Warning! There are some mild Reacher Season 1 spoilers below, so back away until you've finished the episodes!
After binging all eight episodes of the first season of Reacher the weekend it was released on Amazon Prime Video (and being one of millions to do so), I had very little doubt that we would see more of Alan Ritchson as author Lee Child’s hulking, titular hero. What I did not expect, but was delighted by, was to see it renewed for a second season so quickly after its early February premiere.
Of course, considering how Reacher Season 1 ended, this renewal also raises a number of questions. Obviously, there is very little that we know about Reacher Season 2 at this point, but it is fun to speculate on the details - which, as Jack Reacher is always keen to point out, are very important. Let’s start with the one detail that fans are likely most curious about right now.
When Will Reacher Season 2 Premiere On Amazon Prime?
As we mentioned earlier, Reacher Season 2 was officially confirmed by Amazon Studios very, very quickly after its series premiere (only three days later, to be exact). Considering only a matter of days have passed (as of this writing) since that announcement, I find it unlikely that the crew and others involved with the action thriller series have even had a chance to consider when they would be able to start principal photography.
If there is anything that we can most likely bank on as an absolute in regards to this renewal, it is that Alan Ritchson is coming back as Jack Reacher. I base this assumption on his excited response to the news on Instagram and that he plays the former Army major the show is named after. However, will he be the only star of Reacher Season 1 reprising their role?
Who Else From The Reacher Cast Might Join Alan Ritchson For Season 2?
With Feds seeking answers about what went down in Margrave (and just because it is his nature), Jack Reacher leaves the Georgia town behind while feisty Officer Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) stays and Detective Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Finlay) prepares to return to Boston. So, does that mean no one else from the Reacher cast is returning for Season 2? Not necessarily.
Considering Reacher told Roscoe she might be the one reason he would divert from his wandering ways, I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to see her again. I could also see him calling Finlay for a favor in solving a case like he did with Frances Neagley (Maria Stern), who - as a recurring character in the book series - might have the best chance of making a Season 2 appearance. I also think it would be cool to see another fun, subtle cameo from Jack Reacher's creator, Lee Child.
Where Will Reacher Season 2 Take Place?
When Jack Reacher leaves Margrave, Georgia, in the last moments of the Reacher Season 1 finale, we see him literally walking away from the mysterious, deadly charade he became embroiled in, sticking out his thumb in the hope of hitching a ride. Where the road might take him is honestly anybody’s guess, including his own.
Reacher makes it clear to Roscoe that he is not really one to “stay close to the flame” and also explains to her in the first episode that he tends to just go wherever he wants whenever he wants, which is how he ended up in Margrave in the first place. Because he never expresses any desire for a specific destination in the season finale, wherever Reacher Season 2 will take place depends on the source material.
Which Jack Reacher Novel Will Season 2 Adapt?
Killing Floor, Lee Child’s 1997 debut novel and the first featuring Jack Reacher, appropriately served as the inspiration for Reacher Season 1. There are 25 subsequent books (and a collection of short stories, with another novel due for October 2022) eligible to adapt into Season 2, unless the writers choose to leave One Shot and Never Go Back alone, because the Tom Cruise-led movies were based on those.
Whichever literary adventure Alan Ritchson will embark on as Reacher next has yet to be determined, but the actor has expressed interest in going in chronological order and adapting the second book in the series, Die Trying. Maybe at some point they could, somehow, rework one Child’s three prequel novels into a sequel or use one of them as the basis for Ritchson’s own feature-length Reacher spin-off.
Will Reacher Season 2 Divert From The Source Material Instead?
On the other hand, what if the writers decided to throw out the books altogether for Reacher Season 2? It is a pretty controversial thought in concept, but not necessarily a bad idea. I mean, the first season was not even a completely faithful adaptation of Killing Floor, as Frances Neagley was never introduced until Lee Child’s sixth book, Without Fail.
Not to mention, other TV series have benefitted from departing from the source material, such as the invention of Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead. Some series have brilliantly used originals as a jumping off point for something new - like Damon Lindelof’s Emmy-winning HBO miniseries Watchmen, which comes after the events of the acclaimed graphic novel of the same name.
Who Will Direct Reacher Season 2?
Something that I found interesting about Reacher Season 1 is that each of its eight episodes are directed by a different person, such as co-executive producer Sam Hill of CSI: Miami and Lucifer fame (who helmed the second episode) or experienced stunt performer Lin Oeding (who oversaw the penultimate chapter). I wonder if the same practice will be incorporated for Season 2.
While having a rotation of different directors is a good way to keep things fresh with each episode, other series in more recent years have benefitted from a more distinct, streamlined vision from one person, or just a small few, at the helm, such as the Marvel TV shows on Disney+. Perhaps they could get someone with an exceptional background in the action genre, like Die Hard director John McTiernan or even 2012’s Jack Reacher helmer, Christopher McQuarrie, who also has an executive producer’s credit for the show. Or, maybe, showrunner Nick Santora could give directing a shot...if he returns, that is.
Who Will Be On The Reacher Season 2 Writing Staff?
If developer Nick Santora was not a part of Reacher Season 2, it would not be the first time a hit series changed showrunners so soon (like when Frank Darabont was fired from The Walking Dead, to reference that show a second time). However, assuming he returns, who else will be joining him in the writer’s room?
Also penning the first season was former Chicago P.D. writer Cait Duffy, Aadrita Mukerji of Supergirl fame, and Scott Sullivan, who - like the previous two writers - also wrote for Scorpion on CBS. Unless they were offered other prospects, they could be part of an expanded writing staff, which often happens when a show becomes a hit. Maybe they could also give the man responsible for the whole story, Lee Child, duties on at least one episode, which would be his first time writing for the screen.
There is still much mystery surrounding Reacher Season 2, obviously. The one mystery I am most curious about, however, is the one that Jack Reacher will solve with his wits and his fists (and elbows) next. Like the physically imposing hero, I will try to remain calm while we wait.
