Alan Ritchson is known for hyping up what’s to come on Reacher. In fact, as Season 4 was airing on the 2026 TV schedule, he was already starting to get us excited about Season 5. However, he’s not the only one doing that; his new co-star, Jay Baruchel, was teasing what’s to come recently, as he took a page out of Ritchson’s hype book and dropped an f-bomb in the process.

We found out Jay Baruchel was joining the cast of Reacher Season 5 earlier this summer, which was thrilling considering he was supposed to be in Season 4 but had to drop out. Now, he’s being asked about filming this upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, and while he can’t say much, he did say this to Collider:

What a statement! Somehow, every season of Reacher seems to go harder than the last. I mean, in Season 3, we got the Paulie vs. Reacher fight, which, according to Ritchson’s co-star Olivier Richters, was “the most physically demanding thing” either of them have ever had to do.

Then, for Season 4, Alan Ritchson was throwing bowling balls and saying that this season included “the best fight ever.” While I don’t know which one he’s referring to, I know that the finale battle of the season was certainly my favorite.

So, for Baruchel to say that Season 5 will be the “fucking heaviest” and it’ll go “very hard” is saying a lot, because the bar is already very high. However, based on Ritchson’s BTS posts and these comments, it certainly sounds like we’re in for a wild ride. Plus, when Baruchel was asked if he’d be in the action, he was willing to confirm that he would be, saying:

Well, get ready folks, cause it sounds like we’re in for a wild ride.

That ride will be based on Lee Child’s book Make Me, which is the 20th book in his Jack Reacher series. In it, Reacher winds up in a small town in the Midwest where he finds himself working with a PI to find her missing colleague. They end up uncovering a much bigger issue that takes them to LA, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco, per the book’s description. However, everything ties back to this small town.

In Season 5, Baruchel will play Chief Buck Bauer, and it sounds like he’ll be heavily involved in the action. So, you better believe I’ll be tuned in to see what exactly that action is and how it proves to be the “heaviest” season of Reacher yet.

However, while we wait for that, you can stream the first four seasons of Reacher with an Amazon Prime subscription.

There’s no denying that Alan Ritchson is ripped, and Reacher plays into that fact. It makes sense too; canonically, Reacher is a big, buff guy. I love how Prime Video is playing into this fact, though, because as Season 4 came to an end on the 2026 TV schedule, the streamer posted some shirtless pictures of the show’s star, and fans can’t get enough.

If you watch Episode 6 of Reacher’s fourth season with an Amazon Prime subscription, you can see Alan Ritchson shirtless for a full scene. During this moment, Reacher and Tamara are cleaning themselves up and changing so when they go back out, they don’t look like they’ve just been in a fight. And for a few seconds, Ritchson’s abs are on full display, as you can see in this Instagram post:

Hilariously, in the sequence this post highlights, Tamara notes that Reacher won’t exactly blend in as he’s taking off his shirt to put a clean one on. She also called out Reacher for sleeping with the enemy, and all around the whole sequence was very self-aware and entertaining.

It also showed off Ritchson’s physique, which fans 100% appreciate, as they wrote comments like:

• Great marketing. Thank you! 🙏🧎‍♂️-nickfpauley
• One of the best plots 🙄🙄😜😜🤩🤩🤩🤩 -imma2605
• Amazon out here doing the Lords work! 😍 -corissam
• When she says she’s watching Reacher for “the plot” 😂 -pixiewillowmoon
• My goodness!🙃 -mssealover
• Well I mean… come on 🔥🔥🔥-fincher_kristy

Listen, Reacher knows what it is, it’s marketing team knows how to crack a joke, and clearly the fans appreciate it. Plus, Alan Ritchson leans into it all as well, as he posts shirtless photos on his own Instagram occasionally and is very honest about what it takes to stay in shape so he can keep playing Reacher.

From eating 5,000 to 6,000 calories per day to posting videos of his workouts, the guy is committed to staying in great shape. He’s also committed to Reacher’s look and action. Ritchson hasn’t held back about the toll filming stunts takes on him, and he’s clear about how hard he’s willing to work to pull them off. A byproduct of all that hard work is funny posts like this about him being shirtless in the show.

Now, I’ll be curious to see if we get more content like this in the near future. While Reacher’s Season 4 finale just dropped, Season 5 is currently in production. Considering how many on-set updates we’ve already gotten from Ritchson about filming big action and the shenanigans they get into behind the scenes, I’d assume more entertaining content that highlights his work and abs is on its way. In the meantime, you can stream Reacher (and the scene Amazon posted about) over on Prime Video.

Spoilers for Season 1 of Neagley are ahead! You can stream the series with an Amazon Prime subscription.

We knew Jack Reacher would appear in Neagley, Reacher’s spinoff on the 2026 TV schedule. However, what we didn’t know was that he’d be involved in a monumental moment for Maria Sten’s titular character. So, obviously, we had to ask the actress about this sequence, Reacher’s cameo, and why this had to happen with Alan Ritchson’s character.

The scene I’m referring to comes in the finale, when Reacher shows up to support Neagley at her dad’s funeral. Afterward, as they’re walking away, Sten’s character shakes Ritchson’s character’s hand. Due to her haphephobia, she does not touch people, so her admitting she wants to change and offering her hand to Reacher was a very big deal. According to the lead actress, this is the only way a moment like this could have happened.

Maria Sten Told Us Why Neagley Shook Reacher’s Hand

Since Neagley and Reacher have known each other for so long, and accept each other for exactly who they are, it makes sense that she’d choose to shake his hand first. Her first significant and intentional moment of touch is a big deal, and it feels obvious that it should be with Reacher. To that point, Maria Sten told us at San Diego Comic-Con that this whole interaction felt natural:

Along with that, Sten explained that this interaction “speaks volumes about their relationship.” We’ve seen Neagley and Reacher work together since Season 1 of Reacher, and according to the actress, that history is referenced in a lovely way through this interaction in Neagley’s finale:

This handshake does solidify how much Neagley and Reacher mean to each other, and as Sten told us, it “lands the whole plane” as it shows their “closeness.” Overall, she thought the gesture was “profound,” and it helped Neagley show that she’s ready and willing to work on herself, as Sten said:

I couldn’t agree more with her. Season 1 of Neagley is deeper than Reacher, as it dives into her past and reveals why she won’t touch people. It’s illuminating for both us as the audience and her personally. So, to have it end with her shaking hands with the one character she has a rich history with meant the world.

How Maria Sten And Alan Ritchson Reacted To This Moment Behind The Scenes

Speaking of Reacher and Neagley’s history, Alan Ritchson and Maria Sten have quite a history too. They’ve worked together for five years, so to have that all culminate in this handshake felt very full circle. To that point, I asked Sten what it was like behind the scenes for her and Ritchson as they filmed this monumental moment. She said it was very easy and natural:

Sten also noted that her favorite part of the whole scene was “Neagley’s little sass,” which was my favorite bit too. While this was a heartfelt and meaningful scene for her and Reacher, she still had to sass him a bit.

While things were smooth and easy on set, like it was any other day at work, Sten did note that at one point it hit her how big a deal this handshake was:

While it was a big scene, it also felt very natural, and I think that’s why it works so well. Neagley trusts Reacher, and her reaching out her hand really hammered that idea, alongside her desire to change and heal, home.

Now, hopefully this scene can serve as a jumping-off point for Neagley’s growth if her show gets a second season. So far, Neagley has gotten pretty good reviews, and it comes right on the heels of Reacher’s Season 4 finale. Therefore, I have hope for the future, and it’s clear Neagley does too, considering she had the courage to shake her longtime friend’s hand.

Spoilers for the fourth season of Reacher are ahead! You can stream the series in full with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Reacher’s whole thing is that the only character who comes back is Alan Ritchson’s Reacher (and sometimes Maria Sten, who plays Neagley). Each season he goes to a new place and runs into a new set of characters. However, after watching the critically acclaimed fourth season of Reacher as it aired on the 2026 TV schedule, there are two characters from this season who I really want to come back.

I Know, I Know: Characters Don’t Really Come Back On Reacher

Trust me when I say I understand and appreciate the concept of Reacher. In this book-to-screen adaptation, he goes to a new town, trouble shows up there too, and it impacts a whole new cast of characters (and sometimes Reacher’s pal Neagley – who has appeared in multiple seasons and has her own show now). So, I'm stoked to see where Alan Ritchson’s character goes in Season 5, which is being filmed now.

It’s fun to see how new people are impacted by him every season, and it’s always wild to see how Reacher deals with them. So, I don’t want that to change. However, every season, I find myself in love with the side characters, and I want to see more of them in the following episodes. That was especially the case with Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette's Jacob and Sydelle Noel's Tamara from Season 4 of Reacher.

I Think We Should Make An Exception For Tamara And Jacob

First and foremost, while Reacher sleeps with the enemy, there are some more-than-friends feelings between Tamara and Jacob, and I want to see where that goes. Early in the season, there was 100% a vibe between them during that coffee scene in Episode 4; there was also the moment where Tamara took Jacob's hand to comfort him. Plus, in the finale, when Jacob dumps the ashes into the ocean, he and Tamara walk away hand in hand. Personally, I thought their relationship was very cute and has a whole lot of potential. However, we’ll never get to see it past its infancy.

I’d love to see where their relationship goes, though. This whole situation clearly bonded them. Personally, I’d like to know what happens next between them, and that’s a big reason why I’d like them to come back. Do they stay close? How do they recover from this traumatic experience? Are they OK? Where exactly does their relationship stand? These are the kinds of questions I’d like answered in Season 5.

Plus, I think they both have great rapport with Reacher. I’d like to see them all team up again to solve a case. Tamara could really hold her own with Alan Ritchson’s character, and Jacob proved himself too. They made for a great ragtag team, and it feels like there’s potential for more there.

So, yeah, I’d like Reacher to break its steadfast rule this one time and let Tamara and Jacob be in Season 5.

Spoilers for Season 4, Episode 7 of Reacher are ahead! You can stream it with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Don’t get me wrong, I agree with Reacher’s spectacular Season 4 reviews. I’ve been very entertained. However, I’ve expected the plot twists. Namely, I knew the reveal that Lila and Amisha were the true antagonists was coming. What I didn’t see coming was the death at the end of Episode 7, and we need to talk about it.

In this episode that just aired on the 2026 TV schedule, Reacher learns that Congressman Sampson was the one who killed Putra, and Amisha saw it happen. It’s during that phone call with Sampson that they realize Lila and Amisha are going to attack the charity event the congressman is at.

Sampson and Reacher talk through who they should be looking for, and once the congressman realizes who the bomber is, he hangs up the call. He then…and I’m not exaggerating…tackles the bomber into the water, they both explode, and the episode ends with Reacher staring at what just happened.

I can say with 100% certainty, I didn’t see this coming at all.

While I figured Sampson would play into this story in a big way, dying in such a grand fashion was not on my bingo card. I assumed he’d help Reacher somehow, and his past with Lila and Amisha was clearly important. However, all this being revealed and then him tackling a bomber into the water to save everyone was remarkably unexpected.

It was a very heroic way for Sampson to go out, which I did think was epic. However, it shocked me that he just dove at the guy and didn’t push him or try to think of another way to get rid of the bomb that also didn’t end with his own death.

I was also surprised that Reacher didn’t get there in time. I’m used to Jack Reacher saving the day or being the one caught up in the action. Instead, he just barely missed it. It was a cool twist on my own expectations, and it let someone else save the day.

Now, going into the finale, I’m even more scared of Lila and Amisha. How they’ll come back after this is a frightening prospect, because we know they won’t back down. That, mixed with Reacher witnessing Sampson’s death, feels like a lethal combination that will lead us to one epic final battle.

Plus, now someone who had valuable information is dead, and he can’t be of use to Reacher anymore. So, I am curious to see how Alan Ritchson’s character gets through this situation. And I really hope his other allies don’t die in the process. While I know Reacher’s cast turns over every season, I’ve become attached to this bunch, and I want to see them survive this.

However, the death of Sampson proves that no one is safe in a big way. While he died a hero, it was shocking and tragic. What makes it even wilder is there’s still one episode left, which means we’ll get to see the impact his death has on Reacher and the crew as they hunt down the Hoths.

So, to see how this journey ends, and to see what happens in the wake of Sampson’s death, you can stream the finale for the season of Reacher that Alan Ritchson calls “by far the best” one “yet” on Wednesday, September 16.

Season 4 of Reacher may be in the middle of its run on the 2026 TV schedule, but Season 5 is already coming in hot. Production on the fifth season of the book-to-screen adaptation has begun, and it’s already seeming like it’s a tough one. Alan Ritchson shared a humorously honest take on filming in the snow during the summer, and even smashed a cake in a crew member’s face. As if that wasn’t enough, the Reacher star has been sharing “proof of life” videos, and I’m obsessed.

Ritchson is known for sharing BTS content while filming Reacher and showing off the bruises and bloodbath he’s had to endure throughout production. However, that’s not all he posts from set. Every once in a while, he uploads a video proving that he’s still alive amid the incredibly tough production. His recent update on Instagram might be my favorite one because not only does it look like Jack Reacher is getting beat up quite a lot in the upcoming season, but he claims not one person came to check to see if he’s still alive after he “made it down the gosh dang rapids” and ended up in “God knows where.”

The fact that it really looks like Ritchson is all by himself in the middle of nowhere really completes the whole video. I also love how funny he is, considering Reacher is a pretty serious show.

Now, even though we don't know what to expect in Season 5, this one stunt that Ritchson is doing that’s left him in the middle of nowhere was confirmed. He previously posted a clip of himself and crew members in a wooded area near a river, creek, or stream. Assuming the two videos are related, it seems like Reacher is going to have a roller coaster of a season if he’s going down some rapids. And it’s not going to be fun for him, but it will be a blast for us.

Of course, it’s nothing Ritchson can’t handle. He’s been beaten and bruised so many times while filming Reacher. So, I have a feeling that going down some rapids is nothing, but from the looks of things, it seems like Reacher could be in some trouble. He’s never not in trouble, but this all makes me wonder what kind of predicament he’s going to find himself in during Season 5.

Since Season 4 of Reacher is still airing, it might be a while until we get any news on when to expect Season 5. The wait will surely be worth it, especially if Alan Ritchson continues posting proof-of-life videos. For now, new episodes of Reacher drop on Wednesdays for those with an Amazon Prime subscription.

TV’s streaming era has been plagued in part by rise in the number of series that go multiple years between new seasons, such as personal faves Severance and Pluribus, with Netflix customers feeling particularly peeved by the lack of consistency. That norm-change from TV’s linear era hasn’t been prevalent everywhere, however, with Alan Ritchson’s Reacher leading the charge at Prime Video for yearly season drops. As proof, the actor is already teasing a Season 5 stunt as audiences are only midway through the critically lauded fourth season.

Over the weekend, Ritchson was busy filming the next episodic adaptation of a Lee Child novel, and took an impromptu video while out on location to give his followers a sequence to get hyped about one day watching (long after the 2026 TV schedule has gone kaput). Check out the post below!

As seen in the clip, Alan Ritchson and Reacher crew members were out in a wooded area near what appears to be a river, stream or creek. One fan claimed they’re filming at Canada’s Minden Whitewater Preserve on the Gull River. And while some of us here in the U.S. may currently be sweating our skin off with temperatures over 100°, the actor has already talked about waking up to summer snow. Given that, it’s probably safe to assume that the rapids aren’t exactly steaming up like jacuzzi water.

Case in point, one fan dropped this observational comment that makes whatever stunt sequence Ritchson is filming sound absolutely miserable.

For whatever reason, when I'm watching movies or TV shows where characters are stuck in some kind of water-bound situation, my brain is usually detached enough that I'm not actively thinking about what the water feels like. (Titanic being an exception, natch.) I wasn't even thinking about it in Reacher's fourth episode when the Hoth women jumped off of that bridge and into the water to avoid being arrested.

But now that it's come up in this context, with another commenter noting that Ritchson appears to be wearing a thermal suit in the pic, I can't wait until this sequence plays out during Season 5, so that I can make sure to pay very close attention to the actor's face whenever he hits the water, where he'll hopefully be delivering a truly priceless reaction.

Of course, the director and others will presumably set the scene up so that Ritchson's face isn't shown right when Ritchson goes into the river, specifically so that viewers can't see any over-the-top facial reactions and/or audible discomfort. But in my idealized mindscape, there will be several blooper-esque moments filmed during the sequence that will be released to fans later on. I just hope I still remember all this more than a year from now.

