The crime thriller novels by author Lee Child featuring Jack Reacher were the go-to comfort read for many a fan of fast-paced books. So, when action star Tom Cruise decided to make a couple of Jack Reacher movies, ardent followers of the books had questions.
These queries soon became criticism for the two films the Top Gun star made (Jack Reacher 2012 and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back 2016). Lee Child deserved better, the internet concluded en masse.
And retribution came in 2022, with the Amazon Prime Video series, Reacher starring the towering Alan Ritchson. Fast forward to 2025, Reacher is now three seasons in, with critics and viewers alike, showering praise on it. So, what worked in this latest adaptation?
Reasons why ‘Reacher’ on Prime Video is considered a great adaptation
1. A faithful adaptation of the books: The Prime Video series Reacher is loyal to Lee Child’s novels. Unlike the movies, which featured a mashup of books in the middle with major changes, the series piloted with Killing Floor in Season 1, following a one-book-per-season approach. This helps it deliver a strong narrative mirroring the source material, both in tone and pacing.
A production still from ‘Reacher’ Season 3 on Amazon Prime Video | Amazon
2. Alan Ritchson as Reacher is perfect casting: In the books, Jack Reacher is a 6’5” tall 250-pound drifter. This frame is factored into the storytelling. At 6’2”, Alan Ritchson has a physically imposing frame, closely embodying the book’s version, unlike the timid 5’7” frame of Tom Cruise. Many of Reacher’s problems are sorted using mere physical acumen, and his stoic but witty dialogue delivery adds to bringing Reacher alive on screen, much like the description in the books. The series does justice to the casting, with brutal fight scenes and close-quarter combat, leveraging Ritchson’s physique and Reacher’s raw intensity from the books.
A production still from ‘Reacher’ Season 3 featuring Alan Ritchson, on Amazon Prime Video | Amazon
3. Character depth and great performances: One of the best things about the series is how it gives room to its supporting characters, such as Frances Neagley (played by Maria Sten), Willa Fitzgerald’s Roscoe Conklin in Season 1, and Susan Duffy (portrayed by Sonya Cassidy in Season 3). Sten’s Neagley gets so much screen presence that Prime Video recently greenlit a spinoff on her character. This is very much in line with Child’s detailed writing of interpersonal dynamics in the books.
Maria Sten as Neagley in a production still from ‘Reacher’ Season 3 on Amazon Prime Video | Amazon
4. A more authentic Reacher: Ritchson nails Jack Reacher’s iconic no-nonsense demeanour from the books, something Cruise could not do due to his permanently-on charisma. In the series, Reacher is back to a rough but brilliant and minimalist drifter, almost as if the books came to life. It balances the lead character’s dry wit with bone-crushing violence, especially with quips amid intense scenes, like the one when facing baddies like Paulie.
Sonya Cassidy with Alan Ritchson in a production still from ‘Reacher’ Season 3 on Amazon Prime Video | Amazon
5. Season 3 is more high stakes: The latest season, which is ongoing, is based on the novel Persuader, which features a complex drug-smuggling plot. Season 1 gave you an intro to Reacher, and Season 2 was all about teamwork (based on Bad Luck and Trouble). But Season 3 has upped the ante, with Reacher on a lone-wolf undercover quest—bringing back the loner vibe the books lend the character.
A production still from ‘Reacher’ Season 3 on Amazon Prime Video featuring Neagley and Jack Reacher | Amazon
6. Season 3 upgrades the villains: The movies had some forgettable antagonists. The series does the exact opposite, especially in the latest season. The towering Paulie, played by Dutch bodybuilder Olivier Richters is 7’2”, much like the larger-than-life challenges Reacher faces in the books. And Paulie is not even the main villain in this season—it is Xavier Quinn (played by Brian Tee), a former military intelligence operative who is back from the dead, years after Reacher put a bullet in his head. Or so he thought.
Quinn and Paulie in a production still from ‘Reacher’ Season 3 on Amazon Prime Video | Amazon
Amazon’s version of Reacher also boasts quality production values, with gritty cinematic locations, eye-catching cinematography, and a wonderful background score that intensifies the action, Season 3 upgrades it with superbly choreographed showdowns, a justice-driven revenge plot, and supporting-cast camaraderie makes it a genre-topping action series.
The ongoing season of Reacher will end with the finale on March 27, 2025. So far, it has garnered praise from all around the world. Three years ago, R.L. Stine said, “Reacher, on Amazon Prime, is the TV show Lee Child deserves.”
Sonya Cassidy as Duffy with Alan Ritchson as Reacher in a production still from ‘Reacher’ Season 3 on Amazon Prime Video | Amazon
“Totally faithful to the spirit of Lee’s books— violent, witty, and entertaining from beginning to end,” added the author of the Goosebumps series of books. In 2025, with the great reception Reacher Season 3 has been receiving, Stine’s words ring true. This version of Reacher is the live-action adaptation Lee Child deserves.
