There's a common phrase associated with Jack Reacher in Lee's Child's books: 鈥淩eacher says nothing.鈥� Saying nothing, however, can be terrifying for .
鈥淗e鈥檚 socially awkward, very stoic, very cerebral and none of those things should make for an interesting character," Ritchson recently told The Associated Press. 鈥淎s I play Reacher, I swear there鈥檚 not one scene where I feel like, 鈥楾hat was the most interesting scene of all TV.'"
"And then like the director, Sam Hill will come out, 鈥業t was so good! Oh, it鈥檚 so muscular and it was so full and like, it was right there, and we could just feel it coming out of your pores!
鈥淚 was just standing there,鈥� deadpans Ritchson.
Reacher is a former U.S. Army officer who travels the country with only a toothbrush and wants no attachments or possessions. Nomad life leads Reacher to constantly meet new people and be in different environments, providing 鈥淩eacher鈥� an easy set up for its anthology format. He also can't help but step in when he notices trouble brewing, which is often, but often laments that he doesn't want to be involved.
While the series鈥� debut season was based on Child鈥檚 first Reacher novel 鈥淜illing Floor,鈥� season two is actually adapted from the 11th book in the series called 鈥淏ad Luck and Trouble.鈥� In , debuting Friday, Reacher reunites with three Army comrades to track down the people who have been targeting and killing members of the elite group they once served in. (They're played by Serinda Swan, Shaun Sipos and Maria Sten who, spoiler alert, viewers will recognize from season one.)
鈥淩eacher is such a strong character he really is the bow of a ship just carving through the water,鈥� said Sipos. "You need characters that cause him to behave slightly differently that you see different sides to him.鈥�
Swan believes viewers will get used to Reacher interacting with (mostly) new characters each season. 鈥淥ur job, was to make sure that the people that came in for season two didn鈥檛 feel a deficit, like you will miss the first characters, just as you will miss our characters in the next one, but casting and the storytelling means each season you should actually start to be excited because you know that you鈥檙e going to be able to fall in love with new people.鈥�
Ritchson spoke to The Associated Press about the show and the books. Answers are condensed for clarity and brevity.
AP: Season one of this show was a hit, but I feel like it was kind of a quiet release. Do you think the success was a surprise?
RITCHSON: It was interesting. The fact that the guy they got to play Reacher was not really a household name, a little less recognizable, it was a little harder to get people to talk to us. I think Amazon took a risk. But then when people watched the season and the numbers came in, it started to get treated differently.
AP: For season two did you feel nervous about the new setting and new cast or were you confident viewers would take to it like they did season one?
RITCHSON: The thing I love is in season one, Reacher was the mystery. We鈥檙e getting a chance to see what it鈥檚 like when he鈥檚 got his family around him and in a way that really ups the stakes as well. But it also makes it a lot of fun to see what he鈥檚 like in a more familiar, comfortable environment.
AP: The show has already been renewed for a third season. It must be so interesting to be in on those discussions of which book to cover next.
RITCHSON: There are so many options. There was a lot of discussion and I think every year there鈥檚 going to be a lot of discussion. Myself included, I鈥檝e read every book. A lot of people involved in this with a much higher pay grade than mine have read the books. Everybody鈥檚 got their favorites. Everybody wants to see their favorite story come to life on screen.
AP: What is it about this character that people enjoy?
RITCHSON: He really brings to life in us the desire that we all have to see justice done in a world that is so unjust, in a world where law is so cumbersome and clumsy and slow and he's instant righteousness. I think we鈥檙e fascinated by that. There鈥檚 a lot of wish fulfillment in that for us, at least for me.
AP: Do you think he's almost a superhero?
RITCHSON: We shot a crowbar fight in season one, where I got hit in the head with a vase (made of sugar glass) and ended up in a pool with the gunman. I was in so much pain after filming. I had a beanie on and that sugar vase hit so hard when I took the beanie off, I had blood pouring out of my head. So I called (executive producer) Don Granger and I was like, 鈥淥K, question. I鈥檓 feeling it. I feel it everywhere. So, like, is Reacher limping or what鈥檚 his pain level?鈥�
And there鈥檚 like a slight pause and Granger goes, 鈥淵eah, he鈥檚 fine. He's kind of like a superhero so he's OK.鈥�
Alicia Rancilio, The Associated Press
