Reacher season 2 being significantly different from season 1 will make it better. Amazon Prime Video’s adaptation of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books introduced Alan Ritchson’s ex-military home. The show’s freshman year is based on the debut installment of the series, Killing Floor, which tackled Reacher’s story in the small town of Margrave, Georgia, where he discovered his personal ties to the killings in the area. When he returns in season 2, things will be very different for him as he faces brand new challenges.
Despite meeting some great people and even developing a romance with Margrave PD’s Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald), Reacher still decided to move on from Margrave at the end of Reacher season 1 finale. The Kliners’ scheming was exposed and eventually stopped, which had always been his priority as he also sought revenge for the brutal death of his brother. Instead of following the chronological order of Child’s beloved novels, however, Amazon Prime Video’s project is skipping several installments, adapting book 11 of the series — Bad Luck and Trouble.
Reacher Season 2 Has A Lot Of Differences To Season 1
Showrunner Nick Santora has already said that they are not beholden to its source material, which means that have the creative wiggle room to deviate from what’s in Child’s book. However, it’s safe to say that they will take the bigger plots from the source material, with Reacher season 2 seeing the titular character re-team with Frances Neagley (Maria Sten). Bad Luck and Trouble is primarily set in California and Las Vegas and will send the pair on a mission to the death of their former team members. Roscoe and Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) won’t be involved, instead, Reacher season 2 will introduce new players to the evolving franchise.
Among the new players in Reacher season 2 are Serinda Swan as Karla Dixon, part of Reacher’s old military special investigations unit, and Ferdinand Kingsley as A.M., a Syrian terrorist. Meanwhile, it will also introduce some characters from Reacher’s past in the military, which includes Josh Blacker as Lieutenant Colonel Hortense Fields, Luke Bilyk as Calvin Franz, and Dean McKenzie as Stan Lowery. Meanwhile, Domenick Lombardozzi plays Guy Russo and Robert Patrick plays Shane Langston — both characters aren’t in the novel.
Why Reacher Season 2’s Changes Are Good For The Show
Admittedly, it’s a big risk not to bring the majority of the elements that made Reacher season 1 a success into season 2. That being said, if Amazon Prime Video does it right, starting with an almost blank slate can be the very reason why its sophomore year becomes another hit. Trying a lot of creative storytelling and constantly changing things up will ensure that the show never goes stale.
Childs’ books did this, and it proved to be a great strategy, so it makes sense for the show to follow its lead. This doesn’t mean that it cannot bring back past elements to its current storytelling. Reacher season 2 shouldn’t totally ignore what happened to him in Margrave. However, it also shouldn’t heavily rely on it.
