There is a particularity among fans of the Reacher series: most of them prefer Amazon Prime Video to come up with “original” stories and leave the books aside. This is so contrary to the Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon community that it demands a pause to breathe and understand: how so?

For the uninitiated: Jack Reacher is the central character in Lee Child’s bestselling book series and has become an iconic figure in contemporary suspense literature. Created in 1997 with the release of Killing Floor, Reacher is a former military police officer turned drifter who travels around the United States, often getting involved in various crimes and helping those in need. Over the years, the character has made the transition from the pages to the screen, first in films and more recently in a television series, provoking varied reactions from audiences and critics.

In the books, Jack Reacher has been a commercial success, with over 30 novels published and millions of copies sold worldwide. Lee Child’s writing style is characterized by its fast pace and meticulous attention to detail, often drawing readers into Reacher’s world with engaging narratives and complex plots. Reacher himself is portrayed as a lone wolf, a man of principle who fights for justice while upholding a moral code that resonates with many readers.

The character’s appeal lies in his unconventional heroism—Reacher is not your typical action hero. He often utilizes his intellect, problem-solving skills, and keen observational abilities to overcome challenges. Readers appreciate his down-to-earth attitude and disdain for social norms, offering a refreshing take on the action genre.

Child’s novels have garnered a devoted fan base, with readers eagerly awaiting new installments. The series has received numerous accolades, solidifying Reacher’s status as a cultural icon in suspense fiction. The success of the books set a high bar for adapting the character for film and television, leading to significant expectations from audiences.

In 2012 and 2016, the character Jack Reacher was brought to life by Tom Cruise in two film adaptations: Jack Reacher and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. While Cruise’s performances were praised for their intensity and charisma, the casting choice divided the fanbase because the physicality of Reacher — a towering, imposing figure — contrasts sharply with Cruise’s, shall we say, more diminutive stature.

Clearly, Tom Cruise saw the power of a new franchise here, but when his films failed to take off, even with critics acknowledging the actor’s ability to embody Reacher’s complexities, he left the brand behind. Here, fans cried foul over the lack of fidelity to Child’s character. So when Amazon Prime Video premiered the Reacher series in 2022, there was some trepidation. The first season was based on the first book, Killing Floor, and the unknown Alan Ritchson is exactly how the character is described in the paper, so it finally had success with fans and critics. Heaven on Earth!

Being faithful to the literature, the series gained a larger audience, offering a narrative that resonated with both long-time fans and new ones, and we arrived at the third season where there is now an apparent division. Since everyone knows the books, or most of them, they complain that fidelity takes away any suspense and that it would be better to have new stories that have not yet been published. Well, you can’t please everyone!

One of the things that fuels this expectation is because Amazon Prime Video left the sequential order of the books in the 2nd season and returned to chronological order here in the third, which is the adaptation of the 2003 book, Persuader, where we follow Reacher undercover in a coastal town in Maine and seeking revenge. The series is more violent, graphic, and dense, but those who know the book know the twists and turns, taking the suspense out of the equation.

I am once again surprised by this fan base being so different from the others, but they consider it to be almost like a “reward” for their dedication without spoiling anything for the uninitiated. Is that really true? Since Lee Child is still writing Reacher books (unlike George R. R. Martin, who hasn’t delivered the end of his saga for over a decade), they hope that the writer will align the books with future seasons of the series.

One of the series’ strengths is Alan Ritchson, who is unanimously approved as Reacher. He is not a conventional action star or a dramatic actor, but he understands the character completely and is perfect in every season. Child loves him, and the two have worked together on the composition of Reacher on screen.

But after rethinking the proposal for the Fans watching the third season, as I am not a reader of the books, understand that there is a coherence in what they ask for. Reacher’s stories are built on clichés and impossibilities to make him the unlikely hero, quiet, violent and sarcastic. The fight scenes are perfect and the violence is more realistic than one would expect from an action series, but that is what makes it unpredictable.

In this third season of Reacher, there is greater anguish and a sense of confusion about where we are, but it works by accumulating bodies and chaos in a typical detective story. Alan Ritchson’s performance continues to be the strong point, and the series seems to further consolidate its own identity. It is not a season without flaws, but it continues to show that the series knows how to take advantage of the elements that made it successful: an imposing protagonist, breathtaking action scenes, and an intriguing narrative. The question, however, is whether this balance will be able to sustain the public’s interest in the long term or whether the next seasons will need to be even more daring to keep the flame burning.

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