Before Season 5 gets here with all of its super-cold rapids, we still have half of Season 4 to get through. This is a season where Reacher has used a bowling ball as a harmful weapon, where Ritchson has used a birthday cake as a celebratory weapon, and where the titular character unwittingly had sex with the enemy for the first time. What other action-packed chaos is coming next?

Find out when the next episodes drops on Prime Video every Wednesday at 3:01 a.m. ET.

Minor spoilers for Reacher Season 4 are ahead. You can stream the show with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Thanks to Reacher (and other projects), Alan Ritchson has firmly established himself as an action star. The action sequences in the book-to-screen adaptation of Lee Child’s novels are next level, and that’s in great part thanks to the lead actor’s performance. To that point, the stars of Reacher Season 4 told me about the moment they realized they were really in the action with Ritchson, and…it involves a bowling ball.

In Season 3, we got the iconic Paulie vs. Reacher fight, and learning that it was “the most physically demanding thing” Olivier Richters and Ritchson did made me really realize just how intense the action in this series is. For the show’s new star, Anggun, who plays Amisha Hoth, she had that realization while filming a sequence for Season 4 that involved the show’s star hurling a bowling ball:

This moment involving a bowling ball comes in Episode 3 of Season 4, when Lila and Amisha go to a bowling alley to meet with Reacher. They’re attacked by a group of guys (this happened before we knew Lila and Amisha were the villains), and yes, it did involve the titular character absolutely hurling a bowling ball at a man’s head while “Boogie Shoes” played. He also hit guys with a bowling pin and a trophy, FYI.

Anggun then emphasized that “to this day” watching Ritchson perform action is “impressive.” I have to say, I totally agree. However, there’s no doubt that seeing him chuck a bowling ball at someone (whether it was a real bowling ball or a prop bowling ball) is epic and a great way to realize the action star he is.

Speaking more generally about Ritchson’s skills as an action star, Agnez Mo, who plays Lila, told me:

Anggun also chimed in to say that Ritchson does “a lot of running” too. So, all around, he’s an action star who kind of does it all. I just think it’s amazing that it was a scene involving a bowling ball that served as one of the first moments this realization really sank in.

The action didn’t stop there for any of them; it was just the beginning. Now, to see how Reacher takes on the Hoths in the critically acclaimed fourth season of Reacher, you can catch new episodes on Amazon Prime as they drop every Wednesday on the 2026 TV schedule.

If you’re watching Reacher with an Amazon Prime subscription, you can see Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher fighting bad guys and running into trouble on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, while Season 4 is airing on the 2026 TV schedule, Season 5 is being filmed. We’re actually getting to see a lot from that production too, thanks to Ritchson’s BTS content, which recently included a video of him smashing a cake in a crew member’s face.

As I mentioned, as Reacher Season 4 started dropping its episodes, Ritchson and co. went into production on Season 5. So, as twists about Lila are being revealed on-screen, the lead actor is filming what we’ll see next. However, it’s not all serious business on set; they celebrate birthdays too. And in this one case, they celebrated with a cake smash to the face. Take a look:

As you can see in the video, Ritchson explained that a PA named Brett requested a cake smash from the Reacher lead, it was not the actor’s idea. In fact, the PA actually made this request at 4:52 a.m. – which makes it funnier for some reason – with a text that read:

Ritchson then grabbed the cake, which featured lovely light blue cursive text, sang “Happy Birthday” and proceeded to smash the cake in Brett’s face. Honestly, it looks like the PA’s life was made by this too; his reaction was so wholesome. Talk about a way to celebrate your 38th birthday.

The other detail I’d like to point out is the T-shirt Ritchson is wearing. It says “I’m a big deal in New Mexico,” and I feel like it has to be a Reacher costume. Maybe he destroyed his normal shirt, and the only new one he could find was this. Anyway, that detail also got me laughing, and it made the cake smash even better.

Along with this being a fun stand-alone BTS moment from the set of Reacher, it also fits in nicely with the other posts Ritchson has uploaded. From his humourously honest take on filming in the snow during the summer to greeting fans who were waiting by the set to doing curls with his set chairs, it’s clear they’re having a great time filming Season 5.

Now, I’m very excited to see what they’re working on. However, first, we have to get through Season 4. That’s right, we’re only a few episodes into it, and you can catch new ones every Wednesday on Prime Video. Then, hopefully not long after that, we’ll get to see Reacher Season 5 and what they’ve been filming between these hilarious behind-the-scenes moments.

Spoilers for Reacher Season 4 are ahead. You can stream the series with an Amazon Prime subscription and catch new episodes every Wednesday.

We were told Reacher sleeps with the enemy in the season currently airing on the 2026 TV schedule, and that’s exactly what happened in Episode 3. The titular character hooked up with Lila (who he didn’t know was the villain at the time). So, I had to ask AGNEZ MO, who plays Lila, what it was like to film a sexy, intimate scene with Alan Ritchson.

As I mentioned, one episode before it’s revealed that Lila is Reacher’s true villain, she and Reacher hook up after an incident. During a steamy scene where she helps him wash his wounds, they discuss what happened, and she makes it seem like she was initially lying and was actually a reporter. It ends with them making out, and when the show cuts back to them later on, Lila is sitting in her bed without clothes on while Reacher gets dressed so he can leave. When I asked AGNEZ MO what it was like to film this sex scene with Ritchson, she said:

This is standard protocol when it comes to filming intimate scenes. Casts of other Prime Video hits, like Maxton Hall and Off Campus, have opened up about intimacy coordinators and how they go about filming these moments in a way that ensures everyone involved feels safe and comfortable. Reacher made sure to do all that too.

Along with that, AGNEZ MO told me that Alan Ritchson was a great scene partner, and he was checking in with her to make sure she was doing well. Explaining the conversations she had with Reacher’s star surrounding Lilia and Reacher having sex, the actress said:

AGNEZ MO went on to tell me that along with Ritchson being caring and the intimacy coordinator helping them plan the sequence, the set was closed. So, there weren’t a ton of people watching the scene happen in-person.

Overall, the Lila actress said the scene where Reacher sleeps with the enemy was “very technical.” However, it also “did what it was supposed to do,” which was to give us a steamy scene that makes Reacher’s conflict this season way more complicated.

That is wonderful to hear, and I love that they were able to have a good time while filming this intimate moment. It’s important too, because the scene is vital to Season 4. It kind of starts to hint at Lila’s true self, as she gets caught in a lie, and it helps strengthen her relationship with Reacher, which is terrible for him, but great for us as viewers.

To see how this moment impacts the rest of Reacher’s critically acclaimed fourth season, you can stream the series on Amazon Prime.

Reacher, one of the best Amazon Prime original TV shows, is currently in its fourth season on the 2026 TV schedule, and its star, Alan Ritchson, loves to get in on the online conversation about it through his own posts about production and by commenting on others' uploads. Now, a couple of social media posts caught the attention of Jack Reacher himself as they pointed out a silly coincidence that's hard to unsee.

So, here's what happened. A Threads post from melonhead118 pointed out that Reacher has done a twirl across the seasons. When you line the posters up numerically by season in a horizontal row, you can see the wall of muscle do a little spin in his character’s T-shirt and jeans uniform. The insightful post was then reposted on Instagram by noconculture, where it caught the attention of Alan Ritchson, who, of course, had to weigh in. Here’s the visual aid to get you up to speed:

I have no idea whether showing Ritchson from every angle across the show’s posters was an intentional choice or whether someone in marketing was playing the long game. However, once you see it laid out, you really can’t unsee it. It could all be a funny coincidence, and we’ll likely never know if that’s the case. But the stance and expression do represent the character well, as the stoic former military man who takes out the bad guys isn’t known for his jokes.

One thing that’s become clear about the Fast X star is that if he has something to say, he’s going to say it, and if he has an opinion about something, he’s going to share it. So, I was delighted to see that Ritchson has shared his own thoughts on his TV show’s poster choices. He commented on that Instagram repost by saying:

Reacher has already been renewed for Season 5, which means before too long, we’ll get to see a new show poster. Do you think it will fit in with the others, or do you think they’ll take an entirely different approach? It’s probably safe to say that the War Machine star won’t actually be doing a cartwheel, but what will he do? Where do they go from here? Will we be back to the Season 1 pose, and have gone in a full circle? Or do they have another angle up their sleeves?

While we wait to find out, you can keep watching new episodes of Reacher Season 4 with your Prime Video subscription when the episodes drop on Wednesdays through September 16^th. And then, the upcoming Reacher spinoff series Neagley will drop its first season on that same date. Now, I’m curious to see if Frances Neagley will come up with her own poster throughline for however many seasons they get to do.

Spoilers for Reacher Season 4, Episode 4 are ahead! You can stream the show with an Amazon Prime subscription and catch new episodes every Wednesday.

For the first three episodes of Reacher’s critically acclaimed fourth season, Jack Reacher had no real clue who he was up against. However, that was revealed by the end of the fourth episode. Now, we know that Lila and Amisha Hoth are the villains of the season currently airing on the 2026 TV schedule. While I totally saw this coming, I’m thrilled other fans didn’t, because their reactions are fantastic.

Whether you are aware of this book-to-screen adaptation’s source material (Lee Child’s novel Gone Tomorrow) or you heard Alan Ritchson talk about Reacher “sleeping with the enemy” this season, it was out there that the Hoths were Season 4’s antagonists. However, now it’s officially been revealed on screen, as we saw Lila and Amisha pick up their knives and put up a fight in Episode 4.

Admittedly, even though I knew this plot twist was coming, the way it was done did surprise me. I loved that we found out when the two women pulled out their knives and took down a group of guys who had come to kill them. It was intense and an epic way to reveal that they weren't the innocent people they had been playing for the first few episodes.

Plus, it put Reacher in a tough spot because he was the one caught in the room with the victims of the Hoths. So, it seems he’s facing the consequences of their actions, which puts him in a sticky situation going into Episode 5.

Fans had big reactions to all this, understandably. For example, this fan posted on X:

They really do seem innocent at first. However, they are actually very much the bad girls of this season. And that’s left fans all fed up (in a good way), as they wrote on X:

• Holy shittt Is Lila the real villain this season???? -Myke
• I had my doubts about Lila, but damn, I didn’t see that coming 😲 Reacher really met his match this time. She’s a real baddie and a straight up menace. 💀 And poor Merrick. -Krish
• Holy shit. That twist! Lila and that old woman are the main villains?! 😱 😱 😱 #REACHER -JS

Overall, this whole situation was epic, and viewers loved it, as some commented on Reacher's Instagram post about the reveal:

• Hoth is definitely too hot to handle! 🔥 The plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. what a performance -lathonugraha
• REACHER S4 really got a whole baddie in Lila Hoth. We WON 🔥 -agnezmovortex
• NO ONE DOES INDO BADDIE ENERGY LIKE AGNEZ MO & ANGGUN. 🔥🔥 -wid_issi

Now, the question becomes: How will Jack Reacher defeat Lila and Amisha Hoth? They seem like formidable opponents, and they’re very different from the antagonists of seasons past.

So, to see how they try to take down Reacher and to see how he works to outsmart and fight them, you can catch new episodes of Reacher every Wednesday.

Alan Ritchson wants to do Reacher for a long time, and Lee Child has written enough novels about Jack Reacher to keep the book-to-screen adaptation going for 30 seasons if they really wanted to. Meanwhile, Neagley, the new Reacher spinoff, is in a different situation. It’s a very new section of this world with very little source material to work with. Now Ritchson has opened up about the “luxury” and “burden” of introducing this spinoff.

At the moment, Season 4 of Reacher is airing on the 2026 TV schedule, Season 5 is in production, and Prime Video is getting ready to premiere its spinoff, Neagley, in September. So, while speaking with the AP about his own show continuing while a new series debuts, Alan Ritchson said:

I totally see what he’s saying here. Reacher has the luxury of being based on Lee Child’s bestselling books. However, it can also be a burden to be beholden to said source material. Meanwhile, Neagley’s story is not explored in nearly as much detail in the books, so the new show has the luxury of building something essentially from scratch. However, that’s also a big challenge, and, in its own way, a burden. So, both these shows are holding their own unique double-edged swords.

Then, when you put the shows together, you get a new wonderful challenge. That’s because Reacher and Neagley are connected. Maria Sten’s Frances Neagley was introduced on Alan Ritchson’s show, and we know the Jack Reacher actor will appear in the spinoff. So, the projects have to find a balance between standing on their own and acknowledging each other.

Personally, I’m interested to see how they do that in the long-run, because Neagley and Reacher are quite different. Of course, the source material is one reason why, seeing as Sten’s show can go in new directions, while Ritchson’s is based on books. However, they’re also different in the sense that Reacher tells a new story with new characters every single season, whereas Neagley will stay in the same world with the same people season after season (pending renewal).

So, overall, I get why Ritchson described Neagley as both a “luxury” and a “burden.” On the one hand, it’s amazing to expand the world in a new way. On the other, it’s a challenge to do just that in a way that is both fresh and loyal to the universe that’s already built.

Now, to see if they do this successfully, you can stream new episodes of Reacher every Wednesday with an Amazon Prime subscription. Then, on September 16, you’ll be able to enter the world of Neagley when Season 1 drops.

Alan Ritchson and Reacher wasted no time getting back to work. While Season 4 is actively airing on the 2026 TV schedule, Season 5 is being filmed. Of course, as production kicks into high gear, the show’s lead is sharing updates about how it’s going, with his most recent video being all about what it’s like to work in the snow in the middle of the summer.

While Reacher is always on the move, with this current season of the book-to-screen adaptation taking place in Philadelphia, for the most part, the series is filmed in Canada. Ritchson did not confirm exactly where he was; however, in an Instagram video, he did humorously note that it’s surprisingly cold considering the season we’re currently in:

I know I’d certainly be surprised if I walked out of my trailer one morning in the middle of August and saw snow, frost or really anything remotely frozen. At this time of year, that typaically dosen’t happen. However, sometimes Mother Nature works in weird ways.

Anyway, to finish off his point, Ritchson noted that despite the parka, all is well on Reacher Season 5, and he’s happy to be shooting it as Season 4 is airing:

I know Alan Ritchson has been through it while filming Reacher. He’s been injured, bumped and bruised on numerous occasions. However, I guess a new challenge for him is the weather. Can Reacher take the cold? I would assume so, and thankfully, Ritchson has a parka to keep him warm as they film the next season of the Prime Video show.

Speaking of what they’re filming, we know Season 5 of Reacher will follow the book Make Me. It sees Reacher in a mysterious town as he works with a PI to find someone, but ends up uncovering a criminal conspiracy. Along with Ritchson, this season will feature Jay Baruchel, Kevin Durand, Ciara Bravo and Amanda Ip.

Now, I’ll be curious to see if we can tell it's cold out whenever we get to watch Season 5 of Reacher. Prime Video is moving right along with the next season of the show; however, we’ll still have to wait a while for it. In the meantime, though, you can stream Season 4 of Reacher with an Amazon Prime subscription, as new episodes drop every Wednesday.

Alan Ritchson has spent months telling anyone who will listen that Reacher Season 4 might be the show’s best season yet. And early reviews for Reacher were willing to back him up. Before the new episodes even hit streaming for folks with an Amazon Prime subscription, the action series debuted with a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and naturally, its extremely online leading man had something to say about it.

Ritchson celebrated the early reviews on Instagram the day before Season 4 premiered, sharing the perfect Tomatometer score with the caption, “One hundo P! Okayyyy!” before reminding everyone that new Reacher was arriving the following day. At that point in the post, which you can see below, every review counted by Rotten Tomatoes was positive.

Obviously, a Rotten Tomatoes score based on early reviews is going to change once more critics get their hands on the season, and that is exactly what happened here. As of this writing, Season 4 sits at 91% from critics based on 23 reviews, while audiences are actually liking it even more, giving the season a 92% Popcornmeter score. So Ritchson cannot technically brag about the “one hundo P” anymore, but I doubt anyone at Prime Video is losing sleep over numbers like those.

The funny thing is that the current 91% actually puts Season 4 below the previous two seasons on the Tomatometer. Season 1 earned 92%, while both Seasons 2 and 3 currently sit at 98%. Audience scores tell a different story, though. Season 4’s current 93% is considerably higher than Season 2’s 77% and Season 3’s 73%. That is quite a run for a show primarily built around watching an enormous man figure out a mystery and then punch the people responsible for it.

