Can We Finally See Jack Reacher Enjoying Himself for Once in Season 4?

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Recently, photos and footage emerged from the upcoming television series Neagley , which will be the first spin-off of the hit series Reacher . The new show features the return of Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher and Maria Sten as Frances Neagley. Interestingly, the recent footage shows Ritchson and Sten at a baseball game, specifically for the Chicago Cubs. It only took several years, butthe series finally depicts Reacher attending a baseball game . Both the Jack Reacher books by author Lee Child and the series make Reacher's fandom clear for the great American pastime. However, seeing this footage made it suddenly obvious that rarely, if ever, is Reacher shown in a situation where he is simply enjoying some leisure time. That should change, either in the first season of Neagley or in Reacher Season 4 .

Reacher Attending a Baseball Game Is a Long Time Coming

It's about time that Reacher finally attends a Major League Baseball game. Baseball is a major part of Reacher's identity. Growing up as an army brat, Reacher loved the sport, which continued into his adulthood. In Season 3 of the series , Reacher reveals to Agent Susan Duffy ( Sonya Cassidy ) that the Yankees are his team. Even though Reacher grew up on military bases all over the globe, rather than in New York, he probably became a Yankees fan because, as a major market team, Yankees games afforded easy accessibility wherever Reacher's father was stationed. Therefore, Reacher and his family could always watch the Yankees from their temporary homes. Additionally, Reacher almost always uses the names of Yankees second basemen as his aliases throughout the television series and the original novels . Baseball is in Reacher's blood, and it's an integral part of his character. And yet, the series has yet to show him actually attending a game.

It makes perfect sense that Reacher finds himself in a scenario of watching a baseball game. That said, the context of the scene Ritchson and Sten filmed is not clear.They could be attending a baseball game to work a case, or maybe they are on a mission. Perhaps they are at the Cubs game to monitor a suspect. Reacher and Neagley might not be attending the game for pure enjoyment and could actually be in work mode rather than relaxing. Over the last three seasons of Reacher , it has become notably apparent that Reacher rarely finds himself in a situation or activity just for fun . Normally, he is right smack amid a dangerous life-or-death situation .

Reacher Is Almost Always in Action Mode During His Series

For a guy who likes to spend his time as a drifting vagabond, Reacher rarely depicts the eponymous hero taking part in leisurely activities. In the first season , Reacher arrives in Margrave, Georgia, to learn about the American blues musician Blind Blake. Reacher's brother once said that Blind Blake might have been murdered in Margrave, prompting his trip to the small town. Reacher also wanted to try some of the famous peach pie at the local diner. Unfortunately, he's quickly arrested before he gets his slice of peach pie and thrown into the middle of a deadly counterfeiting ring and criminal operation conducted by the Kliner Foundation. In the first season finale, Detective Oscar Finlay ( Malcolm Goodwin ) finally treats Reacher to a slice of peach pie at the diner, and Reacher is not impressed. After everything he went through, Reacher could not even enjoy his slice of peach pie.

Season 2 depicts a flashback revealing when Reacher first formed his team in the 110th Military Police Special Investigations Unit . Recognizing the need to forge some bonding among his new team, Reacher takes the group out to an officers' bar before a brawl breaks out between the 110th and the officers at the joint. Later, Reacher reveals that he anticipated a fight would break out, hoping that it would present a good opportunity for his newly formed team to develop a rapport . Even taking his subordinates out for some casual drinks turns out to be a team-building exercise.

In the Season 2 finale , Neagley gently makes it clear that Reacher must do a better job of keeping in touch with his surviving 110th teammates. She rightly emphasizes that it is no longer acceptable for Reacher to only meet up with the team when they are killed or fighting for their lives. Reacher missed many of his former teammates' weddings and major life events. Case in point: he did not even attend the funeral of Stan Lowrey ( Dean McKenzie ), who died in a drunk-driving accident. The point is that Reacher does a poor job of keeping in touch with his friends and family, and we rarely see him taking part in activities just for the sake of enjoyment .

How the Problem Can be Amended in 'Reacher' Season 4

Overall, Reacher and Neagley attending a Cubs game, mission or not, is at least a step in the right direction. It will be great to see Reacher taking part in something he loves, even though he is more likely there for a story-driven purpose than to take a well-deserved break. Nevertheless, when Reacher returns for its fourth season, some scenes should depict Reacher enjoying a nice hobby or leisurely activity that has nothing to do with fighting or violence . How about a scene of Reacher watching some live music, specifically American jazz or blues, since that's his favorite?

Additionally, a nice departure within the series could highlight Reacher attending another baseball game, such as the Yankees, that does not relate to that season's specific mission or case. Perhaps a season could end that way, when the fighting and main action are over, and Reacher's leisure activity is his form of release or decompression . Finally, Reacher gets to enjoy himself without worrying about being attacked by enemies or sinister assailants. Over the years, Reacher has experienced much heartache, including the loss of his mother, Josephine Reacher ( Leslie Fray ), to cancer and his brother, Joe Reacher's ( Christopher Russell ) murder in the first season. Also, in Season 2, multiple members of Reacher's former military unit were heinously murdered on the orders of Shane Langston ( Robert Patrick ). After all those incidents, fans would appreciate seeing the character enjoy something peaceful for once and experience a moment of happiness. Hopefully, that will occur during the upcoming Season 4.