Reacher Season 2 Premiere Early Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of the first 3 episodes of Season 2 of Reacher, premiering tomorrow evening on Prime VIdeo

After much anticipation, Amazon’s Christmas delivery system overachieved by delivering a present early this year with the first three episodes of Reacher season 2 dropping a day earlier than advertised. Fans of the series have spent much of their downtime in between seasons attempting to alert others of just how special Reacher’s first season truly was with the campaign being so successful that the greenlight for a third season was given even before the second season’s premiere.

For newcomers to this series, Reacher is adapted from a popular novel series from Lee Child that centers around a no-nonsense Army veteran who dishes out justice based on a strict moral code to anyone who mistakenly crosses paths with him. In essence, it’s a culmination of every action movie hero your dad ever looked up to rolled into one gigantic figure. Season two of Reacher is based on the 11th novel in the series, “Bad Luck and Trouble”, which thrusts viewers back into the action immediately as members of Reacher’s former Army Special Investigators group are being murdered and it is up to him and the surviving members of his team to come together and find out who is doing this and why. With this new season, showrunner Nick Santora takes what made last season great through well-produced action and dry humor and leans further into it by having the titular character punch, kick, break, shoot, and maim his way through a constantly twisting plot that is completely entertaining.

Narratively, the tone is quickly set from the opening scene as a figure, later discovered as one of their team members, is dropped out of a helicopter to their death before a title card ever appears. One of the most noticeable traits in the early episodes is the series’ desire to build out its universe with an expansion beyond Reacher’s social circle of one, instead choosing to focus on additional members of his former team, their backgrounds and motivations adding even more depth to characters we had previously heard about or briefly encountered, but not yet get to see develop over the course of the season. Among the team members, most notably is Frances Neagley (Maria Sten), who many will recall from her short episode arc in season one.

Neagley is given ample screen time and improved upon as a supporting character by showcasing her strength and value when compared to Reacher through their chemistry with some of the more humorous moments resulting from their back-and-forth, bolstering her as one of the standout characters of this season so far. An even greater return is the juxtaposition of flashback scenes throughout the season involving all of Reacher’s Special Investigators as they are recruited to the team, work alongside one another, and form the bonds that have shaped their dynamic while helping to layer each character with even more depth than expected. A similar narrative device to that used last season, it was used well to quickly build depth for Reacher by showing his childhood experiences and how they informed his current situation.

In this season’s opening three episodes, enough has been presented to not only reward fans who have waited this long for more Reacher but also hint at what appears to be a very eventful second season. Alan Ritchson’s portrayal of Reacher continues to be the series’ cornerstone, however, this season manages to adeptly utilize its supporting cast in a way that will leave viewers excited for its conclusion. The series has easily become a streaming must-watch, a feat that is difficult to muster in a binge-watch culture. Reacher is pure action entertainment that is unapologetic when delivering a story that on its surface might appear simplistic but can also offer a much more nuanced and layered delivery of its engrossing story.

still courtesy of Prime Video

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