The hit Amazon Prime streaming TV series, “Reacher,” is based on the best-selling Jack Reacher books by Lee Child, — brought to life by executive producers David Ellison and Christopher McQuarrie. The protagonist is a nomadic retired military police officer, Jack Reacher, who arrives in the quiet town of Margrave, Georgia, only to be arrested and accused of a murder he did not commit. He must prove his innocence by finding the natural killer to set himself free. In his way are corrupt politicians, shady businessmen, and unscrupulous cops. Reacher fights for his life and his freedom against all odds.
The series is the first Amazon Prime Video TV series to take first place on Nielsen’s streaming charts. Unlike the movies that starred Tom Cruise, the TV series is a more faithful adaptation of the original book, “Killing Floor,” with some minor departures. Perhaps the most obvious way the new series resembles the books is that Reacher, played by Alan Ritchson, more closely resembles the six-foot-five behemoth described by the author. M.J. Bassett directed the first season of the TV series adaptation.
Let’s dig a little deeper into this popular new Amazon Prime series and learn more about the characters and the possibility of a second season.
Main Cast and Characters of “Reacher”
Here’s a breakdown of some of the main characters of the Amazon Prime Video TV series “Reacher.”
Jack Reacher
Alan Ritchson is a highly decorated retired U.S. Army MP and drifter. He spent his childhood traveling the world with his brother, active Marine father, and French mother — and has not settled in one place. Reacher is an intimidating figure. He is muscular, tall, and not afraid to use his strength to defend what he believes is right. Reacher is highly intelligent, and his combat training makes him a physical powerhouse. Reacher is a wise-cracking, likable guy who also happens to be someone you don’t want to mess with. The show also features flashbacks to the young Jack Reacher, played by Maxwell Jenkins.
Oscar Finlay
Malcolm Goodwin is a Captain and the Chief Detective for the small town of Margrave, Georgia. Finlay attended Harvard and was a detective for 20 years for the Boston PD. His wife recently passed away, and he is now a widower.
Roscoe Conklin
Willa Fitzgerald is a Margrave police officer who joins forces with Jack Reacher and Oscar Finlay as they investigate the murder that Reacher did not commit. Roscoe has roots in Margrave and remained with her grandmother, “Meemaw,” after her parents were killed in a car accident when she was young. Her grandmother took care of her until she passed. Roscoe was mentored by her deceased parents’ best friend, Gray, who took his own life a year before the story began. Gray was also Margrave’s chief detective. He took Roscoe under his wing and taught her everything he knew about being a stellar cop and detective.
KJ Kliner
Chris Webster is the only child and son of Kliner Sr., who runs a counterfeiting scheme. Although KJ was born into wealth and all its privileges, he has had mental health challenges since childhood. He was sent away to a mental health hospital when he was young, but his issues were not resolved. As a resident of Margrave, KJ is known to be trouble. He also has had feelings for Roscoe Conklin, who does not return the affection.
Grover Teale
Bruce McGill is the no-good, corrupt mayor and acting police chief of Margrave. He spends his time doing shady business and little time looking into police investigations, though the town does not yet realize how corrupt he is.
Frances Neagley
Maria Sten is a former army investigator and member of Reacher’s military police team who is now a private detective. Neagley reached the rank of Master Sergeant and is a trusted friend and ally of Reacher, who is helping him as he investigates the murder he did not commit.
Recurring Cast and Characters of “Reacher”
Reacher has a strong supporting cast with some regularly recurring characters.
- Officer Baker (Hugh Thompson) is a police officer tasked with keeping tabs on Reacher. Baker is a bad cop, and his story does not end well.
- Officer Stevenson (Jonathan Koensgen) is one of the few good cops in Margrave, along with Finlay and Roscoe. His fate is not the same as in the “Killing Floor” book.
- Mosley (Willie C. Carpenter) is a Margrave barber and long-time resident of Margrave who helps Reacher and his friends to try and clear his name. The character is a conglomeration of two characters in the original book.
- Jasper (Harvey Guillén) is a medical assistant who performed work on Jack Reacher’s brother, Joe. You may recognize the actor Harvey Guillén from his part in the wild and wacky vampire comedy, “What We Do in the Shadows.”
- Picard (Martin Roach) is an FBI agent who initially appears to be helping Finlay and Reacher with the investigation but is later revealed to be a part of the illegal counterfeiting scheme.
- Charlene ‘Charlie’ Hubble (Kristin Kreuk) is the wife of Paul Hubble and is pulled into the illegal counterfeiting operation. You may know the actress Kristin Kreuk from her role as Lana Lang in the superhero series Smallville.
- Hubble (Marc Bendavid) is the husband of Charlene (Charlie) Hubble. He is a banker who is a somewhat unwilling part of the counterfeiting ring. His life is turned upside down as Reacher investigates the murder.
- Kliner Sr. (Currie Graham) is the patriarch of the Kilner family and a primary bad guy in the Reacher TV series. Kilner runs the Kilner Foundation and is popular in Margrave for the money he puts into the community.
- Joe Reacher (Christopher Russell) is the older brother of the hero of our story, Jack Reacher. Joe is only seen in flashbacks, as he has died before our story begins. Joe was a secret service agent and the reason Jack Reacher finds himself in Margrave. Gavin White plays the young version of Joe Reacher.
- Stan Reacher (Matthew Marsden) is Jack Reacher’s father. A Marine who tours the world with his family, Jack, Joe, and Josephine.
- Josephine Reacher (Leslie Fray) is Jack Reacher’s mother. She is a French woman who is married to Stan Reacher.
- Dawson (AJ Simmons) Kilner’s nephew and enforcer.
Where Can You Watch “Reacher?”
“Reacher” is an Amazon Prime Video exclusive TV show. The only way to watch it is to have an Amazon Prime membership.
How Many Episodes of “Reacher” Are There on Amazon Prime?
There are currently eight episodes of the Reacher series available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
Will There be a Season 2 of “Reacher?”
Yes! There will be a season two of “Reacher.” The show was renewed almost immediately for a second season. Season one was released on February 4, 2022, and was renewed three days after the launch on February 7th. There is not yet a release date for season two, but we can estimate a release date in early 2023 as season two is scheduled to begin filming in the fall of 2022.
Which “Reacher” novel will be the source material for season two? According to Reacher star Alan Ritchson’s Twitter, the book will be “Bad Luck and Trouble,” which will take Reacher to investigate more murders, this time surrounding members of his former MP battalion.
There is no official word on returning castmates for season two, but we can assume our star Alan Ritchson will return as Reacher. If the story remains true to the source material, it likely means that the Margrave cast (Roscoe, Finlay, etc.) will not appear in season two. However, Frances Neagley, who appears more frequently in other “Reacher” novels and is more likely to be a larger part in any returning cast.
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Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
