There was a long wait for Alan Ritchson’s iteration of Jack Reacher to return, with the first season dropping in February 2022, and Reacher Season 2 launching towards the back end of 2023, but wow, the wait was well worth it.

The 8-episode sophomore run is a vast improvement on the debut season and one of the best action series of all time. For a show that has essentially a new cast surrounding Ritchson, they are instantly likeable, and by episode 2 you’ll be saying, Roscoe who?

One of the highlights of the season is legendary Hollywood villain Robert Patrick as the big bad Robert Langston, who is head of operations at the mysterious company New Age Technologies, and he is trying to get hold of some missiles for some very naughty reasons.

He is perfectly cast and despite not having the physical stature of Ritchson, he proves to be a formidable villain. There is also a very cool Terminator 2 reference which will make you laugh out loud if you are a true action junkie.

Maria Sten reprises her role as Frances Neagley after guest starring in season 1 and is basically the female Reacher, and she intrigues with her no-touching policy and superb action skills.

She is joined by Serinda Swan and Shaun Sipos as Karla Dixon and David O’Donnell, respectively, to round out the former members of the 110th Special Investigations Unit. They regroup because other members in the 110th start turning up dead.

We get regular flashbacks of the 110th in action during each episode to give some background on how this group became so close knit, and as much as these are good because the chemistry between the cast is so strong, the present day action would’ve been enough to showcase the bond that exists between them.

A new addition to Season 2 is humour. There are so many funny one-liners that give respite to the intense action and high stakes. There is also a return of fan favourite Oscar Finlay in a Boston-set episode, which is very much welcome.

The action sequences are uncompromising, with the 110th proving to be formidable heroes. It’s not just the Alan Ritchson show, with the supporting cast getting more than enough action.

As the season goes past its halfway mark, it just keeps getting better and better. There are spectacular explosions and interesting character revelations and dramatic endings to each episode, making Amazon Prime’s new week-to-week dropping of episodes all the more agonising.

Episode 6’s final act is full of some of the most incredibly tense moments ever seen in a television show as we say farewell to a major character, but it raises the stakes and pushes the narrative forward for the last 2 gut-wrenching episodes.

The last episode of season 2 is the best of the lot as it brings everything together with a very satisfying climax. The long awaited stand off between Reacher and Langston lives up to expectations, and it feels like a classic action movie showdown.

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Simple Man’ is the perfect song to end this old-school action series in style, but fear not, Reacher will return for Season 3, and it has a lot to live up to.