Reacher Season 2: A Let Down or A Culmination of Storytelling?

The Culmination of Storytelling in Reacher Season 2

Reacher season 2 has long spoiled who survives the mission against New Age. With only one episode left before it wraps up its sophomore year, the Amazon Prime Video hit is the beginning of the culmination of its storytelling that started when several members of the 110th Special Investigations Unit got brutally murdered. In the subsequent weeks since, Jack Reacher and Frances Neagley, with David O'Donnell and Karla Dixon have used their respective skills to get to the bottom of their friends' mysterious deaths, leading them to New Age and Shane Langston.

Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher, Serinda Swan as Dixon, and Shaun Sipos as O'Donnell all with bruises in Amazon's Reacher season 2

Based on Lee Child's 11th book, Bad Luck and Trouble — a major jump from tackling the debut installment, Killing Floor, in its freshman year, creator Nick Santora and his team have taken some creative liberties when developing the show's current story. Unfortunately, it has failed to fully take advantage of the narrative's potential, with Reacher season 2 failing to set up any big twist for its finale. Aside from that, however, it has seemingly already spoiled who ends up surviving the mission against Langston, making its upcoming season capper all the more uninteresting, especially compared to its predecessor.

Alan Richtson as Jack Reacher in Reacher

The Spoiled Ending of Reacher Season 2

Amazon Prime Video had a late start in marketing Reacher season 2, perhaps because the show already had an established following from its first year. That being said, from the moment that they released the official first trailer for its sophomore year, the streaming service has already spoiled its ending. At one point, a bloodied Jack, O'Donnell, Dixon, and an unscathed Neagley sit down in a diner to have a meal after what seems like a gruesome battle. Considering the events of Reacher season 2, episode 7, 'The Man Goes Through,' it's safe to say that the face-off at the New Age facility precedes the group's restaurant scene.

This means that after eight episodes of Reacher season 2, the main four members of the 110th Special Investigations Unit will end up surviving and finish their mission to seek revenge against the deaths of their fallen members. The absence of Tony Swan in the scene hints that like Calvin Franz, Manuel Orozco, and Jorge Sanchez, he, too, has already been killed by Langston. Meanwhile, Neagley not having any bruises tracks with her being left outside while Jack goes in alone to confront their main adversary. Both Dixon and O'Donnell, on the other hand, have already been captured and tortured.

Implications for the Future of Reacher

Jack sitting down with Neagley, O'Donnell, and Dixon for a meal at the end of Reacher season 2 actually continues an ending tradition that was established in season 1. After taking down the Kliners with Oscar Finlay and Roscoe Conklin, Jack finally went back to the first diner he visited when he arrived in Margrave and got to check out their supposed best-selling pie. Assuming that this is an intentional creative move from Santora, expect that it will continue to happen in Reacher season 3's finale.

Reacher season 2 drops new episodes every Friday on Amazon Prime Video.