After an incredible Season 3 that redeemed a lackluster sophomore run, “Reacher” is back with a fourth season that builds on what came before, while evolving the show and the character with new challenges, more commentary and also more humor. This is the bloodiest season of the show yet, as we swap constant gunfights for intense knifeplay that leaves a trail of blood behind. But it’s the political commentary that makes this season hit the hardest.
Season 3 found Reacher alone in a mansion undercover, with a change in tone that made it feel almost like a murder mystery where the detective is a slasher movie villain. Now, it’s back to basics, with Reacher solving an escalating problem with the help of some local cops who reluctantly follow him in his shenanigans. Except it’s not just a return to Season 1, because this season very much feels like an evolution of “Reacher,” even if every season still feels like a self-contained, sitcom-like story without much in terms of continuity. The Reacher we find here is an evolution of where we left off at the end of Season 3, where he is confronted by his ally and only friend, Neagley (Maria Sten), who explains that what drives Reacher is a desire to stop “The big, powerful, smug sons of bitches who think they can just get away with things.” This is why, when in the premiere episode Reacher is unable to help a woman before she decides to kill herself in front of him, he decides to chase down the bad guys who drove her to suicide.
What follows is an escalating series of reveals and the untangling of a web of mystery, lies and corruption that reaches far and wide, involving the military, the government and the CIA. This is the most fascinating aspect of the season, arguably the most political “Reacher” has ever gotten. Sure, the series always deals in corruption and abuse of authority, but this is the first time the show actively comments on the U.S. involvement in war crimes, with direct parallels to US involvement in the rise of al-Qaeda. It adds a layer of timeliness and urgency, grounding what is otherwise an often cartoony series. It also results in arguably the single best twist in the entire series thus far, with an incredible new kind of villain that shakes Reacher like no other before.
The political layer to Season 4 also gives Reacher a new kind of personal conflict. So far, the man goes by simple rules — anyone who tries to stop him is an enemy, anyone who abuses their authority is an enemy, and not much else. Here, however, Reacher is faced with the kind of political nuance he’s never faced before, having to think about optics and political fallout to truths being unveiled. That doesn’t stop him from being as over the top as you’d expect from this show.
He’s not alone though. Reacher gets some help from a brand new crew of sidekicks that aid him throughout the season, two cops who are way in over their head and have to battle their own demons. Of them, the clear standout is Christopher Marquette as Jake Merrick, a small town cop and brother to the woman whose suicide kickstarts the action. Marquette does a great job of portraying the neverending crisis his character goes through, the unstoppable grief, the raging anger that spirals out of control, making him a mirror of Reacher in past seasons.
Meanwhile, Alan Ritchson continues to be a delight to watch every week, with his performance this season adding a bit more humor to the stoic Reacher. The way he responds to everything that annoys him with a simple and condescending “OK” adds levity to what’s otherwise a rather grim outing. Plus, Reacher gets a different kind of sidekick in Season 4, an adorable kitten whose brief appearance next to the towering giant that is Reacher elicits as many laughs as it does “awwws.”
The kitten also helps (briefly) balance out the absolute carnage that accompanies this season of “Reacher.” This is a violent show, sure, but Season 4 takes it to a new level. The story mostly swaps gunfights for some stunning knifeplay, with quite elaborate stunts and a level of gore that we haven’t seen in the show yet. It adds to the brutality and ruthlessness of its villains, who are menacing and dangerous. The stuntwork is stellar, with dynamic camera work ensuring that no two fights look the same, employing reacher’s intimidating physique in different ways, whether it’s as a walking tank that can sustain injuries, a gorilla-like force to be reckoned with in his mighty punches, or just a clever agent of death who outsmarts his opponents by, say, pushing a guy’s hand into a shredder, or holding an assassin down in an elevator shaft until the elevator goes down on the guy’s head.
“Reacher” takes the heights of Season 3 and elevates them with a different yet equally effective and thrilling Season 4. If nothing else, the show continues to prove it does not run out of steam, but continues to improve and evolve with every new adventure.
“Reacher” Season 4 premieres Wednesday on Prime Video.