Reacher Season 4 is upon us, which means once again we’re able to see our favorite bear-sized man yeet his way through a conspiracy in pursuit of the greater good. This iteration adapts the 2009 novel Gone Tomorrow, bringing Reacher into a deadly web of twists, dangerous organizations with mysterious goals, and high-end potential threats. This is a strong and layered season that balances large-scale dangers and high-octane dangers well against deeply personal emotional baggage, for a season that masters the best of prior iterations while adding new elements of its own. It’s at least as good as Reacher‘s ever been, and an excellent showcase for Ritchson and a talented cast.
It’s been an uneven walk through the series thus far. Season 1 is a stellar introduction to this world, following Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) investigate his brother’s murder alongside two of the series’ best allies, Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) and Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald). In the sophomore outing, Reacher reunites with Neagley (Maria Sten) and others from his old unit after one of their own dies, for the weakest season so far (minus Neagley’s considerable badassery). The third season picks up a little steam as Reacher’s forced into rare stealth mode during an undercover mission–a fine season, but one that still misses the first’s excellent highs. Season four is the biggest and boldest yet.
Alan Ritchson Carries A Stellar Season With New Allies
Season 4 begins in public transit. While on a subway, Reacher spots a distraught woman who carries all the hallmarks of a bomber: her hands tucked inside a bag on her lap, mumbling to herself while looking straight ahead, brow drenched in sweat. She wasn’t a bomber, but the situation ends tragically. It spirals into a mystery of massive scale, with ever-growing layers of surprises, myriad enemies at cross-purposes, and ever-present danger anchoring the most high-octane Reacher danger yet. He also finds new allies in cop Tamara Green (Sydelle Noel), underexperienced small-town officer Jake Merrick (Christopher Marquette), and freelance journalist Russell Plum (Kevin Weisman).
Once again, Alan Ritchson excels as the stoic but good-natured Reacher, initially unaware of the larger-scale challenges ahead but committing full tilt because of his inability to help a stranger on a train. This is an emotionally and physically challenging season, and Ritchson lands every stunt, action element, and emotional beat. His allies here are more than up to the task. Sydelle Noel is excellent as the tough and superficially disinterested officer Tamara, starting out the season a little ” burned-out cop stiff” in performance but evolving considerably as the season progresses. She also lands a lot of very intense action choreography with ease.
Christopher Marquette anchors the season from an emotional level as a mourning brother looking for justice, and his performance gets increasingly powerful as the season progresses. Indonesian singer-actress Agnez Mo leaves a massive impression as Lila Hoth, who has an important role to play that ties into the season’s central mystery, while Anggun (go see Levitating) is impactful (though under-utilized) as Lila’s mother Amisha. There’s also a near-infinite array of antagonists in this season, so shout-out to alllll those performers as well.
Reacher Season 4 Geninely Feels Dangerous
What really sets this season apart are the scale of the action, the twisty narrative, and the different factions that keep the plot moving and feeling dangerous. It actually feels like Reacher, despite his size, combat prowess, and level head, is genuinely doomed at several points here. That’s impressive, given that making Reacher feel ‘at threat’ often requires a gimmick (like Season 3’s ‘we found an EVEN BIGGER MAN,’ which was fun but admittedly silly). Season 4 moves quickly, the twists work and keep our protagonists guessing, and it ties into believably gritty histories that make it all land harder. There are moments where character survivals or escapes are too convenient or strain believability. Some characters and elements could be better developed and utilized. Nonetheless, it’s still a strong season whose fundamental elements work well.
Reacher Season 4 is a fantastic exemplar of everything that works about the series overall. Ritchson turns a relatively stoic lifelong soldier into a multifaceted character putting himself on the line for strangers. Reacher and crew make a strong makeshift team, and the series boasts excellent action choreography. There are a number of players on the field who have mysterious motives, keeping the stakes high and deepening audience curiosity. The heroes are heroic but modern, the villains dastardly. It’s an win across the board, and it may be the best season yet.
Reacher Season 4 premieres its first three episodes on Prime Video Wednesday, August 12.
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