Sherlock returned to the small screen with Prime Video's Young Sherlock series. Like many previous takes on the detective character, even the Prime Video series was received quite well and even renewed for another season. However, a closer look at the latest installment of another iconic detective series, Reacher, reveals how its character is shaping up to be as fascinating as Sherlock.
2010's Sherlock series, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular detective, primarily focuses on the character's genius deductive abilities. It glosses over his established physical prowess from the books, instead portraying him as someone whose greatest weapon is his mind. Prime Video Reacher, in contrast, leaned heavily on its titular character's imposing physicality.
In season 4, however, Reacher is seemingly changing its approach and exploring a more cerebral side of its titular character. While Reacher still uses his brawn to neutralize threats, he seemingly balances it by making several brainy discoveries surrounding the overarching mystery. Reacher season 4 even drops a direct reference to how similar he is to Sherlock Holmes.
Prime Video’s Reacher Touts Alan Ritchson’s Character As “Sherlock Has-No-Homes”
Reacher season 4's episode 1 begins with a gritty sequence in which the Alan Ritchson character watches a woman die on a subway train. Moments later, two NYPD detectives question him, trying to figure out if he had anything to do with the incident. When they ask him where he lives, Reacher reveals he does not have a home.
One of the detectives eventually grows tired of Reacher's coldly snark answers and impressive observation skills. This is when he mocks him by calling him "Sherlock Has-No-Homes." The funny Sherlock "Holmless" title actually makes a lot of sense because Jack Reacher is more or less a hobo version of Sherlock.
The original literary version of Sherlock is also incredibly strong and has a background in boxing and other martial arts. He is not a 6 foot 5 inch giant like Reacher, but he is capable of holding on his own in physical confrontation. Many other parallels exist between Jack Reacher and Sherlock, and there is a reason why the two characters seem very similar.
Sherlock Holmes Was The Key Inspiration Behind Lee Child’s Jack Reacher Series
As the author of the Jack Reacher books, Lee Child, has himself revealed, Sherlock Holmes has always been a key inspiration for Reacher. Reacher is often compared with other action-centric heroes like James Bond and Jason Bourne. However, as Lee Child explained, his first book, Killing Floor, even featured a direct homage to Sherlock, where Reacher displays similar deductive skills when he tells says to Finlay,
"I see that you’re divorced, and you gave up smoking in April.’"
Intereatingly, Prime Video's Reacher also seems to draw from Sherlock's lore. Just like Sherlock and Reacher duke it out at the Moriarty at Reichenbach in “The Final Problem," Jack Reacher and Paulie fight at Zachary Beck's coastal mansion complex in Maine. Like Sherlock, Reacher finally finds a worthy opponent who can potentially kill him.
Both fight sequences are perfect displays of intellect versus malice, where Reacher and Sherlock use their brain and brawn to ultimately kill their opponents.
Reacher Season 4 Feels As Cerebral As Sherlock
In just three episodes, Reacher season 4 has already featured some incredible action sequences. There is one where Jack Reacher even uses a chopstick to kill a man. However, even when it comes to displaying his intellect, season 4 has been equally impressive. In the opening sequence itself, Reacher seems to run a mental checklist when he suspects a woman of being a suicide bomber.
He even cleverly pieces together everything from timeline discrepancies to subtle behavioral clues before deducing John Sampson's true motives and potential connections with the central crime. He even reverse engineers the opening crime scene in the latter scene, which helps him recognize a man who was present on the train.
With Reacher season 4 putting the Alan Ritchson character's intelligence on full display, the new installment already looks quite promising. Young Sherlock on Prime Video was a great addition to the overarching Sherlock franchise, but Reacher is already proving to be its perfect rival with its newfound focus.
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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