Warning: This article contains spoilers from Reacher season 4.Sydelle Noel, one of the new cast members on Reacher, just revealed how the Prime Video series made massive changes to her character for its adaptation of Lee Child's novel Gone Tomorrow.
Reacher recently returned for its fourth season with lead star Alan Ritchson. Joining him this season are new cast members Noel, Jay Baruchel, Anggun, Agnez Mo, Kevin Corrigan, and Christopher Marquette. So far, the series has adapted the novels Killing Floor, Bad Luck and Trouble, and Persuader.
Reacher season 4 is based on Gone Tomorrow, but there's been a major change to bringing the story to life on screen. In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley, Noel explained that her character, Tamara Green, doesn't actually exist in the source material. However, she appears to be replacing Theresa Lee, who is actually featured in Gone Tomorrow.
When she landed the role, showrunner Nick Santora told Noel not to read the book because of this critical change during the adaptation process. The producers "don't want people who are familiar with the books to watch the show and actually know every aspect that's about to happen, so they had to tweak it a little bit," the actor admitted.
When Noel got on set to start filming Reacher season 4, Ritchson, who also serves as an executive producer, wondered why she hadn't read the book ahead of time, as he had. He even admitted he doesn't like it when Santora makes that request to certain cast members; Ritchson believes it's important to know the source material.
But Noel stuck to what the showrunner requested of her "because I didn't want to get influenced."
However, Noel did end up reading Gone Tomorrow after filming wrapped, and that's when she realized that Theresa and Tamara are nothing alike. She said, "They're totally different characters."
"At first when I spoke to Nick, I got the book. When I booked the role, I said, 'Okay, I need to know this version.' And then he told me, 'Don't read it.' They try to stay online, but they don't want people who are familiar with the books to watch the show and actually know every aspect that's about to happen. So they had to tweak it a little bit. But he said, 'Don't read it because your character is changed.' I remember when I got there, Alan was like, 'Why didn't you read the book? I read the whole thing. I hate when Nick tells people not to read it. They should read it.' But yeah, I didn't read the book because I didn't want to get influenced. I read it afterwards, and I was like, 'Oh, my character is pretty much different from Theresa.' They're totally different characters. And I'm going to shut up because I was about to say something I shouldn't."
In the first three seasons of Reacher, the titular character is romantically interested in his female partners. However, Tamara has broken that pattern. Noel joked that she was disappointed at first to hear this because she wanted to kiss Ritchson. In reality, though, the actor "really loved" that Tamara was written differently than past female partners on the show.
When Noel watched the first three seasons of Reacher, she noticed right away how these women just couldn't seem to resist Jack Reacher. In Gone Tomorrow, it was the same way with Theresa.
When it came to embodying Tamara, though, Noel realized that her character and Reacher are "kind of similar."
Tamara entering Reacher's life meant that he was metaphorically holding up a mirror to himself and seeing what others might see in him. With those traits, it might not have made sense to have these two characters show a romantic interest in each other.
This was a big reason why Noel found it helpful to shy away from the novel before filming. "I love that Nick actually changed that and said that, 'No, your character actually doesn't like the big and broady type," she added.
"I felt like that sucked at first. I was like, 'I want to kiss Alan.' (laughs) But no, I actually really, really loved that. All jokes aside, I really, really loved that because at first I didn't watch the show, so I binge-watched it. In one week, I watched 1, 2 and 3. And I thought, 'Wow, every girl he's having sexual relations with.' I was like, 'They just can't resist him.' And when I came in, I loved the fact that they don't. They actually have this relationship where they're kind of similar. I think you don't want to have a mirror of yourself, especially when you want an opposite partner. I thought that was great that they actually switched it up. And that's why I said I was going to shut up because, in the book, they are together. It does happen to them in the book. But I love that Nick actually changed that and said that, 'No, your character actually doesn't like the big and broady type.'"
Before joining the cast of Reacher, Noel appeared in the TV shows GLOW and Arrow, and the hit Marvel film Black Panther.
Every season of the Prime Video series so far has received rave reviews from critics, with Reacher season 4, which premiered on August 12 with the first three episodes, currently holding a 95% critics' score and an 81% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The finale is set for September 16, the same day that the spinoff Neagley debuts, and a fifth season has already been greenlit.
Reacher season 4 streams new episodes every Wednesday on Prime Video.
Alan Ritchson Effectively Seals Reacher’s Long-Term Fate On Prime Video
A surprise move from Alan Ritchson effectively seals the long-term fate of Reacher on Prime Video. Following its successful debut in 2022, the action-adventure series immediately became a hit for the streamer. This is despite being burdened by the previous big-screen adaptation of Lee Child's novels. Tom Cruise's movie take on Jack Reacher had its fans, and it remain enjoyable upon rewatch now. That said, it's safe to say that Ritchson's portrayal as the former military-turned-wanderer is widely regarded as its definitive version, especially after three seasons of Reacher.
While its sophomore year wasn't able to be as universally beloved as its freshman year, it never really impacted the public's interest in the Prime Video series. Reacher season 3 posted the highest viewership for the show in its history and considering the hype surrounding what's next for the character, the wait for season 4 has been frustrating for some. Based on "Gone Tomorrow," the next installment of the Prime Video project has long finished production, with a release date supposedly sometime this year. Beyond that, however, Ritchson has effectively confirmed Reacher's long-term fate thanks to a new update.
Alan Ritchson's First-Look Deal With Prime Video Solidifies Reacher's Future
Proof of Prime Video's confidence in the series is the fact that it has already renewed for Reacher season 5 before it could even come back with new episodes this year. Admittedly, that's unsurprising, considering the show's popularity. Looking after that, however, the fate of the project is still uncertain. That said, Ritchson's new three-year first-look television deal with the studio via his production company, Dancing Skeleton (via Deadline), effectively solidifies Reacher's return throughout the terms of that new agreement.
This means that if the show maintains its yearly release, it can run for two to three more seasons after Reacher season 5. Obviously, that doesn't factor in the possibility that Prime Video and Ritchson will extend their current deal, or that the streamer will renew the show even after the first-look agreement is done. However, considering that there are about 30 books in Child's novels, Reacher can definitely stay on the air for more years to come.
Why Reacher Has Resonated With The Public
Reacher is arguably the biggest breakout hit of the last few years. Granted that it had built-in fans, thanks to Child's novels and Cruise's films, it would be hard-pressed to find anyone who could have predicted just how big it was going to be. Streaming and traditional broadcasters have their respective action-adventure book adaptation shows, but very few come close to the success of the Prime Video series. The project has been so popular, the streamer has started to expand the franchise via its very first offshoot, Neagley.
What sets Reacher apart from its peers is how it has been able to perfectly balance being faithful to its source material while also offering viewers something new. This way, fans of the books can still enjoy them without being able to predict every single twist that's coming their way. Beyond that, the fact that Reacher has also made sure to have a yearly release despite being on streaming somehow helps in keeping it relevant amid an influx of other shows in the genre.
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