Amazon Prime TV/Movies

[Jeff V]

It's a shame the last few Reacher books have been so bad. Letting the brother "collaborate" on the series has been a real letdown.

It's brain candy, and since Scott Brick took over the audiobook versions, I'm fine with them. Brick could entertain me reading the phone book though.

[MHS]

It's a shame the last few Reacher books have been so bad. Letting the brother "collaborate" on the series has been a real letdown.

It's brain candy, and since Scott Brick took over the audiobook versions, I'm fine with them. Brick could entertain me reading the phone book though.

It'd be fine if Andrew Child just wrote a series and called the character by another name. But the most recent book is crap as a Reacher novel. He's doing completely un-Reacher-like things.

[Pyperkub]

Oh, it’s fun. But nothing I can watch with the wife and kids. Although my youngest would completely be the girl in Psycho Goreman.

My pitch to the wife about seeing Brendan Fraser in Doom Patrol hit a brick wall when he’s a jackass race car driver banging a gal full front nudity within the first 10 minutes. Sigh, and she likes Alan Tudyk too.

I’m trying to get my oldest daughter to watch Space Ghost. Partly because it’s so strange, partly because we have to work our way into Harvey Birdman.

Alan Tudyk? Get thyself onto the Resident Alien bandwagon! That is such a fun show, and he is so completely fantastic in it!

[Pyperkub]

I just hope they hire shorter actresses to play opposite him. If he's supposed to be 6'5" (the actor is actually 6'2") then that made Roscoe appear 6'1" or 6'2" standing next to him sometimes.

Good show and much better Reacher than Cruise.

It's a shame the last few Reacher books have been so bad. Letting the brother "collaborate" on the series has been a real letdown.

Roscoe was one of the highlights of the series. She did great.

[Pyperkub]

Fun examination of Ritchson as Reacher in the Ringer:

Ritchson is actually 6-foot-3, 2 inches shorter than Reacher as described, but he carries himself with the general size, gravitas, and seating capacity of a Mercedes Sprinter van. Ritchson, already gigantic, put on 30 pounds to play the role properly and the result is a man who looks like someone took the four Hollywood Chrises, stacked two of them on top of one another, then stacked the remaining two on top of one another, and, finally, placed the two Chris-columns beside each other, wrapped the whole humongous cube up in a trench coat, and gave them Thanksgiving turkeys for hands. That’s Reacher. The experience of watching the premiere episode is one of deciding whether you are watching a human man or a beautiful series of boulders piled atop one another in a most pleasing form, and it only becomes more captivating from there.

But I didn’t come to marvel at Ritchson’s size all by my own accord. Reacher features a whodunit plot about small-town wrongdoing, and mysterious deaths, and an ongoing fascination with animal feed, of course—but ultimately, the series wants nothing more than for its audience to understand that this is a very big boy. There are many ways Reacher’s size is quantified throughout the eight episodes, but rest assured—it is always being quantified. And as Reacher himself will tell you: details matter. So just how large is Jack Reacher in the TV series Reacher? Let’s catalog everything we know …

[Biyobi]

I just hope they hire shorter actresses to play opposite him. If he's supposed to be 6'5" (the actor is actually 6'2") then that made Roscoe appear 6'1" or 6'2" standing next to him sometimes.

Is Roscoe in any of the other books? I enjoyed the chemistry between the two and I'll miss her if she's gone forever.

[Pyperkub]

I just hope they hire shorter actresses to play opposite him. If he's supposed to be 6'5" (the actor is actually 6'2") then that made Roscoe appear 6'1" or 6'2" standing next to him sometimes.

Is Roscoe in any of the other books? I enjoyed the chemistry between the two and I'll miss her if she's gone forever.

Nope. Neagly is the only one from this season who recurs in the books (and maybe his brother in flashbacks).

[McNutt]

That was a really dumb show. Reacher killed at least 20 people and it went totally unnoticed by anyone. They made jokes about his size every two minutes. The bad guys explained their plans and then let him go. Seriously?

Gun peeves: a Desert Eagle. Plus the South American gun expert carried his pistol grip shotgun at eye level.

Still, as completely dumb as that show was, I totally binged it and will do so again for Season 2

[Jeff V]

Still, as completely dumb as that show was, I totally binged it and will do so again for Season 2

I take it you never read the books?

[McNutt]

None.

[Zenn7]

Wife and I have never read any of the books either. The Tom Cruise movies are our only exposure to Reacher. We liked those movies quite a bit. Took a bit for this one to grow on wife the way Tom Cruise's character did, but he did eventually.

