Please Reacher, Don’t Give Alan Ritchson’s Character Another Love Interest In Season 4

Reacher‘s first three seasons have all featured the protagonist with a different love interest, but I’m more than ready for the show to end this trend. After another great installment, Reacher season 3’s best scenes continued to prove it is one of the best action shows on TV, with its thrilling sequences and excellent tension making the latest outing my favorite yet. The undercover storyline mixed with compelling villains confirmed that Prime Video’s hit series still has plenty of life in the tank, but while the format has been nearly flawless so far, Reacher‘s romantic storylines need a big change.

His love story in season 1 was built perfectly, as he and Roscoe had a great connection that developed organically over the eight episodes. However, despite seeming like a great couple, the two went their separate ways and Reacher didn’t mention Roscoe in season 3, confirming they may truly be over. While his relationship with Dixon worked well in season 2 because of their history, it felt like a step down compared to the chemistry Reacher had with Roscoe. Still, the two were compatible, but after Duffy’s season 3 role, I don’t need another romance angle in the next outing.

Duffy Was Great, But Her & Reacher’s Romance Was Largely Pointless

They Only Had A Few Brief Romantic Moments & Could Easily Have Worked As Platonic Partners

Duffy was one of the highlights of season 3, as she was a smart, capable, and moral DEA agent who contributed massively to the plot. However, despite being a great addition to Reacher‘s excellent cast of characters, her romance with the protagonist simply didn’t feel necessary. Reacher and Duffy did have some great back-and-forth interactions and shared similar mindsets, but while this made them great teammates, it’s hard to say there was a huge spark between them, especially compared to Roscoe and Dixon.

It took a while for their romance to get started, and even then, it only seemed to be something occasionally explored, almost to ensure Reacher had a love interest before the story came to a close. Ultimately, it was all for nothing, as like the previous two outings, Reacher season 3 ended with the two agreeing to focus on themselves and not take their feelings any further. Sadly, Duffy calling it quits with Reacher felt inevitable and didn’t carry much weight, whereas his final scenes with Roscoe and Dixon had much more emotion behind them.

Related

After Duffy’s Exit In Reacher Season 3, It Almost Felt Like Season 2 & Dixon Never Happened

After Susan Duffy’s departure in Reacher season 3’s ending moments, it was hard not to see how the show was ignoring Dixon’s story with Jack Reacher.

Had the two just remained platonic partners, their relationship wouldn’t have felt much different, nor would the story have been impacted much. Their feelings towards one another never really got in the way of the mission or impacted their decision-making, and the fact they are no longer together proves they didn’t need to get intimate in the first place. I’m certainly glad Duffy was such a big part of Reacher season 3, but it’s clear their brief relationship never had much substance behind it, making it largely unnecessary.

Reacher Having A Different Love Interest Each Season Is Starting To Wear Thin

Each Of Reacher’s Love Interests Have Felt A Little Weaker Than The Last

Having the action hero constantly date new women is a trope that has been around for decades, with James Bond popularizing the format. However, despite the books also following this trend, Reacher’s TV adaptation has already begun to exhaust this concept. While it’s great that Reacher‘s leading female characters aren’t simply reduced to love interests and often get their own badass moments to shine, it would still be great to have more characters like Neagley, who has managed to stand out and become a valuable ally to the protagonist despite there being no romantic spark between them.

I’m more than happy to see Reacher introduce new love interests if it has a significant contribution to the story, like in season 1. Unfortunately, Reacher’s bond with Duffy is a sign that not every connection will be this strong, meaning it might not be the last time we get a weaker romance angle. As a result, it would make far more sense to give the lead character a consistent partner across multiple seasons or keep these stories more sporadic; otherwise, it will become harder and harder to get invested in these relationships, which season 3 has already proven.

Reacher Season 4 Would Be Better Off Bringing Back Season 1’s Roscoe

If Reacher Has To Have A Romantic Story In Season 4, Roscoe Is A Far Better Choice Than Another Temporary Fling

Although Reacher season 4 doesn’t need a love interest, if the show is adamant about going down this route for every installment, bringing back Roscoe would be the best choice. Of course, she’d have to fit the specific story, but Prime Video’s take on Reacher has already been different from the books and the Tom Cruise movies while still honoring the source material, suggesting the writers could make this work. She is undoubtedly the best fit for Reacher’s personality, and seeing the two on-screen together again would likely be embraced by fans who have watched from the very start.

Season 2 already brought back Finlay despite it feeling like a slightly rogue decision, so there is no reason season 4 can’t be even bolder and make Roscoe a main character once again. While it’s not clear how long Reacher will last or if it will have an overarching ending, giving him a proper relationship will at least make the entire story feel more connected since previous iterations would have a deeper importance. Therefore, I’d be more than happy to see Roscoe back for Reacher season 4, especially if it avoids a less meaningful romance plot.

Reacher

8/10

Release Date

February 3, 2022

Network

Prime Video

Showrunner

Nick Santora

Directors

Omar Madha, Carol Banker, Julian Holmes, Lin Oeding, M.J. Bassett, Norberto Barba, Stephen Surjik, Thomas Vincent

Writers

Cait Duffy