This week’s episode of Reacher was definitely a step up from last week, but not by much. Better only gets you so far when the quality is this poor.
While I wasn’t bothered as much by this episode, it still bugged me in a few spots. Worse, I find myself genuinely bored most of the time, and there are fewer sins more grave than that when it comes to an action TV series.
Some annoying bits from this episode:
- “I like that he’s a firefighter. They have a sense of duty and honor.” Are you serious with this line, Reacher writers? This is when they’re discussing where to hide the New Age lady and her kid—a totally superfluous scene by the way—and Dixon mentions her old apartment and landlord. “I like that he’s a firefighter” would have been a fine line by itself. Adding in “They have a sense of duty and honor” is beyond cheesy (I could tell you about some firefighters that don’t have either of those things, but that’s also beside the point).
- The flashbacks are bad. They should have wrapped up in the first two episodes. The drug investigation is dull. It’s used so that characters in the present can say lines like “with your chin up” and then we can learn why that has meaning to them in the next flashback scene.
- The gunfight between the 110th and the bad soldiers was so, so, so very bad. Would a soldier demand a warrant when the MPs show up? I’m not military but I don’t think that’s how it works. Would the drug buyers roll in all high-octane and start a shootout with the US military? I doubt that, too. They haven’t bought the drugs yet, why get into a fight with trained soldiers when you could just keep your cash and go buy somewhere else? This isn’t a gang war. Worse, the actual gunfight is horribly choreographed and all of the good guys emerge without a scratch. That’s a running theme this season.
- Of course, then Dixon and O’Donnell are captured off-screen while Reacher and Neagley head out to get some revenge. They include an entire extended scene about where to hide some random woman and her daughter but don’t show the part where the bad guys finally get an upper hand on the good guys.
- Speaking of revenge, I don’t love Reacher’s two revenge killings. He kills the corrupt police chief and another cop that was sent to kill Russo. Something tells me Russo would prefer both these men behind bars, convicted for their crimes rather than murdered in cold blood. I don’t think Reacher is above revenge killing, but murdering a guy in his hospital bed just feels overly sadistic for our brawny hero.
- I did like the guitar scene in the flashback, which gave the Special Investigations Unit a bit of extra fraternity and humanity that’s been a little muted throughout the season despite the show’s best efforts to beat us over the head with the idea. A little late, though.
- Did anyone else think that AM was going to stab the truck driver with his itty bitty knife? I did. That’s really the extent of AM’s character. Stabby stab stab with the itsy bitsy knifey. I am curious what role he plays in the finale next week, but man they’ve really dragged out his road trip across America subplot.
In the end, Reacher heads out to rescue his friends. Langston’s goons have been torturing Dixon and O’Donnell (one even stabbed Dixon in the arm, what the heck) and when he arrives they’re strapped to gurneys, ready to be tossed out of helicopters (a cheap and subtle way to dispose of bodies). A lively tune—Super Bon Bon by Soul Coughing—blasts its 90s bounce as Reacher strolls confidently, menacingly up to the gate and Langston looks on, smug and stupidly, blissfully unaware of the danger he’s in.
This is probably the best moment of the episode. A solid needle drop. Move aside, And let the man go through. Let the man go through. That’s pretty much Reacher in a nutshell.
In any case, you’d think an episode with torture, revenge killing, shootouts with drug dealers, two of the crew getting kidnapped and an impending final brawl would be exciting, but it was mostly just very boring and predictable. I’m not worried about Dixon or O’Donnell because they’re almost certainly going to survive. The plot armor is so thick it’s practically impenetrable at this point. There’s no tension or surprise in either the flashback timeline or the present. It’s all just very dull.
But I like that he’s a firefighter. Firefighters are honorable and brave, filled with a sense of duty and patriotism. Firefighters can set up a tent in three minutes.They’re gentle but fierce, friends to strangers and small children, and usually also very good listeners. Many people admire firefighters and they are very popular at parties and other social engagements. Firefighters are known to enjoy the sound of radar and for their courage even in the face of terrible danger, and most are well-mannered especially with kids, the elderly and the insane. They are often splendid dancers and can rescue cats from tall trees.
Sigh.
Let me know your thoughts on Twitter and Facebook.