We both greatly enjoyed it, plowed through it in 3-4 days (fairly fast for us - she can do 8 episodes in a day or 2, I don't have time nor desire to watch that much TV in 1 day very often).

Definitely looking forward to season 2.

I do agree that all the people he killed going unnoticed was a bit silly.
Don't know much about guns so any unrealistic/bad/stupid stuff there was missed by us.

[Jaymann]

A few years ago I binged listened to about 6-7 of the books. I eventually gave up because they were pretty much all the same.

[Grifman]

That was a really dumb show. Reacher killed at least 20 people and it went totally unnoticed by anyone. They made jokes about his size every two minutes. The bad guys explained their plans and then let him go. Seriously?

Yeah, the kill count was high, and there's no way the FBI let's him go without holding him for further questioning after all those killings/shootouts. Still, a lot of fun.

[Grifman]

I just hope they hire shorter actresses to play opposite him. If he's supposed to be 6'5" (the actor is actually 6'2") then that made Roscoe appear 6'1" or 6'2" standing next to him sometimes.

Uh, no, she's 5' 5". Even at 6'2" he's got 9" on her. Pretend he's 6'5" and she's no more than 5'8", bumping them both 3".

[Blackhawk]

Four episodes into Reacher. I read the first book years ago, but don't really remember much of it. But watching the show, one thing stood out: Reacher is blatantly autistic.

[Kasey Chang]

Looks like season 2 is already green-lit, and will be based on book 2, "Die Trying". However, the showrunner only said it will be MOSTLY based on the book. With Lee Childs as an exec producer, you can assume any changes will be with his blessing. Keep in mind that Neagley didn't appear until book 6, so her appearance in season 1 means there may be room for her as a recurring character in season 2.

------

And there's a separate series by Diane Capri called "The Hunt for Jack Reacher", with Lee Child's permission, as a pair of FBI agents are determined to trace Reacher's path across America... but for what purpose? Friend or foe? What will they find? And what will they do with that info?

[hepcat]

Whoo hoo, Upload season 2 starts March 11th!



Upload season 1 was a big surprise for me as I enjoyed it quite a bit….and I usually hate cyberspace stories.

[Max Peck]

Four episodes into Reacher. I read the first book years ago, but don't really remember much of it. But watching the show, one thing stood out: Reacher is blatantly autistic.

I'm not sure that "blatantly" is quite the term I'd use. A lot of people agree that the character appears to be on the spectrum, but as yet there is no clear indication that it is an intentional aspect of the portrayal. Apparently Jack Reacher is something of a Mary Sue, so perhaps a more interesting question would be "Is Lee Child autistic?"

Is Jack Reacher Autistic? Theories

Jack Reacher is the protagonist of the Amazon Original titled ‘Reacher.’ The action series follows the titular former U.S. Army military policeman who gets arrested for a crime he did not commit. In a bid to prove his innocence, he gets tangled up in the judicial and political mess that plagues the Georgia town called Margrave. The fictional anti-hero first came into being in Lee Child’s 1997 novel ‘Killing Floor,’ which serves as the basis of the show’s inaugural season.

Apart from Reacher’s superior fighting skills, his larger-than-life physique and the manner in which he carries himself truly make him an imposing presence. However, some Lee Child fans who have read the books can’t help drawing parallels between the character on the pages and the one in the crime series. Since Reacher’s mannerisms and ways of doing things are quite unique, it has also sparked discussions around whether Jack Reacher is on the autism spectrum. If the thought has crossed your minds, we would like to share with you all that we know!

Firstly, no one seems to have publicly spoken about shaping Reacher’s character as a person with autism. This includes the makers of the series, actor Alan Ritchson (who portrays Reacher), as well as Lee Child, the author of the novels and creator of the character. In fact, it is hard to ignore the similarities between Lee Child and the fictional character he created. This has been pointed out by Ritchson himself.

In an early February 2022 interview, Ritchson shared that the way Reacher speaks out of the side of his mouth and how he holds his face is quite similar to what Child does. He said, “He [Lee Child] kind of holds himself in the same way, and injects his idiosyncrasies or his mannerisms into Jack throughout the series. Having spent time with him in person, I see a lot of that.”

Although Ritchson felt that Child may have embellished a few things while shaping Reacher’s character, the intellect is absolutely genuine. “He [Lee Child] is one of the smartest guys… The intellect that Reacher has is almost superhero-esque… But there’s also this kind of dry sardonic humor. And Lee has a lot of that, too,” the actor gushed over the author. Moreover, in an interview in March 2017, Child admitted that he modeled certain aspects of Reacher’s personality after his own beliefs, habits, and preferences.

