Reacher Season 4 Can’t Use Two Tricks That Made The Last Season So Good

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After a fantastic first season, the show Reacher experienced a slight dip in quality, losing some of the appeal that made Alan Ritchson’s initial performance so captivating. However, season 3 successfully revitalized the series, returning it to the top of Prime Video’s most-watched list in early 2025. This improvement was largely due to two key creative decisions, but unfortunately, those same choices likely won’t be as effective in the upcoming fourth season.

Reacher Shouldn’t Try To Top Season 3’s Impressive Paulie Fight

Season 3 of Reacher was a standout because it featured a villain who was a true physical match for Jack Reacher. Paulie brought a fresh, complex element to the show, and their final fight was a major highlight of the Prime Video series so far. Compared to the smaller-scale villains of season 1 and those who were easily defeated in season 2, the battle between Reacher and Paulie was a welcome and exciting change.

Season 4 of Reacher, which is based on Lee Child’s novel Gone Tomorrow, won’t feature a villain quite like Paulie from season 3. However, after the popularity of that season’s impressive fight scene, the creators are aiming even higher. Alan Ritchson has hinted that season 4 will have the “best fight ever,” promising a larger, more elaborate, and more action-packed sequence with more locations, props, and weapons.

Honestly, I think it would be a real misstep for the show to start having Reacher compete with itself. The beauty of this series is its consistent quality, and I worry that trying to constantly outdo previous seasons will eventually lead to disappointment – maybe even as early as season four. It’s a dangerous game to play, and one I hope they avoid.

Instead of repeating the style of season 3, the next season of Reacher should focus on delivering a similarly intense action sequence, but with a fresh approach. The novel Gone Tomorrow features a great knife fight that, while different from the Paulie battle, could be the central action highlight of the upcoming season, just like that fight was for season 3.

Reacher Season 4‘s Romance Can’t End The Same Way Susan Duffy’s Did

Okay, let’s talk about Reacher on Prime Video. I’m enjoying the show overall, and it does stay true to the books, but I’m starting to notice a pattern that’s a little frustrating. It seems like every season, Reacher gets a new romantic interest only to leave them behind by the finale. It’s becoming predictable, and honestly, it’s making Reacher himself look a bit…well, not great. The writers are struggling to justify this behavior, and I’m worried they’re going to run out of clever ways to handle it.

The first season benefitted from being the show’s introduction, and Reacher’s departure from Roscoe was a surprisingly powerful and fitting conclusion to their relationship. The second season avoided repeating this emotional impact by pairing Reacher with a long-time acquaintance. Karla Dixon understood Reacher’s nomadic nature and didn’t anticipate their brief romance becoming something permanent.

In the season 3 finale, Reacher found a fresh way to handle the usual awkward goodbye. After starting a relationship with Susan Duffy, she unexpectedly told him she wasn’t interested in anything serious, which both surprised and pleased Reacher. This clever turn of events broke the show’s pattern of typical breakups and, importantly, didn’t make Reacher – or Alan Ritchson’s portrayal of him – seem vulnerable or diminished.

As a big fan of the Reacher series, I was a little disappointed with season 4. The show relied on a plot device that felt forced and too convenient, especially after using it in season 3. Plus, the new character, Tamara Green, being another detective working the same case as Reacher, felt a bit too similar to Duffy from the previous season. It was pretty obvious the writers were setting up the same ending for both women, and it just didn’t quite work for me.

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2025-11-14 23:58