As the first episode of Reacher begins, we’re taken to Margrave, Georgia where a man is shot and killed. The shooter is wearing gloves and other protective gear. He picks up the casings and beats the man’s body despite the fact that he is already dead. Once he finishes, he covers the body with a piece of cardboard. Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) gets off a bus before walking to the Margrave Diner. As he reaches the door, a man walks out while belittling his girlfriend about the hefty tip she left. Jack watches the man and says nothing. He continues doing so until the man is intimidated enough to say he was having a bad day and it won’t happen again. Once inside, he gets a black coffee and peach pie. Jack gets ready to take a bite of the pie until he hears police sirens outside. He knows they’re coming to arrest him so he leaves a tip and cooperates with the local police officers. Jack is told he is under arrest for murder.

Once he reaches the station, Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) tells him to step over near her so she can process him. One officer says sasquatch doesn’t talk, but they did find a passport on him. Roscoe uses the passport to get the information she needs. They also found about $200 on him and some type of army medal. Roscoe identifies it as a French WW2 medal. They threaten to put him in a holding cell to get him to talk as Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) asks how they’re going to do that. Oscar asks him to take him to the conference room. He meets Jack in there and introduces himself as Chief Detective Oscar Finlay. Once he confirms he has been read his rights, Oscar tells him about the body found by the highway embankment near an overpass. Jack learns there were two 9mm 95-grain close-range shots to the back of the head. The victim was a male in his 30s and a big guy who was beaten badly postmortem. They haven’t gotten fingerprints because the body was so badly swollen.

Oscar wants to find out what Jack knows about the body and murder. He tells Jack his court-appointed lawyer might be able to get him to open up. As he walks away, Jack says he doesn’t need a lawyer. Oscar sits back down while Jack says he didn’t kill anyone recently and not in this town. Meanwhile, Roscoe can’t find anything on Jack Reacher so that surprises her. She explains the only thing proving that Jack Reacher exists is the fact he is sitting in that room. Oscar finds out that Jack’s parents are deceased and he has a slightly older brother named Joe. He retired from the army and commanded the 110th Special Investigation Unit of the Military Police. Jack took out a few men during the course of his duties and they were declared good kills. Oscar speculates he is sitting across from a man who doesn’t mind killing and also has the training to kill someone and cover it up. Jack doesn’t deny that, but he denies killing the latest victim. He insists three men dropped this body and the shooter was someone who knows firearms well.

He tells Oscar that a silencer was used. Since the shooter was smart enough to pick up his casing, he likely wasn’t a first-timer. It was someone who knew how to conduct a quiet, effective kill. Jack speculates the person is a psycho because he beat up the body postmortem. Then, he lays out his theory as to why there were three people involved and how one was in a rush to get out of there so they just laid debris over the body. Oscar admits it is an interesting theory, but Jack still matches the description of someone seeing walking the highway earlier today close to where the body was. Jack confirms that was him when he got off the bus in Tampa and walked to town. Oscar says the bus doesn’t have a stop in Margrave. Jack explains he asked the driver to do him a favor on account of Blind Blake the Blues singer who supposedly died in Margrave a long time ago. Jack figured he’d stop by and learn more about Blake since he likes music. They discuss Jack’s last 24 hours before Oscar says the medical examiner puts the victim’s time of death at around midnight last night.

Jack says that would be this morning though. Oscar will be keeping him in a holding cell until he can confirm Jack was on a Greyhound Bus at that time. He tells Jack about a phone number they found on a piece of paper with Pluribus written on it. He is asked about the phone number which is 229-474-3308. He knows he is going to be there for a while because phone companies are slow in responding to warrants. In 1998, young Jack (Maxwell Jenkins) is scolded for keeping fireworks from the Fourth of July. Josephine (Leslie Fray) tells them this is going to be their home for a while so they should go make friends. Young Jack walks with his brother Joe (Gavin White) as they discuss whether they’ll like it here or not. Jack believes it’ll be like Belgium and Spain. They get accosted by a bully and eventually get into a fight with him and his friends. Jack is told his mom is right when she says trouble just seems to find him. Roscoe gives Jack a drink before he admits trouble just seems to find him.