[MHS]

I just hope they hire shorter actresses to play opposite him. If he's supposed to be 6'5" (the actor is actually 6'2") then that made Roscoe appear 6'1" or 6'2" standing next to him sometimes.

Uh, no, she's 5' 5". Even at 6'2" he's got 9" on her. Pretend he's 6'5" and she's no more than 5'8", bumping them both 3".

Uh, yeah, I know she's not that tall. But the scene in the shower, the camera angles basically made it look like she was only a few inches shorter. Everyone on the show looks and talks about him like he's a huge, circus freak guy, so I want them to hire actors who are no more than 5'0" so he really looks like he could pick them up by their heads and eat them.

Also, my entire conversations around this are tongue-in-cheek.

[MHS]

That was a really dumb show. Reacher killed at least 20 people and it went totally unnoticed by anyone. They made jokes about his size every two minutes. The bad guys explained their plans and then let him go. Seriously?

Gun peeves: a Desert Eagle. Plus the South American gun expert carried his pistol grip shotgun at eye level.

Still, as completely dumb as that show was, I totally binged it and will do so again for Season 2

I don't know if it makes any difference, but the books started in the late 90s, when life was simpler and you could kill people unnoticed. And fly by paying cash 10 minutes before a flight! Reacher doesn't make as much sense post 9-11 and cell phones.

[Blackhawk]

Four episodes into Reacher. I read the first book years ago, but don't really remember much of it. But watching the show, one thing stood out: Reacher is blatantly autistic.

I'm not sure that "blatantly" is quite the term I'd use. A lot of people agree that the character appears to be on the spectrum, but as yet there is no clear indication that it is an intentional aspect of the portrayal. Apparently Jack Reacher is something of a Mary Sue, so perhaps a more interesting question would be "Is Lee Child autistic?"

In the books, maybe (again, it's been a decade + since I read the only one of the series I read.) But as someone who spends every day surrounded by autism (and soaking in it), I felt the portrayal was pretty blatant.

The internalized emotion combined with a flat demeanor, the blunt, overly-to-the-point responses (something I've learned to watch for, as it is something I do far too often), the literalness, the way he obsesses over a few narrow interests and views, the way he comes off as both clueless and brilliant at the same time, the social awkwardness. Some of that is the character as written, but a bunch of it is in the portrayal.

And, to be honest, it's kind of awesome. There are few enough 'good' examples of what it's like to be autistic. It'll be nice to have people able to say, "Like Jack Reacher" instead of invoking Sheldon Cooper (whose mannerism aren't autism, they're dickism.)

[EvilHomer3k]

Four episodes into Reacher. I read the first book years ago, but don't really remember much of it. But watching the show, one thing stood out: Reacher is blatantly autistic.

I'm not sure that "blatantly" is quite the term I'd use. A lot of people agree that the character appears to be on the spectrum, but as yet there is no clear indication that it is an intentional aspect of the portrayal. Apparently Jack Reacher is something of a Mary Sue, so perhaps a more interesting question would be "Is Lee Child autistic?"

In the books, maybe (again, it's been a decade + since I read the only one of the series I read.) But as someone who spends every day surrounded by autism (and soaking in it), I felt the portrayal was pretty blatant.

The internalized emotion combined with a flat demeanor, the blunt, overly-to-the-point responses (something I've learned to watch for, as it is something I do far too often), the literalness, the way he obsesses over a few narrow interests and views, the way he comes off as both clueless and brilliant at the same time, the social awkwardness. Some of that is the character as written, but a bunch of it is in the portrayal.

And, to be honest, it's kind of awesome. There are few enough 'good' examples of what it's like to be autistic. It'll be nice to have people able to say, "Like Jack Reacher" instead of invoking Sheldon Cooper (whose mannerism aren't autism, they're dickism.)

I know I've talked about it before but I quite like the Netflix series Atypical. I fucking hate The Big Bang. It's a terrible show.

[Kasey Chang]

I was about half done with Reacher and just binged the rest just now. It was a load of fun, exactly the way you'd imagine how a Reacher series *should* end. The final gunfight was a bit of meh, and I don't recall exactly how the book ended, but I don't think it was that far off.

The TV series had a lot more bodies though.

