Reacher Season 1 is the first season of an American crime thriller streaming television series based on the Jack Reacher book series by Lee Child. The eight-episode first season, based on Killing Floor, Child’s 1997 debut novel, is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The premise of this first season is as follows – titular character Jack Reacher, a former U.S. Army military policeman, visits the fictional rural town of Margrave, Georgia and quickly becomes embroiled in a clash with the criminal conspiracy that killed his brother.
If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Lee Child’s One Shot novel was adapted into a Tom Cruise vehicle called Jack Reacher. By all accounts, Reacher Season 1 is more faithful to the source material – for one thing Jack Reacher in the novels is 6 feet 5 inches tall, which of course, Cruise isn’t – not by a long shot. At least Alan Ritchson (Hawk in that risible Titans series) is looks like the part with his 6 foot plus frame!
The main character is a formidable presence – strong, intelligent and resourceful – imagine if Sherlock Holmes was a highly trained soldier and you get an idea of what Reacher is like. There are enough plot twists and turns in Reacher Season 1 for crime thriller fans and the characterisations are well written. Reacher’s allies viz. Chief Detective Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) to Police Officer Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) and enemies viz. the corrupt Mayor Grover Teale (Bruce McGill) and Kliner Sr. owner of Kilner Industries and patron saint of Margrave – all believable and engaging characters.
Reacher Season 1 certainly does not hold back as a crime thriller, with loads of visceral action sequences and grisly deaths galore. The plot is dark and disturbing and demonstrate that the criminal element featured take no prisoners whatsoever and are vicious killers. Thus this series is as edgy and as engaging as some of the best HBO series, no mean feat. Looking forward to season 2! Highly recommended.
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