Reacher Review: Amazon Prime Delivers Safe Yet Entertaining 1st Season

The Illuminerdi reviews Amazon Prime's first season of Reacher.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Reacher since I’ve never read any of the books or seen the Tom Cruise movie, but I can tell you that this is a more faithful adaptation just based on the lead actor alone.

I was familiar with Alan Ritchson’s work before, so seeing a familiar face as a lead of a show I knew nothing about was cool. Though I’ve never read the books and know very little about this franchise, Alan’s version of Reacher is a highly intelligent 6″5, 250lbs gorilla (Alan is actually 6”2).

Reacher is a straightforward character, almost borderline bland. It’s not that the actor isn’t doing a great job. It’s the character he is playing. At times, his critical thinking and problem-solving abilities can be a bit much. I believe he is supposed to be like that.

The supporting cast compliments Alan’s take on the character very well. They’re all sort of straightforward, almost bland characters as well but when they all come together, other qualities come out, and their interactions (which is very complicated due to certain circumstances I can’t reveal yet), and their constant banter will sprinkle in some comedy in an otherwise serious “cop-like/detective-like” series. Imagine Bones without the light humor, or Lucifer without the constant sexual jokes or the fantasy aspect of it.

Reacher Official Trailer

REACHER DOESN’T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER

The lead kicks ass for fun while the supporting cast are all strong in their own way. And when they come together they all rise to a similar level. The series picks up steam about halfway through when all the bodies start to drop like flies, leaving fewer characters behind, closing all four walls in on the suspects.

The episodes also become shorter, leaving less time for pointless conversations or filler jokes. As twists are revealed, and as you, the viewer, start to figure the secrets out by process of elimination, you are left with a final face-off between the mastermind of it all, his companions, and their goons. The confrontation between Reacher and the villain is entertaining, although I wanted a much more horrible ending for the bastard. Bodies stack up rather quickly, the supporting characters also get their revenge on certain villains that effectively close out their character arcs.

The first season of Reacher was a safe one, with very little risks in storytelling, very graphic at times, but entertaining enough to keep your interest. There are attempts to make the story a lot bigger than what it is. Certain parts of the story don’t get resolved, but If you are a fan of these types of shows (Bones, NCIS, Law & Order, etc.), I think you will enjoy it. If a series like that isn’t your cup of tea, you may be a bit bored but, if you give it a chance, you might find yourself a new show to add to your watchlist when you want to try something new.

The show is slightly above average and it has potential if the showrunners (and Prime Video) decide to adapt another book. I’m giving the first season of the series a seven out of ten, a C+, three out of five… you get my drift.

Reacher is available to watch on Prime Video on today and reactions to ALL of the episodes will be out on my channel by Sunday. If you have seen the series, what did you think? Did it do justice to the books? Was it adapted well? Make sure to follow all of our social media pages, especially our ever-growing Twitter and YouTube. Until next time.