Having narrowly missed out on a grisly death, former military cop Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) and Margrave police officer Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) team up and are ready to go on the hunt for answers. Margrave might have a sunny exterior, but there’s something rotten underneath and their investigation uncovers new clues and plenty of new leads. And Reacher zeroes in on the conspiracy that is causing the body count to skyrocket.

Episode Two of Reacher, ‘First Dance’ ended on a hell of a gnarly note with Reacher and Roscoe discovering that they’d been targeted for assassination by the team of killers who are stalking the shadows of Margrave and Roscoe is pissed! Not to be confused with a damnsel, this girl locks and loads and lends Reacher one hell of hand cannon in the form of a 50.cal Desert Eagle and the two set out to find out who their would-be killers are and put a bullet in them. Showrunner Nick Santora and his team aren’t mucking around with Reacher and episode by episode the intensity builds and the main narrative conspiracy is brought to light and it really shakes up the stakes.

The crux of the conspiracy lends into a massive counterfeiting operation and the discovery that Reacher’s deceased brother Joe was a former Secret Service director who was looking into the operation personally before he was killed. This new discovery also leads Reacher, Roscoe and Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) to Secret Service operative Molly Beth Gordon (Lara Jean Chorostecki) who provides the team with key information about Joe’s suspicions of the counterfeiting operation. Gordon is a new key character to the series and her reveal in ‘Spoonful’ showcases just how massive and dangerous this growing conspiracy is.

It’s not just the reveal of Molly Beth and the countefeting angle that will engage audiences in, but a showdown with the mysterious and suspicious Kliner family. While Reacher and Finlay pay a visit to Margrave’s benefactor and big time businessman Kliner (Currie Graham), Roscoe has to deal with KJ’s (Chris Webster) shifting advances and both scenes will have you hooked in. While Kliner at first entertains Reacher and Finlay, it soon turns menacing as he doesn’t like outsiders peering into his business and he sends them packing, but not before tiping off Reacher’s radar. Then there’s Roscoe’s run in with KJ, and this dead-eyed psycho has a dangerous lust for Roscoe and also tips her on Reacher’s past, planting the doubt that Reacher may not be the man he seems to be. The Kliner’s certainly aren’t clean in Reacher’s book and I have a feeling this suspicion is only going to grow.

Episode Three, ‘Spoonful’ keeps the suspense growing and it’s the episode’s penultimate ending where things get really interesting, Sensing that he’s being tracked, Reacher has a run-in with the hitmen who were earlier sent to kill him, and not mucking about he takes them out first. Two quick shots to the back, courtesy of a 50.cal Desert Eagle do the job. And it’s loud. This move by Reacher might not be the most heroic in the book, shooting another man in the back, but Reacher doesn’t mess around and I’m pleased that Ritchson and Santora show this side of him. Reacher’s plan is to win by any advantage necessary, he’s a functional, combat trained soldier and if he has the chance to take out a bad guy, he’s going to do it. This scene is a perfect reflection of that and showcases just how edgy and direct the Reacher series is going to be.

It’s starting to heat up in Reacher and Alan Ritchson’s Jack Reacher has got his finger on the trigger. The bag guys might have drawn first blood, but Reacher ain’t gonna let them get away with it, and he’s locked on target with a hell of a lot of firepower at his disposal.

Reacher is streaming on Amazon Prime NOW.

Image: Amazon Prime

The post ‘Reacher’ – ‘Spoonful’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Following the shocking revelation that his brother Joe was murdered in a violent and dangerous conspiracy, ex-military policeman Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) burrows his way into the growing investigation of the Margrave killings and the bloodshed has only just begun. After a new particularly bloody murder it’s clear to Reacher and Margrave cops, Detective Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) and police officer Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) that they’re at the start of a particularly dangerous conspiracy and the three of them set out to find answers.

Episode One of Reacher, ‘Welcome to Margrave’, set down the gauntlet for a bold new standard in the action-thriller genre and Episode Two, ‘First Dance’ keeps the ball rolling with some particularly tense moments. Showrunner Nick Santora sticks to the outline of Lee Child’s gripping prose and the narrative moves forward quickly with Alan Ritchson’s Jack Reacher hungry for revenge and being forced into an unwilling alliance with the local Margrave cops who he assumes he can still trust. Santora keeps the pace of ‘First Dance’ moving fast and lose, mixing in moments of procedural investigation, character interaction and close quarter combat, and as an audience member, you don’t want to look away.