[Pyperkub]

I was about half done with Reacher and just binged the rest just now. It was a load of fun, exactly the way you'd imagine how a Reacher series *should* end. The final gunfight was a bit of meh, and I don't recall exactly how the book ended, but I don't think it was that far off.

The TV series had a lot more bodies though.

The end was pretty darned close to the book.

Spoiler:

I remember the pool fight, tho I seem to recall it taking place in a new, unoccupied development and not the banker's actual house. I also remember the fight in the money warehouse, but I had it in my mind as basically a mountain of loose cash on fire, not all boxed up, but both felt really true to the book to me

[Jeff V]

Spoiler:

I remember the pool fight, tho I seem to recall it taking place in a new, unoccupied development and not the banker's actual house. I also remember the fight in the money warehouse, but I had it in my mind as basically a mountain of loose cash on fire, not all boxed up, but both felt really true to the book to me

I read this one just a year or two ago (after reading most others in the series). This series was very true to the book, but unless there's going to release a new "season" (meaning book) every three months or so, I don't see them running the table in this manner. An episodic series, maybe do 2 episodes per novel, would IMO have been a better way to go. Amazon will cancel this after another season or two (as they are wont to do) and there will still be a lot of material, some pretty good, left unfilmed. Then Tom Cruise might be motivated to do another, and that serves nobody.

[Pyperkub]

They won't cancel it - it was the most watched series in prime history.

[hepcat]

The Boys spin-off cartoon series is actually pretty good. Different styles make it hard to pin down. But it works for me.

[Isgrimnur]

Luci and Desi

[Isgrimnur]

Three Months (also on Paramount+)

[Skinypupy]

Finally got around to finishing Legend of Vox Machina tonight. What an absolutely fantastic show, I cannot wait to see more.

[hepcat]

At first I wasn't sold on Vox Machina. The oftentimes anachronistic and infantile raunchy jokes were a bit too much. But then the actual story kicked in and I really enjoyed the heck out of it.

[Max Peck]

If we've come this far without a dedicated topic for The Boys, who am I to buck the trend.

[Daehawk]

OMG!!@!!!!!!!! Why didn't I make the connection sooner?????? Reacher was Thad in Blue Mountain State!!!! GEEBUS!!...I somehow blocked that entire show out of my mind...SO damn funny..

[Carpet_pissr]

Amazon buying MGM for $8.5B. Has the EU approval already, now just needs US approval. I suspect it will pass considering how little we seem to care about anti-trust issues in modern times.

If it happens, will add around 4,000 movie titles to Prime Video, and tons of TV shows.

https://www.reuters.com/business/amazon ... 022-03-14/

[hepcat]

Oh man, the holy grail! I may soon be able to watch Showgirls and Heaven's Gate!

[hepcat]

Upload season 2 is almost as good as season 1. I was worried that it might veer off course, but I’m enjoying the heck out of it. It’s like Ted Lasso for me. Both shows aren’t always laugh out loud funny, but they’re witty without being cruel, and I just feel good about the world after watching them.

[stessier]

Upload season 2 is almost as good as season 1. I was worried that it might veer off course, but I’m enjoying the heck out of it. It’s like Ted Lasso for me. Both shows aren’t always laugh out loud funny, but they’re witty without being cruel, and I just feel good about the world after watching them.

Thanks for mentioning this - I've been waiting for Season 2 and hasn't realized it was already out! Season 1 was really great while also being disturbing.

[Brian]

Thanks for mentioning this - I've been waiting for Season 2 and hasn't realized it was already out!

Well shit, I also completely missed the release of Season 2.
I'll have to start watching it tonight.

[Skinypupy]

Upload season 2 is almost as good as season 1. I was worried that it might veer off course, but I’m enjoying the heck out of it. It’s like Ted Lasso for me. Both shows aren’t always laugh out loud funny, but they’re witty without being cruel, and I just feel good about the world after watching them.

Thanks for mentioning this - I've been waiting for Season 2 and hasn't realized it was already out! Season 1 was really great while also being disturbing.

Same, I had no idea.

Granted, I don't open Prime that often unless there's something I really want to watch, but it's surprising that I haven't seen a single ad or bit of promotion anywhere.

[Malificent]

BTW, I super recommend the TV Time app (https://www.tvtime.com/) - I use to keep track of what I'm watching and what I want to watch and it notifies me when new shows get started. It happily reminded me that Upload started and wife and I watched the first 2 season 2 episodes last night. I had forgotten how quick the episodes go.

Anyway, it's a very good app. Also does movies, although I use Lettrboxd for that.