Season 4 is a book-to-screen adaptation of Lee Child’s Gone Tomorrow and drops Jack Reacher into a more complicated conspiracy after a disturbing encounter on a subway. Rotten Tomatoes’ roundup of the first reviews describes the season as darker and more complex, with critics particularly praising its hand-to-hand action. Several reviews also noted that the mystery gets busier than usual, and not everyone thinks all those moving pieces work.

That tracks with something Ritchson was already teasing before the premiere. The Fast X actor called Season 4 “by far the best season” the show has made and said production filmed more fight scenes than ever before. Considering Reacher has never exactly been stingy with broken bones, that is saying something.

The first three episodes of the eight-episode season arrived August 12, with new installments dropping weekly through September 16. Prime Video has already renewed the series for Season 5, so Jack Reacher will continue wandering into towns where everyone would be much better off if they simply left the gigantic stranger alone.

A perfect 100% may have lasted only through the first wave of reviews, but 91% from critics and 92% from viewers four seasons into an action series is hardly a consolation prize. So, Ritchson can probably keep the “one hundo P” post up.

Spoilers for the first three episodes of Reacher Season 4 (and what could come based on the book, Gone Tomorrow, and Alan Ritchson’s comments) are ahead! You can stream the show with an Amazon Prime subscription and catch new episodes on Wednesdays.

I’m used to Jack Reacher fighting off hulking men and dealing with his issues through brute force and his intelligence. However, in the critically acclaimed fourth season of Reacher, it would seem brute force won’t get him the win this time, because the villain (at least for now) is seemingly someone he does not expect. And because of that, I’m actually terrified to see what happens next in the season of Reacher that just premiered on the 2026 TV schedule.

Lila Hoth Seems Harmless

When we meet Lila (Agnez Mo) in the premiere, she introduces herself and her mother to Reacher, and they talk about a jump drive. Lila tells Reacher she has leukemia, and her mother has a kidney disease. So, when she was calling around trying to find information about her estranged father who could help her with said medical issues, she met Anna Merrick, the woman who shot herself at the start of Season 4. Lila claims her father could be Congressman John Sampson, and she’s trying to get in contact with him to get a DNA test.

Then, in Episode 3, we learn that Lila is claiming to be a journalist, and she shows up after a violent incident to give Reacher new clothes. It’s during this scene that she apologizes for lying to him and talks about her drive to get to the truth and the story that made her lie. It’s also where she says that she’s the reporter who put Anna on that subway.

However, based on Ritchson’s comments about Lila from San Diego Comic-Con and the basic knowledge I have of Gone Tomorrow, which is what this book-to-screen adaptation is based on, I’m pretty sure Reacher still does not know the truth about Lila. And it’s the fact that he hasn’t clocked her that makes me nervous.

Alan Ritchson Warned Us That Reacher Sleeps With The Enemy

Now, if you’ve read Gone Tomorrow, or if you heard Alan Ritchson at Comic-Con this year, you know that Reacher sleeps with Lila. At SDCC, the actor specifically said that “in the book” Reacher gets “a little romantic with Lila Hoth.” He then went on to say that this is great for the show, because it really differentiates this story from previous seasons of Reacher.

So, going forward, Jack Reacher has “a different kind of relationship with the villain in this story,” according to Ritchson, and that makes it all the more enticing to watch. It also makes it a lot scarier. That’s because it seems like Reacher is unaware of the fact that Lila might be bad…

I’m So Scared To See How Lila Challenges Reacher

During the scene in the hotel, Reacher notes that he’s a 250-pound former soldier and Lila is a 110-pound reporter with average security. He implores her to go home, but she refuses, and that’s scary. She’s clearly not afraid of a challenge; she’s not going to run, and she’s certainly not afraid of Jack Reacher.

Plus, so far, we’ve seen a man fall from a roof and some brutal kills. So, it’s obvious that the villain of this season is ruthless. Now, I don’t know exactly what Lila will do next, and that unpredictability makes me anxious. However, I do know from these three episodes that Reacher seemingly doesn’t suspect her, but probably should.

She easily lied to him, and it seems like she’s very capable of manipulating him. So, while Paulie was Reacher’s biggest physical challenge last season, I have a feeling Lila will prove to be an even scarier adversary who forces Alan Ritchson’s character to work in a way he never has before.

There are mild spoilers for Reacher Season 4 and the book it's based on in this story. You’ll be able to stream the series with an Amazon Prime subscription on August 12.

When Alan Ritchson was asked to explain what the “high octane” fourth season of Reacher was about at San Diego Comic-Con, he did warn that he was going to “spoil [it] in five seconds.” However, he also rightfully noted that this is a show based on books. So, the following information was fair game to share, and honestly, it made me even more excited for this book-to-screen adaptation.

Season 4 of Reacher is based on Lee Child’s Gone Tomorrow, which will follow Jack Reacher as he dives into a major conspiracy after witnessing a woman shoot herself on the subway (which is implied in Season 4’s trailer). During this mission, he’ll get twisted with someone named Lila, and according to Ritchson, this relationship will get spicy:

Sleeping with the enemy usually does not turn out well…and according to Alan Ritchson, that’s what makes this season so fun. He also noted that this is a very different situation for Reacher to be in. Explaining why he’s excited for this storyline, the actor said:

Thankfully, the moderator followed up by asking if Reacher catches feelings this season. While Ritchson did confirm his character sleeps with the enemy, he wouldn’t give the most direct answer about Reacher’s true feelings, as he said:

Well, now I really can’t wait for Reacher to return on the 2026 TV schedule. Alan Ritchson had already said Season 4 was their best yet, and this twist in the plot makes me believe that statement even more.

I love a good villain, especially a female villain, and I love that she’ll challenge Reacher in a new way. Plus, we’ll get a pinch of romance too, which is always a welcome addition (even if it ends terribly for everyone).

Now, to see where things go from here, you can catch the Season 4 premiere of Reacher on August 12 on Amazon Prime.

29 years ago, when Jack Reacher was first introduced in Killing Floor, I can’t imagine that anyone assumed at the time that author Lee Child and San Diego Comic-Con would be uttered in the same breath. But 2026 ain’t got time for such hypothetical assumptions, and the annual con is indeed where Reacher Season 4’s first trailer was viewed en masse, and it’s a banger. A head-banger to put it more specifically, as the final seconds of the preview lay out.

Season 4 — set to stream via Prime Video subscription on August 12, 2026 — will see Ritchson’s migratory grunt in a story adapted from the character’s 13th novel, Gone Tomorrow, in which Reacher has a terribly unlucky encounter with a stranger on a subway that pulls him into a “complex and deadly game that pits him against ruthless foes from the highest echelons of power.” Sounds like your average seasonal adventure for the former military behemoth (where “former” only applies to military and not to behemoth).

As it goes with Reacher, the fourth season brings in a largely new cast of characters, with GLOW and Black Panther vet Sydelle Noel stepping up to portray NYPD homicide investigator Tamara Green. She’ll not only be working on the case with him, but she’ll also be getting down and dirty with him in other ways.

As such, it makes sense that she’s the one who gets to be the fan surrogate poking fun at the character for his less-than-convincing attempts to “blend in” to a crowd of normies.

That's a big ol' nope from me, Det. Green! For all the excellent instincts and know-how that Reacher has at his mental disposal, he sure does tend to over-estimate just how much work a hat can do to distract others from seeing the rest of his hulking frame. For a lot of people, the hat is only seen after the biceps and the shoulders, and that's if Reacher is wearing a shirt. If he's not, forget about it. (Alan Ritchson keeps those abs going 24/7 for mor than just kicks.)

I guess it makes a LITTLE more sense with Season 4 taking place in New York City, where the population is more distinct than some of the more rural areas that he's been known to travel through.

As the trailer shows us, Det. Green isn't even Reacher's only romantic foil in Season 4, as he's seen shirtless and making out with Agnez Mo's Lila Hoth. (Seemingly with the same blood on his face.) She's also connected to the overall deadly game narrative, so it's possible, or even likely, that this hook-up is more for the benefit of someone gaining information as opposed to making a genuine connection. Or hell, maybe Green, Lila and Reacher will become a throuple by the middle of the season. Anything happens in 2026, baybeeee.

The trailer makes it look like at least half of the conversations Reacher gets into in Season 4 will lead him to start throwing fists and knees. Which is a pretty good average in my book. With Season 5 already going into production, the future looks quite nice. Although these rose-colored glasses I'm wearing could just be stained with somebody's blood.

Reacher Season 4 kicks into gear on August 12, 2026, with Maria Sten's spinoff Neagley premiering a month later on September 16, 2026.

Reacher is about to air its fourth season on the 2026 TV schedule, and Season 5 is already in the works. This early renewal and production signifies Amazon’s trust in the series, and that’s exactly what Alan Ritchson wants. In fact, if he gets his way, Reacher is only halfway through its run.

Seeing as Reacher is a book-to-screen adaptation of Lee Child’s novels, and he’s written 30 of them, it stands to reason that this Prime Video series could go on for a very long time. So, during an appearance on Happy, Sad, Confused, Alan Ritchson, who plays the titular Jack Reacher, was asked how long he could see the show going on for. The short answer is: a long time. However, here’s how the actor began his thoughts on Reacher’s longevity:

He makes a good point; Ritchson is incredibly busy with Reacher and various other projects. Currently, he has nine projects in the works, and so far, in 2026, he’s released two movies, War Machine and Motor City, and Season 4 of Reacher will drop August 12. Oh, and he’ll appear in its spinoff, Neagley, too. So, his schedule and Amazon’s plans are factors to consider when it comes to how long this show will last.

However, the audience’s desire to keep watching with an Amazon Prime subscription is the main driving force, as the actor said:

If the audience grows the way they think it could with Season 4, then Reacher has potential to go far. It could even last the ten seasons Alan Ritchson envisions for it, as he explained:

I agree, it does seem like a cool number, and we know they’ll get at least halfway there. So, why not do five more seasons? I know Reacher is physically demanding, but Ritchson seems more than up for the challenge and very enthusiastic about continuing to go on Jack Reacher’s adventures.

Plus, if they make it ten seasons, this show has the potential to reach many generations, as Ritchson explained:

Well, if Alan Ritchson gets his way, Reacher could do just that and go on for a very, very long time. And considering they have 25 other books to work with after we take away the five they’ve adapted/will adapt, there’s still an abundance of stories to tell.

However, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, you can stream Season 4 of Reacher on Amazon Prime starting August 12.

Just in case the first half of 2026 felt like it was severely missing enough Alan Ritchson whupping other people’s behinds — save for Netflix’s War Machine, but that was whupping robotic behinds — the back half of the year is course-correcting in the best possible way. Not only can we look forward to Reacher’s best-year-yet with Season 4 (and the Neagley spinoff) finally arriving on the 2026 TV schedule, but the actor has a whopping three other 2026 movie releases releasing in the next six months. He’s kind of a busy dude.

But he’d be even busier if he somehow was able to take all of the movie and TV offers that landed on his plate immediately after Reacher became one of the most-watched streaming shows available via Amazon Prime subscription. Appearing on CBS Mornings to promote his hardcore new movie Motor City, Ritchson was asked what drew him to the Potsy Ponciroli-directed project, at which point he addressed just how many offers he fielded due to Reacher’s popularity, saying:

I suppose the exact number might never be known, but Alan Ritchson didn't exactly make it seem like he was exaggerating in saying he had upwards of 40 offers waiting for his assessment as Reacher quickly rose through the pop culture zeitgeist. If anything, it's like he's low-balling that number as not to make anyone jealous.

That's a wild amount of job offers to get in any capacity in any industry, and it sounds like the actor did his due diligence when parsing through all of the genre-specific pitches and narratives, picking projects that align with both his talents and his fanbase. With the possible exception of the Kevin James-starring action-comedy Playdate, but at least that movie helped him learn why it's okay to not say "yes" to everything.

Much like Reacher can be a man of few words, Ritchson's Motor City was filmed almost entirely without dialogue, and there are reportedly only around 5 lines of dialogue, with action sequences telling most of the story. In the film, he plays ex-con John Miller, who spent years in jail for a crime he didn't commit, and who immediately goes on revenge journey post-release against the Detroit mobster who framed him and stole the love of his life.

Ritchson shared Motor City stood out from the other 39 or nor so offers he got, saying:

Considering he was still in Jack Reacher's headspace when he read through Motor City, it's perhaps no surprise that found connective tissue between the roles, and thinks of them both as action heroes that audiences can live through vicariously. In his words:

Check out the trailer for Motor City below, in which the lack of dialogue can immediately be picked up on.

Motor City is set to hit theaters on July 24. How fantastic would it be if this dialogue-lite movie becomes a hit based on word-of-mouth recommendations? And we only have mere weeks to wait until Reacher Season 4 debuts on August 12 with its first three episodes.

Among the most anticipated projects landing on the 2026 TV schedule is no doubt the fourth season of Reacher, as fans can’t get enough of watching Alan Ritchson’s nomadic bada-s putting his fist through other characters’ faces. The actor is well aware of its popularity, especially after it was recently renewed for Season 5, and he’s now made a big move to keep that creative relationship locked up.

Ritchson has agreed to a three-year, first-look TV deal with Amazon MGM Studios that will put him atop the chain of command for developing and producing new episodic projects for the studio aimed at those with Prime Video subscriptions. The deal was set up by Amazon MGM for Ritchson’s production company Dancing Skeleton, and will likely continue the actor’s growing involvement behind the scenes on the projects that he signs on to star in.

It’s a huge, if not entirely shocking, move for Ritchson to align himself with one studio, considering how wildly popular he’s become in the years since he first started playing one of author Lee Childs’ most beloved character. He’s clearly got a good thing going on Reacher, for which he’s also an executive producer, and which also has the Maria Sten-starring spinoff Neagley also hitting the service this year.

Alan Ritchson shared the following thoughts as his official statement, which lends to the belief that Reacher isn’t going away anytime soon. As he put it:

You might be wondering how the Titans vet can work on developing new TV projects while also managing to keep his abs ripped all the time, and…well…that’s just plain magic, I think.

Interestingly, the deal is specifically relegated to television content, and not film projects. That obviously lends itself to all things Reacher, but Ritchson has also been ramping up his filmography credits with movie roles, and has half-jokingly addressed his inability to say “no” to new roles. I’d think Netflix’s War Machine was his biggest hit from the past year.

That said, he also co-starred in the nutty comedy Play Date opposite Kevin James, which was a Prime Video original. And two of his already filmed upcoming projects are also plugged in at Amazon, making the TV deal seem all the more natural a pairing. Here's a look at all of the upcoming projects Ritchson has on the way (at least the ones that are in active development).

Here’s hoping we get an actual release date for Reacher Season 4 at some point soon, since we know that wrapped filming months ago. I assume we’ll be seeing Neagley first, given it came first in order of production, but who knows. Maybe with his new deal, the actor can demand that the newest episodes of the flagship series go live first, and then he’ll get YOU, my pretty, and your little dog, too.

Alan Ritchson always seems to be ripped; that’s not a secret. He works constantly, and more often than not, he’s pulling off difficult action sequences in said work. That’s especially true for Reacher. So, he has to stay in tip-top shape. However, you might think that when a show like that wraps, he relaxes a bit at the gym. But guess what? He doesn't, and he just explained why he keeps the six-pack during the off-season in a shirtless gym post.

Now, Reacher Season 4 wrapped production in November 2025. Then, in March 2026, Ritchson updated us, explaining that he’d finished ADR and the show would be “hitting the airwaves very soon.” However, just because they’ve wrapped another season of this Prime Video show does not mean the titular star is going to stop staying in Jack Reacher shape, as he posted on Instagram:

Well, the photo speaks for itself. Alan Ritchson is in fantastic shape. However, there are deep reasons behind this choice to essentially stay in Reacher shape. While he could cool down the workouts a bit in the off-season, I have mad respect for why he really doesn’t. In the words of the actor:

Clearly, the War Machine star has made staying in impeccable shape part of his day-to-day life. It obviously has tons of benefits too. The photo shows that off, however, as the actor said, consistency has lots of other benefits too. For example, I'd assume it will be easier for him to hop right back into work if Reacher gets renewed for a fifth season.

Now, speaking of Reacher, I’m hopeful that Season 4 will premiere on the 2026 TV schedule. It seems very possible, and my excitement for it only grows every time the Playdate actor talks about it.

I’m not kidding, the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation has been very hyped up by Ritchson. At first, he was worried it wouldn’t top Season 3, but he quickly realized that this new installment is “different,” and he said that he thinks it's “for sure the best season.”

