The Tragic Death of Calvin Franz in Reacher Season 2

Reacher's Reunion with Former Team Members

Reacher season 2 marks the inception of a new arc in the character's narrative where he gets to reunite with the former team members of his 110th MP Special Investigations Unit. This significantly changes the direction of the show's narrative because his team members seem familiar with his ways. Instead of constantly questioning his methods and challenging him like Finlay from season 1, they almost always obey his orders. Reuniting Reacher with his former team members also allows the show to reveal more about the Jack Reacher's past in the military.

Calvin Franz (Luke Bilyk) in Reacher season 2

Owing to this, the show keeps going back and forth between timelines to highlight how Reacher's relationship with his team members has evolved over the years. In all of these revelations about Reacher's past, one detail highlights how season 2's first death is way more tragic than it initially seemed.

Alan Ritchson looking serious as Jack Reacher with military flashback behind him from Reacher season 2

Calvin Franz's Backstory and Similarities to Reacher

When Reacher and Neagley visit Franz's home to talk to his wife and investigate what she knows about his work and connections, Franz's son chimes, 'You do not mess with the Special Investigators.' This reminds Neagley of the old times and how they ended up on Reacher's 110th MP Special Investigations Unit. She tells Franz's son that her father had once stopped a fight between two huge soldiers when one of them thought the other had stolen homemade cookies sent by his mother. Franz's ability to stay calm in the heated situation and de-escalate the soldiers' fight convinced Reacher he was special.

Jack Reacher (Alan Richtson) and Calvin Franz (Luke Bilyk) in Reacher season 2

Franz's backstory also suggests that Reacher likely saw a reflection of himself in Franz. In Reacher season 1, flashbacks from the titular character's past reveal that he often stopped bullies and broke up fights when he was younger. Since Franz did something similar in the army, Reacher likely saw himself in him and could not help but recruit him to his team. The fact that Franz, like Reacher, had a strong sense of justice and morality proves that he was murdered because he could not help but stand up against the wrongdoers working at New Age.

The Sadder Side of Calvin Franz's Death

Just like Reacher saw a reflection of his past self in Franz, Franz, too, looked up to Reacher and strived to be like him. The Amazon show establishes this in the scene where Reacher, Neagley, and David discover Franz's password is 'Reacher.' When Reacher seems too surprised to believe that Franz could have his name as his password, Neagley and David remind him how he even dressed up like him when they were in the military. These similarities between Jack Reacher and Calvin Franz highlight how Reacher served as Franz's moral compass. Although Reacher is a positive role model, following his moral code is what ultimately got Franz killed in Reacher season 2, making his death even sadder.