Since season one of Reacher aired well over a year ago, writing a full review for it would be superfluous. That said, there may be some of you who, like me, were a bit tired of Amazon Prime shows with lead characters whose initials are J.R., and so, you still haven’t watched it yet. If that’s the case, then maybe this mini review will have some use for you. After all, it’s only a few paragraphs of critique, which is all a two-fisted series like this requires.

When Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson), author Lee Child’s iconic ex-military detective, wanders into [fictional] Margrave, Georgia, he finds himself smack-dab in the middle of multiple murders and a sizeable criminal conspiracy. Aided by two honest members of Margrave PD, Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) and Roscoe (Willa Fitzgerald), Reacher makes it his goal to uncover the culprits, and to do so violently. So that’s the plot, and if you think it sounds straightforward, it’s because it is. Or rather, that’s how it seems on the surface, when in actuality, there’s quite a bit going on throughout Reacher’s eight-episode first season. Unfortunately, a lot of it is pretty forced.

Now, that last comment might make it seem like I dislike this series, but that’s not true. I came to Reacher to see Alan Ritchson snap people’s fibulas, which he does in spades, and I stayed for the likeable characters and their chemistry. Plot was always an afterthought for me, although I hoped it would be passable, and I suppose it is (fans of Child’s books will be pleased). At the same time, however, this season’s narrative relies too heavily on Reacher’s superhuman deduction and a bevy of coincidences/contrivances. I’ll give said deduction a pass, even if it made my eyes roll many-a-times, since it’s a trait the character is known for. But the coincidences/contrivances? Nope, I’ll forgive one or two, but any more and you lose me. I mean, the timing and basis for Reacher being in Margrave is entirely coincidental, and the only reason he doesn’t crack the case wide open in the fourth episode is that his otherwise flawless observational skills fail him when they probably shouldn’t. In other words, this is not a storyline that holds up well to retrospection.

Nevertheless, Reacher remains a highly watchable program due to the efforts of its cast. Ritchson finally has a starring role that mostly befits his physicality and humor. I say mostly because there are moments where his performance wavers, fluctuating a bit too much between witty jock and stoic soldier.* This definitely could be the writing/direction’s fault, rather than Ritchson doing his thing, though. Either way, what Ritchson excels at is playing off whomever he shares the screen with. His rapport with Fitzgerald makes Reacher and Roscoe’s will-they-won’t-they romantic connection so satisfying to watch. This is aided by the fact that Roscoe is written to be essentially the perfect woman for both old-school men and modern women, and Reacher is, well, a living god. Ritchson is even better when he’s paired with Goodwin, whose Finlay is Murtaugh to Reacher’s Riggs. If you’re a fellow action fan, then you know that comparison is one of the highest compliments one can give. Ultimately, the entire cast is top-notch, and there’s this prevailing feeling that everyone involved knew exactly what kind of show Reacher should be.

As I conclude, I have two final thoughts. One, the hand-to-hand action on this show is crunchily entertaining, fulfilling my aforementioned desire to see Reacher break bones. Sadly, the gunfights uniformly unimpress, relying too much on shoddy gun VFX that other Prime series (Jack Ryan & The Terminal List) don’t seem to, or at least not as obviously. Two, the villains were underdeveloped, which led to some later moments/reveals falling flat. It also didn’t help that they were fairly cartoonish. In the end, though, I enjoyed Reacher in the same way that I enjoy a pack of Oreos. It’s something you can polish off in a few sittings, savor in the moment, and then wonder if it was all worth it. And like those Oreos, you can bet that I’ll consume Reacher again when season two comes out.

If I had to score it, I’d give season one of Reacher a 7/10.

Notes:

* Tom Cruise definitely brought more consistency and gravitas to his interpretation of the character, but he’s also Tom-frickin-Cruise. Ritchson can’t compete with that. At the end of the day, the “Cruise is too small” crowd definitely got what they asked for in Ritchson, whose physique congests every frame he occupies. And as an actor, he’s talented enough that he’ll be able to add more depth to his version of Reacher in future seasons. Or so I hope.