Reacher S2 Rendered Its Villain Pointless By Ignoring the Book

Summary:

• The first season of Reacher featured an impressive trio of villains, each delightfully loathsome in their own way
• Unfortunately, the bad guys from season 2 weren't nearly as satisfying, although Shane Langston was pretty decent
• A.M., on the other hand, was given a lot of build-up, which ultimately led to a very disappointing resolution

The Reacher TV series made an exceptionally strong debut with its first season back in 2022, instantly earning the love of fans with its intense story, visceral action and great characters.

Almost every good story needs an equally impressive antagonist, and the show did not disappoint, introducing viewers to three main villains, KJ Kliner, Mayor Teale, and Picard, each of whom was delightfully loathsome in their own way.

Unfortunately, many fans of the show felt that the second season was a massive downgrade in almost every way, and the quality of the antagonists was no exception.

Reacher Season 2 Villains Were Pretty Underwhelming

While Shane Langston, portrayed by none other than Robert Patrick himself, was pretty decent overall, although the character still acted stupid and useless on many occasions, including the final fight, the same can't be said for the season's secondary villain.

A.M., portrayed by Ferdinand Kingsley, was given a lot of build-up over the course of the second season, traveling across the country, constantly changing identities, and creepily giving comic books to random kids.

But for most of the story, the arms dealer has done little more than look sinister, leading fans to believe they are in for an epic showdown that will reveal the true extent of the character's power and some impressive combat skills.

Much to their surprise, in the final episode of season 2, Reacher and his team manage to easily ambush the shady arms dealer and completely obliterate him in a hail of bullets, denying viewers a satisfying confrontation.

A.M. Had a Slightly Different Fate in the Novel

To be fair, the villain suffered almost the same fate in the original novel, Bad Luck and Trouble, so it wasn't entirely the show's fault that the outcome was so anticlimactic.

The main difference, however, is that in the book, A.M. actually survived the encounter and was turned over to the authorities, which was a little less abrupt than his demise in the show.

Many fans feel that since the show had already deviated from the source material in certain ways, the writers could have provided a more satisfying conclusion to the arms dealer's arc, but sadly, it was made even more underwhelming.

Hopefully, the third season of the series, which is currently in production, will treat the formidable villain of the Persuader novel with respect and feature a truly spectacular showdown between him and Jack.