Along with the actor explaining how great he thinks the season is, he also called out the action in it. At one point, he said what we’re about to see is so “high octane” that people should check their “heart health” before they watch. Well, considering the fights he got in during Season 3 and his pristine physique, I have no doubt Ritchson and his crew figured out how to up the action ante for Season 4.

So, get ready, folks. Clearly, Alan Ritchson is committed to the part (even during his off-time), and he’s confident in what they’re about to deliver to fans. With that said, make sure you have your Amazon Prime subscriptions ready. Reacher is coming back.

Meanwhile, Alan Ritchson’s abs aren’t going anywhere.

Alan Ritchson has always been good at keeping us updated about his book-to-screen adaptation of Reacher. He’s keeping that up, too, because while we’ve known that he’s been working on Season 4 of Reacher, we weren’t sure when we’d get to see it. Well, now the star has provided an update about when this action-packed series will be “hitting the airwaves.”

It’s been a little over a year since we watched Season 3 of Reacher, which included that epic Reacher and Paulie fight and so many other memorable action moments. Now, it seems possible that we’ll get to watch Season 4 and a whole bunch of new action-packed scenes very soon, as Alan Ritchson took to Instagram to say:

In his caption, the actor specifically noted that this was a “wrap for [him] on post-production,” which means he really is done with Season 4. So, I feel like the odds of seeing it on the 2026 TV schedule are very high.

If I had to guess, I’d say that Ritchson really does mean we’ll be seeing Season 4 “very soon” too. Taking a look back, after Season 1 came out in February 2022, Season 2 followed in December 2023 after being delayed by strikes. However, a little over a year later, Season 3 premiered for those with an Amazon Prime subscription in February 2025. So, considering the show didn't face delays as it has in the past, it'd make sense if Season 4 dropped a little over a year after the last season came out.

Plus, Ritchson is all done with his ADR. That means he’s gone in and fixed all the audio and dialogue that needed to be redone in post-production. Therefore, they’re getting very close to having the episodes of Reacher ready for us.

Along with the release update, Ritchson also shared how proud he is of Season 4. While he was nervous that it wouldn’t top Season 3, he’s proven himself wrong. Over the last few months, the actor has been clear about this too, saying at one point that what’s coming next is “so different, and so unexpected.”

When the show wrapped on Season 4 late last year, it looked like the actor had been through a literal blood bath. So, whatever is coming next is bound to be high-octane and intense, which is what we’ve come to expect and love about Reacher.

Now, when it comes to what to expect “very soon,” we know Season 4 will be an adaptation of the book Gone Tomorrow. That novel follows Reacher as he races through New York City after meeting a mysterious woman on a subway, and he faces deception and lots of folks trying to kill him. So, it sounds like we’re in for a wild ride.

It seems like we’ll get to go on that wild ride soon, too! So, get ready, folks, Season 4 of Reacher has wrapped, and according to Alan Ritchson, we should be seeing this show’s “best season yet” on our screens “very soon.”

Amazon Prime Video has quietly racked up an impressive lineup of originals over the past several years, but tops among those has to be Reacher, the Alan Ritchson vehicle that has attracted notice for its hulking action scenes, its memorable one-liners and its over-the-top storylines. It’s a fun show, and I love it, but I have to say sorry to the Reacher family because I think another new-to-Amazon series has topped it.

New Series Young Sherlock Hit Amazon Video This Month

Those with an Amazon Prime subscription have likely seen some sort of promotion for Young Sherlock, the cheeky new action-adventure series from Guy Ritchie and Peter Harness. If you haven’t seen any promotional footage, it’s a British TV series and a brand new take on Sherlock Holmes, set during his younger years. This version, played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, has a mother, played by The Truman Show’s Natascha McElhone.

Most intriguingly, and the reason I am so obsessed with Young Sherlock both in concept and execution, is his relationship with a young James Moriarty, played by Irish actor Dónal Finn. Finn previously appeared in Amazon’s other adaption Wheel of Time, but I didn’t know him before throwing on this latest series, and I’m so happy this is the role I got to see him in.

The two young men are fabulous, constantly verbally sparring and spurring one another on. Deduction after deduction plays out between the two men, and watching them unravel knots and put puzzle pieces together is decidedly fun. More fun than Reacher? Your bandwidth may vary depending on your personal taste, but I’m a sucker for Sherlock Holmes adaptations, and I’ve never seen a version of Sherlock where he and Moriarty could begin as friends and land at foe hopefully at a later-to-be-determined date. (Though the finale is already leading to some hints about what the future will hold.)

Reacher and Young Sherlock may not seem to have too much in common at first glance. One has a younger protagonist, the other has a grizzled and hulking forty-something at the head. One show is American, the other is British. One show is set in the past and one show is set in the present. The differences are many.

Yet, the reason I keep comparing the two shows is that they make me feel the same way. I love watching Reacher for its quippy, deadpanned one-liners. I love watching Young Sherlock for the way Sherlock and James take the piss out of each other. I love watching Reacher for its innovative action scenes; in fact, though, Guy Ritchie and co. have a tendency to put together some unusual and memorable action sequences as well. The shows are unalike and yet they put the same pep in my step.

I’m hopeful we’ll have both on the schedule in the future. I wouldn’t mind having Reacher one season and a new season of Young Sherlock the next. And don’t forget, we’ve been waiting for the Neagley spinoff for a while, as well. There’s good stuff to come on the Amazon Prime Video front, and I’m hoping Young Sherlock will ultimately land a renewal alongside Reacher Season 4. It's just too fun to go away this soon.

Across three seasons of Reacher so far, Alan Ritchson has been a part of some hectic car chases, some bloody gunfights, and some epic hand-to-hand brawls, with his titular ex-military vagabond coming out on top each and every time. With every encounter, Ritchson’s towering height re-justifies the decision to cast him in the role, which famously went to Tom “Shortstack” Cruise for the pair of movies. It can be easy to forget just how big the dude is, but his awkward workout post is a hilarious reminder.

Reacher Season 4 is currently in the throes of production, and thus won’t be making a return to the 2025 TV schedule, but fans are holding out hopes that the upcoming spinoff Neagley will arrive before 2026 does. (Check out what star Maria Sten recent said about it.) In the meantime, we’ll just have to make do with Alan Ritchson’s social media posts like the one below, in which he has a pretty heightened issue with his hotel gym.

Yikes! It looks like the Titans vet could barely stand up in there in his bare feet, much less while wearing shoes and stepping up onto exercise equipment. Even the skinnest treadmill would still likely mean Ritchson would be grazing his head against the gym room's ceiling.

The text superimposed on the video, "Hotel gyms be like that," is a pretty good indicator that this wasn't Ritchson's first time having to cock his neck at a wonky angle in order to get his workout on. It's kind of amusing to think that there may be various hotels around the country (or world) where the ceiling is scuffed up where the actor's sweaty head brushed up against it.

Maybe in Reacher Season 4, he'll take on architects and construction workers who aren't designing hotel gyms to be tall enough. Not exactly the best use of the man's muscles and talents, but still.

Season 3 intentionally played up the character’s behemoth stature by casting Olivier Richters as the antagonist Paulie, who had little trouble going toe to toe with Ritchson, given his 7-foot, 2-inch height. As such, I don't see the creative team trying to top that by hiring an actor who's 7'5" or whatever, so maybe a low ceiling will be the big bad in the new season.

Reacher is heading to Philadelphia for Season 4, which he previously boasted is one that viewers will need to check their heart health due to overexcitement. He even went above an beyond by getting a shiner during the first month or so of filming. I'd hate to see the other guy, though. Especially if the other guy is a low-hanging hotel gym ceiling.

The next time you find yourself with your head in the clouds, you just might see Alan Ritchson's head also poking through. And guess what? He's actually kneeling down.

Filming Reacher is no joke, and it turns out filming Neagley is the same way. We learned that production had begun on this Reacher spinoff right as Season 3 of the flagship series was airing on the 2025 TV schedule. Now, Neagley’s star Maria Sten has provided an update and revealed how little time off she gets alongside the thing she was finally able to do with her few hours of spare time.

Now, we know filming Reacher is not an easy task. During my interviews with the cast, Olivier Richters told me that both he and Alan Ritchson believed that the Paulie vs. Reacher fight was “the most physically demanding thing” they’d ever done. He also revealed that they’d spend 10 to 14 hours on set per day while filming it. It sounds like Sten’s days on Neagley are long and exhausting, too, as she posted this on her Instagram story:

I already knew working on a show in this universe had to be difficult. I mean, I’ve heard how much Alan Ritchson eats to stay in shape, and he’s not shy about sharing stories about on-set injuries. However, this element of a high-action job like Sten's was something I hadn’t really comprehended.

It’s wild that Sten has had so little time off that she just found time to shave her legs. However, as a woman, I know that you have to plan those showers that include tasks like shaving your legs or washing your hair, because they can be quite time-consuming. So, I get why the actress’s shaving routine may have been thrown out of whack.

However, with little time off, she finally had a moment to take her time and do all the self-care needed. Apparently, that included shaving her legs.

Now, while this lack of free time is a big shock at first, it does make sense. Maria Sten is number one on Neagley’s call sheet, and odds are she’s in almost every scene of the show. So, obviously, her schedule will be incredibly demanding and likely lack lots of downtime.

Plus, I’d bet her work requires more than just being on set, as she has to also learn her lines, stunt choreography and more. Reacher has set a high bar for its spinoff to maintain, and it seems clear to me that Sten is putting in the hard work and the hours to meet these expectations.

I’m sure she’ll do it too. Maria Sten has been appearing here and there in Reacher since Season 1, so she knows exactly what is expected. The only difference now is she’s the lead. And it sounds like being the lead means less free time, more meticulously scheduled downtime, and taking the small self-care wins, like shaving your legs, where you can.

Well, Reacher Season 3 came to an explosive end on the 2025 TV schedule, which means it’s time to start getting excited for Reacher Season 4 by guessing which book they’ll adapt next. Thankfully – even though we don’t know which Lee Child novel the next season will follow – Alan Ritchson did reveal his favorite of the books, and I think Amazon should consider it for this upcoming senior season.

After adapting 1997’s Killing Floor for Season 1, 2007’s Bad Luck and Trouble for Season 2, and 2003’s Persuader for Season 3, the door is really wide open for where this book-to-screen adaptation could go next, seeing as there are nearly 30 more books to choose from. However, I think Alan Ritchson is cooking up a good idea, as he told Men’s Journal:

Die Trying was the second Reacher book ever to be published, and it’s the sixth one in terms of chronology. The 1998 novel follows Jack Reacher after he and a woman get kidnapped and chained together. According to the book’s synopsis, they are “locked in the back of a stifling van, and racing across America to an unknown destination for an unknown purpose.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but that sounds incredible, enticing and action-packed, which is exactly what we want from Reacher.

So, now knowing that, I can see why Ritchson would love to adapt it, as he explained:

I hope he finds a way, and I hope he does it soon. Reacher Season 4 was confirmed a while ago, and I’d personally love to see an adaptation of Die Trying sooner than later. And while adaptations of 61 Hours or others would be amazing, Ritchson’s personal passion for the second book of the series mixed with its fascinating plot has me sold that it should come first.

Seeing Reacher trying to figure out who kidnapped him sounds like so much action-y fun. Plus, this whole idea that he’s handcuffed to another person for a long period of time sounds like extra entertaining TV. That alone could inspire sick action sequences, funny moments, and maybe even a little romance. Honestly, it sounds incredible, and I’m happy the show's leading man is determined to make it happen.

Now, I guess, we just have to hold out hope that this book will get adapted someday. My hopes are set on it being the basis of Season 4. However, I’ll also settle for another installment in the near future as long as we get it someday.

Hopefully, we’ll know more about which novel will inspire Reacher’s next on-screen adventure soon, and we’ll be sure to tell you once we know. However, in the meantime, you can stream the first three seasons with an Amazon Prime subscription, get excited for the Neagley spinoff that’s in production right now, and cross your fingers that Alan Ritchson’s favorite Reacher book will get the television treatment.

Spoilers for Reacher’s Season 3 finale are ahead! If you haven’t seen it yet, you can stream it with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Ever since it was announced that Reacher Season 3 would follow Lee Childs’ book Persuader and we learned that Olivier Richters would play Paulie, we’ve been waiting for the Reacher vs. Paulie fight. Well, folks, we were finally able to watch it when the finale dropped on the 2025 TV schedule, and it did not disappoint. What makes it even better is understanding just how much work went into pulling it off, and thankfully, Richters told me all about it.

When I asked Olivier Richters – who is 7’2” and almost a full foot taller than Alan Ritchson, who is 6’3” – about filming the Paulie vs. Reacher fight, he immediately noted how hard he trained. His co-star has been doing this for a long time, and he’s an accomplished action actor. So, the Dutch bodybuilder knew he needed to “keep up,” explaining:

He sure did keep up, and he proved to be a worthy adversary for Reacher.

The fight involves Reacher getting slammed into a truck, Paulie taking a bunch of punches, Reacher getting hung by a chain and releasing himself from it, oh, and an absolutely wild fight in the water as well as Paulie’s bloody death. Not to mention, the fight spans across multiple locations and takes up about 14 minutes of the episode.

So, after seeing all that, it was put into perspective when Richters told me how much time and effort went into shooting this ginormous action sequence:

I also want to thank them for putting their bodies through this. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been. However, it looked incredible on-screen. I think it’s safe to say that after anticipating this moment for a very long time, it was well worth the wait and work.

To really hammer that point home, Richters told me that during the press day, he spoke to Ritchson about the scene, and they both agreed it was the “most physically demanding thing” they’d ever done:

Well, that means a lot coming from Alan Ritchson. The actor has made three seasons of Reacher and has filmed epic sequences that have required him to fight, be thrown into walls and more. Plus, the Jack Reacher actor stays in tip-top shape. He’s no stranger to the demanding action required for his Prime Video show. However, this Paulie fight sounds like it was a different (and bigger) beast.

Now, I have to go back and re-watch this highly anticipated moment in the book-to-screen adaptation of Persuader to really appreciate all the work that went into it. For both Richters and Ritchson to say it was “the most physically demanding thing” they’ve ever done is pretty wild, and it just goes to show how remarkable this long-awaited and epic fight was.

Spoilers for the Season 3 finale of Reacher are ahead! If you have not watched it yet, you can stream it with an Amazon Prime subscription.

The Season 3 finale of Reacher is titled “Unfinished Business.” However, in the episode that just dropped on the 2025 TV schedule, Alan Ritchson’s character most certainly finished it. That was especially true in the case of Xavier Quinn. After failing to kill his enemy the first time, the titular character took Brian Tee’s villain down in epic fashion, and the antagonist’s actor told me how he tried filming it in “different ways” and why they ultimately “nailed it.”

During CinemaBlend’s Reacher interviews, I asked Brian Tee about his character’s final moment. I specifically noted the juxtaposition of Reacher shooting Quinn in the cheek and off a cliff in the Episode 4 flashback after everything that happened to Dominique and this scene where he successfully killed him. In response, the actor told me:

To quickly recap, in the finale, when the Russian mobster Taktarov tried to take Tee’s character away, Reacher stopped it, noting that Quinn was his. Then, Reacher’s whole team showed up to help him, and they were able to trade money for the bad guy.

Ultimately, Quinn’s life ended right after Reacher reminded him that “her name was Dominique,” and we flashed back to the Dominique Kohl episode and the moment the protagonist first shot the villain in the cheek. This time, though, he made sure he was dead, and we saw him fall over after being shot in the head.

Tee was very complimentary of the showrunner, director and Ritchson while breaking down why this final scene worked. He said they had tried it quite a few different ways to see which dynamics worked best, and that hard work certainly paid off, as he explained:

I think the part that got me most was Quinn’s final close-up, where we saw what looked like a tear forming in his eye. Whether it’s fear of death or remembrance of what he did to Dominique is unclear. However, his reckoning with what he did certainly made this big moment even more satisfying.

To that point, Tee told me that working with this whole team on this scene is what made it so great, and he rightfully thought they “nailed it,” saying:

Overall, this, mixed with huge action sequences like Reacher’s fight with Paulie, was an epic way to close out the season and tie this fiasco with the Becks and Quinn back to a deeply personal tragedy Reacher faced years ago.

Now, it’s time to look forward to Reacher Season 4. Season 3 easily solidified the series as one of Prime Video’s best shows, and big full-circle moments, like Quinn’s death, showed just how much thought and care is put into each season’s overarching story. So, yeah, I can’t wait to see what bad guy Alan Ritchson’s Reacher takes down next and the epic way he does it.

