If anything can be expected from the Reacher TV series, it’s plenty of unbelievable action and amazing one-liners from the man himself.
SUMMARY
Reacher showcases epic fight scenes with inventive choreography, highlighting his skills and abilities to take down bad guys.
The show establishes Reacher as a force of nature who is not afraid to bend the rules to serve justice.
The relationship between Reacher and Roscoe is a compelling undercurrent, creating an emotional and heartbreaking separation in the season 1 finale.
Reacher raised the stakes in the most recent season, with bigger and tougher fights than ever, but throughout both seasons 1 and 2, there are plenty of scenes that highlight the best of the show.
While Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) is usually the character that gets the most iconic moments, his team always comes together to help him defeat the bad guys by any means necessary. Though many of the greatest hits from the series come from the epic battles, there are also quiet scenes that develop Reacher as a character.
Premiering on Prime Video in 2022, Reacher has taken the television landscape by storm with its faithful adaptation of the book series. After the film, Jack Reacher, starring Tom Cruise, came out in 2012, it was clear how big the market was for additional iterations of the story.
The character, Jack Reacher, is an ex-military police officer, and due to his past, he’s plenty equipped with the skills necessary to take down anyone who challenges him. Throughout the show, his considerable abilities are on display, and the audience slowly discovers what he’s doing on the road.
8. Bathroom Fight Scene
Season 1, Episode 1, “Welcome to Margrave”
The pilot of Reacher was an important episode of the show. It needed to introduce Reacher as a character and establish that he’s a force of nature who’s not to be trifled with.
Placing Reacher in prison early in the episode also shows the audience that though he’s one of the good guys, he’s not afraid to step outside the law when he knows that justice isn’t being served. Unfortunately for the other inmates, they picked the wrong man to start a fight with.
In the bathroom scene, a group of men corners Reacher to intimidate him, but of course, this backfires immediately. In true Reacher fashion, he handles the men easily, towering over them and breaking more than a few bones along the way.
They enter and Reacher takes them down with practically one hit each. It’s not only an example of what he’s capable of, but a teaser for the inventive fight choreography that the show is known for.
7. Stairwell Chase
Season 1, Episode 6, “Papier”
No matter how many times Reacher proves that he shouldn’t be challenged, no one ever learns. Though it never gets old watching him crack skulls the old-fashioned way, season 1, episode 6, “Papier” utilizes the set piece of a fire escape to include dimension to the stakes of the fight.
This particular fight also sheds light on Reacher’s intelligence as well as his physical strength. He uses tools from his environment, like a bike wheel, and his tie to aid him in the fight, making the setting feel purposeful and giving him a challenge despite having only one opponent.
6. Conversation With Roscoe
Season 1, Episode 8, “Pie”
Throughout season 1, the relationship between Reacher and Roscoe (Willa Fitzgerald) is a compelling undercurrent as they work together to finish the investigation. Roscoe is one of the few people that Reacher can open up to and occasionally listen to.
Their bond of mutual trust and affection comes to a head in the finale of season 1 when Reacher reaches his limit and can no longer stay in Margrave. The pair have an honest heart-to-heart that makes their separation all the more heartbreaking. Though Roscoe wasn’t in season 2, based on their goodbye, there might be hope for the couple.
5. Reacher Goes To Church
Season 2, Episode 1, “ATM”
Season 2 of Reacher comes back with a vengeance as he comes face to face with the consequences of his lonely existence. When contacted by another former member of his military police unit, it quickly becomes clear that this season is going to be about getting revenge on whoever’s been targeting his friends.
In the course of the investigation, Reacher finds himself somewhere he doesn’t frequent, a church, and comes face to face with a priest he has a couple of questions for.
Hearing Reacher say “I need to go to church” is just about the last thing audiences would expect to come out of his mouth, but his hunch pays off, and the priest gives him a clue as to where the investigation is leading.
Though no fights break out, and it’s a small moment in the overall episode, Reacher uses his cunning to get the information he needs. Additionally, seeing a man so linked to violence in such a peaceful place is a stunning juxtaposition in the show.
4. Cement Fight
Season 2, Episode 2, “What Happened In Atlantic City”
There may not be any Roscoe in season 2, but that doesn’t mean Reacher doesn’t have a love interest. Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan) is another member of the 110th MP, and though her past with Reacher wasn’t romantic, the chemistry between them becomes too obvious to ignore.
In season 2, episode 2, “What Happened In Atlantic City”, the group’s hunch leads them to an abandoned construction site with plenty of wet cement. They prove to be an amazing team when it comes to fighting together, even if Reacher and Dixon don’t stay together after season 2.
3. Biker Gang Fight
Season 2, Episode 4, “Night at the Symphony”
The biker gang that ambushes Reacher and the rest of the team might have been intimidating to another group of less skilled fighters, but they didn’t leave a scratch on the 110th.
Reacher does the most damage with gruesome moments of bone breaking and skull cracking, but it’s all in the name of protecting his friends and putting an end to the corruption at work. However, as with much of season 2, he couldn’t have made it out without his team, and every character shines in a moment of beautiful action.
2. Homemade Silencer
Season 2, Episode 6, “New York’s Finest”
Deception and stealth are two key features of being military police, and while Reacher might be too tall to always be the most stealthy, he makes up for it with strength and his powers of persuasion.
When the need arises to interrogate someone without making a sound, any screaming or gun shots are off the table. Instead, Reacher makes a silencer for his gun out of a water bottle and convinces the man to tell him everything. Of course, there’s no such thing as a water bottle silencer, but Reacher’s convincing, and formidable, enough to make him believe anything.
1. Rocket Launcher
Season 2, Episode 8, “Fly Boy”
Reacher season 2’s Little Wing weapon was teased in episode 4 and is finally used in the finale of the season. There are many unbelievable moments in the season 2 finale, but when Frances Neagley (Maria Sten) uses a rocket launcher to take down a helicopter, it’s not something that will ever be forgotten.
In true Reacher fashion, the moment is casual, a typical day at the office for everyone involved. Of course, the explosion is on an epic scale and their actions play a crucial role in saving the day, but that’s par for the course for Jack Reacher.