Jack asks about getting the zip ties removed from his wrists, but Roscoe says Chief Edward Morrison (Peter Skagen) wants them to stay on. She knew he wanted black coffee because he seems like a no-nonsense guy. He suspects that means she thinks he is innocent. Roscoe admits he can’t be guilty of much since a preliminary run of his prints turned up nothing while bad guys would turn up hits immediately. Oscar interrupts to tell Roscoe they got a hit on the phone number. Officer Baker (Hugh Thompson) is left to clean up their coffee mugs. Paul Hubble (Marc Bendavid) is interviewed by Oscar about his cell number being found at the scene of the crime. Oscar finds it odd that Paul never asked him about the crime. Paul says he was scared and just wanted to get him over there so they could talk. Then, he learns it was a murder. As Oscar says the victim had Paul’s number on a paper scrap in his shoe, Paul looks outside and sees a black car. That seems to frighten Paul who immediately confesses to killing the guy in question. Roscoe tries to read his rights, but Paul stops her because he doesn’t need to know them.

Oscar asks the victim’s name. He claims he killed a man he doesn’t know because he was defending himself. He sees the black car drive away while Oscar asks him about the murder by the highway. Oscar has a difficult time believing a man without a criminal record killing the man by the highway, but Hubble continues saying he did it. He is warned that his life is about to get very complicated. Before long, Hubble is taken down to the station and locked in the cell with Jack Reacher. Oscar asks Reacher to come with him, but he says he won’t until he removes the zip ties. When Oscar relents and asks Roscoe to get the box cutter, Jack rips them off without assistance. He picks them up and asks if they recycle. Oscar takes him outside to talk. Jack says he is treating him like a person instead of a perp and he has done that when he wants someone to trust him when they shouldn’t. Oscar insists he doesn’t have ulterior motives and just wants information. He asks about the banker Hubble. When Jack learns he confessed to the murder, he thinks he has been cleared, but Oscar says otherwise. Oscar explains that Paul admitted to things that didn’t even happen.

He wonders if the guy spotted near the scene still has information. Jack says he doesn’t although Stevenson does. He knows that because of the way he looked at Paul and vice versa. Oscar doesn’t believe that. Jack admits he is confident in his theories and also suspects Oscar went to Harvard, quit smoking in the last six months, and is divorced. When Oscar asks how he came up with that, Jack begins telling him. He tells Oscar he is stubborn, looks like a black Sherlock Holmes, and still hopes to reconcile with his old lady. Jack tells him that he was stressed out when he told him about the three suspects and his leg was bouncing under the table causing the water to move. Once Jack finally stops, Oscar tells him to get back inside. As they head inside, Oscar tells Jack to follow him and orders Stevenson (Jonathan Koensgen) to go to his office. They reach his office where Oscar asks Stevenson if there is something he isn’t telling him about Paul Hubble.

Stevenson begins telling him about a family party from last night for his grandparent’s 50th anniversary. He explains Hubble and his wife, Charlene, were there. They stayed late and danced with their wives way past 2 AM with Stevenson driving them home. He insists Hubble was nowhere near that highway at midnight although he can’t explain the phone number. Stevenson answers Jack’s questions by saying Hubble isn’t into drugs, he is a family man, and he is rich. When Stevenson leaves, Jack says they eliminated the three big motives for Hubble. Oscar will never know why he confessed unless he tells him. However, he believes a weekend in lockup might motivate Paul enough to tell him what is going on. Oscar reminds Jack that he isn’t a cop anymore and Chief Morrison wants him in custody until they are positive he was on that bus. As they’re handcuffed, Jack tells the officer to inventory Paul’s watch and ring because they’ll steal them within five minutes of being inside.

He tells Roscoe it was nice talking to her before Jack and Paul are transported on a prisoner bus. As they ride along, Paul thanks Jack for the watch thing. He responds by telling Paul to shut up because he ruined his trip here. Once they arrive at the prison, they’re introduced to Officer Spivey (Patrick Garrow) who says they’ll be housed away from the animal factory until they can line up a weekend arraignment for them. They change clothes with Jack having to wear a special jumper due to his size. Spivey tries to get them to bend over and spread their cheeks, but Jack says no because blanket strip search policies are unconstitutional unless there is clear articulable suspicion of criminal activity. The victim he is suspected of murdering was killed by a handgun that would measure four inches by six so it wouldn’t fit inside anyone without sending them to the hospital. Jack encourages him to check the box on his clipboard unless he wants to try and end up seriously injured.

