After Four Years, Reacher Has Established Itself as the King of Action TV
Since its debut in 2022, Alan Ritchson’s Reacher has become one of Prime Video’s most consistently acclaimed action series. With all three released seasons earning Rotten Tomatoes scores above 90% and a fifth season already confirmed, the show has built a strong case for being the streaming era’s leading action thriller. Now, the arrival of The Terminal List Season 2 has given fans another reason to compare the two series—and the critical reception suggests that Chris Pratt’s military thriller still has ground to make up.
Pratt stars in The Terminal List as James Reece, a U.S. Navy SEAL and veteran of eight combat deployments who pursues vengeance after a devastating mission. The second season premiered on October 21, 2026, adapting Jack Carr’s follow-up novel, True Believer. Although Carr’s books have attracted praise for their military detail, spycraft and tightly constructed conclusions, the television adaptation has received a more mixed response.
For now, Reacher remains the stronger performer with critics, thanks to its confident storytelling, memorable lead performance and ability to deliver exactly what action-thriller audiences expect.
The Terminal List Struggles to Match Reacher’s Critical Success
When The Terminal List premiered on July 1, 2022, it attracted substantial attention on Prime Video and later expanded into a franchise with the spinoff The Terminal List: Dark Wolf. According to Variety, Nielsen reported strong viewership for the Chris Pratt-led series at launch, with one chart recording approximately 1.1 billion minutes watched across eligible episodes. Other weekly reports published at the time used different measurement windows and produced different totals.
Strong audience interest, however, did not translate into equally strong reviews. The first season currently holds a 42% Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics questioning its pacing, visual style and reliance on familiar genre conventions. Some argued that Jack Carr’s source novel would have worked better as a feature film than as a television series, while others found the cinematography excessively dark.
Despite those criticisms, the series established an audience and generated expectations for its continuation. Season 2, however, has yet to achieve the critical breakthrough its creators may have hoped for.
As of October 23, 2026, the new season holds a 57% Rotten Tomatoes score. That remains below the 60% threshold required for a Fresh designation, leaving both seasons classified as Rotten on the review aggregator.
By comparison, Reacher has maintained a much stronger record across its first three seasons. Its scores stand at 92% for Season 1, 98% for Season 2 and 98% for Season 3, while Season 4 has a reported score of 94%.
The contrast is striking: while The Terminal List has struggled to win over critics, Reacher has repeatedly delivered the kind of consistency that is difficult for action series to sustain.
How Reacher Compares With Other Action Series
Rotten Tomatoes scores illustrate how Reacher stacks up against several prominent action shows of the 2020s. While some competitors have improved significantly after their first seasons, few have matched the Prime Video series’ consistently high ratings.
| Series | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reacher | 92% | 98% | 98% | 94% |
| The Terminal List | 42% | 57% | N/A | N/A |
| Lioness | 54% | 90% | 88% | N/A |
| The Night Agent | 75% | 86% | 86% | N/A |
| Marshals | 48% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Lioness has made considerable progress since its first season, rising from 54% to 90% before settling at 88% for Season 3. Nevertheless, its early reception was considerably less enthusiastic than the response to Reacher. Marshals, meanwhile, received a 48% score for its first season and had no Season 2 score available at the time of publication, despite returning on October 4, 2026.
Among these competitors, The Night Agent comes closest to Reacher in terms of sustained critical approval. All three seasons of the Netflix thriller have scored above 70%, although none has crossed the 90% mark achieved by Reacher.
The comparison also highlights the different futures facing the two series. The Night Agent is scheduled to conclude with its fourth season, expected in 2027, while Reacher has already secured a fifth season.
Why Critics Keep Coming Back to Reacher
Since premiering on February 4, 2022, Reacher has distinguished itself by understanding what makes a traditional action thriller work. Rather than attempting to turn every storyline into a prestige drama, the series embraces its pulpy roots, combining crime investigations, hard-hitting action and dry humour without losing sight of its central appeal.
Its stories revolve around crime and justice, with physical confrontations complementing the investigative work rather than replacing it. Even when later seasons introduce darker themes and more complicated conflicts, the show retains the straightforward, entertaining formula that attracted viewers in the first place.
A major part of that formula is Jack Reacher himself. The character operates like a physically imposing version of Sherlock Holmes, observing details others overlook, reading situations quickly and finding practical solutions to seemingly complicated problems.
His intelligence is just as important as his strength. Because investigations and deductions help drive the story, the fight sequences feel connected to the plot instead of serving as action for action’s sake.
The supporting cast also contributes to the show’s success. Police officers, intelligence specialists and former military personnel are generally portrayed as capable professionals, creating credible partnerships and team dynamics. Their presence strengthens the narrative without diminishing Reacher’s exceptional abilities.
Ultimately, the series succeeds because it executes a familiar genre formula with unusual confidence and consistency. It knows what kind of story it wants to tell and rarely loses sight of that objective.
Alan Ritchson Is the Perfect Fit for Jack Reacher
The casting of Alan Ritchson is another major reason the series has earned such a positive response.
Lee Child’s original novels describe Reacher as a towering former military officer, standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing approximately 250 pounds. He is physically formidable, but his analytical mind is equally central to his identity.
The earlier film adaptations starring Tom Cruise were widely viewed as a departure from the character’s imposing physical description. Ritchson, by contrast, comes much closer to the version of Reacher readers encounter in the books.
His performance also captures more than the character’s size. Ritchson brings a distinctive combination of restraint, quiet confidence and understated charm, allowing Reacher to command attention without constantly needing to announce his presence.
That balance between physical intimidation and intelligence is essential to the character. Ritchson makes the role convincing both when Reacher is studying a complicated case and when a confrontation turns violent.
Is Reacher Still the Action Genre’s Benchmark?
The arrival of The Terminal List Season 2 reinforces just how difficult it is for an action series to maintain critical momentum. Both shows draw on popular novels and feature highly trained military protagonists, but their television adaptations have produced notably different critical responses.
The Terminal List continues to attract attention and has expanded into a broader franchise, yet its Rotten Tomatoes scores remain well below those of Reacher. Meanwhile, Lioness has demonstrated that a series can improve considerably after an uneven start, and The Night Agent remains a strong competitor in the streaming thriller landscape.
Nevertheless, Reacher has established a particularly impressive record across its first four seasons, combining faithful casting, compelling investigations, effective action and a consistent understanding of its audience.
With a fifth season confirmed, the series also has more room to build on that success. For viewers looking for a dependable action thriller, Reacher currently has a compelling advantage—not because its competitors lack potential, but because few have matched its consistency with critics.
