One brutal fight from Reacher proved the titular character isn't invulnerable after all. The creation of author Lee Child, Jack Reacher is a hulking avenger who roams America righting various wrongs. In essence, he's Sherlock Holmes with the body of Dolph Lundgren, a combination that made finding the right actor for the 2012 movie adaptation a long process. The eventual casting of Tom Cruise caused howls of derision from longtime readers, and it's a call that remains controversial. Amazon's Reacher stayed true to the source by casting Alan Ritchson, who was a much better fit for Child's literary creation.
While having a tall, muscle-bound hero who wins every bout might sound dull to some, part of the enjoyment of the Reacher books and its TV counterpart is that power fantasy. He confronts bullies, criminals and killers alike and - almost always - wins every fight. In one novel, Reacher even bearhugs a villain to death. The first episode of Reacher saw the title character punch his way through a gang of prisoners with ease, and while he took some blows throughout season 1, there was little doubt he'd emerged victorious. That said, episode 7's "Reacher Said Nothing' had one fight he nearly didn't walk away from.
Reacher's Crowbar Fight Proves The Character Isn't Unbeatable
For context, "Reacher Said Nothing" sees Jack luring the Kliner hit squad that's been terrorizing Margrave to a remote house. Reacher plans to lay a trap and kill them all, and while he employs stealth and cunning for the first few, final henchman Dawson Kliner (A.J. Simmons) manages to get the drop on Reacher. This leads to arguably the most brutal battle of Reacher, and while Dawson is much smaller and skinner, his unexpected speed, relentless energy and crowbar make it an even match. This sequence also sees Ritchson's Reacher take his only sustained beating.
Viewers had come to expect that Reacher would annihilate anyone standing in his path, which is what makes the Dawson brawl so surprising. The sequence turns from Reacher being in complete control to taking nonstop blows from a crowbar and nearly drowning, which humanized him in a way the show hadn't attempted in other action scenes. Of course, repeated blows from a crowbar would be a weak spot for anybody - even one built like a giant. That said, a major flaw of this Reacher fight is just how many hits he takes from said crowbar without being killed, with the scene accidentally tipping over into the ludicrous towards the end.
Has Reacher Ever Lost A Fight In The Books?
Luckily for Jack, Dawson's weakness proved to be multiple shots from his Desert Eagle handgun. While he just barely won that bout, there are no real examples of the character losing a one-on-one confrontation in Lee Child's Reacher novels. He's faced opponents who've given him a tough time, but never any that made him lose outright. Possibly the only exception came from Worth Dying For, during a passage where he's attacked by multiple attackers - most of whom are ex-football players - and badly beaten up. He's momentarily defeated, but in typical Jack Reacher fashion, later breaks free and gets his revenge.