WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Reacher season 3.

After Prime Video's Reacher season 4 making no exception. Even though there is a wealth of Jack Reacher stories to adapt that could push the Amazon series well past eight seasons, an original story may actually be a smarter and more thrilling move for the Alan Ritchson series.

Reacher season 1 adapted Lee Child's first Jack Reacher novel "Killing Floor" (1997), which is still considered to be one of, if not the, best books of the series. Rather than following a sequential order of book release, or a chronological order of narrative events, Reacher season 2 jumped to "Bad Luck and Trouble" (2007), another fan-favorite of the series. With Reacher season 3 featuring Racher going undercover in a coastal Maine town based on 2003's "Persuader", the seventh book in the series, there are still plenty of adaptation options for Reacher season 5 and beyond but Amazon may choose not to go that route.

Reacher Season 3's Biggest Twists Are Spoiled If You've Read The Book

Reacher Readers Have The Disadvantage Of Knowing How Every Season Plays Out

One of the biggest downsides of watching any Reacher season is that viewers who have already read the books know what's to come. Everything from character deaths to plot twits and other classic Reacher moments are spoiled before the season even begins, which almost seems like the series is punishing its most dedicated fanbase. While there are additional benefits to reading the books, the Prime Video Reacher viewing experience can feel like a highlight reel at times of the best aspects of the novels since they are all typically quite literal adaptations of book content.

While it may sound blasphemous to introduce the idea of a standalone Reacher season based on a never-before-seen story, it would actually reward Reacher's most dedicated fans by allowing them to have the same tension-fueled experience watching the series for the first time. Viewers who have never read the books have the added benefit of watching the story play out for the first time, although seeing the contents of fan-favorite Jack Reacher books through Ritchson's exceptional portrayal come to life is also rewarding as well. Lee Child is still writing Reacher books, so perhaps his next one could align with the release of a new season.

Prime Video's Reacher Is Faithful Enough To Suggest An Original Story Could Work

Amazon Has Showed Exceptional Care In Bringing Child's Authentic Vision To Life

The handling of Amazon Prime Video's Reacher series proves that attention to detail is key to bringing Lee Child's books to life. This level of care over the series thus far is exactly why it may be worth a shot to allow Amazon's Reacher creative team to take a stab at creating an original work, ideally in tandem with Lee Child's oversight. The safest way to do this would be to coordinate a new book release with an book from Child, which may be what's in store for Reacher season 4 since its source material has yet to be announced.

Child's 30th Reacher book, "Exit Strategy", is set to be released in October 2025. Even if Reacher season 4 adapts another classic book instead, the door should remain open for some new original content. Lee Child has said himself how much he loves Ritchson as Reacher and how well the lead actor understands the character through and through.

Ritchson may even become a creative force behind a future season of Reacher, working alongside Child and series developer Nick Santora to establish a brand-new chapter.

Child doesn't micromanage Ritchson when it comes to his portrayal of Reacher, trusting the casting choice and his source material to communicate all that needs to be said. With this in mind, Ritchson may even become a creative force behind a future season of Reacher, working alongside Child and series developer Nick Santora to establish a brand-new chapter.

Lee Child Himself Is In Favor Of Reacher Telling Original Stories In Future Seasons

Child Trusts Reacher's TV Writers & Believes They Would Come Up With Great Material

Child himself states that he would welcome the idea of Amazon's production team taking the reins on future installments of the Reacher television series. "I’d be very open to it, because I trust the writers. The TV writers are terrific writers and great people, and they know the books very well." This is the only blessing that Santora, Ritchson, and the Reacher cast and crew need to take the franchise in a new direction. Child continued, "If they did branch out into stories of their own, they would still be true, authentic Reacher stories, just with different plot points than those that occur in the books."