Alan Ritchson's Reacher Series Sets Up Its First Sequel

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Alan Ritchson as Reacher in a bowling alley.

Published Oct 18, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT

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Prime Video has already renewed Alan Ritchson's Reacher series for two more seasons. While the book that season 5 will adapt has already been decided, season 6's book choice is yet to be revealed. Interestingly, the book chosen for season 5 already has the perfect sequel that the Prime Video show can pick up for season 6.

In its first season, Prime Video's Reacher chose Lee Child's first Jack Reacher book, Killing Floor, for adaptation. However, with what followed, the show refused to follow the original book series chronology. Instead, it picked up random books every season, with the most recent one adapting Lee Child's Gone Tomorrow.

The next season of the Prime Video detective series is all set to adapt Lee Child's Make Me. Given how Make Me is one of the darkest and most acclaimed books in the original series, it is an interesting choice for adaptation. What makes it even more fascinating is that it already has the perfect follow-up book Prime Video's Reacher can adapt in season 6.

Reacher Season 5's Book Has A Direct Follow-Up

Alan Ritchson sitting in Reacher season 4

Lee Child's Make Me unfolds one of Jack Reacher's darkest arcs where he investigates a grim criminal network in a small town, leading him to everything from the monetization of snuff to extreme torture. In the book's story, Reacher even teams up with a local woman, Michelle Chang, who also becomes his temporary love interest.

Following this brief stint, Jack Reacher parts ways with Chang and unknowingly walks down the path of healing in Lee Child's The Midnight Line. In the book, he stumbles upon a West Point class ring in a pawn shop window. Realizing that no one would sell the ring unless they were struggling financially, he decides to buy the ring and return it to the owner.

With this, the book explores some hard-hitting themes surrounding veteran trauma, facial disfigurement, and the opioid crisis. In more ways than one, The Midnight Line is a far cry from Make Me despite being its direct follow-up. The book does not feature a typical hero vs. villain narrative and follows a more emotional journey for Jack Reacher.

Would The Midnight Line Make For A Good Season Of Prime Video's Reacher Series?

Alan Ritchson as a beaten up Jack Reacher.

The Midnight Line's story may not necessarily be in tandem with the Prime Video show's core appeal so far. With each new season, the series has tried to up-the-ante of its overarching drama and action. Even with its adaptation of Make Me's bleak story, Reacher season 5 is seemingly trying to achieve the same. Owing to this, adapting The Midnight Line could prove risky.

However, after five seasons, Prime Video's Reacher will have to find new ways to keep things novel and interesting. Adapting The Midnight Line would be a good way of achieving this. In terms of action sequences, the book may not rank among Lee Child's best works. It does, however, reveal a more empathetic and introspective side of Reacher.

Alan Ritchson's performance as Jack Reacher has only gotten better with each new season. An adaptation of The Midnight Line would allow him to put his range on full display by giving him the chance to play a more vulnerable version of Jack Reacher. Hopefully, if not in season 6, Prime Video's Reacher will eventually consider adapting Lee Child's The Midnight Line in a future installment.