The formidable, hulking hobo Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) returns for a third round of serving justice with stoic righteousness and giant muscles in Prime's hit series Reacher. This time, the ex-Army Military Police Major investigates an arms dealer presumably responsible for the disappearance of a DEA informant. 

 

The first season of Reacher was a critical hit. Ritchson's bulging biceps, enjoyable intellect, and snarky attitude were the reasons to tune in. Season 2 took a nosedive, becoming hammier with questionable acting, fantastical disregard for physics, and a murky plot. In many ways, Season 2 dumbed down when it should have escalated. Season 3 is following suit with the series' penchant for degradation.

 

Reacher teams up with DEA agents to infiltrate the smuggling operation run by Zachary Beck (Anthony Michael Hall) by staging a fake kidnapping attempt on Beck's son, Richard (Johnny Berchtold). Reacher infiltrates the criminal network to help the DEA and satisfy his other motive: locate and neutralize the true top threat, Francis Xavier Quinn (Brian Tee), the man responsible for the death of Reacher's former soldier, Sergeant First Class Dominique Kohl (Mariah Robinson). 

 

Armed with a sense to do what is right by helping the little guy take down the big guy and, hopefully, appeasing his guilt about Kohl's death, Reacher amps up his one-man directive in another bloody, profane season.

 

Based on Lee Child's seventh Reacher book, Persuader, the third season sees the return of former Army Sergeant France Neagley (Maria Sten) as Reacher's reliable emergency "guy-in-the-chair" who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty, either. Sonya Cassidy joins as DEA Agent Susan Duffy, an operative whose beauty juxtaposes her Boston accent, spewing out anger and frustration—very New England. Reacher also meets a physically formidable opponent in the shape of Beck's henchman Paulie (the 7'2" Dutch Olivier Richters). 

 

I am two ways about this series, I find it painfully insulting to my logical brain yet ambivalently accepting of its fun ridiculousness. I lump Season 3 in with this diagnosis. Yes, Season 1 was the superior outing, but all three seasons land on messaging the same way. 

 

Reacher, the character, is written to be more of a superhero instead of an average, unlucky, drifting former investigator. Jack Reacher is a projection of the male fantasy. He is tall, good-looking, barrel-chested, and is usually the smartest guy in the room. So, in a lizard-brain caveman retelling of Mt Olympus heroes of the ancient world type of way, he is the model of excellence. He answers to no one and always wins. 

 

This writing limits the character's growth; he faces a few conflicts this season that challenge this painted-into-a-corner archetype. There is one decent anticipatory fight sequence late in the season that was enjoyable. But getting there is a chore. Outside of the few written jokes that land, most of the dialogue had me rolling my eyes. This show's procedural nature has played its hand two seasons back, demolishing any surprise or investment in the characters or stakes. 

 

The acting this season is bad. Some of that is the poor writing, but outside of Ritchson, who has developed decent chops, the rest of the cast delivered their lines with excruciating blandness. 

 

While I can kick my feet up, eat snacks, and use that lizard brain of mine to push through this new season, I find myself hoping this is the last one they make. It is not a huge ask for the showrunners to return to season 1 form; frankly, it was not a high bar to reach. 

 

Perhaps my position will put me in the minority, and maybe Reacher's spell just does not work on me. This show has an audience, and I wish them all the enjoyment they can squeeze out of these eight dry episodes. It is easy to have a large following when the show plays to the lowest common denominator.