In his quest for justice, Jack Reacher falls into the Margrave investigation and another brutal murder soon occurs. This time it’s Margrave Chief of Police Edward Morrison (Peter Skagen) who suffers an unspeakable fate, but Reacher knows what’s coming. Found nailed to a wall and tortured to death, it’s the exact fate that jumpy accountant Hubble (Marc Bendavid) let Reacher know awaited him and this fact, and Reacher’s hesitancy to not reveal it, causes some severe friction between himself and Finlay. This friction between the two characters is interesting to watch and not content with having to deal with him, Finlay sends Reacher off with Roscoe to check in on Hubble’s family and it’s there where things get interesting. Knowing right away that Hubble’s wife Charlene ‘Charlie’ Hubble (Kristin Kreuk) is in danger, Reacher and Roscoe pack her and her family off to protective custody and it’s clear that the killing has only started in Margrave.

Along with the growing narrative, audiences are also introduced to several leading antagonists, although their exact antagonism is yet to be fully revealed. You have Bruce McGill as the pompous and arrogant Mayor Grover Teale who Reacher takes an instant dislike to. Then you have the slick suited and charming town benefactor Kliner (Currie Graham) who appears to be more than he actually portrays himself to be. Then there’s his dead-eyed son KJ (Chris Webster) who Reacher has a run-in with and who he severely doesn’t like, along with his shit-kicking cousin Dawson (A.J. Simmons). As KJ, Webster already has the shifty, psycho character down and while no punches are thrown, it’s certain that he and Reacher will get into it very soon. The atmosphere is building in Reacher and while there’s no clear villain yet, there are plenty of no-good suspects to fill the space.

‘First Dance’ is also an important episode in that it shines a light on the first interaction between Reacher and Roscoe. While there was a slight back and forth flirtation between the two of them in ‘Welcome to Margrave’, we now get a closer look at their interactions and there’s building chemistry between them. Along with an instant physical attraction both characters are drawn to each other’s investigative knowledge as police officers and this keeps things interesting. All throughout the episode the two are paired together and while following a lead, they’re forced to seek shelter at a motel, and while there’s no fun under the sheets just yet, the attraction is building.

Episode Two also goes back in time and we meet a young Reacher and see his growth as a character and his stance as a man who doesn’t like bullies, and who likes to stick up for the little guy. This trait is a defining part of the character of Jack Reacher and has been a cornerstone of Child’s series of books. Not only is this seen in Ritchson’s protective stance as Reacher throughout ‘First Dance’, but a nice little subplot develops with him looking out for a dog that is being abused by its owner. While Reacher fills the dog’s dry bowl with water and speaks some stern words to the owner, he makes it clear that he’ll keep an eye out on the dog. No punches are thrown, yet, but this little sub-plot is a key part of the reveal of Reacher’s character and we’ll see more of this come out in Ritchson’s portrayal as the series moves forward.

But ‘First Dance’ isn’t just all flirtations and lead following, Jack also gets his hands dirty again. Seeking to pay back dirty prison guard Spivey (Patrick Garrow), Reacher tracks him down to a bar and is set upon by a pair of hired killers, who he discerns are ex-South American military. What follows is a quick and sharp knife fight, where Reacher shows his stuff with an edged weapon and the slashing gets bloody. We also see Ritchson employ Reacher’s favourite technique, the headbutt, to good effect and his size and strength make him a natural fighter. From the start the fight choreography of Reacher has been too-the-point and unflashy, keeping very much in line with the style of combat Lee Child describes in his books. Reacher is a character who only cares about results, not showmanship, and everything he does is done to ensure that he wins. What does winning mean? It means he’ll do whatever is necessary to incapacitate or kill his opponent and we’re seeing Ritchson do this here in Reacher.

The narrative and action of ‘First Dance’ moves quickly and again audiences come to a hell of a shock ending. It’s starting to get dangerous in the streets of Margrave and no one is safe from the killers on the prowl. But these bay gays haven’t counted on one thing; a hulking 6’5, 220, ex-military cop who has got a hell of a score to settle and he plans to deliver it with extreme prejudice.

Reacher is streaming on Amazon Prime NOW.

Image: Amazon Prime

The post ‘Reacher’ – ‘First Dance’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Stepping off of a Greyhound bus and strolling into the picturesque town of Margrave, Georgia is 6’5, 220 pound former US Army military policeman turned wayward drifter Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson). With a penchant for finding trouble, he ends up walking straight into a jail cell. Arrested for a murder he didn’t commit, Reacher soon finds himself with another suspect on the lifer floor of a Georgia State Prison and it kicks off quickly. Sensing a growing conspiracy he’s ready to throw the first punch, but a dark secret grabs hold of him and it’s clear that the killing has only just begun.