Reacher is one of the big hits airing on the 2025 TV schedule right now, and Seth Rogen, of all people, just reiterated the point. In the lead-up to the premiere of his upcoming Apple TV+ series, The Studio, the actor explained that he actually loves to spend his weekends watching the Alan Ritchson-led show (which I love for him and the series), and he does so in a particularly on-brand way.

While chatting about the work he and his production company do, Seth Rogen revealed to The Guardian that he actually works pretty normal hours and gets to spend his weekends relaxing. He said he and his producing/writing partner Evan Goldberg work from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. normally and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. when filming. Now, when it comes to what he does on the weekends, it sounds like it’s all about getting caught up on TV and not doing much else, as he revealed:

As you likely know, Seth Rogen gets high often, and he even owns a weed company. He’s honestly one of Hollywood’s most famous stoners, and he’s proud of it. So, it’s not shocking that he gets high while using an Amazon Prime subscription to watch Reacher.

Honestly, this all sounds like a good way to wind down after a week of work. New episodes of Reacher drop every Thursday, making it a great weekend watch. Plus, every installment is action-packed and highly entertaining, so I can see why Rogen gave the series a shout-out while chatting about what he does during his time off.

Now, I’d love to know his thoughts on Season 3. Has he read Persuader, the book this season is based on? How does he feel about this season's villains? Does he have thoughts about Reacher and Duffy’s relationship? Is he looking forward to seeing Reacher and Paulie face off? As a fellow fan of Reacher, I would love all these questions to be answered by Rogen. However, that seems like a far-flung dream, so for now, I’ll just hang on to the fact that he’s a fan of the show.

You know, these comments got me thinking about Rogen’s new show, too. So far, critics’ reactions to The Studio have been overwhelmingly positive, and the comedy has a remarkable list of guest stars (via THR) that range from Anthony Mackie to Martin Scorsese to Zoë Kravitz. With a wide-ranging guest star list like that, maybe Alan Ritchson could hop into the mix if the show gets a Season 2?

Obviously, that’s also a far-flung dream, seeing as the first season of The Studio premieres tomorrow (March 26), so news of renewal is likely a ways away. However, a girl can fantasize. Plus, you never know what could happen. I never pegged Seth Rogen as a Reacher fan, but here we are. So, maybe someday, he and Alan Ritchson could work together.

Now, as I wait for these dreams to become reality, I’ll be getting excited for Reacher’s Season 3 finale that drops this Thursday and preparing to watch The Studio with an Apple TV+ subscription on Wednesday. And you should, too. One has Seth Rogen’s stamp of approval, and the other was made by him and is already receiving rave reviews, so I think it’s safe to say they’re both very worth your time.

If you take a look at the streaming originals airing on the 2025 TV schedule right now, you’ll quickly realize that it’s filled with banger after banger. From Apple TV+’s Severance to Max’s The Pitt, and so much more, it’s honestly overwhelming how many shows are on right now. However, leading the pack are programs like 1923, Reacher and Tyler Perry’s Beauty and Black, which the aforementioned producer recently highlighted.

Now, notably, Yellowstone’s 1923 is significantly more popular than Reacher, however both boast impressive numbers. And to Perry’s post’s point, it’s worth noting that his Netflix series should also be part of this conversation about all the incredible television that’s on at the moment.

More People Are Watching 1923 Than Reacher, However, Both Have Impressive Viewership

Considering 1923 is part of the greater world of Yellowstone shows, it makes sense why it’s one of the most viewed programs on streaming right now. According to Variety, it’s estimated minutes watched is sitting at 1.4 billion, which puts it in second place behind Netflix’s Adolescence.

That’s a crazy high number, and it's maintained that viewership for at least two weeks. However, again, considering the success of its predecessor and the thrilling story surrounding the Duttons fighting for their land and Spencer getting back home, I can’t say I’m shocked so many people use a Paramount+ subscription to tune in week after week.

However, what is kind of surprising is how much 1923 is outpacing Prime Video’s Reacher, another major hit. The Alan Ritchson-led series that’s available with an Amazon Prime subscription currently sits at No. 4 in the rankings, and had an estimated 724.2 million minutes watched this week.

Now, that might be quite a bit lower than 1923’s numbers, but it’s still seriously impressive. It’s no wonder Reacher Season 4 is already happening…

It’s worth noting, though, that both these projects are returning programs and have established fan bases thanks to their predecessors – in 1923’s case it’s shows like Yellowstone and in Reacher’s case it’s based on a wildly popular book series. So, their consistent success makes sense.

Now, with that in mind, you can see why it’s also worth noting the success of Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black in this conversation.

Meanwhile, Tyler Perry Pointed Out That Beauty In Black Is Also Thriving

Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black dropped Part 1 on Netflix last October, and Part 2 was released in March. Last week, the show was sitting at 1.1 billion estimated million views watched, as Tyler Perry’s Instagram stories re-post of Boardroom’s graphic of Variety’s charts illustrated. This week, it’s at 469.5 million.

That put it above Reacher and right below 1923 last week, and it keeps in the Top Ten this week. So, yeah, this drama deserves some love too, as Perry – who created the show – implied with his re-post.

According to Netflix’s Top 10, the series about a family who runs a cosmetics dynasty and trafficking scheme has spent six weeks in the ranks between its release in October and now, showing that those with a Netflix subscription have been and still are watching this show.

Overall, 1923, Reacher and Beauty in Black are all worth checking out, as their numbers prove. And if you’d like to be part of those seriously high viewership numbers, the Yellowstone prequel drops episodes on Paramount+ each Sunday, Reacher posts new episodes on Amazon Prime every Thursday, and all of Beauty in Black was released on Netflix’s 2025 TV schedule. So, you should get to watching!

TV audiences will no doubt have seen dozens, if not hundreds, of on-screen fight sequences by the time the 2025 TV schedule wraps up, but few tend to be as one-sided as the brawls on display during any given season of Reacher. (Not that Season 3 has yet given us Alan Ritchson’s big fight with the hulking behemoth antagonist played by Olivier Richters.) So it was quite amusing to watch Reacher’s attempt to teach Johnny Berchtold’s Richard Beck how to fight.

Truth be told, that sequence in “Dominique” was far more of Reacher’s verbal instructions than anything resembling a hyper-physical training montage from Rocky, but in talking to CinemaBlend about his character’s journey in Season 3, Berchtold explained that he did get to take a legitimate swing at his muscle-covered co-star, even if it went the opposite way from what he expected. When I asked if sparring with Alan Ritchson ever made him feel confident enough to take the actor down, Berchtold told me:

I can 100% understand why the younger Reacher star would have been initially hesitant to heed Ritchson's advice to actually throw a real punch, even knowing that it was just aiming for the Titans vet's chest and not his face or anything. It's not the most natural instinct to get even imaginatively violent with a friendly co-worker.

Johnny Berchtold went on to explain why he only took one crack at a legitimate punch, saying:

Speaking apocryphally, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. But if one of those shots is a punch right to Alan Ritchson's chest, maybe it's better to miss 100% of those shots. Probably makes it easier to keep one's wrist in working order.

Amusingly enough, Alan Ritchson also talked about sparring with a larger actor, which I can't imagine is the most normal turn of events for him on any given project. His massive size, in comparison to Tom Cruise, was a big part of what made him such a great casting choice.

Will we get to see Johnny Berchtold's Richard Beck punching, kicking, DDT-ing or swanton bombing any of the remaining antagonists? We'll have to tune into the finale with our Amazon Prime subscriptions to find out, all while the already renewed Season 4 is coming together behind the scenes.

It’s been just over a year since Reacher Season 2 ended, and now that Season 3 has been unleashed on the 2025 TV schedule, all seems right with the world, at least this particular fictional one. Not only is the show still as intense as ever, but fans haven't stopped swooning over shirtless Reacher footage that I'm sure no one at Amazon e-e-ever expected. As if Shirtless Ritchson isn't going to cause an uproar.

Reacher Season 3 only dropped less than a month ago, and beyond giving people Road House vibes, the latest episodes have also delivered quite a lot of shirtless Ritchson scenes, and fans still can’t get enough. Instagram user mrivanmedia shared a pec-popping compilation video of shirtless scenes with the tongue-in-cheek caption “watching Reacher for the plot,” implying that the actor is the only plot we ever really need. Give it a watch,:

I have to say, that visual feast makes for a pretty good reason to watch Reacher, even if Ritchson isn’t always shirtless. But this montage is definitely a good way to keep plot-lovers occupied in between episodes. Some couldn’t help but comment that the video seems “pretty long,” and that while the show is ennoyable all around, he is certainly an added plus. Here's a smattering of torso-appreciating viewers' comments.

• It looks like it physically pains him to wear clothes. -oohmygina
• My husband is surprised I love to watch this show with him.🤣 -cath97531
• Why is this video 8 hours long -mlgeddes93
• My screen was blurry..had to watch this several times to see it correctly!!!🔥🔥 -srrutz913
• Doesn't have a home or an income but has time and money to get his chest waxed. Of course -taren.capel

I can’t say I blame everyone (or anyone) for thinking this way, because none of them are wrong. And it makes me even happier that Reacher Season 4 is already confirmed, so there will likely be many more shirtless scenes to come, even if it’s going to be a year or two from now. And even if it means Ritchson will be stuck in the gym for who knows how much longer.

Knowing that more is on the way will make the Season 3 finale on March 27 a little bit easier to deal with, no matter what happens. Of course, the show is much more than shirtless Ritchson as Jack Reacher, but it’s as much of a plus as other perks of having an Amazon Prime subscription.

Aside from the shirtless scenes that are easy on the eyes, Reacher Season 3 has been pretty intense, and Alan Ritchson has been thrown through fake wall after fake wall, but it all looks pretty cool and real. While filming can be fun, Richson previously got real about the insanity of filming a new season and just how long the shoots can go on Instagram. The late nights and early mornings seem to be worth it, though, because the new season is definitely turning out to be a good one for many different reasons.

Reacher’s third season may be coming to an end very soon, but fans seem to be occupying themselves already. Plus, Alan Ritchson’s filmography is pretty full, and that includes his awkward death in The Hunger Games. For now, new episodes of Reacher drop on Thursdays on Prime Video!

When a franchise gets rebooted it’s not uncommon for the second version of a story to take into account and change anything that was seen as a problem the first time around. When it came to resarting Reacher as a streaming series, that meant one thing, casting somebody really big in the lead role because if there was one thing that even the author of the Jack Reacher books admits, it’s that Tom Cruise's size fell...short.

Before Alan Ritchson completely filled out the role in Reacher (available with a Prime Video subscription), Tom Cruise played the drifting badass in a pair of big-screen films. Both movies were modest hits, and author Lee Child, who created the character, tells the Independent that he thinks the first movie is actually quite good, even if he agrees with most fans that Tom Cruise wasn’t the right man for the role. Child said:

Normally, having Tom Cruise star in any movie is automatically going to make it a hot property and get people excited. Unfortunately, that was not the case with 2012’s Jack Reacher or its 2016 sequel. Fans were not excited that Cruise was playing the character because the actor, who is somewhat famous for being on the smaller side, was just not the right physical match for the character he was playing.

Movies often make changes to characters when adapting other material. A character's race or ethnicity may change depending on the actor being cast, but in those cases, we’re usually talking about changes that are not vital to a character's presentation.

The fact that Jack Reacher is, almost always, the biggest and strongest guy in the room is a big part of who Reacher is and how Lee Child wanted him to be. Take that away, and you’re just not dealing with Jack Reacher anymore. While it sounds like Tom Cruise was perfect in every other conceivable way, he just couldn’t overcome that.

Prime Video series Reacher, now in its third season, does not have that problem. Alan Ritchson is probably the biggest guy in the room most of the time, so he has the look that the character needs. Child doesn’t think the series could have done better when it came to casting, saying…

Still, following Tom Cruise is no easy feat. Ritchson says he reached out to Cruise after being cast, though as far as we know the two have not spoken. It's unclear how Cruise himself feels about the response to his playing the role.

Fans may not have been on board with Tom Cruise, but a lot of people seem to like Alan Ritchson in the role, as shown by the fact that Reacher Season 4 is already in the works.

I’ve been watching Reacher weekly this season, and it’s been a nice watercooler addition to the 2025 TV schedule. After each episode, I don’t mind talking about body count, or which characters I think are gonna throw wrinkles into the outcome, or whether it’s fair Alan Ritchson is literally that cut. This week, however, one conversation about the Lee Childs series caught my eye, and I can’t stop thinking about it.

Jason Pargin, the humor writer known for John Dies at the End, pointed out that in another era the Reacher show we access with an Amazon Prime subscription likely would have been a network TV show that threw episodes at audiences weekly without fail, even over the holidays. He joked on Threads that’s it’s not a fair shakedown fans will have only gotten 24 episodes by the end of Season 3.

Amusingly, he also name-dropped specific instances of what we would have likely seen on Reacher (so far) had it gotten the network TV. As he keeps going, I’m getting all the Grey’s Anatomy and Newhart vibes.

The tweets are really funny, and it’s no surprise they’ve landed more than 39,000 likes so far, along with thousands of response comments. I, too, saw them, and I cannot stop thinking about how the TV landscape has changed in the last twenty years, but I’m not sure I could commit to 26 episodes of Reacher.

Listen while a joke, there’s also truth to this thread. We’ve all seen the wild bottle episodes and more concepts network television has attempted over the years. For example, how many times has the hospital in Grey's Anatomy suffered a catastrophe?

Plus, cast members on tons of network TV shows have spoken out about the grueling hours being a traditional TV man or woman entails. Twenty-two to 26 episodes is probably too many, but I also think there’s an argument that could and maybe should be made that Reacher should be longer than eight episodes a season.

Yes, eight. That’s all we get once a year. It’s really fundamentally not enough. We’ll talk Reacher every day for two months and then it disappears into the ether the other 10 months each year only to pop back up when we least expect it. For the biggest, best Amazon prime shows people will keep coming back, but it’s easy for certain streaming shows to fall through the cracks. To me, a nice number like 12 episodes would be a much greater fit and could be parceled out over a spring, fall, or summer window. Some streaming shows get that. Not nearly enough do, though.

Listen, I get that budgets are determined quite differently for streaming shows, and one of the biggest pros is that shows like Reacher allow actors to be a part of big, splashy TV shows and still take a movie or side project or two a year. In a lot of ways the format works and helps shows to avoid that trap of remember “old adventures while trapped in a sinking car.” On the other hand, though, it’s hard to argue Reacher will ever have the cultural significance or legacy of something like Magnum P.I., probably because Magnum had already hit 24 episodes just a few episodes into Season 2.

When it was revealed that Dutch bodybuilder Olivier Richters was set to play Paulie in Reacher Season 3, it was clear that he was a great pick for the role. In the book Persuader, Paulie is a massive man (yes, he’s even bigger than Reacher) who works for Beck and Quinn, and he notably has an epic fight with Reacher. Truly, Richters is amazing in the role, and he towers over everyone. So, I had to ask if they used any visual tricks to make him look even larger, and the actor hilariously told me no.

You can see when watching Reacher that visual tricks and clever framing are used to make Alan Ritchson look even bigger than he already is. However, when I asked Olivier Richters if they used anything like that for Paulie, he was quick to laugh and say, “No.” His co-star Brian Tee – who plays this season’s big bad Xavier Quinn – also quipped:

That totally makes sense, too. Olivier Richters is massive. For reference, he’s 7’2”, and Alan Ritchson is 6’3”, so without even trying, the bodybuilder towers over Reacher’s star.

That’s why visual tricks were not necessary, and the Paulie actor took that as a compliment, telling me:

While Alan Ritchson stays under 10% body fat and is a very large guy, he’s by no means a giant. Plenty of people are around six feet tall, so it makes sense that occasionally, Reacher uses camera and framing tricks to make him look even bigger than he is.

That wasn’t necessary for Richters, and while all three actors I interviewed were laughing, Anthony Michael Hall proved that by saying:

I had a similar thought when I started watching the season of Reacher that’s airing on the 2025 TV schedule with my Amazon Prime subscription. Paulie is such a great and important presence on the show, and he’s one of the biggest physical adversaries the titular character has faced. And Richters is able to fill those shoes easily, thanks to his already massive physique.

As he hilariously said, no visual tricks were needed because:

You know what? That’s so fair. There’s really no need to make him look bigger on screen when he’s already massive. In turn, that makes the part he plays in Reacher even more impressive!

Now, I’m somehow more excited to watch Olivier Richters go head-to-head with Alan Ritchson’s Reacher because we know that when it comes to Paulie, what we see is exactly what we get, no camera ticks necessary.

