As Amazon Prime Video’s Reacher series continues to adapt Lee Child’s novels, season 1 started with book one, Killing Floor. However, season 2 is taking a problematic turn by deviating from the correct book order. Instead of adapting book two, the series is adapting book 11, Bad Luck and Trouble.
While some fans are concerned about Reacher season 2 missing crucial elements due to skipping ten books, there are other issues that might prove significant. The show didn’t strictly follow book one, introducing Neagley in season 1 despite her not appearing until the sixth book. It’s possible Reacher season 2 will continue to take creative liberties with the adaptations, but there’s a major concern regarding Jack Reacher himself.
How Skipping 10 Books Gives Reacher A Future Problem
At first glance, skipping ten books between Reacher seasons 1 and 2 might not seem like a significant issue, but it raises an intriguing question: Will Jack Reacher age on television as he does in the books? In the book series, Lee Child’s Jack Reacher ages based on the year each new book is published. Born in 1960, Reacher was 36 when Killing Floor was published in 1997. As each book is published, Reacher ages, making him in his early 60s in the most recent books.
Lee Childs weaves the storyline and themes into Reacher’s age. Alan Ritchson, who portrays Reacher, is close to the character’s age in the first book. The eleventh Jack Reacher novel was published in 2007, making Reacher approximately 46. To stay true to the theme, Reacher season 2 would need to age Jack Reacher by about a decade.
Reacher’s Age Can’t Be Entirely Ignored Because Of The Books
Alan Ritchson stars in Reacher season 2, and the show isn’t recasting the lead actor. While ignoring the age difference between character and actor for the events of Bad Luck and Trouble might not be a significant issue, it creates a problem for the future. If the show continues to skip around to different books each season, Reacher’s age won’t align with the plots.
Reacher’s age is an essential aspect of the books, as his issues in each novel are largely tied to his age and life stage. Telling Jack Reacher’s story out of order might become problematic because it’s nearly impossible to ignore his age in each book. As the show progresses, it’s possible that Alan Ritchson might need to be recast with an older actor, or makeup artists will have to age the actor enough to portray a man more than two decades older. Either way, Reacher’s age is a crucial element of his story and Reacher season 2.
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