What Happens In Atlantic City – The episode opens right where episode one ended at Tony Swan’s (Shannon Kook) house. Outside Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson), Frances Neagley (Maria Sten), and David O’Donnell (Shaun Sipos) debate about why whoever is after their team hasn’t managed to track the three of them down yet. Still upset from the discovery of Swan’s dehydrated dog, Reacher decides to introduce himself to whoever has been tailing them in the black sedan. He does so by kicking the front of the vehicle and dislodging the airbag. From there, he pretty much lays the guy out cold, only to discover later that he is NYPD Officer, Gaitano “Guy” Russo (Domenick Lombardozzi). Fleeing from the scene and teasing Reacher about his slip with the detective Naegly remembers seeing Russo’s name as the lead investigator in the Calvin Franz (Luke Bilyk) homicide. After throwing around theories about the case, the team decides their best move is to get away to Atlantic City for a few days.

Over the phone, Trevor Saropian (Joris Jarsky) updates Shane Langston (Robert Patrick) on Reacher and his team’s movements. Langston orders him to continue the pursuit and assures him that he’ll provide backup if and when needed to make a move on the team.

Reacher’s team debates transportation options while checking into the airport’s short-term parking garage. Reacher provides the solution when he spots and approaches Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan) getting in line to enter the airport terminal. He approaches her from behind and asks how her undercover assignment is going. After cleverly revealing how he read the evidence to learn she was working undercover, he asks her to rent an SUV for the team using her fake identity.

The short reunion causes Reacher to remember one of the first cases they worked together. It was a case that appeared to be about stolen aviation fuel but once they got into it, they learned that the extra fuel was being used to transport more weight they should have been necessary.

With Nagley at the wheel, the team shares their evidence with Dixon. Despite her experience as an accountant, she doesn’t get much from the numbers other than the fact that the fifth page has 27 numbers, whereas the others have 26. As for the names, she suspects them to be aliases as well. O’Donnell brings up the possibility of someone named James Barr being involved, but without providing details, Reacher claims he’s squashed that beef.

Just outside of Atlantic City, Saropian provides Langston with another update on the team. Now that Dixon has joined the team, Langston sees Atlantic City as the perfect opportunity to hit the team. He not only gives Saropian the okay to bring in additional manpower but assures him that he’ll cover the bill.

The visit to Orozco’s (Edsson Morales) trashed office yields a photo of Jorge Sanchez (Andres Collantes) and a lady at the “The Lucky Lounge.” Shortly, that lady is revealed to be Milena (Arlen Aguayo Stewart), although the information doesn’t come easy. With the help of the bartender (Emeka Menakaya) and another patron named, Dullworth (Kevan Kase), she nearly slips out on them. She later contributes edginess on being visited by someone fitting the description of Saropian. Other than Sanchez’s last words (650 at 100k each) and the fact that he and Orozco were working with Franz, the team doesn’t learn anything else from the visit.

At the Neptune Casino, the team attempts to figure out how Sanchez’s last words play into what they already know. After deciding that the whole case could simply be tied to gambling, Reacher request to speak with the casino’s head security when the waitress (Valentina Mendoza Guzman) approaches to take their drink order. With Sanchez and Orozco handling most of the background checks for the Boardwalk Casinos, Chief Wright (Lochlyn Munro) is more than familiar with them and the 110th. Wright is also more than eager to help, although he can’t offer much. At the reluctance of Reacher, he comps them a suite while promising to see if Orozco and Sanchez were working on anything for the other casinos.

After settling in the team joins in the main area of the suite for drinks. Reacher appears to feel a bit left out while the others trade updates about their careers and relationships. Sometime later that night, Reacher takes advantage of the hotel’s all-you-can-eat buffet while digging further into the evidence. On his way back to the room, he spots Dixon who has amassed a small fortune and an audience at one of the blackjack tables. It isn’t long before he also attracts the attention of the hotel’s Pit Boss (Omar Tucci) and is kindly encouraged to retire for the night. Although she turns down the hotel’s offer of free concert tickets, she requests Reacher’s help in collecting her chips.

The night soon turns into a late-night walk around the city where Dixon talks about her dream of starting a nonprofit watchdog accounting firm to monitor wasteful government activity. The discussion eventually leads to her asking why he never responded to any of her cues to approach her. After he claims that it wouldn’t have been right as her boss, they realize they are about to be boxed in by their pursuers. They devise a quick plan and use a nearby construction site to quickly dispose of Saropian and his team with little resistance. They move on to search Saropian’s car when it becomes clear they aren’t going to get any clues from the bodies. They not only find a dossier on the 110th unit, but Reacher finds a burner phone that leads to an uneventful conversation with Langston. Dixon does find their next lead in a “New Age Technologies” parking pass. After properly disposing of their attackers, the two return to the suite to patch up what minor injuries they sustained during the attack. This leads to a night of lovemaking.

In a secluded stretch of the Colorado Pines, AM meets with a contact who tells him that all 650 will be in the truck. A quick discussion and exchange of information suggests that AM’s contact is likely being leveraged to provide information about a weapons shipment. Despite his compromising position the man asks for confirmation that the driver will not be harmed and the weapons will only be used overseas. An unconvincing AM ensures him that will be the case.

The following morning, Reacher and Dixon share what they learned from their late-night encounter. A knock at the door puts them all on high alert, but it only turns out to be Chief Wright. He proceeds to tell them that two more bodies were found in the vicinity of where Franz was found. The huge back tattoo containing his dog tag number makes identifying Orozco easy. Identifying the other man as Sanchez goes just as quickly and things only get worse when Wright doesn’t have anything new to add to the investigation. As Dixon points out all the evidence leads to New York, Reacher makes plans to get more weapons.

 

Reacher Review

The investigation is heating up. I’m enjoying the way everything is playing out so far, although things seem a bit long-winded at times. For a show that should be tailored to action, I also felt that some of the fights were horribly choreographed. I almost felt embarrassed watching the Russo and Reacher scene. Other than this, I am glad to see that some other members of the 110th survived and joined the investigation. I don’t think I could have stomached the season if it was just Reacher and Neagley. Despite the negativity, I am enjoying the content thus far and would give it a 5.6 out of 10.

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