Amazon has released the first three episodes of Reacher, and as with past seasons and versions, so far it is excellent.
Beginning with a twist (and no, I’m not spoiling anything–it is both obviously a twist and quickly revealed to be one), we are thrown into a world of mystery, secrecy, and bodybuilders larger than Jack Reacher (no, seriously). Through the first three episodes the show has done a good job of both building the mystery and keeping it on a reasonable scale. Amazon Modern entertainment has a tendency to want to build things to a massive level, and sometimes what we need is a good small-scale (but still high stakes) mystery involving a few people, a comprehensible plot, and a satisfying resolution. Whether we’ll get the last remains to be seen, but the first two have been more than accomplished so far.
I’ve not read the novel this season is based on, so I can’t say for sure whether this season’s plot (which you’ll notice I’m not spoiling) is staying true to the source material or latching on to contemporary fears of sex trafficking and the overreach of big corporations and government. Or both, I suppose. In either case the plot is clearly going to resonate with those who have been following modern political issues, and do so without rubbing our faces in it.
And as always with Reacher, there’s a lot for the Christian to reflect on. Maybe especially the appropriateness of violence as a response to evil in the world. Reacher himself has the advantage of being in the right, but you and I don’t often have that claim. Where he is quick to shoot the bad guy (part of the appeal to modern audiences, no doubt), you and I should perhaps express a bit more hesitation. After all, relative to God, we are the bad guy and He has graciously held His fire, and even taken the bullet Himself. (Okay, no more torturing that imagery.)
Overall, the first three episodes of Reacher‘s third season are a big thumbs up. Here’s hoping that continues to be the case!
Dr. Coyle Neal is co-host of the City of Man Podcast an Amazon Associate (which is linked in this blog), and an Associate Professor of Political Science at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO
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