Reacher Season 2 Episodes 1-3 review: Welcome back, Jack

❘ Published: 2023-12-29T13:59:42

The 110th squad in Jack Reacher Season 2

Prime Video

Fans and critics alike hailed Prime Video’s Reacher as a worthy adaptation of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels when Season 1 dropped back in 2022. Now, the action-crime series returns for Season 2 – does this sophomore outing live up to its predecessor?

It certainly comes close, based on Reacher Season 2‘s first three episodes. Taking their cues from Child’s 11th Jack Reacher novel, Bad Luck and Trouble, these initial installments are very much in the same vein as what came before.

There’s plenty of fisticuffs and sleuthing, not to mention a healthy dose of romance. Our heroes – especially Alan Ritchson’s Reacher – are unfailingly likable. Our villains? Eminently hissable.

The upshot is a trio of episodes that lay the groundwork for another gripping season of TV. True, Reacher Season 2 Episodes 1 to 3 may not be quite worth losing your job over, but even so, they’ll make you glad Jack’s back all the same.

Reacher embarks on his most personal mission yet

Reacher Season 2 sees our hulking hero investigating the murder of an old army buddy. He’s joined on this hunt by three of his other ex-colleagues: Frances Neagley (Maria Sten), Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan), and David O’Donnell (Shaun Sipos).

As noted above, they’re a fun bunch to spend time with. What’s more, the personal nature of their mission lends Reacher Season 2’s early entries a compelling hook. It also gives showrunner Nick Santora and directors Sam Hill and Omar Madha an excuse to further flesh out Reacher’s backstory.

These scenes are among the best in Episodes 1-3, granting us welcome insight into what Reacher was like before adopting his current, nomadic lifestyle. By contrast, the present-day scenes between Jack and his colleagues are a more uneven affair, particularly those reliant on Ritchson and Swan’s chemistry.

But then, Reacher has always been at its best when focused squarely on Reacher himself – or more to the point, Reacher in action. That’s still the case in the second season’s first three episodes, which boast enough of the big guy busting heads and casing for clues to overcome their occasional rough spots.

Reacher Season 2’s villains need to step up

One such rough spot is Reacher Season 2’s villains. It’s not that Robert Patrick and Ferdinand Kingsley are bad as Shane Langston and A.M, respectively – it’s just that Season 1’s antagonists were so good.

Alan Ritchson in Reacher Season 2 as Jack Reacher

Of course, Reacher’s latest run still has five more episodes to elevate Langston and A.M. to that elite level, and both baddies certainly show promise. But at this early stage, they’re a bit too thinly drawn for us to loathe them as fully as we did the likes of Season 1’s KJ Kliner.

That said, the unassuming lethality Kingsley brings to A.M. already presents a nice contrast to Ritchson’s tank-like Reacher. It’ll be interesting to see them finally square off.

Reacher Season 2, Episode 1-3 review score: 3/5

And when you get right down to it, that’s what Reacher Season 2, Episodes 1-3 are designed to do: spark interest. Collectively, they succeed; you’ll groan as soon as you realize Episode 4 is a whole week away.

Could Reacher’s second small screen search for justice stand to tighten up aspects of its game going forward? Absolutely. Yet it’s still damn good TV so far – and nice to have Jack back.

Reacher Season 2 Episodes 1-5 are streaming now on Prime Video, which you can sign up for here. Check out our other Reacher coverage below:

Please note that if you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.