Reacher season 2 sees the return of Alan Ritchson’s Jack Reacher, who goes on a new mission that is personal from the start. Created for TV by Nick Santora, Reacher season 1 was both a critical and commercial success, becoming Prime Video’s first most-streamed series. Between the chemistry among Jack’s newly re-assembled team and the nature of their case, the new season is just as compelling as season 1 so far, despite some key changes. It’s gory, heartbreaking, and oddly funny at times. The action sequences are superb and diversified, thanks to featuring its highly skilled protagonists. If season 2 can sustain its storytelling until the end, then it has the potential to surpass its predecessor in terms of entertainment value. And despite revealing the big plot points early on, season 2 is anything but underwhelming.
Reacher
Produced by Amazon Prime Video, Reacher adapts Lee Child’s Jack Reacher book series to live-action. The series follows veteran Military Police Officer Jack Reacher as he unravels a dangerous conspiracy in the fictional town of Margrave, Georgia. Played by the towering Alan Ritchson, the titular hero collaborates with officer Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) and Chief Detective Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) to clean his name and save Margrave from crime and corruption.
- Release Date
- February 4, 2022
- Cast
- Malcolm Goodwin , Maria Sten , Willa Fitzgerald , Bruce McGill , Chris Webster , Alan Ritchson
- Genres
- Drama , Crime , Action
- Seasons
- 1
- Season List
- Reacher – Season 1 , Reacher – Season 2
- Showrunner
- Nick Santora
What Is Reacher Season 2 About?
While its debut year tackled Lee Child’s first Jack Reacher novel, Killing Floor, Reacher season 2 skips several novels to adapt Bad Luck and Trouble. As a result, Jack’s allies from his time in Margrave — Georgia, Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) and Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) — aren’t joining him in his new endeavor. This is a massive cause for concern considering how great the trio was in season 1. Season 2 makes up for it by reuniting Jack with Frances Neagley (Maria Sten), as well as some of their old US Army 110th MP Special Investigations unit teammates, as they investigate the mysterious deaths of their other members. Unlike Bad Luck and Trouble, which was set in the California desert, the Prime Video show now takes place in New York.
Reacher Season 2’s Changes Give Jack Better Development
Jack’s involvement in the Kliners’ operation in Margrave was purely coincidental, although the mission eventually became personal after he learned of Joe’s death while investigating the family. Unlike its predecessor, which took a while to establish its premise, Reacher season 2 makes it clear from the get-go that this new mission is closer to home. The first three episodes, which were sent ahead of time for review purposes, go back and forth in time between Jack and his members reuniting following the suspicious death of a former co-worker in the present day and revealing how exactly the team came to be. Unlike Jack’s frosty demeanor upon his arrival in Margrave, he’s more open and relaxed around his peers — a refreshing change that fleshes out the character. Seeing him engage in banter while still maintaining his matter-of-fact approach to things is a unique dynamic that season 1 was never able to fully develop.
As for the central case, the series does a great job getting us invested. While its predecessor juggled multiple mysteries from Jack’s past and his present, Reacher’s sophomore outing streamlines the story by focusing on his current situation, albeit not in a boring way. Robert Patrick’s Shane Langston is Reacher season 2’s primary villain, and he personifies the stereotypical wealthy nefarious character, exuding power even though he isn’t physically capable of going up against Jack. That said, watching Jack and his team operate efficiently and in unison somehow reduces the threat level Langston poses. Luckily, other villainous characters at play make the Special Investigators’ mission trickier, and more intriguing.
Reacher’s Romance With Karla Dixon Is A Focus Early On
The biggest change to Jack’s story is how Reacher season 2 approaches his love life. The series doesn’t waste time establishing his romantic arc with Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan), another member of the Special Investigators. Apparently, the pair had always been attracted to each other, but Jack was apprehensive about doing anything about it because he didn’t want to be involved in an office romance. Now that they’re no longer working together, they are free to act on their attraction, which they do fairly early on. Although the events of Reacher season 2 take place more than two years after Margrave, there’s something odd about Jack supposedly harboring feelings for Dixon for years, especially considering his past relationship with Roscoe. Whether there’s a sustainable future for them beyond Reacher season 2 is uncertain, but considering how electric the couple is, it would be disappointing if she ends up as another seasonal love interest for Jack.
