Smoke on the Water

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.

This one was one of the worst. The writers seem to have a sadistic bent with this one, including more Russian roulette, brutal torture and beatings, a graphic strangulation, a large fishing hook to the foot and worst of all... Reacher's naked butt. Oh, and to make the episode even more awful, we get the return of the insufferable character Neagley, because there just weren't enough random characters scrambled into this episode, we need to have her return, of course girlboss-style, casually taking down some deadly assassins and then eating her fruit loops while watching one die. You know, the third season started well but episodes like this one are causing it to rapidly plummet. You're supposed to get people interested in the series resolution, not leave them disgusted.

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.

Season 3, especially Episode 6, has lost the essence of what made Reacher great. Instead of a compelling action thriller, we get forced scenes, illogical decisions, and unnecessary moments like the nudity that add nothing of value and utterly ruins the mood.

The nudity in Episode 6 felt completely unnecessary and out of place. Instead of adding depth to the characters or enhancing the story, it came off as a forced and awkward scene that i am sure many will find distasteful. Reacher has never needed explicit content to be engaging, and this felt like a lazy attempt to grab attention rather than serve the narrative.

If the show continues down this path, it risks alienating the fanbase that made it popular in the first place.

I am currently binge watching this and I'm on 3:4. Just read some of these comments. I'm actually laughing my head off. All these comments about reachers nudity being unnecessary and ridiculous and pointless and blah blah blah. These have GOT to be written by men. Men who don't look like reacher. Can I sense a little jealousy here guys? You're upset because you don't look like that? Well imagine how women have felt for years and years of having naked women in everything. Usually pointless and unnecessary just gratuitous. And women watching being upset because they don't look like those women. It's 50/50 now guys. It's ok for women to be naked on screen but not men? Get over yourselves. Don't be pathetic and jealous. Go to the gym. And yes more reacher nudity please. Thankyou. Also the show is really good.