The new Reacher season 2 trailer proves that skipping 9 books was the right move for its storytelling. Alan Ritchson’s brusque hobo is almost back for another adventure on the heels of his stint in Margrave, Georgia. Based on Lee Child’s novels, the freshman year of the Amazon Prime Video project adapted the series’ debut installment, Killing Floor. Like its source material, Reacher is poised to take an anthology approach to its storytelling, which means that each season will tackle a fresh case based on a different novel. However, instead of doing a chronological adaptation, it skips several novels, with Reacher season 2 doing book 11 Bad Luck and Trouble.
This creative decision seems baffling from the surface. For starters, it may be a case of overcomplicating things. Since Reacher is essentially an anthology in nature, meaning there won’t be significant narrative complications if it skips installments, it also doesn’t pose any problems for it to take on a more straightforward approach. Amid qualms from those who were first introduced to the material via Childs’ books, Amazon Prime Video effectively makes a compelling argument why Bad Luck and Trouble is the best storyline to tell in Reacher season 2 after Killing Floor.
Reacher Season 2’s Trailer Looks Great – Despite Skipping 9 Books
Reacher season 2 trailer inspires confidence.
In preparation for the series’ return on Amazon Prime, the first Reacher season 2 trailer has been released, and it looks really intense. The promotional clip effectively lays the groundwork for the show’s new story, primarily its core mystery, which is the mysterious deaths of the US Army 110th MP Special Investigations unit members. While it focuses on Jack and his team’s dangerous mission, it also features several humorous moments, offering an idea of the kind of cast dynamic season 2 will have. This is particularly important because the cast of Reacher season 1 was phenomenal.
Admittedly it’s better to hold off any final thoughts about the show’s sophomore year until after it has actually been released. However, at the very least, the Reacher season 2 trailer inspires confidence. Aside from potentially enticing brand-new viewers, it also piques the interest of people who enjoyed the first season. Even though the film skips 9 books and goes straight to Bad Luck and Trouble, it doesn’t feel like there’s a massive gap between the new narrative and what happened to Jack at Margrave — aside from the fact that Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) and Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) aren’t with him anymore.
Reacher Season 2’s Story Makes Perfect Sense After Season 1
Reacher season 2 feels like an organic continuation of Jack’s story.
The Reacher season 2 trailer doesn’t show any traces of what Jack experienced in season 1. On top of Finlay and Roscoe’s absence, he also doesn’t make any kind of reference to them or the role they play in his recent pursuits. For context, Bad Luck and Trouble is set primarily on the West Coast, making it logistically impossible for Jack to have any reunion with either of them. The new landscapes and visuals of the show effectively differentiate it from its predecessor, offering something new to viewers. Despite these changes, Reacher season 2 feels like an organic continuation of Jack’s story.
Aside from Jack being the primary driving force of the story, Reacher season 2 will also see the return of Frances Neagley (Maria Sten). Introduced in season 1 as Jack’s former military friend, she was instrumental in bringing down the Kliners in Margrave. Although she was introduced later in the debut year, her history with Jack was firmly established in season 1, allowing season 2 to delve deep into it. This makes the narrative transition so much smoother despite the show skipping 9 books in between seasons.
Amazon’s Reacher Can Still Adapt Books 2-10 After Season 2
The Reacher show can cherry-pick which arcs to tell.
Jumping from Killing Floor to Bad Luck and Trouble doesn’t mean that Reacher can’t go back and revisit the books that it has initially skipped. There are several compelling storylines that the show set aside to tell his upcoming adventure — many of them will be great to adapt. For example, Tripwire, which is the third installment from Child’s series, sees Jack coming out of retirement after someone hires a private investigator to hunt him down. It’s often regarded as one of the best entries in the whole franchise.
In any case, the fact that Amazon Prime Video is able to make Bad Luck and Trouble feel like the natural progression of Jack’s story despite skipping 9 books means that it can easily go back through the selection. It’s uncertain if the platform is planning on adapting every single novel in Child’s roster. Regardless, it’s creatively freeing to know that the Reacher show can cherry-pick which arcs to tell.
Reacher season 2 will premiere with its first three episodes on Dec. 15 on Amazon Prime Video.
