RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 4 sourcesPrime Video’s Reacher has developed a loyal fan base on the strengths (in multiple senses of the word) of its charismatic leading man, Alan Ritchson, as well as the addictive simplicity of its storytelling. In each new season of the show, morally righteous hero Jack Reacher helps the oppressed to fight a broken system. It rarely gets more complicated than that. At a time when we could use more Reachers in the real world, the wish-fulfillment of an old-fashioned action hit has attracted people from all demographics to Reacher . Though they might think twice about coming back week in and week out for its fourth season.
Like the three seasons before it, season four follows the nomadic Jack Reacher as he just happens to wander into an international crisis, one in which he can stand up for the little guy—often by virtue of being the biggest person in the room. Showrunner Nick Santora and the other writers of this comfort-food hit steadfastly refuse to change the recipe; but in their adaptation of Lee Child’s 13th Reacher novel, Gone Tomorrow , the results come out tasting a little stale. This is the most forgettable season of the show, the result of inferior source material, weak supporting characters, unengaging villains, and lackluster plotting. Ritchson is immune to the setbacks; his Reacher continues to be a captivating action hero, a nostalgic TV creation who’s a bit of Bruce Banner and a bit of The Incredible Hulk at the same time.
At least season four opens with one of Reacher ’s most shocking sequences: After Reacher witnesses a suicide on a subway train in Philadelphia, authorities descend on the scene in search of a USB drive that the deceased had in her possession. There’s much more to this than just a tragic death, including a potential conspiracy that goes all the way to a promising presidential hopeful, and the investigation leads Reacher to three allies: homicide cop Tamara Green (Sydelle Noel), fellow cop and brother of the deceased Jacob Merrick (Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette), and a journalist named Russell Plum (Kevin Weisman).
Like pretty much every supporting player this season, there’s nothing overtly wrong with any of the choices made by Noel, Rodriguez-Marquette, or Weisman, but they become victims of a plot that gives them almost nothing to play but exposition (or, in Rodriguez-Marquette’s case, grief). No one comes to a show like Reacher expecting great depth of character, but the trio simply aren’t great scene partners for Ritchson. The scenery-chewing Kevin Corrigan is more entertaining as the kind of Philly cop who’s seen it all, but he’s given too little to do to make up for the sense that Reacher ’s star is forced to carry this season alone on his massive shoulders.
Luckily, Ritchson continues to do engaging work, even opposite this lackluster coterie of characters, doing the kind of action-TV acting that is tougher than it looks. A Reacher this muscular could have resulted in a boring hunk of a leading man with a seasonal quota for shirtless scenes, but the underrated Ritchson elevates the role in the show’s quiet moments as much as he keeps it thrilling in the action sequences. He knows how to convey his character’s military training through listening and assessing, and he nails a key aspect of the role: Reacher’s innate goodness, and how that is reflected in the decisions he makes. It’s essential that we believe that this Jack Reacher would put his life in jeopardy to do what’s right, and we have through all 32 episodes to date. While Amazon probably isn’t happy about the potential viewer alienation, the fury at the Trump administration Ritchson has expressed on this season’s press tour is perfectly in keeping with what he brings to the character. This Jack Reacher would totally release the Epstein files.
Of course, Jack Reacher hands out more than verbal haymakers. The one-on-one (or often one-on-12) fight scenes in season four remain some of the best choreographed and executed on any streaming show. Other types of violence don’t fare as well: When Reacher deviates from its mano-a-mano formula to crash some cars and discharge some automatic weapon fire, it feels like a different, dumber show. Reacher still works best when it remembers that Ritchson’s arms are the best weapon at the writers’ disposal.
Despite all of season four’s missed punches, Reacher ’s fantasy of justice for the little guy remains comforting. Additionally comforting: Because their seasons tell self-contained stories in which Reacher is the only recurring character, Santora and company can easily bounce back in the already-announced fifth season. After all, Jack Reacher is tough to kill.
Reacher season four debuts on Prime Video Wednedsay, August 12.
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