‘REACHER’ PROVES TV STILL WANTS REAL MASCULINITY

When he’s not shooting down bad guys, Jack Reacher is busy breaking their legs or gouging their eyes out. He’s the kind of gritty television hero we can’t seem to shake: all-American, a man’s man, making the world he inhabits more delightful for it. 

The second season of the crime thriller series “Reacher,” based on the series of books by Lee Child, debuted last month on Amazon Prime. Alan Ritchson plays the title role.

The show follows the adventures of Jack Reacher, an ex-military police officer who in the first season was falsely accused of murder while passing through a small Georgia town. Reacher and the few friends he makes along the way find their physical and mental prowess tested by the ever-growing conspiracy against them, with small-town thugs giving way to national crime.

Season two brings back only a handful of recurring characters as the ever-independent Reacher discovers a plot against his former military companions while living as a drifter in the South. It’s lacking the charm of small-town Georgia, but remains action-packed and engaging.

I’m not normally a crime thriller kind of person  — my youngest brother will tell you that I fell asleep during “The Dark Knight” — but after watching the first two episodes of the new season, I was hooked.

Reacher is the kind of hero we need but have forgotten to ask for: self-assured, bold, demanding of himself and others, patriotic, and ready to put his life on the line to protect the innocent. He’s as masculine as they come. For better or for worse, Reacher spends little time examining his feelings or being “in touch” with his emotions. Rather, he acts.

The core of the show, Reacher is shamelessly himself. He, for one, must not have heard that masculinity is toxic, or perhaps he just doesn’t care.

The first season garnered a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and its success proves that America is still hungry for the kind of hero John Wayne and Clint Eastwood once portrayed. While set far from the Wild West, “Reacher” still capitalizes on our fascination with brazen, gun-slinging masculinity. Viewers have the assurance that if Reacher is in the room, everything will be okay.

Reacher’s cowboy-style morals are questionable at times, particularly in the bedroom. Nevertheless, my family and I found that skipping the sex scenes didn’t detract from the plot or our enjoyment of the series.

I admittedly winced at some of the more violent parts, but there’s something delightful about the straightforwardness of the show, not bogged down by the intense introspection and navel-gazing we’re so used to in the media these days. Reacher does what’s necessary without hesitation.

“Reacher” isn’t for everyone. Don’t expect the character complexity of a period drama or the cinematic splendor of a Wes Anderson film. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but it’s well-paced, captivating, and ultimately satisfying, in a cowboy-justice kind of way. I, for one, will be tuning in this Thursday as the final episode of season two is released.