Lately, I've plunged myself into the world of "Reacher." Based on Lee Child's best-selling action novels, the Prime Video series starring Alan Ritchson as ex-military police officer Jack Reacher is enjoyable popcorn viewing that took me by surprise.
Each season covers its own self-contained adventure, mainly adapting a single Child book while tying threads across the larger series. I made the foolish choice to start with the third season, and I was never lost. I tried one episode, then two became four, until I finished the entire season in one day. Binge viewing has permanently altered our way of approaching television series, for better or for worse. "Reacher" and its singular setting benefit the most from the binge model.
The fourth season (premiering this week on Prime Video) adapts Lee Child's "Gone Tomorrow," in which Jack Reacher investigates the shocking suicide of a female passenger he encounters during a train ride. Being the only person who engaged with the woman before she took her life, Reacher becomes the primary suspect in a larger political conspiracy involving government secrets and a high-profile politician.
The majority of this new season is a tense cat-and-mouse game where Jack and his accomplices run for their lives while trying to find the answer to why the passenger killed herself. It's all great, like watching a five-hour action movie that wraps up with a satisfying resolution before Jack Reacher moves on to another adventure.
As a "Reacher" newbie, the pleasant feeling is not being lost in the action. You can still enjoy the character dynamics, and Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher is simply dynamite on screen. A tank in human form, Ritchson brings a vulnerable yet unstoppable energy throughout this season. Reacher, like other good action heroes on television and film, throws away ridiculous punchlines, savours an impactful finish to his opponents, and can get messy.
Even with its expansive season made up of eight episodes, I can only imagine these "Reacher" seasons being even better as two-hour, full-length features. A few episodes bring hefty filler, repetitive action set pieces, and storylines that take a while to move forward. All in all, the fourth season of "Reacher" continues to be the ideal Saturday television binge over a pint of beer that it's known for.
Rating: “Reacher” season four gets ★★★☆☆.
The first three episodes of “Reacher” season four is now streaming on Prime Video, with new episode every Wednesday through September 16.
Featured images from Prime Video.
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