Reacher

Wednesday Weekly Write-Up: 

Amazon Prime’s Series: Reacher

I first watched this series on Prime the weekend after its release. At that time, I had not yet read the novel upon which the series was based. I had read only 4 other Reacher novels and watched the two Reacher films starring Tom Cruise. My first impression was that the actor playing Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) was not doing the role justice. Yes, he fit the physical characteristics of Reacher far more than Tom Cruise; however, Tom Cruise played the highly intelligent warrior-loner far better in every other aspect.

Since that first viewing of the series, I bought and read The Killing Floor. Then, I re-watched the series once more. I still believe that Tom Cruise played the character better in all ways other than his physical appearance. That said, I do blame the screen writers and directors more for Alan’s portrayal flaws of Jack.

The series episodes were not written by, nor directed by, the same individuals. That would account for the disjointed and sometimes slow pace of the series. As well as its inconsistencies. The sequence of events was out of order from the novel with characters and scenes changed, added, or deleted. I understand the need to change some things when transferring a novel to the screen. My first degree was in Radio/TV/Film. The choices for this series were unnecessary ones which did not add to the story or characters. One such change was in Jack Reacher himself. The series made him look and sound autistic or developmentally, emotionally, and socially stunted. Only, their flashbacks showed that this was not his true persona which created inconsistency adding to the overall stunted performance of the main character.  

In addition, within the novel and Lee Child’s 2012 Introduction/Forward, we know the reasons behind the character’s loner ways. He’s enjoying freedom. Freedom to go where and when he pleases. To do what he wants. He has felt trapped and not in control of his own life choices which is one of the reasons he wanders and lives without the usual social norms of home and family. Also, individuals exit the military and find adjusting to civilian life difficult. This does not mean Jack has a flat affect and is unable to express himself adequately during interpersonal interactions. 

As a detective, communication is a very necessary and needed skill. Jack Reacher excels as a detective and communicates well when he chooses to do so. The key being “when he chooses to do so”. Reacher does not always choose to communicate and this is also an important character trait. He uses silence as a tool to get what he wants. I must emphasize again, this should not be interpreted as a lack of ability to understand emotions or effective repartee. Jack’s reasons for not speaking are generally due to his intelligence and his military training. Jack’s aloofness is not an inability to grasp the intricacies of interpersonal relationships.

It should be noted that in the novel, Reacher envisions staying with Roscoe as he has formed an attachment to her. The end of the novel delves into the reasons their relationship changes and why Reacher must move on. This was not adequately depicted in the series. We never feel his emotional attachment to Roscoe or that their relationship changes at the end making him decide he can’t stay. 

For those who believe that Tom Cruise was the wrong choice for Reacher based solely upon his physical characteristics, they should also have felt the same way about Martin Roach playing Picard. Picard was supposed to be bigger and tougher than even Reacher. A real match for our hero-warrior. In the novel, Picard is hard to put down.

Other changes from the novel, were the roles of Kliner and his son to the plot. Although having Kliner’s son be the antagonist at the end instead of his father played well enough on screen it was a serious diversion from the actual story. In the novel, Reacher taunts Kliner with the death of his son as an intimidation maneuver. Reacher deliberately unsettled his foe. The series lacked this element.

Overall, Amazon Prime’s Reacher series is worth a watch and if they fix the way Alan portrays Reacher in the sequel it will move from decent to outstanding. If you are a conservative parent, this show is not for children. There is excessive violence, nudity, and profanity. The 2nd season is set to release in December 2023.