Whoever was in charge of Reacher’s casting at Amazon-MGM Studios should get a raise every season. I don’t think fans watching the third season play out admist the 2025 TV schedule would disagree, especially since it’s a consistent excuse to stare at the baffling perfection that is Alan Ritchson's impressive physique.

But instead of merely wondering how the Titans vet isn’t one of ILM’s finest creations, the viewing public is very much invested in the "plot" for Reacher’s latest official clip to hit the internet. Someone even made a Henry Cavill comparison that actually makes a lot of sense.

That Shirtless Reacher Clip Sure Has Inspired Some Strong Feelings

I think we can all admit you clicked into this story for one thing, regardless of whether or not your Prime Video subscription is current: you wanted to see Alan Ritchson's shirtless Reacher footage. No shame in that game, and I’m about to deliver on that. But if you’re not looking to get your heart pumping too hard in the morning, it must be said that the man-mountain that is Mr. Ritchson is also pants-free in the clip below:

It's no doubt a natural law that Alan Ritchson is so physically impressive that even those who aren't attracted to him have to admire the work he’s put into his physique. Not to mention, if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool stan of this Prime Video series, Reacher’s running joke about gym time is an even greater laugh as the actor bulks up even more from year to year.

The reactions on social media seen below reflect all of the above, while also posing some serious hypotheticals:

• “I wish they would create a show where all he did was walk around in boxer briefs. No other characters. Just him. If there needs to be dialogue then just let him talk about himself." - @builtbymiguel
• “I think I need to watch this show for the plot..." - @juaniseml
• “Now I know why my 72 year old mother binged this show " - @celenesc13
• “Can't blame him, if I get this type of physique I also gonna roam naked” – @madridista_raj8
• “If thats what merde looks like, i'll take it every day 😂” - @runwaysontvshows
• “I think he’d be better than a weighted blanket. Yeah, more than likely.” - @imogene821

Seriously, the more someone looks at Alan Ritchson, the more they’re probably looking for the line where the human suit zips up. And if you thought that was the extent of the unhinged thoughts from the crowd, there’s one comparison I hadn’t thought to make - but continues to paint the man in an impressive light. Apologies to anyone who shares Mr. Ritchson's lack of sleep after the example we're about to discuss.

Henry Cavill’s Appearance With Alan Ritchson In The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Brings Up Something Interesting

I’ll admit that even after covering The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare review, I almost forgot that Ritchson co-starred with fellow beefcake Henry Cavill in the World War II thrill ride. Sure enough people who watch the man’s career with a keen eye remembered that fact much quicker, especially with the insight commenter “andreea.readss” provided.

Take a look at the photo directly above before reading that feedback, and prepare to be blown away:

As if people didn’t already have the image of Alan Ritchson towering over them in a friendly manner embedded in their heads, there’s now a new scenario to dream about. Already you’re probably picturing The Witcher and Man of Steel vet standing in front of you. And what's that massive shadow suddenly darkening the view? It's just Reacher’s leading man.

It is worth noting that Alan Ritchson’s series is in the midst of its third season, and with a fourth already greenlit for the near future. Considering that same platform is where Henry Cavill’s Voltron movie is set up, as well as his Warhammer 40K adaptation, it could be a battle of the beefcakes fighting for viewers' attention.

The winners, naturally, are the viewing public and Amazon-MGM Studios executives. And if you'd like to keep winning, keep in mind that Reacher Season 3 is airing on Prime Video, with new episodes every Thursday.

Spoilers for Reacher Season 3, Episode 4 – “Dominique” – are ahead. If you have not seen the episode yet, you can stream it with an Amazon Prime subscription and catch new episodes on Thursdays.

Following Reacher’s epic three-episode return on the 2025 TV schedule, its fourth episode gave us a lot of lore to think on. This episode, titled “Dominique,” told us the story of Reacher’s former colleague Dominique Kohl, and it revealed the personal reason behind the titular character’s motivation for taking on the gig Season 3 is based around. It’s a vital episode, and Kohl is a vital character, as Alan Ritchson explained when he told me why Mariah Robinson’s performance as her “saved the entire season.”

I need to make this abundantly clear: Dominique Kohl is vital to Reacher’s story this season. In this flashback episode, it’s revealed that the two of them were working on a mission to take down Xavier Quinn. When they think they have him, Reacher sends Kohl to get him by herself, and that results in her death. So, Alan Ritchson’s character is out for revenge, and that becomes obvious, thanks to his performance and Robinson’s as Dominique.

Explaining that point further, Ritchson told me:

Dominique Kohl is a vital piece of Reacher’s mythology; she was his equal, and her death is a tragic example of the disastrous things that have happened on these dangerous missions. It's also an example of Reacher failing, and that guilt is driving him this season.

To succeed in showing us all that, Robinson had to make us love and respect Dominique immediately, which she did. She also had to prove that she was Reacher’s equal in terms of skill, and she did. This meant she had to crush the military dialogue and pull at our heartstrings, which was no easy task, as Ritchson explained:

This is why the actress saved the season for Ritchson. He told me her talents made Episode 4 special. And to me, this story gave us the heartbeat for the whole season. It was a heavy lift, but she pulled it off with grace, as the Reacher star explained:

While being thrown into walls and fighting a 7’2” man this season is extra hard, Ritchson also didn’t downplay how challenging learning expositional dialogue and jargon can be.

Robinson had to do a lot of that alongside him to pull off this major episode about Reacher’s past, and the actor was blown away by how well she did it, saying:

So, next time you watch this great Amazon Prime show, while you appreciate the action, also appreciate the other challenging elements of Reacher – like the technical dialogue and emotional beats. Alan Ritchson sure does, and I do too, especially after seeing Mariah Robinson smash her role as Dominique Kohl.

She was only in one episode, but in less than an hour, I fell in love with her, understood her deep connection to Reacher, and totally got why her death motivated Alan Ritchson’s character to take on the dangerous job he’s working right now.

You know what they say: she might be gone, but she'll never be forgotten.

It’s finally, officially, happening. Maria Sten’s Reacher spinoff, Neagley, is in production and a few new cast members have been announced! With Nick Santora, the creator of Reacher, and Nicholas Wootton serving as co-creators and running the show, as well as an enticing story, Neagley truly sounds like it will be epic, and the lead actress’s post about it officially happening has me all kinds of excited.

Maria Sten Announced That ‘Neagley Is Happening’

One week after Reacher Season 3 premiered on the 2025 TV schedule, Neagley got this massive update.

Maria Sten posted a photo on her Instagram of her holding a clapperboard that says “Neagley” in big bold red letters. She also wrote a sweet message about how excited she is to work on the show, explaining in the caption:

The show will follow the titular P.I. after a friend of hers dies in a mysterious accident. Its logline (via Variety) explained that after Neagley learns about this, “she becomes hell-bent on justice.” It also noted that “using everything she’s learned from Jack Reacher and her time as a member of the 110 Special Investigators, Neagley puts herself on a dangerous path to uncover a menacing evil.”

Well, I’m 110% in. After rumors about Neagley and months of waiting for updates, I’m thrilled by this new info, and I can’t wait to learn more.

Maria Sten’s Neagley Co-Stars Were Also Announced

On top of Sten’s enthusiastic message about the show, she also posted a screenshot of Variety’s story regarding five actors being cast in series regular roles.

Damon Herriman, who is best known for his work on Justified, will play Lawrence Cole. Meanwhile, Greyston Holt – who you might recognize from The Night Agent – will portray Detective Hudson Riley. Adding to that, Matthew Del Negro, who worked on Teen Wolf and Mayor of Kingstown, is set to be Pierce Woodrow. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Adeline Rudolph has also been cast as Renee, while Jasper Jones will play Keno.

Details on their characters are unknown right now, however, this is a solid ensemble that will be joining Sten for Neagley. Plus, after seeing three seasons of Reacher’s rotating cast (you can see them too with an Amazon Prime subscription), I’m confident that this team can build a solid group of actors to tell another action-packed story.

Only time will tell if Neagley can live up to her predecessor and join the ranks of Amazon Prime’s best shows. However, these updates have me stoked about what’s to come, and I’m looking forward to seeing Maria Sten as her badass character. So, bring it on!

Normally, Alan Ritchson is the biggest guy on Reacher. However, that isn’t the case this season. In Reacher Season 3, the titular character will face off against a massive henchman named Paulie. Now, it turns out, Ritchson took a punch going up against his 7’2” co-star, and his story about it is giving big Road House energy.

Before we get into this Road House comparison, first you need to read Ritchson’s description of fighting his huge co-star Olivier Richters. In the book-to-screen adaption of Lee Child’s Persuader, Reacher has to face off against the gargantuan guy Paulie, and in the show, Richters plays that character. During an interview with Eammon Jacobs, Ritchson opened up about pulling these massive fights off with a massive co-star, explaining:

I’d imagine taking a punch from a guy like that hurt just as much – if not worse – than being thrown into walls – which has happened to the Fast X actor. Plus, you have to take into account that Reacher’s leading man is 6’3” while Richters is 7’2”. That’s a pretty massive difference, which makes the idea of him getting punched by his colleague even more intimidating.

That’s what brings me to Road House. For those who might not remember, when this remake (which you can stream with an Amazon Prime subscription) came out last year, stories were flying around about Jake Gyllenhaal getting “clocked” by Conor McGregor while they filmed. That alone is enough to draw comparisons.

However, both McGregor and Richters have made careers out of being strong men – McGregor is an MMA fighter while Richters is a bodybuilder – so, I think it’s safe to say they’re two of the last people you’d want to take a hit from in a scene. However, both Ritchson and Gyllenhaal took them.

It paid off in Road House, and the Reacher star is hoping that will be the case for his show too, as he explained:

Alan Ritchson also said his co-star trained for four months to prepare for these fights, and it would appear that hard work paid off big time. Noting how excited he is about the season of Reacher that’s about to premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, the show’s leading man teased:

Well, folks, it sounds like we’re in for an action-packed ride when Reacher Season 3 premieres on Prime Video this Thursday, February 20.

We’ve been guaranteed some epic fights, and we’ll get to see Alan Ritchson’s character take on his (literally) biggest adversary yet, and it sounds like we won’t want to miss one second of it.

For everyone who absolutely loves watching shit get handled by someone who doesn’t take any additional shit from anyone, then Reacher Season 3 may be the most anticipated show on the 2025 TV schedule. Across the first two seasons, Alan Ritchson’s mission-focused drifter successfully beat the crap out of all opposing forces, with his biceps and abs often displayed as bones are being shattered. Yet do we ever see Reacher in a gym or exercising? Not a chance.

Star Alan Ritchson is definitely aware that fans joking question the military vet’s ability to stay so bulked and hulking without an ample workout regimen taking up part of his daily activities. And it’s an especially jarring detail, since Ritchson himself has to work his ass off to keep the character’s intimidating look intact. When asked about it by our sister site GamesRadar+, the Titans alum made it clear how impossible it would be to look like Reacher without maximum efforts. In his words:

Not to question Ritchson's claims there, but I'm pretty sure even after an endless number of hours of training, I would still need ample amounts of surgery and CGI animation to look anything like Reacher. Unless there's a Season 3 sequence where he's ladi out in bed from pulling all the muscles in his stomach and thighs. That's my Reacher moment.

Anyway, just in case anyone had any doubts, the Fast X co-star did indeed confirm that he works out "constantly," and previously shared the inspiring eight-word mantra he uses to keep himself motivated. And except for an unseemly fascination with cookies, is pretty good about maintaning a healthy diet, likely without pounding beers the way Reacher does, either.

Not that the live-action TV series is the absolute source of the disparity between Reacher's body mass and his gym routines. As Alan Ritchson pointed out, the guy who wrote the source material was also cheeky about the drifter magically staying so musclebound.

Now, would it be amusing to watch a season of Reacher with someone a bit lumpier and less stoic in the main role? Absolutely. I'd even love to see some kind of parody with someone far less chiseled in the main role. To offer any suggestions beyond myself would just sound mean. And to offer myself as a suggestion would just sound....perfect. Wait, no. I don't think I could handle any rib-breaking stunts that aren't specifically about barbecue ribs.

Check out the big Reacher Season 3 trailer, which doesn't exactly skimp on moments of badassery.

The wait is almost over, though, as Alan Ritchson's Reacher will soon headbutt its way into our lives when Season 3 premieres on Thursday, February 20, for fans with Amazon Prime subscriptions.

One of the coolest Easter Eggs you can find in a movie based on a book is a cameo by the person who wrote the source material. However, sometimes it is even more fun when a renowned author makes an appearance in a movie that they had no creative involvement with. Take a look at our favorite examples of both kinds.

S.E. Hinton (The Outsiders)

S.E. Hinton (born Susan Eloise) made a striking debut as a writer in 1967, and at only 18 years old, with her groundbreaking coming-of-age novel, The Outsiders. She went on to appear in the 1987 adaptation (one of the best Francis Ford Coppola movies) as a nurse.

Cheryl Strayed (Wild)

Podcaster Cheryl Strayed chronicled her life-changing woodland hike in 1995 in her 2012 memoir, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, which was adapted into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon two years later. Not only does the author appear at the beginning of the film as wa oman who drops the onscreen Strayed off at a motel but her real-life daughter, Bobbi Strayed Lindstrom, also plays her younger self.

Lee Child (Jack Reacher)

In the first screen adaptation of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels from 2012, the author plays a cop who gives the titular heroic drifter (played by Tom Cruise) a skeptical look. The English writer would later appear in 2016's Jack Reacher: Never Look Back as a TSA agent and was seen in Amazon Prime's Reacher Season 1 finale walking past Alan Ritchson as he walks into a diner.

Hunter S. Thompson (Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas)

Johnny Depp starred in two adaptations of Hunter S. Thompson's memoirs: 1998's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Rum Diary from 2011. While his death in 2005 prevented him from appearing in the latter, the influential gonzo journalist does have a brief cameo in the former as an expressionless patron at a rowdy party.

Kathryn Stockett (The Help)

Kathryn Stockett's 2009 debut novel The Help is a bestseller that was made into an Academy Award-winning film told from the perspective of Black maids working for middle-class white families in 1960s Mississippi. In addition to cast members Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Emma Stone, the author herself would make a brief appearance as a housewife attending a meeting.

Ken Kesey (Even Cowgirls Get The Blues)

Tom Robbins had a pivotal role in Gus Van Sant's Uma Thurman-led adaptation of his novel, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, as its narrator. The most surprising appearance by a writer in the 1993 road dramedy was countercultural novelist and essayist Ken Kesey as the central character's father.

Greg Behrendt (He’s Just Not That Into You)

Comedian Greg Behrendt was working as a script doctor for HBO's Sex and the City when he came up with the idea for He's Just Not That Into You, which he co-authored with Liz Tuccillo. The bestselling self-help book was adapted into a dramatized ensemble rom-com in which Behrendt appears as the minister at a wedding.

Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club)

Amy Tan's influential 1989 novel, The Joy Luck Club, consists of various vignettes each from the perspective of a different woman in a Chinese family. The author can be spotted during the party scene at the beginning of the 1993 adaptation, which is also one of Ming-Na Wen's best movies.

Mar­shall McLuhan (Annie Hall)

In one memorable scene from Best Picture Oscar winner Annie Hall, Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) has an argument with a movie theater patron about his expertise in the work of media theorist Marshall McLuhan. To get him to pipe down, Alvy asks the real McLuhan to step in and bring the stranger down a size, at which point Alvy address the camera and says, "Boy, if life were only like this."

John Le Carre (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)

Some of the best spy movies (and TV shows) in recent memory have been inspired by the work of John Le Carre, such as his 1974 novel, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The suspense master makes a brief appearance in the 2011 film adaptation as a party guest.

Stephen King (Pet Semetary)

There have been numerous memorable Stephen King appearances in movies and TV shows based on his storied bibliography. One of the most famous comes from the 1989 adaptation of Pet Sematary, in which he goes pretty far against type to play a priest presiding over the funeral for Missy Dandridge (Susan Blommaert).

Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting)

In one of the best movies of the 1990s, director Danny Boyle's 1996 dramedy Trainspotting, Renton (Ewan McGregor) seeks "one more hit" before going clean from a dealer named Mikey Forrester, who has nothing to offer him but a couple of suppositories. The grinning Forrester is actually played by Irvine Welsh, the Scottish author who wrote the original novel.

