Amazon Prime recently released a brand new thriller series based on a popular series of novels by Lee Child. The novel series (still going strong after 26 books) follows one main character, retired military policeman, Jack Reacher.
Amazon’s series takes on the first novel in the series (Killing Floor) to introduce the character to streaming audiences. Be sure to check out our preview of the series! Let’s dig into episode one and what the series has in store for viewers.
It Starts with a Murder
As with many mystery shows and movies, the series kicks off with a murder. In the middle of the night, we see a man shot, beaten post-mortem, and disposed of outside a small town in rural Georgia, called Margrave.
It’s a brutal killing on the outskirts of town, with assailants we don’t see and a victim we don’t know anything about. We don’t see anyone’s faces or have any idea what precipitated the murder.
Meet Jack Reacher
Next up, we see a man getting off a Greyhound bus at a crossroads near Margrave in the morning. It’s not a bus stop, but just a crossroad in the middle of nowhere. The man carries no luggage or even a backpack as he walks into town. He makes his way to the local diner to order a piece of pie (the best in Georgia!). We get a sense of the man in these early scenes.
First off, he’s a big dude. Like NFL player big. We haven’t technically been introduced to him yet, but this is our title character, Jack Reacher or just Reacher. In the books, Reacher is described as 6’ 5” and weighing in the neighborhood of 250 lbs.
A quick note that Reacher was previously played on the big screen by Tom Cruise in two films. While the movies weren’t bad, fans of the books (myself included) always struggled just a bit with how Cruise (5’ 7”) could play a character described as nearly a foot taller.
Before he can even take a bite of pie, the diner is surrounded by local police officers. We see Reacher scan the restaurant, looking for who they might be targeting, realize there is no one else interesting but him, and then prepare for the influx of police by becoming as non-threatening as a huge man can be. He is quickly arrested for murder. Not exactly the way he probably expected his day to go.
The Local Police Department
The local Margrave PD includes the stereotypical group of rural police officers, along with a competent seeming female officer (Roscoe) and a captain of detectives (Finlay). Reacher is processed and taken in for questioning by Finlay.
Initially, he says nothing, offering not even his own name. But, his prints bring up an initial file where Finlay learns he is a retired Army Major from the 101st special investigative unit.
Reacher eventually speaks with Finlay, explaining that he couldn’t have committed the murder, since he was on a bus at that time, making his way to Margrave. Admittedly, his reason for visiting the town - wanting to see the town where a historic blues musician died - isn’t exactly ringing true.
Reacher is put into a holding cell, while Finlay and Roscoe check out a lead from the murder victim’s body, a local phone number on a scrap of paper in his shoe. This leads them to the home of Paul Hubble, a finance banker who is extremely nervous talking to them, noticing a black sedan parked across the street. Hubble quickly confesses to the murder, though he can’t get the details right.
The Plot Thickens
Despite Hubble’s confession, Finlay decides that he and Reacher should stay in custody over the weekend until a judge can get them released. He knows something weird is going on with Hubble and perhaps hopes that he will confide in Reacher.
The two are sent to the local prison for the weekend, where a crooked guard puts them in with the general population rather than a holding cell. This leads to an attempt on Reacher’s life by a bunch of hired prisoners.
In two scenes, we get to know Reacher’s penchant for violence, as he first takes down one prisoner, who is intimidating Hubble and later the hired killers. The rest of the guards realize that Reacher and Hubble have no business outside of a holding cell and quickly return them to a safer location.
Hubble does begin confiding in Reacher a bit, explaining that he got himself into a situation with a criminal organization and now he is afraid for his life and the lives of his wife and daughters.
The two are released and Reacher plans to leave town, but first has a brief run-in with the son of a rich local businessman and then stops by the police department. He is informed that there has now been a second murder, and is taken to the morgue to see if he just happens to know anything that might help the case. He takes one look at the first murder victim’s body and recognizes him. The victim is Reacher’s brother.
What’s the Initial Verdict?
It’s a solid start to the series. The actor (Alan Ritchson) playing Reacher is more in line with the size and physicality of the books and also has a very taciturn, matter-of-fact way about him. The story presents a mystery and leads us right into the next episode. It’s off to a good start!
