Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

In all likelihood, the reason this novel was chosen was because of immediacy. Never Go Back was released in 2013, when the decision was made to proceed with a sequel. There’s just one problem. Never Go Back was the culmination of three books’ worth of plotlines.

Obviously, Jack Reacher as a series is almost completely stand-alone in nature. Each book is generally self-contained with a new supporting cast and mystery, so the threads Never Go Back picks up on are easily dealt with through broad strokes. This is the beauty of a stand-alone series; you can pick and choose the details that need to be focused on to tell a compelling story while laying aside any other pieces that might muddy the waters. At the same time, this is why I have come to truly appreciate Reacher, the most recent season of which namedropped Susan Turner –a major character in Never Go Back, played by Cobie Smulders. Like Reacher says, details matter. Assumptions kill.

Never Go Back is centered on Reacher aiding Major Susan Turner, who is now in charge of the 110^th US Army CID Military Police unit he founded years ago during his active military service. When trouble comes brewing for Major Turner that puts her career and freedom in jeopardy, the Military makes a huge mistake when they forcibly re-conscript Reacher to hold him in Military Prison for a crime he did not commit. With Major Turner’s life in jeopardy for an investigation she had been leading, Reacher busts her out of prison. The two go on the run to figure out what kind of mess they have found themselves in. All the while, General James Harkness (Robert Knepper) seeks to silence them.

We are introduced to Samantha (Danika Yarosh). Unlike the typical Jack Reacher adventure, where he ends up having to protect somebody with little to no potential connection to him, Samantha represents a tangible weakness that could be exploited long-term. Reacher’s ignorance of her existence is meant to paint him as a deadbeat dad, granting Samantha license to view him with suspicion, never mind outrage that his presence has now put her in mortal danger. While Reacher struggles to connect with Samantha and keep her safe from the threats circling him and Turner, it becomes clear that he cannot rely on his usual tactics to safeguard his life and those around him.

Captain Anthony Espin (Aldis Hodge) is one of the major supporting characters in the film. He is a friend and associate of Susan Turner, and it is with his help that Reacher can bring Parasource Conspiracy down around its ears. Aldis Hodge had long since begun moving into a more action-heavy direction for his characters, and it was enjoyable getting to watch him play off against Cobie Smulders and Tom Cruise in Never Go Back. While Espin is ultimately injured during the second act, it doesn’t stop him from being at the finish line.

Daniel Prudhomme (Austin Hébert) is identified as the only witness to the murders that Major Turner is being framed for. The hunt for him takes up a good portion of the second act – though his death proves that the threat against Major Turner and Reacher is far larger than initially anticipated. With Prudhomme dead and Turner and Reacher in the wind, we are left with the main muscle of the film in the Hunter (Patrick Heusinger), who has been dispatched to frame them both for murder time and again. As a villain, the Hunter is the biggest threat to Reacher and Turner, leading to one of the most baffling decisions in the Cruise-era adaptations. Jack Reacher losing a fight.

While Jack Reacher was presented as a thriller with action elements that deconstructed the typical action hero archetype, Never Go Back upped the ante in every regard. The conspiracy was larger, the action set pieces were grander, and the threats were made more personal to the main character. Jack Reacher still stumbled into a chaotic situation. Still, it’s not just his conscience and general unwillingness to let a problem lie that keeps this thread barreling forward. Even before Samantha’s introduction to the story, Susan Turner had proven to be a friend and ally to Reacher, and he would never willingly leave an ally behind enemy lines.

With Samantha in tow, the dynamic between Reacher and Turner changes – what began as intense unresolved sexual tension remains so, as they are saddled with a willful teen they have to protect who does not truly grasp the danger that she is in. With the Hunter circling them, it forces us to sit with the dread that he may be unable to stop him from killing Samantha. While the choice to have Reacher lose a fight is baffling, it builds tension at the expense of the core tenets of a Jack Reacher story.

It’s clear that he enjoyed playing the character despite not matching the physicality of Jack Reacher. When actors enjoy their work and have a say in how it is produced, they tend to be more protective of core aspects. At the very least, it’s clear that Tom Cruise doesn’t have it in his contract that his characters cannot lose a fight.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back ended up being the second and final entry in Tom Cruise’s iteration of the character, but not the end of Lee Child’s work being adapted. With Jack Reacher and Never Go Back as adaptations, when or if Reacher ever adapts them is up in the air. At the moment, they’ve covered three books in three seasons, and a fourth is set to begin production soon. Even Lee Child prefers to see his work unfold in long-form, so it is now highly unlikely that a third Cruise outing will be made.