Summary
Reacherseason 3 is going to introduce a character change that will fix season 2’s biggest disadvantage.Starring Alan Ritchsonas its titular lead, Amazon’sReacherdoes not drift too far from the story beats of its source material. Even though it takes some creative liberties in both seasons 1 and 2, it remains true to the essence of its source, explaining why the first two installments of the series have been both critically and commercially successful.
Given how closely following the books has worked wonders for the first two seasons, it seems likely thatReacherseason 3will tread the same path. The third season’s casting choices, which seem perfect based on the character descriptions provided inLee Child’sPersuader, also seem to confirm this. Along with having incredible casting choices, it also seems likely thatReacherseason 3 will adopt another element from Lee Child’sPersuader,which will allow it to fix one season 2 issue.
How Tall Alan Ritchson Is (& What Height Jack Reacher Is Supposed To Be)
Jack Reacher’s height has been a topic of interest because of its importance in his identity - here’s how Alan Ritchson’s height compares to Reacher’s
Like Reacher Season 1, Season 3’s Book Unfolds From A First-Person Perspective
Reacher Season 2 Is Adapting Lee Child’s Persuader
Reacher season 1 follows Lee Child’sKilling Floor, which primarily unfolds from a first-person perspective. Owing to this,the book feels way more intimate compared to other Jack Reacher novelsthat unfold from a third-person perspective. The reason being that it allows readers to have a more immediate connection with the titular character. The book’s emphasis on Reacher’s first-person view is also reflected in the show’s first season, where it adds other intriguing characters like Roscoe and Finlay to the mix, but makes Reacher’s insights and crime-solving abilities the story’s highlight.
Without the first-person perspective, theJack Reacherstories miss out on creating an immersive experience for viewers, preventing them from wholly investing themselves in Reacher’s action and crime-solving endeavors.
Like Lee Child’sKilling Floor,Reacherseason 1 focuses less on being broader in scale and emphasizing the POVs of several different main characters. Instead, it leverages the immediacy of a single perspective. This approach allows the show to truly shine because, as its title suggests, Jack Reacher is supposed to be the center of attention and his unique worldview is what drives his narrative.
Without the first-person perspective, theJack Reacherstories miss out on creating an immersive experience for viewers, preventing them from wholly investing themselves in Reacher’s action and crime-solving endeavors.Reacherseason 3 is treading the same path as season 1 by adapting Lee Child’sPersuader, which again follows the titular character’s first-person POV. As the Amazon show’s issues in season 2 suggests, this approach will benefit the show in more ways than one.
Reacher Season 2 Proves The Amazon Show Is Better Off Adapting Books Like Killing Floor & Persuader
Reacher Season 2’s Third-Person Perspective Feels Less Immersive
UnlikeReacherseason 1, season 2 adaptsLee Child’sBad Luck and Trouble, which follows a third-person perspective. This approach has its own merits as it makes the overarching narrative more flexible, allowing the show to explore the thoughts and motivations of other main characters. It also keeps viewers/readers one step ahead of the titular character as they can find subtle details that the character may notice much later in the story. It also leaves more room for expanding the scale of Reacher’s adventure by incorporating a wider range of subplots.
While it is fun to watch him collaborate with other equally intelligent and physically imposing characters in stories likeBad Luck and Trouble, Reacher truly shines when only his narrative is directly engaging with viewers.
However, as seen inReacherseason 2, the third-person perspective does not seem to work too well for the Amazon series because it takes away all the elements that make the Lee Child stories compelling. TheJack Reacherfranchise primarily stands out among other crime thrillersbecause it features a larger-than-life, overpowered character as its lead, who uses unconventional methods to solve crime. While it is fun to watch him collaborate with other equally intelligent and physically imposing characters in stories likeBad Luck and Trouble, Reacher truly shines when only his narrative is directly engaging with viewers.
Reacherseason 2 is arguably no less entertaining than season 1. However, since it adapts Lee Child’sBad Luck and Trouble, it is hard not to notice how it tries to accommodate too many perspectives in its story, which diminishes the impact of Jack Reacher’s influence on the central investigation. Fortunately,Reacherseason 3 is taking the series back to its roots by adapting Lee Child’sPersuader, which follows the titular character’s first-person POV. This almost guarantees that season 3 will feel as grounded and personal as season 1.
All 28 Jack Reacher Books, Ranked Worst To Best
Lee Child’s Jack Reacher book series consistently offers incredibly thrilling page-turners, though not every book attains masterpiece status.
Other Lee Child Books That Follow A First-Person Perspective Explained
Most Lee Child Novels Are In The Third-Person
As Lee Child once explained (viaGoodreads), he prefers writing books in the first person because it “feels more natural” to him. However, he explores the third-person in most of his novels because “sometimes the story requires the reader to know something that Reacher hasn’t yet discovered.” This explains why only a fewLee Child books, likePersuader,Killing Floor,Gone Tomorrow, andPersonal, among others, unfold from the titular character’s first-person perspective. Given how the first-person seems more suitable for television, it would make sense ifReacher’s future seasons stuck to adapting only the novels written that way.
Reacher
Reacher follows Jack Reacher, a former military police investigator, as he navigates civilian life. Without a phone and carrying minimal belongings, Reacher drifts across the country, experiencing the nation he once served, and encounters intriguing challenges along the way.
