10 Small Details in ‘Reacher’ Only Fans of the Books Noticed

Prime’s hit series, Reacher, is based on a series of novels, novellas, and short stories by British author Jim Grant under the norm de plume, Lee Child. The series — focusing on the titular former military investigator and his adventures as a drifter — has 29 books so far, and one short story collection. The first book was published in 1997, and the most recent landed on the shelves in October 2024. The 30th is set to be launched in November 2025.

Each season of the show covers a particular book. Season 1 was based on Killing Floor (the first Reacher novel), Season 2 was based on Bad Luck and Trouble (the 11th), while Season 3 is based on Persuader (the seventh). Series creator Nick Santora and his writing team mostly stick to the novel, though a few creative liberties are taken so as not to be out of step with the times.

For the most part, the action series is palatable to general audiences. However, there are several key details in Reacher that only fans of the books will notice.

10

Barr the Sniper

In Season 2’s “What Happens in Atlantic City,” Jack Reacher casually mentions that he ran into a person named James Barr the year before. The show quickly skims over this little detail, yet it holds a lot of weight. Barr is a major character in the book One Shot. He is a former U.S. Army Infantry Sniper accused of killing five people in Indianapolis.

The “One Shot” Chapter Is Over

The James Barr mention might feel like nothing, but it confirms that in the timeline of the show, the One Shot chapter is over. Reacher already met Barr and probably dealt with him, hence the series won’t be covering the book. It makes sense since Barr appears in Tom Cruise’s first Jack Reacher movie (portrayed by Power’s Joseph Sikora). There’s no need for repetition when there is so much material to explore.

9

Jack Reacher’s Disdain for Boxing

In Season 1, Jack Reacher fights a boxer inside a bar. He dismisses the sport as artificial before incapacitating the man with three blows (one below the belt). The protagonist expresses his hatred for boxing in the books, too. However, this doesn’t happen in Killing Floor, the novel that the season is based on. It happens in Bad Luck and Trouble.

Gloves Off

Regarding action, Reacher hits the bull’s eye and earns a solid “A” in entertainment value. But that wouldn’t happen if the character always played fair. Reacher enjoys winning by whatever means necessary, so don’t expect him to be the kind of person to throw away the gun to participate in a fair fist fight. His hatred for boxing points to his general hatred for rules. The former military investigator prefers to live by his own guidelines.

8

Paulie’s Nationality

One of Season 3’s highlights is the presence of the towering enforcer, Paulie, played by Olivier Richters (sounds like Oliver Reacher), aka, “The Dutch Giant.” In the show, he’s Paulie van Hoeven, because Richters is Dutch. In the book, he is Paul Masserella, an Italian.

Reacher’s No Longer the Biggest Guy in the Room

Turning Paulie from Italian to Dutch is a great way to honor the actor. It also makes sense since Olivier Richters isn’t exactly the rare, talented, accent-mastering actor. We bet it would have been hard for him to speak in an Italian accent, given that he is primarily a bodybuilder who occasionally takes on tough-guy roles in movies. At 7’2, the TV version of Paulie is also a lot taller than the book version, who is described as only a little bigger than Jack Reacher.

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7

Lee Child’s Cameo

Lee Child makes a cameo in Season 1, but you won’t notice it unless you love the books so much that you follow the author. Child isn’t exactly the kind of author who tends to be everywhere like Stephen King, so, only hardcore fans know exactly what he looks like. In the Prime Video series, he appears as a customer in a diner who is exiting at the same time that Reacher is walking in.

Perfectly Cooked

Lee Child was angered by the decision to cast Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher, so he must have been thrilled when a TV series was ordered, with an actor who resembled the book version of the vet. Therefore, he was expected to be involved with the show somehow. So far, he has praised just about everything, and we hope there’ll be plenty of sagas on screen, just like the books.

6

Elizabeth Beck Is Absent

As soon as Zachary Beck is introduced in the third season, it is revealed that his diffident wife, Elizabeth Beck, died years ago. This never happened in the book where she is a key supporting character. On the pages, she interacts with Reacher more than Beck’s son, Richard. She also feeds him with plenty of information. At times, the books even hint at a ménage-a-trois between Reacher, Zachary, and Elizabeth, though this is never explicitly confirmed.

