Alan Ritchson has the perfect physique to play Jack Reacher in Prime Video's Reacher. This man with no home roams from city to city, only to fall into new kinds of trouble. But his muscles are so massive and his abs so defined and solid that it's easy to believe this is exactly the type of guy who could survive alone in the wild. For Ritchson, this role fits him like a glove. And it definitely should, given the amount of physical training he underwent to fit precisely into that "glove."
Watching Ritchson as Jack is like watching Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller. The actors are so perfectly suited to their titular characters that it's almost impossible to imagine anyone else occupying their positions. Reacher also has one crucial thing in common with Netflix's The Lincoln Lawyer: both shows have miraculously managed to remain as entertaining and addictive as they were when they first debuted. How did they pull off this stunt?
The answer, I guess, lies in these series' modest ambitions. They neither reach for great heights nor sink to the bottom. They somehow keep themselves in the middle, delivering what they know they can serve best. Reacher, in that sense, can threaten to turn repetitive with each new season, but its humble formula yields enough rewards to keep you glued to your screen for the whole eight hours.
Creator Nick Santora is conscious of Reacher's strengths. He is aware that the filmmaking team assembled for the project has a knack for crafting coherent, exciting action sequences. The series, then, truly plays to this strength by giving you gore that is both entertainingly bloody and charged with giddiness. I don't think any viewer would respond with a blank face to moments such as the one where Jack crushes a man's face between two shelves. Another head is crushed with the help of an elevator. And another is banged against the steps when Jack drags the body down the stairs. Is it intentional that the season begins with a woman shooting herself in the...head?
Or perhaps this is Reacher's way of saying that instead of applying too much logic or using too much brainpower, you should sit back and enjoy the mayhem. That's a command many would find easy to follow, considering Reacher comes with the hit combination of action and sexiness. The fight sequences have enough variety to keep the show pleasurable (I really liked the one involving smoke, a pen drive, and a bleeding man), and Jack's body is eye candy in itself. Those muscles can turn you on or make you feel insufficient. The women in Reacher are, more often than not, seduced by Jack's beefiness.
The latest woman to ogle those chests and shoulders happens to be Lila Hoth (Agnez Mo), who seeks Jack's help in locating a pen drive. And yes, it would be no spoiler to reveal that she sleeps with him as well. Reacher enthusiasts who have been following the show from the first season won't be surprised by this development.
Some might, however, be surprised to learn that detective Tamara Green (Sydelle Noel) is not charmed by Jack's abs. "You are not my type," she casually says. This Philadelphia cop is drawn into the new mystery with Jack, as they try to uncover why a woman decided to commit suicide on a subway train. It's an intriguing setup, and the revelations, expectedly, turn out to be complicated. Nothing, though, truly leaves you gasping for breath—which is not a major complaint.
Reacher is scaled for television, and it has conventional TV aims. What matters is whether this mixture of brawn and brain gets to face off against a worthy opponent. Sure, why not? There is a strange pleasure in watching this bull of a man go up against two physically agile, slick figures. The contrast offers its own peculiar attraction.
Reacher, however, is not simply all about well-executed violence. It is also sprinkled with a decent amount of good humor (look out for a "9ICEBUTY" number plate and Jack's reaction upon learning about OnlyFans). The series moves forward with a propulsive rhythm, and I believe the audience should be allowed to experience all the episodes together—which, given the weekly release format, won't happen.
The good news, though, is that the fourth season ends on September 16, the same day the Reacher spin-off Neagley is set to premiere. If all four seasons of Reacher have indicated anything, it's that you should be looking forward to the Maria Sten-led show with enthusiasm. Will Neagley turn out to be as good as Reacher? I certainly hope so. If nothing else, I think we can confidently bet that Sten herself won't disappoint with her performance. Whatever the case, you can be sure this viewer is very excited for Neagley and Sten's portrayal of the character. I can barely wait.
Final Score - [7/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times
Note: All 8 episodes are screened for this review.
Premiere Date: August 12, 2026, on Prime Video