Alan Ritchson's Favorite Reacher Book Still Hasn't Officially Been Adapted
Jeffrey is a freelance features writer at Collider. He is an MPA-accredited entertainment journalist and a Tomatometer-approved critic based in the LA area. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Radio, TV, & Film and a Bachelor of Arts in Theater.
With Season 4 in the books, now is the time to look to the next chapter of the Reacher universe. Maria Sten's Frances Neagley is leading her own television series, with Alan Ritchson appearing in a guest-starring capacity, while Reacher itself is already in production on its upcoming fifth season. The Prime Video series has proven that it doesn't follow any particular order when it comes to adapting Lee Child's book series. Case in point: although Season 1 followed Child's debut novel, The Killing Floor, Season 2 skipped to Book 11, Bad Luck and Trouble, while Season 3 jumped back to Book 7, Persuader, and Season 4 adapted Book 13, Gone Tomorrow. It's also been confirmed that Season 5 will adapt Make Me, arguably one of Child's darker Reacher stories yet.
Recently, when one Reacher fan expressed disappointment on Threads that the show's upcoming fifth season wouldn't be adapting "the book where he kills his way through a white supremacist militia camp," Ritchson himself replied, asserting that Die Trying is his personal favorite of Child's Jack Reacher books. In the same message, the actor also confirmed that it was initially approved for adaptation "until someone got re-elected." This isn't the first time that Ritchson has made a reference to his favorite Reacher story; he previously expressed the desire to see Reacher's fourth season take on Die Trying in an interview with co-star Sten for Men's Journal. While it's disappointing that Ritchson's dream adaptation appears to be on hold, Die Trying remains a fan-favorite installment and is still the most organic choice for a potentially epic, high-octane, high-stakes season.
What Is 'Die Trying' About?
A major key to Reacher's success is that each season adapts one of Child's books, offering a fresh setting, a new adventure, and different characters. The first season saw Reacher seeking to expose a counterfeiting ring in the small, rural town of Margrave, Georgia, while Season 2 allowed Reacher to reunite with his old colleagues in the 110th Special Investigations Unit to solve the murders of their former teammates. Season 3 puts Reacher undercover in a smuggling operation to save an informant and settle an old score, while Season 4 finds Reacher swept up in a political conspiracy in Philadelphia. Die Trying offers a way to maintain that approach for another fresh reset, except the novel sets the stage for the Reacher franchise's most unique adventure yet.
Die Trying begins with Reacher getting kidnapped and taken captive by an ultra-right-wing extremist group known as the Montana Militia, which has established itself by absorbing other militias and keeping a well-guarded compound in the state. The group's fanatical figurehead, Beau Borken, wants to officially declare their independence from the United States. In doing so, the militia kidnaps FBI agent Holly Johnson, who also happens to be the daughter of the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Borken wants to use Agent Johnson as leverage to prove to the federal government that he's a legitimate threat. Reacher unwittingly gets dragged into events, so it comes down to him to stop Borken and the militia, who are well-armed and have the means to pull off a terrorist attack on the Fourth of July. Not only does Reacher have to fight his way out of hostile territory, but he also has to find a way to both save Holly and thwart Borken's plan.
'Die Trying' Features a Wider, Epic Scope for the Reacher Saga
The premise of Die Trying offers Reacher a conflict unlike anything he has faced in previous seasons, with its main villain, Beau Borken, serving as a uniquely new antagonist. While the book pits Reacher against an entire organized militia group rather than a mere group of criminals or thugs, the stakes are raised even further because Reacher is taken captive for a significant chunk of the plot. Also, the involvement of the FBI, the Pentagon, and the White House imbues the story with a bigger, more epic scope than previous seasons, along with the fact that the plot is set around Independence Day.
One of the biggest changes Reacher has made in adaptation is its utilization of a recurring cast more often than in the books. Certain characters have had their roles expanded in the series, such as Neagley, who does not appear in The Killing Floor or Persuader, or Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin), who returned for Season 2 despite not featuring in the book Bad Luck and Trouble. Season 3 features the introduction of a very important character in General Leon Garber (Andreas Apergis), Reacher's mentor in the Army who becomes a trusted friend and surrogate father. Die Trying features Garber's first book appearance, so if Reacher ever adapted the novel, it would call for Apergis' return, allowing for his character to take on even more significance for Ritchson's hero.
'Die Trying' Depicts One of Reacher's Best Scenes Ever
Another reason that it makes sense to adapt Die Trying in an upcoming season is that it would result in one of the best moments ever for Reacher. Throughout the series, Reacher's imposing stature and strength serve as consistent assets. He's a powerful force for good who will stop at nothing to beat the bad guys. However, there's a sequence in Die Trying where Reacher becomes trapped in a dark, tight cave and can't get out. Like the Season 4 finale's deadly fight sequence against Lila (Agnez Mo) and Amisha (Anggun) Hoth, it's an instance where Reacher's sizable frame works against him, leading to him genuinely panicking when he becomes trapped.
Even in his toughest moments throughout the TV series, Reacher exudes extreme calm under pressure, and he never panics in a crisis, yet Die Trying depicts a scene where the typically fearless character experiences palpable fear. It's easily one of the best sequences Child has ever written in his Reacher saga, and Ritchson getting to tackle this scene could be a crowning achievement in both his performance and the entire series to date.
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