Lessons From Reacher, The Amazon Original Series.
"When I ask people to dance, it usually precedes a lot of punching." - Jack Reacher.
Jack Reacher is a character created by British author Lee Child. He first appeared in the novel called "Killing Floor" which was published in 1997. The book's success was the foundation for an ongoing crime thriller franchise that has since been adapted into movies starring Tom Cruise, and, more recently, an Amazon series starring Alan Ritchson. The Amazon series has received positive reviews from Jack Reacher fans. Many consider Alan Ritchson to be better suited than Tom Cruise when it comes to portraying Jack Reacher. I agree with this assessment. While Cruise certainly did a good job in the action-packed movies, there was only so much he could do in terms of representing the character that die-hard Reacher admirers expect to see on a screen. Simply put, Tom Cruise does not fit the physical description of Jack Reacher. Lee Child himself explained this in an interview but rightfully gave credit to Cruise for his performance. All things considered, Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher turned out to be a successful experiment which eventually led to Alan Ritchson.
The first season of the Amazon series was released on February 4, 2022 and is based on Killing Floor. Reacher arrives at the fictional rural town of Margrave and is promptly arrested for murder. After a trip to prison, where he brutally beats up a gang that tries to kill him, he is eventually released and teams up with local police officers to help solve a string of mysterious murders. His presence at Margrave is as beneficial as it is problematic. On one hand, he is a formidable force that can be entirely relied on in the most difficult circumstances while on the other hand, things just seem to get worse when he is around. The local inhabitants do not know what to make of him. Where should the line be drawn between respect and fear when it comes to Jack Reacher? It is this question which inspired the present article and the lessons below.
1. Understand your leverage in confrontations but do not overestimate it.
Jack Reacher is a very big man. At 6 feet and 5 inches (1m96) with a weight ranging between 210 and 250 pounds, he is outright intimidating especially considering his outstanding physical condition. His self-confidence is backed by lethal combat skills which he honed during his time in the US Army and the military police. Reacher knows that his capabilities give him a very strong advantage over almost any assaillant and he has no problem hitting first even when he is outnumbered. Lee Child described Reacher's fighting style as "a chainsaw that runs into a crowd". As proficient as he is though there have been instances when Jack Reacher overestimated his abilities and failed to overcome opponents. Once such instance was when he was chased by two Mexican killers. Reacher is unarmed and believes that he can deal with them all by himself. He manages to get rid of the first one but the second killer breaks free of his hold and creates enough distance to point his gun at Reacher. This could have been the end for him if not for the intervention of Roscoe Conklin, a police officer and one of Reacher's allies at Margrave. Roscoe arrives just in time and delivers a headshot to the assassin. Key Lesson: As strong as your leverage is, its power will vary according to different situations. There is no guarantee that it will secure victory every single time. It can even become a liability if an opponent knows how to render it useless.
2. Once you become a target, you are likely to remain one.
First impressions count. They always did and always will regardless of how open-minded society becomes. In the case of Jack Reacher, the first impression he leaves at Margrave is absolutely awful. He barely has time to sit down at a restaurant that he is surrounded by police officers who arrest him on suspicions of murder. Reacher is eventually cleared of charges but he is permanently stained in the eyes of most people at Margrave. He does his best to blend in but the circumstances under which he operates and his forceful personality do not help. Even the murder of Jack Reacher's own brother fails to completely redeem him in the eyes of the Margrave community. It is simply too easy to point to his presence as the #numberonereason each time another murder happens in town. Reacher seems to believe that his actions will speak for themselves and that opinions will change as a result. Well, no. At least not always. He apparently fails to understand that most people around him will cling to easy explanations because they are exactly that: easy. All things considered, he only has two choices: he can either accept the situation and soldier on or he can leave Margrave and hopefully be forgotten. Key Lesson: The consequences of a very bad start can be difficult to reverse. Sometimes, it is not possible to do so and the resulting uphill battle can become a huge waste of time.
3. Allies do not have to be friends.
When it comes to Jack Reacher, less is definitely more. His whole personality screams of someone who can manage things on his own regardless of whatever obstacle is thrown at him. He does not have the support systems of James Bond or Ethan Hunt and even if he did, it can reasonably be assumed that he would use them as a last resort. In this respect, Reacher seems closer to Jason Bourne. At Margrave, Jack Reacher quickly identifies those who can help him reach his aim and makes concessions to them when needed. Even if he appears quite open, Reacher has drawn lines in his mind that he will not cross. This even applies to Roscoe with whom he has a romantic relationship. Reacher would rather leave her out of his business and only come back to her when he believes it to be appropriate. This attitude is clearly necessary to avoid getting trapped in needless sentimentality that could jeopardise his attempts to find the murderer behind the string of killings at Margrave. There is too much at stake to risk his mind getting soft. If at one point he needs to turn against one of his allies, then so be it if that can get the job done. The opposite is also true: Reacher probably knows that his allies can turn against him and that's perfectly ok. Key Lesson: When it comes to getting results, competence and reliability are more important than friendliness. This is especially true when the margin for error is very thin.
Conclusion: The series Reacher has been described by many enthusiasts as being very faithful to its source material. This consensus means that Alan Ritchson will hopefully produce another stellar performance in the second season by portraying a protagonist who Lee Child has described as being: "A noble loner, the knight errant, the mysterious stranger, who has shown up in stories forever..."
Good luck,
Ashley Boolell | www.ashleyboolell.com
My latest novel is called Market Dystopia. It is available on Amazon.
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