Both seasons of Reacher are available on Amazon Prime and its easily the best thing I've watched in six months.

I didn't realize that I was watching a cultural dynamo when I started watching Reacher on Amazon. But that was before The New York Times declared in a critic's notebook piece, "Reacher: Women Want What He's Got, and Not Just the Beefcake." Okay then, how can I possibly add to the discussion that this article started? Well first off, I really enjoy it, and I'm not a woman. But I think I like it for the very same reasons as the article put forth in early February: a jacked-up beast of a guy wanders around solving terrible crimes, has an incredible moral compass, and the ability to just walk up to menacing strangers with confidence and reduce them to a quaking puddle of fear with just a stare. And then (added to this mix) is that he's a thoughtful and attentive lover, displaying vast emotional intelligence and he's smart to boot. It sounds kinda like he's a Mary Sue, and he more than fits the bill for that. But sometimes there's a lot of comfort in a Mary Sue character who can just do everything effortlessly. And there's a lot of fun to be had in just watching Reacher punch things that really deserve punching.

In my opinion, season one of the show definitely outshines season two. But that isn't to say that I haven't enjoyed season two. If I had to guess at the differences in stories between seasons one and two, it's that season 1 was very contained in a more central location in the U.S., and that allowed for telling a more cohesive story with a smaller spread of characters. The fight scenes were also just extremely good. In season two, we have a bigger story, more characters, and the bad guy seems to have a rolodex of available assassins for hire (which makes for some pretty good conflicts). I joked with some friends (who I watch it with) that the villain of season 2 must be a great guy at parties because if anyone needs a hired killer, he's got a couple on speed dial. And this kinda punctures my suspension of disbelief a little, because I just can't believe how many hired assassins and trained killers that Reacher mows through on his way to the final villain. It seems...unrealistic...at least outside of a John Wick movie.

For fans of the books, written by Lee Childs (?) I think, there's plenty to love I suppose. I had no idea that Tom Cruise was a big disappointment to fans of the books, but I guess his smallness never matched up to the physical description of Reacher (6'5" with subcutaneous fat equal to a Kleenex tissue). You also have to just roll with this character. Obviously, there's no way the kinds of abuse that Reacher puts up with would ever actually be possible for a human to withstand...even one of his build. But, he's such a huge physical specimen that you just keep piling on the barely plausible scenarios, and it makes sense to your head that this guy would just keep on fighting. Alan Ritchson (the star of the show) is perfectly cast, and it is refreshing to see a non-twink character take the spotlight for once in a movie. Lately, in the age of the twink, all we see are the Tom Holland/Timothée Chalamet, skinny white kids being the heroes (and that's obviously what a lot of people want). Stranger Things is packed with these as is practically every other show on television (especially true if you watch anything on the CW). 

If I had to describe the flow of the show to someone who hasn't watched it, I'd say that it's like Sherlock Holmes and the Punisher (Marvel) fused together. The main character is bulletproof with plot armor, but it's fun and that counts for a lot in entertainment. I'd say it's probably my favorite series I've watched in the last six months, if that counts for anything. If you're looking for something to watch, I'd give Reacher a go if you have access to Amazon Prime's programming.

I hope to see y'all come back on Monday to hear what I have to say about Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on Apple plus. Have a good weekend.