British author Lee Child wrote his first novel, Killing Floor while still unemployed, shortly after being fired from Granada Television. The goal was to make money. He created one of the most successful franchises of the last decade that has produced two films with Tom Cruise and now two seasons of one of Amazon Prime Video’s most successful series.

The book features a cliché macho character, Jack Reacher, whose integrity is the same gigantic size as his height and strength. A wandering brute who doesn’t hold back on violence, Reacher is deliberately different from others in the world of detective fiction. With an ex-military background, Reacher is unfriendly and loyal, a good observer, and dedicated to the cases he tries to solve. He never has a credit card, cell phone, or correct address. He lives with the clothes on his back – jeans and cheap t-shirts – he loves sweets and sugar-free coffee. And he is ruthless with the bad guys.

Many fans complained that diminutive star Tom Cruise starred in the movie in theaters because he is very different from Jack Reacher, described as a blond man, 6’1″ tall and very strong. Something you can’t ‘complain’ about Alan Ritchson, the star of the Amazon Prime Video series.

Reacher debuted with discreet success two years ago, but is now one of the highlights of the catalog, reaching number one in the world. The first season was based on Killing Floor, an adaptation of Nick Santora‘s Prison Break. The second, which premiered in December 2023, sees Jack Reacher reunite with his former army unit to investigate the murder of one of their members. Based on the 11th book in the series, Bad Luck and Trouble, features a ‘different’ Reacher, who works with a complete team alongside him.

Violent, with short phrases and clichés, Reacher is old-fashioned fun. Rhythmic and shameless, his popularity isn’t much of a surprise. At CCXP 2023, actor Alan Ritchson appeared in a video from the set of the third season, which caused even more excitement. Justified, right?