Reacher is the Amazon adaptation of Lee Child’s action novels. I haven’t read them but did watch the movies with Tom Cruise. Cruise was decent in those movies, but not big enough. No, I am not being heightist! Jack Reacher is supposed to be a big boy, like, really big. 6’5 type big. Even Amazon’s version of Reacher, the impressively huge Alan Ritchson, only hits 6’2. And he is a damn delight in the series.
I fist noted Alan Ritchson in Titans where he played a superhero with bad knees. I thought casting him as Reacher was a good call. In the books he’s described as ‘extremely tall, extremely broad, long-armed, and long-legged‘. Alan certainly brings the brutality of the character to the series, he’s kick ass.
Reacher as a show is great fun but the premise is certainly nothing new:
Jack Reacher, a former U.S. Army military policeman, visits the fictional rural town of Margrave, Georgia, and quickly becomes embroiled in a violent clash with a brutal criminal conspiracy.
Wiki
What works here is the chemistry between the characters. Costars Malcolm Goodwin plays Oscar Finlay and Willa Fitzgerald plays Roscoe Conklin. Oscar is the anal police detective who does things by the books and Roscoe is the moral compass for Reacher. And, later, his squeeze. I had great fun watching Reacher use his impressive size and build to intimidate people into doing what he wants. And when that failed he’d punch you till you say yes. Or just shoot you in the back.
The action is great in the show, with gun fights, brawls and explosions aplenty. That said, Reacher is also a damn smart guy. His sleuth like skills compliment his bulky size and he’s also damn near adorable. Well, at least that’s what my girlfriend says. Also, I think there must have been a contractual ‘you will take your t-shirt off in every episode’ clause for Alan.
I think the only negative I can note is towards the tail end of the season. Reacher discovers something at the end of an episode, and then at the beginning of the next he’s tied up with all his mates. It was quite jarring. I stopped the episode and had to check whether I had accidently skipped an episode! Other than that the show is tons of fun.
In first episode author Lee Child makes a guest appearance. I thought that was quite nice
It’s the sort of series you watch to turn off what’s happening in the real world. Mindless fun with a charming lead. Loads of fun and I highly recommend it!
All the series and all the movies couldn't put society back together again.