Sapphire (Precious: Based On The Novel "Push" By Sapphire)

To avoid confusion with another 2009 movie called Push, the adaptation of Sapphire's 1996 novel Push was named after its central character but also acknowledges the source material with the full title, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire. The author (née Ramona Lofton) can also be spotted in the heavy, Academy Award-winning drama about an abused teen (played by Gabourey Sidibe) playing a daycare center employee near the end of the film.

Kurt Vonnegut (Back To School)

Some of Rodney Dangerfield's best one-liners can be found in his 1986 comedy Back to School, which is also known for its brief but hilarious cameo by Kurt Vonnegut. The satirical novelist shows up to see the wealthy Thornton Melon (Dangerfield) right after his son, Jason (Keith Gordon), confronts him about how he is going to write a midterm paper about the author, which Melon still ends up failing.

Gore Vidal (Gattaca)

In addition to his influential and thought-provoking exploits as a writer, Gore Vidal also worked as an actor from time to time. One of his most memorable roles comes from one of the best '90s sci-fi movies, 1997's Gattaca, in which he plays Director Josef.

Stephenie Meyer (Twilight)

It could be safe to assume that Stephanie Meyer is portraying herself in the 2008 premiere installment of the Twilight movies, in which she can be seen briefly as a writer sitting at the bar in the Carver Cafe typing away at her laptop. The author would also appear in the vampire movies' penultimate entry, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 as a guest at the wedding of Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson).

Salman Rushdie (Bridget Jones’s Diary)

In the classic rom-com, 2001's Bridget Jones's Diary, the title character (Renée Zellweger) is at a book launch party where she spots novelist Salman Rushdie speaking with a group of other authors. She tries to subtly implement herself into the conversation when the writer courteously asks for her opinion, to which she awkwardly asks where the restroom is.

Charles Bukowski (Barfly)

Director Barbet Schroeder's 1987 dramedy Barfly follows the L.A. exploits of a heavy drinker named Henry Chinaski, played by Mickey Rourke. The screenplay was written by Charles Bukowski, who based the story on his own life experiences and the author also makes an appearance in the film as, indeed, a barfly.

Colleen Hoover (It Ends With Us)

One of the most talked about 2024 movies adapted from a novel was the romantic drama It Ends With Us, starring Blake Lively. The source material comes from author Colleen Hoover who revealed in an interview with E! that she makes a brief cameo in the film as a party guest but was sure to add that she found the 12-hour shoot to be quite taxing.

Stan Lee (Mallrats)

Highly influential, beloved comic book writer Stan Lee was, just about, the king of cameos, having appeared in countless Marvel movies until his passing in 2018. However, before starring in brief roles in films based on his work, he appeared as himself in a movie that celebrates superhero culture through satirical conversation, Kevin Smith's 1995 comedy Mallrats, in which he offers Brodie (Jason Lee) some much-needed romantic advice.

Maya Angelou (Poetic Justice)

How fitting that a movie called Poetic Justice features a cameo appearance by one of the most influential poets of the 20th Century. Maya Angelou – known for writing "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," among many other famous works – plays Aunt June in director John Singleton's 1993 romantic drama starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur.

Jean Shepherd (A Christmas Story)

One of the all-time greatest Christmas movies, 1983's A Christmas Story, was inspired by Jean Shepherd's semi-autobiographical novel In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash. Not only did the humorist and radio personality also narrate director Bob Clark's timeless comedy but he even makes a brief cameo during the scene at the mall as a man waiting in line with his child to see Santa Claus.

John Irving (The World According To Garp)

Starring Robin Williams, 1982's The World According to Garp is a dramedy about a writer grappling with his wife's infidelity and the fame of his feminist activist mother. The Academy Award-nominated film is based on the novel by John Irving, who also makes a cameo in the film as a referee for a scene taking place at a wrestling match.

Peter Benchley (Jaws)

One can only imagine what it must have felt like to be the author of the book that inspired the highest-grossing movie in history (at the time), which was also later deemed the first Hollywood blockbuster. Of course, not only did Peter Benchley write the source material for director Steven Spielberg's 1975 horror movie classic, Jaws, but he is also in it, appearing as a TV field reporter visiting the Amity Island beach early on.

Veronica Roth (Divergent)

Veronica Roth, author of the coming-of-age dystopian young adult novel series that inspired the Divergent movies, makes an appearance in the first installment from 2014 that is a bit cooler than most movie cameos that authors can claim. She can be spotted during the zipline scene as an unnamed member of the Dauntless faction.

Michael Crichton (The Andromeda Strain)

The first adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel would also mark the first and last time he appeared in an onscreen acting role. The Jurassic Park author and ER creator has an uncredited cameo in 1971's sci-fi pandemic drama The Andromeda Strain as "Bearded Surgeon."

Emily Giffin (Something Borrowed)

The 2011 rom-com Something Borrowed is inspired by the 2004 novel of the same name by Emily Giffin, who appears as a woman eavesdropping on a conversation between Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Marcus (Steve Howey) on park benches. In a TikTok video, the author revealed that the book her character is reading is the 2005 sequel to Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and that her cameo had to be shortened in a post because she addressed the camera in every take.

James Dickey (Deliverance)

The best-known work of author James Dickey is Deliverance, which was adapted into an acclaimed film two years later. The author would appear at the end of the harrowing thriller about four men terrorized by savage locals on a canoe trip as Sherriff Bullard, who warns Jon Voight's character to leave and never come back.

Fannie Flagg (Fried Green Tomatoes)

Fannie Flagg received an Academy Award nomination for co-writing the screenplay for the 1991 adaptation of her 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which was shortened to just Fried Green Tomatoes. The author, comedian, and frequent Match Game panelist also appears in the acclaimed dramedy as a self-help guru helping women "get that spark back" into their marriages.

William Peter Blatty (The Exorcist)

One of the most iconic examples of a horror movie based on a true story is 1973's The Exorcist, which used William Peter Blatty's novel inspired by an alleged possession as its basis. The author (who later directed 1990's underrated sequel, The Exorcist III) also briefly appears in the classic thriller as a man speaking Burke Dennings (Jack MacGowran) on the set of Chris MacNeil's (Ellen Burstyn) movie.

Truman Capote (Murder By Death)

The 1976 comedic whodunnit Murder By Death boasts one of the best ensemble casts in a movie, which even includes Truman Capote. The author of such iconic works as In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffany's plays eccentric aristocrat Lionel Twain, who gathers a group of detectives and their guests for a party at his luxurious estate, which goes terribly.

Graham Greene (Day For Night)

In the 1973 French romantic dramedy Day for Night, writer Graham Greene makes a brief appearance as an insurance agent. According to a DVD special feature, director and star, François Truffaut was not told until after the fact that the role was played by the author, which disappointed him because he was a great admirer of his work.

We are getting closer to the February release date of Reacher Season 3, available to action junkies who have an Amazon Prime Video subscription. And honestly, this series that adapts the books of the famous Lee Child is worth the price of admission for the streaming service, alone. Even though Tom Cruise tried to play wandering ass-kicker Jack Reacher in the movies before, it’s the presence of Alan Ritchson in the title role that makes the first two seasons of Reacher really sing. He was born to play Jack Reacher. So leave it to him to drop the first full trailer for the anticipated Season 3 on his social media feed. Watch it at the top of this page.

We have been covering the news on Reacher Season 3 since the moment the upcoming chapter was greenlit by Amazon Prime more than one year ago today. Personally, I’m a huge fan of the Lee Child book that was chosen as the source material for this upcoming season. It’s called Persuader, and is worth the read if you want to get a sense of the type of adventure that awaits Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) this time out.

But you can also get the plot details from this new trailer. Basically, Reacher is approached by federal agents who are investigating a rug importer (played by Anthony Michael Hall) who likely is up to much shadier affairs. Reacher is asked by these agents and asked to go undercover, mainly because they lost a fellow agent who had infiltrated an isolated mansion weeks ago.

But Reacher has a different reason for getting involved. As is revealed in this new trailer, the person pulling the strings on the entire operation is someone that Reacher thought he killed, years ago. This traces back to Reacher’s military days. And fans of the Lee Child books know that Reacher doesn’t like leaving any dangling ends. So he’s going to settle this score, come hell or high water.

One reason I love the choice of Persuader for Reacher Season 3 is that, after Bad Luck and Trouble for Season 2, this is a return to a solo Reacher assignment. We get glimpses of the supporting character Frances Neagley (Maria Sten), but as Neagley wasn’t in this book, this largely is to keep her on people’s radars until the new show arrives. What we also get in this new trailer is continued teasing of the standoff between Reacher and the man-mountain known as Paulie. The villain is a bodyguard on the mansion grounds, and it leads to one of the most vicious fist fights in any Lee Child book. I only pray that the show does the battle justice. It’s teased in the very last shots of the trailer above.

The third season of Reacher will run for eight episodes, and will roll out weekly, with the first three episodes premiering on Thursday, February 20. Subsequent episodes will then drop every Thursday through March 27, 2025, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Ready for even more good news? It already has been announced that Reacher received an early renewal for a fourth season, which will begin shooting this year. Bring it on!

I told you guys. As a fan of the Lee Child books featuring Jack Reacher, and book Persuader in particular, I teased the fact that there is a fight involving Reacher and a giant named Paulie that has the potential to be one of the wildest things ever shown on television. So kudos to Amazon Prime Video for leading with the fight in the first trailer for Reacher Season 3… and for also finally revealing that the new season will debut on Prime Video on February 20.

Press play on the video above for your first official look at Reacher Season 3.

Amazon Prime Video revealed that Reacher Season 3 will deliver three brand new episodes beginning on Feb. 20, with subsequent episodes arriving once a week through March. And truthfully, I think that’s the way to do it. Shows like The Penguin have demonstrated how much fan interest and online conversation can be generated when everyone is watching a show at the same time, and caught up on the story. It defeats the binge, but it makes each new episode an event.

Which helps, because the story in Persuader – the book being adapted for Reacher Season 3 – is one of the more engaging Reacher narratives Lee Child has penned. Mainly set off the coast of Maine (in the book, at least), this story finds wandering beast Jack Reacher going undercover at the mansion of a shady arms dealer (Anthony Michael Hall) who may be involved in the kidnapping of a DEA agent.

Ever since I found out that Amazon Prime Video chose Persuader as the book to adapt for Reacher Season 3, I have been telling CinemaBlend readers that the fight between Reacher and a character named Paulie was primed to be an all-timer. Paulie is a hired bodyguard for Hall’s character, Zachary Beck. And from the moment he meets Reacher, the two alpha dogs hate each other. Without spoiling anything, these two eventually face off, and as you can see in the trailer, Alan Ritchson looks to be half the size of Olivier Richters, the bodybuilder cast as Paulie.

Thankfully, Alan Ritchson does an incredible amount of work on his own physique, so much so that he has an 8-word mantra that motivates him to train, and he carries a ridiculously low percentage of body fat. This is a big reason why Prime Video already has renewed Reacher Season 4, though we aren’t sure what book will be used for the source material. Of course, in addition to that story, we also have a Reacher spinoff tapped for Maria Sten’s character, Frances Neagley, so fans will be able to stay in the Reacher universe for years to come.

While you are waiting, make sure that you are taking full advantage of your Prime Video subscription by using it to watch some of the best movies and TV series streaming on the service. Personally, I’ll be using it to prep for the return of Invincible, which might deliver as many brutal fights as Reacher versus Paulie. Maybe. 

It has been far too long since Jack Reacher beat some dudes to a pulp on my television set. Almost a full calendar year has passed since we wrapped on watching Reacher Season 2, easily one of the best shows available on Prime Video. And while there has been plenty of activity in the world of Reacher, we haven’t received any new episodes to enjoy. We know that Reacher Season 3 will be arriving in 2025, and that it will be an adaptation of the Lee Child book Persuader. But all we are doing is sitting around and waiting, while Reacher star Alan Ritchson spends his off time getting as bulky as possible. Because he needs to look like Reacher. It’s kind of insane.

Alan Ritchson posts on Instagram often. In the above reel, he’s out for a run with his boys. Ritchson takes his fitness routine very seriously. We have written on it often, because it’s so impressive. In the video, Ritchson reveals his 8-word mantra that keeps him focused with regard to his training. He told his followers:

Amen. It’s very clear that Alan Ritchson believes that, and he lives his life by that mantra. It has allowed him to stay in top physical shape as he plays Jack Reacher, or team up for an action movie with the icon, Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, not everyone can adhere to this mantra. This is what separates Ritchson from others. Because, as his comment section on Instagram points out:

Amen to that, as well. I feel that, my friend. Far more than I do the concept of doing hill sprints in the heat, like Alan Ritchson does with his kids. That image also struck one of Ritchson’s followers, and Reacher fans, as funny. Or terrifying. They said:

I’m not sure what I’d do. I’m not ruling out crawling into the fetal position and praying that Reacher isn’t looking for me. Most of the people commenting on Ritchson’s workout post just admire the results, as this person posted:

Not a lie. These comments cracked me up. The rest seem to be focused on upcoming seasons of Reacher, and a lot of people want him to step into the role of Batman in James Gunn’s DCU. I can see that. However, I think that we are a long way off from that happening, as Gunn currently is immersed in prepping his Superman movie, and has a full slate of announced projects that likely keep pushing the planned The Brave and the Bold down the line of upcoming DC movies. That just means that Ritchson, if he takes the gig, will have plenty of time to keep playing Jack Reacher. And to keep doing hill sprints. While the rest of us eat queso.

In a complete no-brainer of a move, Amazon Prime Video recently renewed this hit series Reacher for a fourth season. In the process, it was confirmed that Reacher Season 3, which had been filming for months, is now due on the streaming service sometime in 2025. There’s no reason for Prime Video not to continue the hype train for Reacher. It’s easily one of the best dramas available on Prime Video, and the studio seems so confident in the series that they also greenlit a spinoff show that will be structured around Reacher’s longtime military colleague Frances Neagley, played by Maria Sten. We know that Reacher Season 3 will tackle the Lee Child book Persuader. Looking ahead to Reacher Season 4, I think it’s time to tackle one of the strongest story arcs in the long running Lee Child series.

Reacher Season 4 should adapt Lee Child’s book 61 Hours, leading right into Reacher Season 5 doing the follow up, Worth Dying For.

Stop reading now if you don’t want any details about the stories that Lee Child cooks up in these books. But the reason why 61 Hours and Worth Dying For stand out is because it’s one of the first times that the Reacher novels followed strict continuity, leaving 61 Hours off on a cliffhanger that needed to be resolved in Worth Dying For. Readers had to wait a full year to see how the story would be resolved. If Prime Video planned accordingly, they could film the bulk of Reacher Seasons 4 and 5, and space out the release dates fairly close, so the wait wouldn’t be quite as difficult.

And I’m sorry, Alan Ritchson, but because of the snowy locale of this particular plotline, it probably means you will still be filming Reacher in Canada. And we know how much you love that.

The Lee Child Reacher stories pride themselves on shifting locations and sending Jack Reacher wandering around the country – and sometimes the globe – to deliver acts of vengeance. 61 Hours begins with Reacher riding a bus filled with senior citizens through snowy South Dakota, ending up in the town of Bolton after the bus skids and crashes. While there, Reacher encounters an innocent librarian who’s preparing to testify against a local crime lord named Plato… so long as she can stay alive long enough to deliver her testimony.

The plot of 61 Hours delivers all the normal Reacher highlights, including that phenomenal conclusion that left readers guessing. I’ll leave off all the details, in case you want to read the book yourself (and I highly recommend doing that). But also, given the fact that Maria Sten’s Neagley is going to branch out into her own show, it’s during 61 Hours that we first meet Major Susan Turner, commanding officer of Reacher’s old unit who will become a recurring figure in seminal stories that include Never Go Back.

That’s the story that Tom Cruise tried to tackle in his second Jack Reacher movie. But it was too soon in the character’s arc. Too much needed to be developed before audiences were dropped into Never Go Back. The Amazon Prime Video series is taking its time to lay the groundwork. Meaning that Alan Ritchson might one day be able to put his own stamps on the adaptations of One Shot, Never Go Back, and plenty more.

We’re getting ahead of ourselves. There are numerous Lee Child books that could sustain a season of Reacher. And I’m just happy that Reacher Season 4 has been confirmed. But tell me that it’s going to adapt 61 Hours, and I’ll leap through the roof, then settle in for the long wait for it to become a reality on my screen.

