shane Langston. He’s the head of security for a private defense contractor and a former NYPD detective. To say he’s a bit shady is an understatement. The second season also ramps up the action and spectacle to a whole other level. All eight episodes feature flashbacks to when Reacher was in the Army and show the bond and friendship that he developed with the fighting 110th. One thing is for certain and that’s that no one messes with the Special Investigators!
Why It Doesn’t Work
Season 2 of Reacher is not bad, far from it. However, it just isn’t on the same level as its fantastic first season. Part of the reason one might point to is the source material as Child’s debut novel is vastly superior to Bad Luck and Trouble – his eleventh book in the ongoing series. Another issue is that the plot of season two has too many supporting characters (that we don’t care about) and not enough Reacher. Season one was Reacher, Roscoe, and Finlay and we the viewer were heavily vested in all three characters. Season two is a smorgasbord of supporting characters, none of which we get to know.
One character we do get to know is Frances Neagley (Maria Sten). She’s fantastic and is Reacher’s closest confidant. She’s also a carryover from season one and will likely be back. Again, this all reverts to the source material. It’s more enjoyable and comedic to see Reacher bantering with civilians than with fellow soldiers. Season two has too many moving parts. Also, Robert Patrick’s Langston is as cliched as they come. When Reacher does develop a ‘love interest’, there are no feelings. It’s just sex, leaving the viewer disappointed and wishing Roscoe would come back. Alan Ritchson spoke to British GQ on the appeal of Reacher to the masses:
“The readership of the books is an unexpected demographic: just as many women read these books as men. There was an interesting article about how people say “men want to be him and women want to sleep with him”, but there’s an independence and freedom to Reacher that women clearly want, too”
What’s Next?
Regardless of the slight dip in quality, Season two of Reacher was another smash hit for Amazon Prime, and Season three was subsequently greenlit during the airing of season two. Production looks to be currently underway, with filming taking place in Toronto. Prime Video announced on January 24, 2024, that the third season will be based on Persuader, Lee Child’s seventh book in his ongoing Jack Reacher series.
Will Jack Reacher finally plant some roots and settle down? Will he buy a new toothbrush? And will Roscoe come back into Reacher’s life? We just don’t know yet. However, there is some indication based on the first two seasons that this series, while loyal to the source material, has strayed slightly in its plotlines. So things might get interesting. Expect to see the new season of Reacher drop on Prime in late 2024.
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