Smoke on the Water

Reachr comes face to face with Quinn and the latter really has amnesia. He fails to recognise the man mountain Reacher.

Even better news for Reacher. Quinn is under pressure from the Russian mafia. Quinn owes them money and time is running out.

Reacher also finds out that Teresa is miraculously still alive. She is being kept somewhere drugged up.

The biggest fly in the ointment is that Richard Beck knows that his attempted kidnapping was faked and Reacher was involved.

Also Reacher's cover is blown and he needs to evade the baddies.

There are several threads at play here. The return of Neagley back in action. Reacher has to hope for self preservation but he knows the Becks are in serious trouble as well.

Rather entertaining in a potboiler sort of way.

Anyone who gives this a negative review must not enjoy watching the good guys kick ass. Not sure what else to think. Reacher goes straight Rambo on the bad guys...take some pressure off all the small story line mishaps and just enjoy the damn show. And I thought the fruit loop scene is PHENOMENAL screen writing and acting. Yes, a few torturous scenes that make you wanna hit quick fast forward, but it's only setting the stage for one helluva finale in my opinion.

Not sure what people expect to see here, but this was one of those episodes that when it ended I was only pissed i gotta wait another week for the next one!

People want to complain about Ritchson's acting or his politics or Cassidy's Boston accent or any number of things people choose to gripe about but at one point blame needs to land where it should: the source material.

Granted I've read very few Reacher novels but what I did read wasn't exactly impressive. Airport reading material fodder at best so why do people have such high expectations when the source material is tepid at best?

So, a tepid episode like this one is what we get. There was a nice twist that could have ramped up the tension for the next episodes but it was squandered because Reacher (book or series form) is not about real intrigue or tension or drama, it's about big dumb fun. People should remind themselves of this when they want to elevate this to (semi) high art. It's just a big muscley guy shooting guns and punching people.

I've read all the Reacher novels. Many of them several times. I read a lot. Persuader is in my top 5. So, I've enjoyed this season. Personally, I think this was the best episode of the season.

It departs a bit from the book. But that's fine.

I also like Duffy. I get it, some folks don't like her accent. But I'm from Chicago and she sounds exactly like what people from Chicago think people from Boston sound like. Plus, I like the character. Let's face it season 1's Roscoe set the bar pretty high. But I think Duffy is great.

I also love Neagley. I'll admit at first I didn't like the actress playing Neagley, because when I read the books I pictured Neagley shorter. Mraia Sten is quite tall But now when I read the books I picture Maria Sten as Neagley. She has definitely won me over and I think she is great in the roll. I also think this episode in particular is really great for her.

This episode was great. I saw a review that gave this episode 1 star! ... REALLY? I have no idea what people want.

And then this episode dropped. No spoilers, but just a bunch of Hollywood drivel that irreparably breaks the fourth wall. Convoluted things. Stupid things. Just plain unbelievable-wouldn't-happen-in-a-million years things.

Turns out this season, just like the last two, has a veneer of promise that ultimately gives way to poor writing.

Why is common sense so difficult for these writers? I mean this whole industry? You don't need to make high art, just don't sabotage and shoot yourself in the foot like this. Everything wrong with this episode, and I assume this season going forward, could have easily been avoided.