I’ve Waited 3 Seasons For Amazon’s Reacher To Deliver On The Franchise’s Most Outrageous Kill

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One of my favorite scenes from the Jack Reacher books hasn’t appeared in the Amazon TV series yet, but I’m hoping season four will include it. The character of Jack Reacher, created by Lee Child, is a massive 6’5″ and incredibly muscular. Because of this, Tom Cruise didn’t quite seem right for the role in the 2012 movie.

Alan Ritchson has stepped into the role of Jack Reacher flawlessly and will be back for both season four and a new spin-off series called Neagley. The first Jack Reacher movie was based on the book One Shot, but had to simplify the story and remove some parts. To make it believable, a particularly dramatic death scene was also cut.

I’m Still Waiting For Reacher To Bear Hug Somebody To Death

Fans of both the books and the TV show know Jack is a very logical thinker, carefully considering all his options before acting. In One Shot, he’s sneaking into the villains’ hideout and comes across two guards he needs to bypass.

To silence them, Reacher quickly stabbed one attacker in the neck, then grabbed Vladimir. He lifted the powerfully built Russian off the ground and began to squeeze, effectively stopping him from fighting back and preventing him from calling for help by cutting off his air.

Essentially, in “One Shot,” Reacher kills a man by crushing him in a bear hug. It’s a uniquely imaginative scene that only Lee Child could write, and it’s one of my favorite deaths in the entire series. This dramatic moment was left out of the 2012 movie adaptation.

Why Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher Didn’t Use This OTT Death

When fans questioned Tom Cruise’s casting as Jack Reacher, the filmmakers explained that there weren’t any established movie stars who physically resembled the character as described in the books. They decided to prioritize finding an actor who could capture Reacher’s smarts and powerful personality.

While a sensible decision, focusing on realism meant toning down Reacher’s over-the-top stunts and incredible strength. Thankfully, the movie avoided recreating the infamous bear hug death scene – a moment that would have likely appeared ridiculous with Cruise performing it on a large Russian man.

I Hope Reacher Season 4 Will Finally Deliver On This Kill

Image courtesy of Everett Collection

A subtle nod to the plot of One Shot in season 2 of Reacher indicates the show likely won’t retell the story from the 2005 book. This is a good decision, as it avoids unnecessary comparisons between Tom Cruise’s portrayal of Reacher and Alan Ritchson’s.

The show still hasn’t featured the memorable “bear hug” kill from the book, and I was expecting it in earlier seasons. Unfortunately, Reacher hasn’t been the type to use that move so far. I’m still optimistic that season 4, based on the novel Gone Tomorrow, will finally include it.

The show Reacher has been good at mixing realistic police work with the character’s over-the-top abilities. Since they were able to pull off the intense Paulie fight in the season 3 finale, the bear hug death scene should definitely be included.

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2026-02-26 21:41