For the past few years, Alan Ritchson has successfully led a streaming adaptation of Lee Child’s beloved Jack Reacher books. Ahead of Reacher Season 3 seeing the actor back in action in the TV series, Ritchson is switching gears to star in another one of Hollywood’s upcoming book adaptations with a Nicholas Sparks romance. Amidst the news of the project, the actor shared a moving story about watching The Notebook for the first time.

Reacher’s Alan Ritchson Is Set To Star In A Nicholas Sparks Adaptation

Just last week, Nicholas Sparks released his latest novel, Counting Miracles, and it’s already among the New York Times bestseller list. Counting Miracles is about a former Army Ranger named Tanner Hughes who returns to his hometown in Asheboro, North Carolina to find the father he never knew. During his search, he meets a doctor and single mother named Kaitlyn Cooper, whom he finds an instant connection with.

Per Variety, Ritchson is set to play Tanner in a Counting Miracles movie along with producing the project. The film is part of a three-picture deal Alan Ritchson signed with Amazon MGM Studios. From how it sounds, once the movie has been made, those with an Amazon subscription will be able to see this in-the-works romance flick!

Ritchson Shares Sweet Story About Watching The Notebook

Counting Miracles sounds like a solid role for Alan Ritchson to tackle, and we have zero worries he’ll be a good lead in a romance. (It also doesn’t hurt that he puts so much work into his health that he apparently has 10 percent body fat). But the actor shared the personal reason why he wanted to star in a Nicholas Sparks adaptation on his Instagram as the news came out, and it’s a sweet story.

While the actor is very successful today, he started by saying when he first moved to Los Angeles and was pursuing acting, it wasn’t easy by any means. He said each job was “a lifeline”. Here’s what he said next in his own words:

While The Notebook is thought of as one of the best movies of the 2000s, when it came out, it certainly had a reputation of being simply a “chick flick.” Here’s how his viewing went:

While his fiancée actually dozed off while watching the romantic drama, Ritchson was completely locked up until the bittersweet ending where the two romantic leads literally die together as elderly people in a retirement community. Sufficed to say, the actor was moved, and he’s excited to be the star of a Sparks adaptation. He also said this:

It’s a great addition to Ritchson’s upcoming projects which includes starring with Arnold Schwartzenegger in a Christmas movie and returning for the next Fast and the Furious. Well, now we cannot wait for Counting Miracles, too!

The television spinoff. It’s hard to pull off. For every Frasier, which successfully moved Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) from the cozy confines of the Boston bar Cheers to Seattle, there’s a laundry list of failed TV continuations. Joey couldn’t pick up the slack in the wake of Friends.We all loved 21 Jump Street (and even the movie that spoofed it), but no one needed Richard Greico to keep going with Booker. And now that it has been confirmed that the popular Prime Video thriller Reacher is getting a spinoff show for supporting character Frances Neagley, I’m personally worrying that we are heading down the path toward The Ropers, and not a necessary continuation like Better Call Saul.

Deadline now confirms what they initially reported, that Reacher co-star Maria Sten will take her character Frances Neagley to her own show, tentatively titled Neagley. The brains behind the Reacher show are developing Neagley, with executive producer and showrunner Nick Santora teaming with his Prison Break colleague Nicholas Wootton to bring this new show to Prime Video. It’s noted in the story that Alan Ritchson is expected to appear in Neagley. They even go so far as to say that the upcoming Reacher Season 3, which adapts a Lee Child book that Neagley’s not a part of, could be used to set up the spinoff.

That’s where I, as a diehard fan of the Lee Child series of Jack Reacher books, start to grow a tiny bit concerned. Persuader, the book on which Reacher Season 3 will be based, is an airtight thriller set off the coast of Maine, with Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) infiltrating a criminal organization to help locate and possibly retrieve a kidnapped federal agent. It’s a textbook example of Reacher having to lone-wolf it. Shoe-horning Neagley into the story because you want to set up a spinoff is the first sign of artistic compromise, instead of doing what’s right for the story.

It was this response, as part of the Deadline article, that made me worry that Neagley is working against the impact of the character. Speaking about the opportunity to play Frances Neagley in a spinoff show, Maria Sten said:

Here’s the thing, though. As much as I like Maria Sten in the part – and I do think she’s an excellent choice to play Neagley on screen – the character of Frances Neagly works best as an enigma. She appears when Reacher needs her, efficiently kicks tons of ass, and glides back into the shadows. I’m not fully saying that there’s no way to make an interesting show around Neagley. But I’ve always seen her (and most of the side characters in Reacher’s universe) as, “The less we know about them, the more effective they are as assets.” Peeling back the surface on a character like Neagley almost negates her impact.

I promise to go into Neagley with an open mind. I like Maria Sten in the role. When given the chance to interview her, she has shown enormous respect for Lee Child’s source materials, so I hope that Santora and Wootton cook up a storyline that’s worthy of the spinoff. Because there are countless Child books that can carry additional seasons of Reacher, so a lackluster spinoff will just have me questioning why that time wasn’t spent on more Reacher seasons, while Alan Ritchson is still willing to suit up as the wandering spirit of vengeance.

More on Reacher Season 3, and the Neagley spinoff, as they develop.

TV shows about the military go back to the very dawn of the medium. It makes sense that as TV found its way into every house in America in the years directly after the Second World War life in the military, the highs and lows, would be a popular subject. Just like the best war movies of all time, that popularity has never waned, either, so here are 32 shows about life in the armed services.

The Unit

Though it only ran for four seasons and 68 episodes in the mid-'00s, The Unit had a dedicated fanbase. Starring Dennis Haysbert, Scott Foley, Robert Patrick, and other great actors, the show followed a secretive special forces unit as they carried out clandestine operations around the world. It also gave a big glimpse into their lives at home and on their home base. 

Private Benjamin

The huge success of the Goldie Hawn movie Private Benjamin, in 1980 - one of the best movies about women in the military - led directly to a short-lived, but actually decent TV show of the same name. The show starred Airplane! cast member Lorna Patterson as the titular army private and followed the hijinks of living on base in the army. 

Army Wives

Army Wives ran for seven successful seasons on Lifetime and what makes it unique is that it is as much or more about the families of soldiers. Life in the military isn't just about the members themselves, but their spouses and children too. This is one of the few shows focusing on that and while it got a bit sappy at times, and even cheesy, it gets props for being unique. 

Catch-22

Joseph Heller's book Catch-22 is one of the all-time great books mocking the idiosyncrasies of military life. The novel was first adapted into a movie in 1970, and in 2019 Hulu turned it into a mini-series with a star-studded cast that included Hugh Laurie, George Clooney, and Christopher Abbott as the main character of the novel, Yossarian. 

JAG

On the heels of the success of A Few Good Men came the TV show JAG. The show focused on lawyers in the Judge Advocate General branch of the Navy, just like Tom Cruise's character in the hit movie that inspired the show. The show was a huge success, running for a total of ten seasons, one on NBC and the final nine on CBS. It also had a little spinoff called NCIS, which you may have heard of. 

Homeland

One of the most harrowing shows in TV history has to be Showtime's Homeland. While most of the show is really about CIA analyst Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), the first three seasons, the ones with Brody (Damien Lewis), did give a great glimpse of his life in the military, as a soldier, a captive, a husband, a father, and a traitor. 

MASH

There are few shows about life in the military as revered as MASH. Though the show famously ran for many more years than the Korean War that it depicted, it really was all about life in a military field hospital, though obviously very exaggerated with the level of humor and hijinks. 

China Beach

In the late '80s, Boomer nostalgia was at an all-time peak and though there were a ton of classic Boomer TV shows rebooted for the era, China Beach wasn't a reboot. Instead, it was like a more serious version of MASH, set in Vietnam during that war. It depicted life in a military hospital during the war and was filled with '60s music and nostalgia. 

Gomer Pyle: USMC

The idiosyncrasies of military life portrayed humorously have long been a TV and movie trope and no show highlights that better than Gomer Pyle: USMC starring Jim Nabors as the titular Pyle. Originally a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show, it followed the well-intentioned but extremely naive Gomer Pyle after he left Mayberry and joined the Marine Corps. 

The Last Ship

For five seasons the TNT show The Last Ship followed the crew of a Navy destroyer whose crew were among the last survivors of a global pandemic. In 2018, when the show ended, Covid was still years away and the show, due to its prescient subject matter, found a new audience in lockdown, watching how the sailors went on with life in the new world.  

Masters Of The Air

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks' third entry in the series of shows about life in World War Two was 2-24's Masters Of The Air. Like their previous two shows, Band of Brothers and The Pacific, the show not only shows the harrowing side of war, this time in the bombers over Europe but of what it's like living in the military during wartime. 

NCIS

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is the investigative side of the Navy Military Police. Though most of the members of the team in NCIS aren't active military, most are veterans, and the show leans heavily into life in the military in all aspects of the cases they are investigating. The show's incredible success has seemingly spawned more spin-offs than there are ships in the Navy.

Victory At Sea

Victory At Sea is the lone documentary series on this list, but it's not your typical documentary, as it ran for more than 20 episodes in the early 1950s. It's a fascinating glimpse into the Navy during World War II and while it's certainly quite dated now, it is a worthy watch for any WWII buff or fan of history. 

Band Of Brothers

Arguably the best television show about World War II and life in the army has to be Band Of Brothers. More than 20 years after it first aired on HBO it remains as great as it first was. With a stellar cast and an unbelievable story, not to mention the incredible production value, it's a true classic. The show focuses on the men of Easy Company from their training days as paratroopers to their last days of the war and it gives viewers everything from life in camp to life on the battlefield. 

SEAL Team

The CBS show SEAL Team is known for its authenticity. Throughout its run, it employed veterans as cast members, writers, and crew members, and used many consultants to make the missions and lives of the members of the team as realistic as possible. 

McHale's Navy

The sitcom McHale's Navy is like Gilligan's Island meets Hogan's Heroes. Like other military sitcoms, it is really more about the lighter side of life in the military, poking fun at the rules and regulations. The show, led by actor Ernest Borgnine, was very popular in its day and spawned three movies, including a remake in the '90s that was... not so great. 

Rome

Life in the Roman army in the early days of the Roman Empire was brutal. Military campaigns lasted years, the shifting politics meant almost endless civil war and armies were expected to live off the land for months and years. HBO's ill-fated show Rome shows much of this through the eyes of two soldiers. Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), as well as from the top down with characters like Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar. 

North And South

The American Civil War was one of the most brutal conflicts of the 19th Century and North and South, a three-installment miniseries that ran on ABC in the late '80s and '90s portrayed just how horrifying and personal it was. The story follows two soldiers played by Patrick Swayze and James Read in the years before, during, and after the war. Best friends before the war, and enemies during it.

Hogan's Heroes

Like other sitcoms on this list, Hogan's Heroes really shows the lighter side of military life, even in a prisoner-of-war camp in Germany during World War II. While it's greatly exaggerated and played for laughs, as with all the shows, there is a certain amount of biting truth, sarcasm, and irony in army life and this show does it as well as any. 

The Pacific

After the huge success of Band of Brothers, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg returned with The Pacific, also on HBO. While not quite as good as its companion show, it still shows the harrowing, brutal nature of the United States campaign against the Japanese in World War II, but from a number of Marine units, rather than one company as Band of Brothers depicts. 

Shogun

FX's Shogun, based on the best-selling novel by James Clavell, is a look into the highly militaristic society of feudal Japan as it transitioned into the Edo Period around 1600 CE. It's a fantastic show based on a wonderful book of historical fiction and can't be recommended highly enough if you are interested in military history and what was life like for those serving in this time period. 

Major Dad

Silly sitcoms showing the funny side of life in the military are as old as TV itself. In the late '80s and early '90s, this type of show was represented by Major Dad. While it's hardly the best show on the list, it is nice to see the family side of life on a military base with an important father in the military. 

Generation Kill

Alexander Skarsgård stars in HBO's Generation Kill which was one of the first depictions of the War in Iraq. The show is based on the book of the same name about a journalist embedded with the Marine Corps during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It's still one of the best depictions of that war, many years removed from its release in 2008. 

The Terminal List

The Terminal List, starring Chris Pratt, isn't exactly the most realistic show on this list, and it was subject to some bad reviews by critics, but it found its audience in fans of military shows and revenge plots, of which it has in spades. 

Reacher

The character of Jack Reacher, created by writer Lee Child has been adapted for the screen multiple times. First in a film series starring Tom Cruise as Reacher, but later, and more faithfully, by Amazon Prime simply called Reacher. Though Reacher is a military vet, most of the stories in the books are about his life after the military. This is true of the first season of the show, but the second includes a lot of flashbacks to his time in the service and fits this list well. 

Pensacola: Wings of Gold

Okay, okay Pensacola: Wings of Gold is on this list because it's actually a fairly poor representation of life in the military. There are glaring inaccuracies all over the place in this short-lived syndicated show starring James Brolin from the '90s. It's a lesson in how wrong shows can be, which can be just as enlightening, don't you think?

Strike Back

Cinemax's Strike Back stuttered and skipped over its eight-season run, always seeming to be on the verge of being canceled, but fans kept it alive over and over. It's a good thing too, because it was a great show that the fans obviously loved and it. Each season was unique, but all focused on secret agents and military forces performing clandestine operations. 

The A-Team

This one, we admit, is a bit of a stretch, but The A-Team was just so fun, that it's impossible to leave it off. The show, about a misfit crew of soldiers of fortune operating in the Los Angeles underground, brought real spectacle to '80s prime time and the former soldiers-turned-outlaws were constantly getting into scraps with the US Army who wanted them arrested. 

Turn: Washington's Spies

The American Revolution was unlike any war that come before it. It was almost unheard of at the time that a colony would successfully throw off the shackles of the empire that controlled it. A big reason for the American victory was the spy network built by General George Washington. This under-told story comes to life in Turn: Washington's Spies and gives a fascinating glimpse into this aspect of the way. 

12 O'Clock High

Years before Apple TV+ produced Master Of The Air, ABC aired two and half seasons of 12 O'Clock High, about bombers over Europe in World War II. The show, based on a movie of the same name released in 1949, never really found its footing with multiple cast changes happening over its brief run and is hardly remembered today. 

Valor

Valor was a short-lived show on The CW that lasted only 13 episodes, but it's worth mentioning because it's one of the rare shows that portrays a female lead. Christina Ochoa plays Chief Warrant Officer Nora Madani, a pilot and Special Operations soldier. Both are far too rare in real life and on TV. 

Foyle's War

Foyle's War, a British crime procedural is really more about life during wartime, than it is about life in the military, but there is enough crossover and depictions of military life in World War II Britain that it's worth including on this list. 

I am an enormous fan of Reacher, the ongoing adaptation of the Lee Child book series that is delivering one of the best TV shows on Amazon Prime Video. Season 1 of the program tackled the first book in Child’s series, Killing Floor. But for Season 2, the writers shifted to book 11, Bad Luck and Trouble, which is introducing the members of Reacher’s Special Investigators as they embark on a mission of vengeance. It has been an interesting extension of Reacher Season 1, but the showrunners and creatives behind the show also are using tricks to sell an important part of Jack Reacher’s characterization – his massive physique. 

I picked up on the visual tricks when Reacher (Alan Ritchson) shopped at a thrift shop in episode one of Season 2. A simple two shot that required Amy Keating (playing the cashier) to sit low behind the counter. And it allows the already stout Ritchson to tower above the lady as they have a conversation. It looks like this:

Lee Child famously writes Jack Reacher as a hulk of a man, a slab of beef who glides through the world like a shark on the hunt. He’s meant to be physically imposing, and the size differential is part of the reason why audiences didn’t fully embrace Tom Cruise in his two Jack Reacher movies. Casting Alan Ritchson helped to address some of that physicality when Reacher arrived on Amazon Prime Video, but everything about Reacher is bigger in Season 2. I wonder how differently the show would have approached things if The Rock got to play Reacher back in the day.  

The visual trickery caught my eye once again in episode 3 of the current season, and now I know it’s a thing they are doing on purpose. Reacher enters a pawn shop looking for guns. And the episode’s director frames another shot to show our hero towering over his screen partner. It’s subtle, but it helps to sell Reacher’s girth. I can’t get enough of these shots!

Everything about the Reacher adaptation has convinced me that the material is in the right hands. Ritchson is the right casting choice to play Reacher, and it’s encouraging that they already are filming on Reacher Season 3, even if the hulking actor won’t tell me the book on which they are relying. I have faith in the team. They are off to a great start on Reacher Season 2, going to the right lengths to bring the story of Bad Luck and Trouble to life on the big screen. I know, it’s on our televisions. But when it comes to Alan Ritchson, the screen is big. Bigger than we’d ever imagined.