A story change that felt very odd inReacherseason 2 makes an awful lot more sense in the context of season 3. Amazon’sReacherTV show is not, and was never designed to be, a like-for-like adaptation ofLee Child’s Jack Reacher books, and most of the alterations serve the switch from page to screen. Nevertheless, one particular season 2 deviation stood out like Jack Reacher at a child’s tea party.
Reacher’s titular character and his friends can never truly be considered wholesome heroes, but they undeniably act as the story’s “good guys” in a broad sense. That was evident inReacherseason 1, but less so during season 2’s110th Special Investigatorsreunion. As the situation became increasingly desperate, Reacher’s crew gradually slipped from being lovable vigilantes to dangerous rogues, acting more violently and aggressively than the situation truly called for.
From the bladder-busting hospital murder to interrogating the innocent Chad,Reacher’s heroes became very hard to root for during season 2’s investigation. The problem became even more evident in the aftermath ofReacherseason 2’s ending, in which the group executed both Langston’s scientists and AM. Neither act of murder was necessary, and neither happened in the books. Such behavior felt odd upon first watch, butReacherseason 3looks positioned to justify it.
Reacher’s Brutality In Season 2 Makes Perfect Sense For Season 3
The Blood Reacher Spills Creates A Slippery Slope
Amazon’sReacherTV show does not adaptLee Child’s Jack Reacher books in order, but rather cherry-picks which story to adapt as it goes along, andPersuaderhas been selected as season 3’s narrative of choice.Persuaderis somewhat unique within Jack Reacher canon, as it involves the big man going undercover to work for the villains, bringing them down from within.
Reacher turned a few degrees more volatile and ruthless against Langston and AM, and that dial will now continue turning.
Naturally, the undercover gig necessitates Reacher using a level of force and aggression he would typically attempt to avoid, and acting like the enemy draws out his most violent and vengeful instincts. If, in a parallel universe, Amazon adaptedPersuaderforReacherseason 2 instead, the shift from season 1’s more heroic version of Jack Reacher to an unforgiving undercover menace would have felt incredibly jarring - an almost unrealistic progression that would inevitably have harmed Alan Ritchson’s portrayal of the character.
In the context of the show’s overall arc,Reacherseason 2 acts as something of a bridge between the character’s lighter and darker selves. With his Special Investigator pals in danger, Reacher turned a few degrees more volatile and ruthless against Langston and AM, and that dial will now continue turning as he seeks further vengeance for fallen comrades in season 3.
Reacher’s Violence In Season 3 Could Be The Perfect Setup For Season 4
Will Reacher’s More Moral Side Resurface In Season 4?
Reacher’s moral compass comes under scrutiny in most of his stories, but inPersuadermore than most. After making a few questionable decisions throughout season 2,Reacherseason 3 has the opportunity to bring the ethical boundaries of its title character into sharper narrative focus. WhereasReacherglossed over the needless acts of violence its protagonists committed in season 2, Amazon’s third season can properly begin exploring where Reacher’s ethical line is drawn - and what happens when it gets crossed.
Reacher realizing the error of his ways and rediscovering his core values by the end of season 3 would set up a major shift for season 4 - a reversion back to the Reacher of season 1, who tolerated no nonsense but still had a heart as big as his sleeve. The more pressing question is exactly how Reacher will come to recognize his rampage has gone too far. Maria Sten’s Neagley, who is confirmed forReacherseason 3’s cast, could potentially be the character who pulls him back from the brink, but a more appropriate candidate would be the curiously absent Roscoe.
Willa Fitzgerald’s Great Performance In Reacher Is A Reminder To Watch Her Horror Show With A 90% On RT
Willa Fitzgerald made a name for herself in season 1 of Reacher, but her strongest performance can be found in a different project altogether.
Roscoe’s return inReacherseason 3would be the perfect way to remind Jack of what he really fights for, and open the door for a more regular Reacher and Roscoe partnership in season 4. No other character seems to soothe the giant quite like Roscoe, and her prospective return inReacherseason 3 offers by far the most convincing method of quelling a Jack Reacher who has finally spun out of control.
Reacher
Reacher follows Jack Reacher, a former military police investigator, as he navigates civilian life. Without a phone and carrying minimal belongings, Reacher drifts across the country, experiencing the nation he once served, and encounters intriguing challenges along the way.