Lizzy Is Missed

The exclusion of Elizabeth Beck creates room for a heartwarming father-son type of arc between Reacher and Richard, but the story would arguably have been more interesting with Elizabeth in the picture. Action, intrigue, and romance have always pooled seamlessly in this colorful Prime Video, crowned by the austere, imposing presence of Alan Ritchson. It would thus have been nicer to see Reacher flirting with Elizabeth, rather than Susan Duffy, for whom there is a consensus that there isn’t enough chemistry between her and our hero.

5

The Folding Toothbrush

For someone who throws away all the clothes he wears, Reacher is, surprisingly, very attached to his folding toothbrush. In Season 3, it’s the only thing he collects and flees with when the feds come knocking on his motel room door. And in Season 2, he gets very pissed when some criminals break it. Book fans recognize this detail from The Affair, where the toothbrush is revealed as one of his key possessions, along with an ATM card and ID.

Where’s the Toothpaste?

It’s nice for the show to let out this info early since it accentuates Reacher’s frugal nature. He is a man of few things, and even though he towers above most mortals, he’d rather not risk bad breath diffusing from his high-altitude mouth to their nostrils. But where is the toothpaste? We rarely see him shopping for basics. He only ever enters clothes shops.

4

“Reacher Said Nothing”

In the first few books, Lee Child gives Reacher minimal dialogue to emphasize that his actions speak louder than words. The phrase “Reacher said nothing” thus recurs in many chapters. In the series, this is seen right from the opening scene when Reacher confronts a parking lot goon and when he gets arrested by the authorities.

Mouthy Reacher

Unfortunately, Reacher doesn’t remain economical with worlds for long. On the show, he spits plenty of clever, wit-charged dialogue, all delivered with fantastic aplomb. Still, the TV version of the character would have been better off with minimal dialogue. His chatty nature erodes the mystery aura that made him so intimidating in the books. But we won’t yap on about this (unlike Reacher). Nick Santora knows best.

3

Reacher’s Obsession with Blues Music

In Season 1, Reacher references several blues artists while bantering with Roscoe. The show doesn’t dig too deep into this, yet it’s a major detail in the book. On the pages, he is said to have memorized hundreds of blues songs. The thirteenth book, Gone Tomorrow, addresses this more extensively.

A Perfect Way to Unwind

The chat about blues singers seems like a by-the-way, but it points to Reacher’s sharp memory, something the books keep reminding fans of. Additionally, it further reminds us that he is a man of unique tastes, which aligns with his overall personality. Just like he doesn’t do what everyone else doesn’t, he doesn’t listen to what’s trending.

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2

The French Connection

Once Reacher wheedles his way into Beck’s household, more characters are introduced. One of them is a French maid named Annette, who is subjected to the indignities of back-breaking mansion chores. She is soon revealed to be an undercover ATF agent. In the book, there is no French maid. The show introduced this aspect to give Reacher — who has a French mother — the chance to briefly speak the language.

It All Stems from Commercialization

How did Jack Reacher even end up having a French mother? Well, it all stems from Lee Child’s desire to maintain the profitability of his book series. To boost Jack Reacher’s appeal in France, Child stated, down the line, that the former military policeman was born of a French woman. It sure is a nice little detail, and it would be interesting to see him speak more French down the line. Maybe even visit France on a mission.

1

Frances Neagley’s Appearances

Frances Neagley does not appear in the novels Killing Floor and Persuader, which Season 1 and Season 3 are based on. On the Prime Video series, she is present in all seasons, implying that Nick Santora thinks of her as a very valuable character. In fact, Santora rates Neagley so highly that she is set to have her own spinoff show.

Neagley No Longer Neglected

The former founding member of the U.S. Army 110th MP Special Investigations Unit is quickly proving herself to be one of television’s best action heroines, and we are glad Santora is giving her more responsibility than Lee Child did. She only appears in five of the 30 novels, so it will be interesting to see what new material the team comes up with for her.