Critic Reviews

It is a show that knows exactly what it is and what it needs to be, providing an entertaining catharsis in seeing Reacher take down those who abuse their power. He is capable of just about anything, for better or worse. ... Whatever path Reacher ends up taking, as long as he is played by Ritchson, the material is in good hands.

All the components for a helluva good time are here. Ritchson hasn’t lost a step as America’s 21st century answer to the wandering anti-hero archetype, and the show hasn’t forgotten what made the first iteration so entertaining: lots of satisfying ass-kicking by way of a WWE-sized Sherlock Holmes-type. What’s not to love?

Reacher is the series that stands as the "crème de la crème" of Dad TV, and Season 2 only helps cement its status. It's not even a guilty pleasure; it's just good television.

Alan Ritchson has really hit his stride as Reacher, who gets more dynamic as a character with each iteration. His evolution across these first three seasons has served as a steady foundation for Reacher’s excellent action, and the show’s continued growth has been a blast to witness.

[Ritchson's] intimidating presence (and ability to lace it with mordant humor) goes a long way toward establishing this saga as one of the best things to happen to the beat-‘em-up genre in decades.

Reacher proves once again that it’s not just a good show, but a great one. Eleven stars out of five. It is also—obviously—a really bad one. But its badness is absolutely flawless, ultimately only contributing to its greatness.

There's a giddiness to the new season of "Reacher" that's addictive.

Reacher is dumb, breezy, pulpy, and it knows it. That’s the real secret to Santora’s sauce: He understands the violent disposability of airport thrillers like the kind Child writes, leaning into every arch plot point and Southern-fried villain with schlocky aplomb. But none of it works without Ritchson, who was practically born for this role.

Each of the eight episodes is smart enough to let Reacher off the leash at least once to punish bullies, save the day, or otherwise kick a little ass so as to restore balance to not just the show but the universe as a whole.

Reacher the TV series doesn’t have the star power of the films that preceded it, but in many ways, it has the potential to be even more successful. By providing a deeper look into a complex character, Reacher could do for Jack Reacher what Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan did for its titular character in another Amazon series: take an existing franchise beloved by many in a fun new direction.