We ended Reacher season 4 episode 4 in a dark place. All that Reacher (Alan Ritchison) thought he knew about the case seemed to get turned upside down.
Rather than begin as a freedom fighter who was working with Anna (Karen Kwong-Chip), it turns out Lila (Agnez Mo) was the force behind the kidnapping and murder of Ben. The question now is what Reacher is going to do going forward. In season 4 episode 5, “The Bridge,” we get an answer to that question. Let's dive in.
Reacher is a wanted man
Unfortunately, Reacher realized the truth about Lila a bit too late. He shows up to save her only to find a group of men murdered in grizzly fashion. He discovered the scene just as the Philadelphia Police Department was showing up. So, Reacher has to go on the run to fight his way to freedom, too. And, at first, it seems like he might make it work.
Reacher connects with Green (Sydelle Noel) about the truth of Lila. She and Jacob (Christopher Rodriguez Marquette) had come to the same conclusion. They also realize that given the truth about Lila, the drive got mailed to Jacob. So, Green and Jacob head to retrieve the drive while Reacher tries to evade the Philadelphia police again. This time, he’s not so lucky.
So, Reacher ends up in jail. He’s accused of murder after what was found at the scene. It doesn’t look like he’s going to get out soon, and Green’s partner Docherty (Kevin Corrigan) isn’t inclined to help. But as he’s waiting, his old CIA friend Foster (Dean Armstrong) shows up. Foster thinks he’s going to knock Reacher out and finally bring him into custody, but Reacher flips the tables and pulls him through the bars.
It's a grim and graphic move. But it turns out to be surprisingly effective. Reacher renders Foster inert and grabs the keys, which helps him walk out. He’s just in time to meet up with the group and learn about the drive.
Retrieving the drive
Getting the drive isn’t easy. It is in Jacob’s mailbox, but just as he and Green arrive to secure it, they are met by Lila and Amisha (Anggun), who are armed and looking to secure the drive. It quickly moves to a violent car chase with plenty of fire being exchanged. As the police arrive, the women are trapped on the bridge. But they make a jump for it. Green wants to believe they are dead, but Jacob has his doubts.
Meanwhile, back at headquarters with a new computer, Plum (Kevin Weismann) is able to open the drive. Reacher arrives in time to see it’s got a photo. Plus, Anna provided the code to her cell phone, which is dead. The photo doesn’t make a lot of sense, so Reacher calls the congressman (Marc Blucas). He can’t shed much light, and as Reacher is still wanted, that puts them in a rough position.
That forces the group to split up. Jacob heads off with Plum on what seems to be the less dangerous mission, while Green and Reacher head off together. But the Philly police are closing in, which puts Green and Reacher in hot water. So, Green heads off alone, as does Reacher. He manages to avoid getting captured, but he still has a problem.
As we end the episode, Reacher comes face to face with Lila, who has Jacob as a prisoner and wants the drive. Still unclear about what the significance of the photo is on the drive, Reacher is in a tough position again.
I am still interested in the case, the mystery, and the journey here. But we seem to have sunk into a familiar pattern with these episodes that is mostly about Reacher being chased by various groups — cops, CIA, FBI — and having to fight his way free.
Sometimes it’s a little more graphic, sometimes it’s funny. But it feels like there is a lot of wheel spinning in episodes that are only running around 40 minutes. With just three episodes left, I’m curious to see where this is all leading and how we are going to make some more forward progress.
Reacher streams Fridays on Prime Video. Check back next week as we recap all the action of season 4.
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