Reacher Season 2: A New Standard in Action and Storytelling

Reacher Season 2: Surpassing Its Predecessor and the Big Screen

Reacher season 2 is doing one thing better than its Amazon Prime Video prequel and Tom Cruise's films. The Alan Richtson-led series has been an immediate hit since it debuted in 2022. That being said, it wasn't the first take on Lee Child's popular thriller novels. Previously, Hollywood A-star Tom Cruise attempted to launch a movie franchise where he plays the titular character, despite the physical discrepancy. Cruise got only two films in when the whole project was dropped, allowing Amazon Prime Video to relaunch Reacher as a series, which will likely have a long future on the platform given its popularity.

Jack with Dixon and Reacher season 2 episode 6

Reacher season 1 adapted Child's first book in the series, Killing Floor, but it skips 9 books for its sophomore year, with season 2 translating Bad Luck and Trouble. It deals with Jack's time in the military before becoming a self-initiated hobo and introduces the 110th Special Investigations Unit. Riding from the success of its freshman year, Reacher season 2 has some high standards to maintain, and although it is currently failing in certain aspects of its storytelling, it's making it up by excelling in others. One particular element in its current year is beating season 1 and even Cruise's big screen take on the character.

Tom Cruise with a cut on his face in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.

Reacher Season 2's Action-Packed Narrative

As a crime-action narrative, Reacher features a lot of fight scenes as Jack deals with various goons, henchmen, random criminals, and top-tier villains. Season 1 establishes how great he is at fighting, partly because of his sheer size and partly because of the skills he acquired in the military. He uses those skills with critical thinking, resulting in exciting brawls, which usually end with him winning. Reacher season 2, however, shines in terms of action set pieces, as it features a variety of fight scenes, not only involving Jack but also several of his allies.

Alan Ritchson as Reacher shooting someone

Reacher season 2, episode 6, 'New York's Finest,' in particular, exemplifies this. The episode juggles a lot, including Jack and his team's confrontation with Marlo Burns, which effectively solves Reacher season 2's biggest mystery — Tony Swan's real role in New Age. However, it also features a string of different types of action sequences. The confrontation with Shane Langston simultaneously goes down with Guy Russo's dangerous car chase, offering layers of thrilling scenes in one episode. Previously, Jack also fought all kinds of foes, allowing the series to keep things fresh and interesting.

Jack Reacher slams an opponent against a wall in a Reacher season 1 fight scene

The Evolution of Reacher's Action and Allies

In Reacher season 1, Jack, alongside his allies, Roscoe Conklin and Oscar Finlay worked to uncover the massive criminal operations of the Kliners in Margrave. They fought various small-time villains, but none of them were as skilled as some of the ones that he encounters in season 2. The reason why Jack can be pitted against more capable bad guys is because he is backed up by some of his Special Investigators. While they aren't as brutal as he is, all of them have been trained to fight, allowing for more dynamic fight sequences. This is clear when the team had to fight a group of bikers in Boston.

Jack Reacher dangles from a stairwell in Reacher season 1

This is also the reason why Reacher season 2 exceeds Cruise's films. The legendary actor is known for his intense and thrilling stunts, with his penchant for filming gritty scenes also evident in his two Jack Reacher movies. That being said, as a loner, with no established allies except for a couple of trusted people, Cruise could only do so much in terms of fighting bad guys. His hand-to-hand combat skills were still impressive and highly entertaining, but they can get repetitive because there's no variation to them without any other character for him to constantly work with. In that regard, Reacher season 2 excels.

Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher punching a window in Reacher

Setting the Bar High for the Future

The fight sequences in Reacher season 2 are mostly well done because Jack teams up with several people with similar backgrounds as him, resulting in several layers of fighting happening all at once. While Russo was never in the military, he could still hold his own ground. This sets the bar high for the future of the Amazon Prime Video series. It's uncertain if any of the surviving Special Investigators will return for Reacher season 3, which is already in production. Regardless, with its sophomore year setting the bar high, Richtson and his team can be more mindful and innovative when crafting Jack's next action sequences.

Reacher takes cover behind a gravestone in Reacher season 2