Reacher Season 2: Latest News, Release Date, Trailer, Source Material, and More

Amazon Prime Video's Reacher is a hit as big as Jack Reacher's biceps. And after almost two long years of waiting for more of Alan RItchson's oversized free-range detective, who has an appetite for food, good music, violence, but only one change of clothes, Season 2 has arrived to rave reviews and more fan adulation. 

Reacher was renewed for a second season faster than Reacher could beat up two guys, which was very fast indeed. Whether you're caught up on the new season or not, you might have questions. What Jack Reacher book is it based on? When are new episodes of Reacher Season 2 released? Which cast members are returning? Is Reacher renewed for Season 3? We'll try to answer all those questions below, and update the post as more details are released.

Reacher latest news

Reacher is big, we all know that, but Reacher is even bigger. TV Line reports that Nielsen's latest streaming ratings, the first to include Season 2 of Reacher, put Prime Video's action hit at the top with 1.7 billion minutes viewed for the week of Dec. 11, 2023. (Reacher was released on Dec. 15.) Season 1 actually did better, with 1.8 billion minutes viewed in its first week, but the entire first season was dropped in its first week; Season 2 only released three episodes in its first week in favor of a weekly rollout. In second place was Netflix's The Crown with 1.2 billion minutes.

Reacher Season 2 review

Are you enjoying Season 2? We are, too. In his review for TV Guide, Kyle Fowle says Reacher Season 2 is bigger and better than Season 1, because it's "allowed to be as gratuitous, goofy, and bloody as it needs to be." Read the review here.

Reacher Season 2 release date, schedule, and episode count

On Nov. 7, Amazon Prime Video announced that Season 2 would drop on Friday, Dec. 15 with its first three episodes, followed by new episodes weekly through Jan. 19. To save you the math, that means Reacher Season 2 will have eight episodes. This is a different rollout; Season 1 was released all at once.

Reacher Season 2 trailer

Reacher is back, baby. The new trailer gives us our first good look at Season 2, and it feels like it's expanding the Reacher universe by leaps and bounds while still bringing us the comfort of Reacher's dry wit and heavy hands from Season 1. 

How many other TV heroes out there can kick a car and set off its air bag? 

An extended clip of Season 2 was also included in the Season 3 announcement.

Previously, Amazon gave us our first look at the new season in a video released on Prime Day. The biggest difference is the setting: Reacher is no longer in a small town. Can the big city handle the big man?

Reacher Season 2 production and filming

Alan Ritchson let the world know in September 2022 that filming on Season 2 had officially begun, and, with the help of some visual aids, that Season 2 will be bigger than Season 1. 

In late February 2023, Ritchson — covered in bloody makeup and looking like he just wrestled three crocodiles in the middle of a category 5 tornado — returned to Twitter to let fans know that the crew had finished shooting Season 2, and that they've delivered on the promise of making things bigger and better than ever. And yes, he wrapped things up with the oversized slate. 

Which book does Reacher Season 2 follow, and what's it about?

Reacher Season 1 covered the first book in Lee Child's Jack Reacher books, Killing Floor. As for Season 2, star Alan Ritchson revealed which book it will be based on via Twitter in May 2022. 

Bad Luck and Trouble is the eleventh book in the series, and it sees Reacher investigating the murders of his old military police squad. Series creator Nick Santora has said that Reacher won't follow the books chronologically, so expect further seasons to bounce around again.

Amazon's official logline for the season is a bit more harsh: "When the members of Reacher's old military unit start turning up dead, Reacher has just one thing on his mind — revenge." Hell yeah, dude.

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Who stars in Reacher Season 2?

It wouldn't be Reacher without Jack Reacher, so it's obvious that Alan Ritchson is back as the big ol' lug, despite the fact that he's about to become a huge movie star after joining the Fast & Furious franchise. But the Reacher TV series was always meant to stay true to Reacher's wandering ways from the books, meaning the show isn't obligated to meet up again with Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin), Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald), or other citizens of Margrave, Georgia. This has been all but confirmed by Fitzgerald, who said she always knew Roscoe was only going to be in Season 1 in an interview with Digital Spy. As for Finlay? You'll have to watch Season 2 to find out.

However, as Deadline reported, Season 2 does include Season 1 vet Frances Neagley (Maria Sten), who was one of Reacher's old squadmates on his military police team. Frances is a recurring character in the Reacher novels, so it makes sense that she's going to recur in the show, too.

In September 2022, Deadline revealed that Shaun Sipos, who was last seen on Prime Video's Outer Range as Luke Tillerson, would play David O'Donnell, Reacher's pal from the 110th Army unit of special investigators. He's a major lead in the season opposite Ritchson. 

Later in September 2022, Deadline reported more cast members, including Serinda Swan (Marvel's Inhumans), Ferdinand Kingsley (Sandman), and Rory Cochrane (CSI: Miami). Swan plays special investigator Karla Dixon, Kingsley plays undercover mercenary A.M., and Cochrane was originally set to play private defense contractor security head Shane Langston. But Deadline reported in May that Cochrane was replaced by Robert Patrick due to scheduling difficulties. Can a Terminator take a punch by Reacher?

Additionally, Domenick Lombardozzi, Luke Bilyk, Dean McKenzie, Edsson Morales, Andres Collantes, Shannon Kook-Chun, Ty Victor Olsson, Josh Blacker, and Al Sapienza also star in Season 2 in various roles. 

Has Reacher been renewed for Season 3?

Yes! Prime Video announced the Season 3 renewal on Dec. 2 from Brazil's CCXP Expo. Alan Ritchson shared the news in a video, as he is wont to do, along with an extended clip of Season 2. No details about the season were revealed. 

More shows like Reacher

If you're looking for more shows to watch that are like Reacher, we've put together a list. The shows included all share some DNA with Reacher, whether they feature a wise-cracking detective who does things their own way, shared cast members, or a big muscly dude who likes to punch people. Here are more shows like Reacher.

Reacher Season 1 review

We were impressed with the adaptation of Reacher for the small screen, and especially loved the casting of Ritchson as Reacher. Though there was room for improvement, we breezed through the episodes. It should also be noted that we felt the series got better as the season went along right up to the finale, but were only able to watch the first five episodes for review. Here's our review.

Where can I watch Reacher?

Reacher Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Prime Video. New episodes of Reacher Season 2 are released Fridays on Prime Video.