Crime thriller series Reacher reveals a hero who forms relationships despite his character as a predominantly introverted loner. The Amazon Prime series introduces former military police major Jack Reacher as a drifter who travels across the United States solely to wander and see the sights. The show faithfully adapts author Lee Child’s debut novel Killing Floor, but differentiates itself from the book by exploring how Reacher’s loner mindset forms and develops tangible relationships.
Episode 1 shows Reacher drifting into the peaceful town of Margrave, Georgia. His only goal is to confirm the locale where Blind Blake, a famous blues guitarist, lived out his final days. Within minutes of Reacher entering Margrave, however, his visit takes an unfortunate turn when police arrest him under suspicion of murder. Reacher is released when authorities figure out he is innocent, only to be drawn deeper into the investigation when one of the murder victims is identified as Joe, his older brother. Now highly motivated to find the killer, Reacher joins Chief Detective Oscar Finlay and Officer Roscoe Conklin in unraveling a massive conspiracy involving counterfeiting and serial murder.
Reacher’s introverted tendencies reveal the complicated nature of his often transient relationships. Having served an extensive military career, Reacher finds adjusting to civilian life to be an exceedingly difficult task. Rather than staying idle, he travels great distances carrying only the essentials, rationalizing his freedom as an opportunity to see the unknown. But Reacher’s self-seclusion makes relationships complicated. Although his allies are few, those whom he trusts share a vastly better understanding of his interpersonal challenges. Consequently, Reacher’s changing and growing relationships throughout the series highlight just how conflicted he really is as a character.
Roscoe and Finlay are initially apprehensive about working with Reacher due to his unorthodox, drifter lifestyle. Ironically, Reacher’s “outsider” status allows both officers to sympathize with him since they, too, are alienated by Margrave locals. Finlay is isolated because he is one of the few Black citizens in a predominantly White town, in addition to having attended Harvard. Roscoe faces her own struggles, with no living family members and local ties dating back to the town’s settlement. Nonetheless, Reacher strongly identifies with both Roscoe and Finlay due to their strict moral code.
Another relationship forms with a fellow officer from the military, Frances Neagley. A long-time friend, Neagley understands Reacher’s need for solitude to live life contently. Likewise, Reacher respects Neagley’s own idiosyncrasy, a fear of being touched. Neither one judges the other.
Reacher’s greatest struggle is his social detachment and ensuing challenge to form personal relationships. On those exceptional occasions when relationships are formed, they appear more meaningful, expressing the importance of embracing another’s peculiarities and the unique strength of a bond created through tolerance. By placing relationships front and center Reacher is arguably better able to explore the characters’ conflicts than even the source material.
