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Has anyone noticed the show dropped quality between season 1 and 2?

It has been so long since I watched season 1 that I haven’t noticed. I’m finding it enjoyable enough.

We (my wife and me) haven't noticed anything unusual in episode one (watched it today).

As fans, we loved the Terminator joke, though

 McDougall Designs wrote:
Has anyone noticed the show dropped quality between season 1 and 2?

I’ve seen that in some reviews, especially with the fight choreography, but personally I’m enjoying season 2 a lot more than the first.

It's not as good.

It's not as sharp or as clever. Reacher is with his peers, rather than people he's clearly better than. And each episode ends with a one-liner cliffhanger.

I completely forgot that there was a new episode on Friday. Still haven't watched it.

Whilst I don’t necessarily disagree S2 feels weaker? I did binge S1.

And so I’ll reserve overall judgement until I can binge S2.

But, importantly? I have still enjoyed S2 just fine. So I’m more expecting a Binge to add to, rather than outright justify.

Let me know what you all think when you get to episode 6. please.

S2 is fine. It's still good TV, but I think it lacks a little compared to S1. I think S1 has the benefit of taking place in one location, which helps tighten the narrative focus and improve the pacing.

HBMC is right about Reacher being with his peers altering the dynamic quite a lot, and not for the better.

Though I did enjoy the Bikers getting absolutely rekt.

Well the 6th episode was a good one.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Well the 6th episode was a good one.

Really? 0 traffic in that location, magically reloading bullet clips filled with blanks?

 McDougall Designs wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Well the 6th episode was a good one.

Really? 0 traffic in that location, magically reloading bullet clips filled with blanks?

There are definitely some issues with the chase at the end. The main one for me is why even wait for the guy to drive off in the first place?

That said, the rest of the episode was solid enough to allow for a little bit of leeway in the details of how we get to the main beats of the story and how intelligent or otherwise the bad guys happen to be. Compared to other shows on streaming platforms there's a lot less filler and more forward momentum.

I just learned that the actor who plays Reacher was also Raphael in the Michael Bay TMNT movies, and it seems he hated working on those. So now you know that as well.

So my thoughts;

-I really enjoy season 2 overall though I probably would like it better if I could binge it. Which I'll likely do right after all 8 are out. It'll probably hold together a bit better that way.

-Only Dixon really rubs me the wrong way out of his peers. And I think that's because she almost defers constantly to him in a way that literally no one else on the show, season 1 or 2, does. Still love Neelie and knuckle duster has been a great addition that is an excellent image of what Reacher "could" have if he wanted it and a view on how people change. A great parallel.

-Season 2 action scenes are fine but they suffer from Reacher not being hands down the deadliest person in the room by a mile. Richardson is also almost to big this season. He's not moving the same way he moved in for instance the prison bathroom fight.

-I like that we're seeing a fair number of people/villains that are actually running ahead of Reacher and his team. The larger stakes and smarter operators mean that Reacher NEEDS his team. It's a conspiracy outside his ability to handle alone.

It's getting a decent amount of flack for things I think that it doesn't deserve. It was never going to be Season 1 again because we'd never had Reacher before. The supports on that season did a fantastic job. Some shows just burst onto the scene with such power season 1 that that is always the best season. It may not in the end being the best but it's going to be one of the best so not being better than season 1 doesn't make it a bad tv show.

Overall I think the quality is 99% the same and I'm enjoying it.

Every time O'Donnell is on the screen I get flashbacks to Kevin Ryan from Castle

This is not a bad thing for me.

Honestly, I was convinced that O'Donnell was a traitor right from the start. Sneaky guy who uses knives, has a wife and kids that we never see, when we first meet him it's under suspicious circumstances. And then we go to his house and see his kids and nope, he's exactly what it says on the tin.

And perhaps that's the problem. There's no subtext in this show. Nothing surprising has happened. There are no twists, and the stakes feel very detached from everything (one of the main villains hasn't been on screen with any of the rest of the cast, the other main villain spent most of the show's runtime talking to people on a phone, and everyone else is a faceless mook).

I mean, that's essentially the books. But I think they did a decent job of setting up the one still missing maybe alive member as being an actual bad guy. The flashbacks and context made it possible and the inner fight Reacher was having added to his character.

I don't need EVERY show to have extra subtext and twists. Sometimes I just want a show that is what's advertised and delivers that advertisement. I don't feel like season 1 really had any twists either. Closest was the FBI guy and even that wasn't exactly a twist.

Well the last episode was more about smug self congratulation than anything else, but glad to have watched it all now

 McDougall Designs wrote:
Has anyone noticed the show dropped quality between season 1 and 2?

Yeah they had a cheap CGI budget and there were a few more filler episodes in S2

S1 was much more methodical and paced nicely

Wife and I finished S2 last night. We enjoyed it and hope they make a S3.

So that’s 4 books down between Amazon and Mr Cruise. Any preferences for the next up?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Only 24 more to choose from

Tbh disapointed with S2, watching last epsiode tonight but no real expectations

* So not only is Reacher an ultimate killing machine but all of his minons are just as bad ass right up to
* Apparently the only people who drive in major cities are Reachers mates and the bad guys. It worked ok for me in S1 as its small town but New York etc?
* I quite liked

Its not as mind numbingly stupid as the Jon Wick films but getting there.

 Flinty wrote:
So that’s 4 books down between Amazon and Mr Cruise. Any preferences for the next up?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Only 24 more to choose from

Lee Child confirmed they've chosen a solo story, and internet speculation I've read is leaning on Worth Dying For or Die Trying.

 Baragash wrote:

 Flinty wrote:
So that’s 4 books down between Amazon and Mr Cruise. Any preferences for the next up?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Only 24 more to choose from

Lee Child confirmed they've chosen a solo story, and internet speculation I've read is leaning on Worth Dying For or Die Trying.

I think it would be unlikely to be Worth Dying For because:

 CptJake wrote:
Wife and I finished S2 last night. We enjoyed it and hope they make a S3.

Season 3 is apparently in filming.

 Stevefamine wrote:

 McDougall Designs wrote:
Has anyone noticed the show dropped quality between season 1 and 2?

Yeah they had a cheap CGI budget and there were a few more filler episodes in S2

S1 was much more methodical and paced nicely

I'm going to hold judgement on the flow until I can binge the entire thing together like I got to for season 1. I don't think there were "filler" episodes in this.

I will agree that the CGI was particularly cringe when he was hanging from the helicopter as it took off. Like bad late 90's/early 2000's when they stopped doing physical stunts because "can haz cgi".

Outside of that my only real issue is the very methodical, organized, and highly capable enemy they showed having such an sadly weak meeting with our heroes.

Season 2 wasn’t as good as season one. I think this was due to the setting and the team up with his former team.
In a small rural town with two local cops reacher stood out more. That’s what made him feel special.