"Reacher" returned for its fourth season on Prime Video on Wednesday, with Alan Ritchson back as Jack Reacher, the drifting ex-military policeman at the center of Lee Child's long-running novel series. Prime Video released the first three episodes at 3 a.m. Eastern time, with new installments dropping weekly through a finale set for mid-September.
The season adapts "Gone Tomorrow," the 13th novel in Child's series, and moves Reacher's usual highway-and-small-town setting to Philadelphia. The story opens with a chance encounter with a distressed stranger on a subway car, which pulls Reacher into a government conspiracy that the show has billed as its darkest and most violence-heavy plot to date. Amazon's own preview of the season promises a bigger scale than prior years while keeping the character's dry humor intact.
New Faces, Familiar Formula
Joining Ritchson this season are Sydelle Noel, Chris Marquette, AGNEZ MO, Anggun, Kevin Weisman, Marc Blucas, Kevin Corrigan and Kathleen Robertson. Prime Video has already renewed the show for a fifth season, which will adapt "Make Me," the 20th book in Child's series, with a cast that will include Amanda Ip, Jay Baruchel, Ciara Bravo and Kevin Durand.
The renewal reflects a franchise that has only grown since its 2022 debut. Season 3 drew roughly 54.6 million global viewers in its first 19 days on the service, Amazon has said, making it the platform's most-watched season over that early window since "Fallout" Season 1.
Season 4 has landed with a more divided critical reception than its predecessors. The season holds an 88% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes from early reviews, according to a tally reported by Forbes — a noticeable dip from the high-90s scores earlier seasons posted, though still comfortably positive. Coverage from the Hollywood Reporter's review roundup described critics as split, with some calling it the show's best outing yet and others finding the formula wearing thin. Most reviewers agreed that Ritchson remains the season's biggest asset, and several singled out the show's action choreography — including what multiple outlets called its bloodiest sequences to date — as a highlight even where the writing drew complaints.
For a series that has built its audience largely on word-of-mouth and Ritchson's physical performance rather than awards buzz, a still-positive but softer critical reception is unlikely to slow momentum. With Season 5 already in production planning and a new novel already chosen, "Reacher" heads into its fourth outing as one of Prime Video's steadiest returning hits.