Adapting the first of Lee Child’s best selling works, Killing Floor, this is the audience’s introduction to the ultimate lone wolf hero, Jack Reacher. And Amazon Prime has done a terrific job in adapting the text. Showrunner Nick Santora has a deep knowledge of the work of Child and as a showrunner, he sticks to Child’s by the book prose and keeps Reacher in line with the classic hardboiled style that has become a calling card of the Jack Reacher series. And it shows. From the moment we set our eyes on Reacher you can tell that this isn’t gonna be your regular police procedural show. Just as Child shook up the literary world with Reacher, so too will Amazon Prime’s series re-shape the presence of the procedural-thriller and Episode One ‘Welcome to Margrave’ is a hell of a debut for this character.

Filling our Jack Reacher’s imposing frame is actor Alan Ritchson. And his casting is perfect. As a physical specimen, Ritchson is a perfect fit for the height and size of Jack Reacher, but it’s his attention to detail with the character’s mannerisms, movements and intelligence that stands him in the role. Ritchson carries the supreme confidence of Jack Reacher and his man of few words nature. It’s only when he has something of value to say that he speaks up. And when he does you should listen. Reacher is one of the most forceful heroes ever invented and Ritchson has this down. He portrays the immense intimidation factor of Reacher, along with his defined moral code and this is a guy who doesn’t like bullies and is ready to deal with them at a moment notice.

From the second he steps into the frame there’s no doubt that Alan Ritchson is Jack Reacher and he plays the part perfectly. While we’re only at the beginning of the series and Reacher’s journey as a hero it’s clear that Ritchson knows what makes this character tick and he lays the groundwork for what is to come. Mysterious, and yet approachable as a character all at the same time, Ritchson gets the classic hero style that defines Reacher. There’s no fluff with this former military cop and Ritchson delivers Reacher’s trademark quick wit and direct approach as soon as we meet him. It’s only the start here with Reacher, but as a long time fan of this character, trust me when I say that Alan Ritchson has nailed the portrayal of Jack Reacher.

Along with introducing us to this imposing, drifter hero, Episode One, ‘Welcome to Margrave’ also introduces us to the other key characters that are central to Reacher’s first story, along with the picturesque town of Margrave, Georgia, which is hiding a deadly secret. Malcolm Goodwin stars as s Oscar Finley, Margrave Police’s Chief Detective, who as a city boy from Boston is very much out of his depth in the town of Margrave and he takes an instant dislike to the wayward drifter. Then there’s Willa Fitzgerald as Margrave Police Officer Roscoe Conklin, a small-town country girl with a can-do attitude who realises that there’s more to Reacher than first glance and who takes a liking to the big new stranger who’s rolled into town.

While it soon becomes very clear that Reacher did not commit any kind of murder at all in Margrave he’s still sent packing to Georgia State Prison, alongside jumpy accountant Paul Hubble (Marc Bendavid) who has confessed to the murder. It’s in this setting where the first stages of a conspiracy start to show themselves and instead of being housed in solitary, Reacher and Hubble find themselves on the lifer’s block. And Reacher goes to work. First introducing his dominance to the things around him, he’s soon signalled out by a group of Neo-Nazi’s and it’s on. The result is a bone snapping, eye-gouging brawl where Reacher cuts a path through the gang of criminals who’ve been set on them and the violence is revved up. Ritchson throws himself into the first major action piece of the series and proves that he can handle himself and that Reacher isn’t going to hold anything back from its audience when it comes to action.

Surviving his weekend in prison and cleared of all charges Reacher makes to leave Margrave as soon as possible. But there’s also the growing conspiracy in front of him and the threat that Hubble received, that if he betrayed his employers he’d be nailed to a wall and tortured in front of his family. It’s a serious admission, and a stunning revelation from Reacher’s past is brought to light and it leads to a shocking end moment that only puts more questions in the mind of the audience. As an adaptation of its source material and the first episode of a building television narrative, Reacher is a show that packs in the goods and audiences will be hooked right from the start. Casting, story and direction are all spot on in Reacher and this first chapter of this bold new series lays the groundwork for a serious thriller series that is to follow.

Episode One, ‘Welcome to Margrave’ is a hard-hitting piece of thriller television and Jack Reacher fans will be very pleased with this new adaptation. Alan Ritchson proves he has the toughness to handle the part and damn can he throw a punch. I think we’re at the start of one of the most exciting TV thrillers to arrive in the last couple of years. Brace yourself for action because there’s a new hero in town and damn does he hit hard!

Reacher is streaming on Amazon Prime NOW.

Image: Amazon Prime

The post ‘Reacher’ – ‘Welcome to Margrave’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.