After Spivey checks the box, Paul and Jack are taken to their cell where Paul apologizes for getting him into this. He tells him to shut up again. In the morning, their cell door opens so Jack steps outside and quickly looks around. Jack says they’ve been housed with the lifers and not the guys waiting for arraignment. Jack tells him he should be concerned about their swaps since they’re likely swapping cigarettes, snacks, and other items to get the first crack at him. Paul is told to save his strength because he is going to need it. Several inmates enter the cell as one of them tells Paul to give up his shoes. Once he does, the inmate asks for his glasses. Paul hands them over. The inmate drops them on the ground, spits on them, and crushes them under the heel of his shoe. When the inmate asks for one more thing and begins unzipping his pants, Jack jumps down. He reminds the inmate he didn’t ask his permission. Jack gives them three seconds to leave and immediately begins counting down. Jack quickly deals with the bully and takes a pair of sunglasses from one of his friends.

They go outside and sit down together. Jack tells Paul to move over a bit and that he won’t let anyone touch him. Paul admits Jack is the only thing keeping him alive in there. He says these guys gave him no choice but to help with their financial scheme. His bosses threatened to nail him to a wall if he messed with the operation. When Jack decides to go to the restroom, Paul follows him since he is scared to be alone. Not long after they enter the restroom, they’re approached by a small group of inmates trying to cause trouble. Jack warns them they’d leave if they knew what was about to happen to them. One inmate has a shank. He gives them to the count of three but begins attacking them much sooner. After Jack takes care of them, guards rush in. A guard asks what they’re doing here and tries to move them before the warden finds out. He moves them to another section and orders them to say they’ve been here the whole time.

Oscar tries to call Sharon, but she doesn’t answer. He admits he is alone and dealing with a bad case so he wishes she’d call him back. Roscoe interrupts to say she got Jack’s military record from DC. He was a West Point graduate with a silver star. He also received multiple medals as well as a Silver Star and Purple Heart for wounds sustained in the bombing of a Marines barracks in Kandahar. Oscar reads it and learns Jack carried soldiers out two at a time and saved 12 in total. He had severe smoke inhalation although he returned to active duty 32 hours later. As for his military police record, he had more than 150 cases and all were successful prosecutions. Oscar wonders what a guy like that is doing in Margrave. Roscoe wonders what he is doing in jail and would hate to be the one who put him in there. When Oscar is alone, he shuts his blinds and contemplates smoking a cigarette. Jack wakes up and hears the radio before Paul says he was hoping a Beatles song would come on.

They soothe him ever since his mama would sing him Rocky Raccoon when he had a cold. When Jack notices the food has arrived, Paul offers him his too since he doesn’t have an appetite. He encourages Paul to eat. They talk about the fight before Paul says they might try to kill him as soon as he gets out. Once Paul says he is really important to their operation, Jack believes he’ll be fine. However, someone is getting nervous since bodies are falling. Jack suspects someone is after him since Spivey put him in general population and the inmates picked him as someone to attack. He is gone once he gets out because something is going on in Margrave and he wants no part of it. Once they’re released, Paul says his wife should be there soon although Jack doesn’t care. Roscoe is waiting for Jack with his stuff since she suspects he could use a lift. As she drives, he looks at the video of himself on the bus proving his innocence. She admits they lied to get the bus company to give them the video.

As for Hubble, everyone knows he is innocent so they’re going to wait on filing charges. They hope he does something dumb or spills the beans and leads them to the truth. Jack is surprised to learn that her first name is Roscoe. As for her last name, it is Conklin. He tells her about Spivey setting her up and someone trying to get him. Roscoe says she feels bad about the Margrave welcome wagon running him over. They agree to an early dinner as an apology. Since he needs new clothes, Roscoe agrees to drop him off at the thrift shop. He tells her about his military time and how he wants to see the country on his own terms now. His pension is wired to a Western Union each month so he always has money. His family is dead besides Joe who he describes as a good guy. She asks what the truth is about him coming to town. Instead of Blind Blake, he says it is Chauncey. He was at his bar in Tampa and heard Police Dog Blues by Blind Blake. He remembered reading an article about Blind Blake playing his last show in Margrave and dying there.

