In the premiere of Reacher season 4, we jumped into a new case. Anna Merrick (Karen Kwong-Chip) was involved in something she couldn’t escape. She saw no way out, so she ended it all on the train.
Reacher (Alan Ritchson) happened to be there, and he was unable to help save Anna's life. Now, he’s determined to help her in death. But that led to him being snatched at the end of the pilot, creating a quick challenge to evade in episode 2, “Cage Fight.” Let’s dive in.
Evading the CIA
When Reacher regains consciousness, he’s bound and locked in a cage in an unknown facility. He’s also not alone. The same people that grabbed him doubled back for Detective Green (Sydelle Noel) and Jacob Merrick (Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette). None are feeling too pleased to be there, but it’s clear their captors—who Reacher determines in the CIA—want information. They want the thumb drive.
The team, led by a steely investigator (Dean Armstrong), presses Reacher for answers. He’s not very forthcoming. That leads to them threatening Green and Jacob, which turns out to be a mistake. Despite the odds stacked against him, Reacher takes out the CIA team and finds a way to free Green and Jacob. But their freedom is short-lived as the backup teams come racing in.
As the trio are trying to escape down an alley, a man in a van drives up and bids them hop in. His name is Russell Plum (Kevin Weisman), a disgraced reporter who has been staking out the black site. It also turns out to be in Washington, D.C. Plum is hoping to turn this into a story, but Reacher and Green warn him off pursuing it given what has happened.
The hunt for Ben Merrick
Jacob is focused on finding his nephew, who has been missing for far too long. So, Jacob, Green, and Reacher head to his college for information. At first the teammates aren’t taking it seriously, but soon Reacher finds a unique way to press for more information. But there’s no information to be had. That is until the trio spots one student—Colin (Kendon Chase)—heading out quietly.
The trio follow Colin and pin him down. Turns out he has more information, but he’s ashamed to admit it in the group. The woman who Ben Merrick headed off with was an Only Fans model, and a pricey one at that. Colin provides a name, and Green is able to track her down.
When Reacher, Jacob, and Green arrive at her apartment, they find a grim scene. The woman is dead, having been tortured in gruesome fashion. Ben is nowhere to be found, and Green is quick to point out the scene would make him a prime suspect. Finding him just got a lot tougher.
John Sampson
Meanwhile, Reacher uses his presence in Washington, D.C., to track down John Sampson (Marc Blucas). He wants answers. But first, he has to pass through Sampson’s wife, Elspeth (Kathleen Robertson), and his head of security, Springfield (Aaron Poole). He thinks he’s getting a meeting with the senator but instead is directed to his old friends Snap (Jason Diaz), Crackle (Kerby Davis), and Pop (Michael Gaty), who were in Philly. He leaves them frustrated.
After finding the dead model — and a kitten — Reacher turns his attention back to Sampson. This time he corners the senator at a public event, and Sampson agrees to meet in private. Reacher questions him about being Lila’s (Agnez Mo) father. He denies it, and Reacher can tell he’s being truthful. That leaves him wondering what the senator's connection to the case could be and what kind of blackmail material is on the drive.
As Reacher meets up with the team to leave, he gets a new lead. While the senator seems to be forthcoming, his team might have a connection. As he’s leaving, he spots Cahill (Chris Owens), Sampson’s Chief of Staff and old Army colleague. Turns out he was the missing witness from the train, which deepens the mystery.
I liked the second episode a bit more than the premiere of Reacher season 4. I think it had more of the trademark humor, some great twists, and really built the tension for what’s to come. There is a good mystery and a good set of characters here. We’re set up for an interesting ride.
New episodes of Reacher season 4 stream on Wednesdays on Prime Video. Check back as we cover all the action of season 4.
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