Jack admits he goes wherever he wants whenever he wants and most people are jealous. Once he gets a shirt, he tells her he is going to check out the town a bit and catch up with her later. He looks around town and checks out the statue of Casper Teale. Then, he enters a barbershop and talks to Mosley (Willie Carpenter) about Mississippi Fred McDowell and getting a shave. Jack asks what he knows about Blind Blake. Mosley is surprised a white man his age knows Fred McDowell. Mosley already knows who he is and how Roscoe got him cleared. He says his sister sang with Blake a few times since he came into town every year. Jack mentions the town’s freshly painted gazebo, recently polished statue, and manicured flower beds. He wonders if it is more than civic pride. Mosley explains that the Kliner Foundation takes care of Margrave ever since Mr. Kliner came to town five years back from St. Louis. Kliner has a company that does a little of everything including real estate, chemicals, machine parts, and trucking.

Casper Teale’s grandson is their mayor and gave Kliner a sweetheart land deal for his factory. They watch as Kliner Jr and his bughouse cousin Dawson get out of a black truck nearby. Jack asks Mosley to keep his seat warm before going out to confront KJ (Chris Webster) and Dawson (AJ Simmons). He walks up to them and tries to figure out what they want. KJ says he was reading something this morning about charges against a Jack Reacher outside of Baghdad. Those very serious charges somehow just disappeared. While the desert ended up forgiving him, KJ warns him that Margrave doesn’t forgive that easily. Before KJ and Dawson leave, Jack is told to watch his back. Jack goes to the station to meet with Roscoe who tells him dinner isn’t going to happen because another body has been found not far from the other body. Oscar comes outside to see if Paul told Jack anything when they were locked up although Jack says no. Jack tries to leave, but Oscar wants him to come to the morgue with them.

Oscar wants him to do what he says. They arrive at the Lawton County Coroner’s office a short time later. Jasper (Harvey Guillen) tells them that the guy was shot in the back of the head. It was dark and he was shot from a long distance so the killer couldn’t find him and just left him there. Jasper admits it is his first murders and he hopes they know who did it. They don’t. He says they haven’t identified either of the victims yet. Some of the first victim’s dental work was done in the US while other were foreign. His fingerprints were compromised by a dermatitis reaction. Jack looks at the monitor before saying the victim was allergic to latex so the killers must’ve worn some type of polyvinyl protective suit to protect themselves from DNA. The victim grabbed them and that caused the allergic reaction. His dental work is off because he had his teeth fixed wherever he was living at the time. When he was in Berlin, his right arm was broken and set at eight. His tonsils were taken out at ten in Seoul. When Jack checks the body, he says they were wrestling and he pinned him against the stove.

He didn’t know his mother had just turned it off. He explains that is how his brother got that scar. As Jack storms out, they follow him and try to find out why his brother was in Margrave. He gets into an argument with Oscar so Roscoe has to step in and break it up. Oscar asks what he is doing in Margrave and demands the truth. Jack continues saying he came to town because of Blind Blake. Oscar threatens to find a reason to lock him up again. Roscoe doesn’t think Jack would beat up Oscar because he has kind eyes. She defuses the situation. As they drive away, Reacher wonders if his brother told him about Blind Blake for a reason. He wonders if he is supposed to do something. When Oscar asks what, Jack says find and kill everyone responsible.

 

Reacher Review

At this point, I think it is too early to really form an accurate opinion about Amazon’s Jack Reacher. It is going to take some time and effort to get to know the characters and really begin caring for them. Since I haven’t read the novels, I am coming in without any knowledge of the characters or story. If a television adaptation is well done, I wouldn’t think this would be a big problem though. Alan Ritchson obviously worked hard for this role having read the novels to prepare.

He fits the bill and should be a fun duo with Willa Fitzgerald or Marc Bendavid. While I typically prefer other genres, the fighting scenes were fun so I’d expect action fans to enjoy them. The only things I am worried about are the pacing and the story. I wasn’t immediately grabbed by the opening episode although there were a few fun scenes. On top of that, it seemed a bit slow at times.

Again, it is just too early to say whether Reacher will be a fun, action-packed series from Amazon. We should find out after a couple more episodes. The opener scores a 7 out of 10. Recaps of Reacher can be found on Reel Mockery here. Learn how to support the Reel Mockery project by following this link.