While waiting for Reacher season 3, which will follow Persuader, the third book in the Jack Reacher series.

The series has been a bona fide star turn for lead Alan Ritchson, who plays the titular loner with a deadpan gravitas and a hulking swagger that has endeared him to fans of the books. Jack Reacher may be the Mary Sue of action-thriller protagonists, a man of such specialized hypercompetence as to occasionally not be believable. Still, he's a heck of a lot of fun to watch as he tracks down his enemies and beats them into submission. While fans dive into the fun of Reacher season 3's story, a few other TV shows can be ideal to watch at the same time.

15 Luther

2010-2019

The show that helped make Idris Elba a star following his acclaimed turn on The Wire, Luther is a hardboiled British detective show with a stoic, brilliant, and complicated protagonist at its center. Elba stars as John Luther, a London detective who is known for two things; cracking cases and pushing the boundaries of the law. The show follows him as he investigates various grisly crimes in the big city while also fending off those who want to see him behind bars.

Reacher's imposing size sometimes distracts from the fact that he is a very talented detective in his own right. He is often the smartest person in the room and sees things others do not. The same can be said for Luther, who is able to get to the root of a villain who goes unnoticed by others. While he is a much more complicated man than Reacher, they are both heroes who want justice served and are willing to break the law to ensure that.

14 The Equalizer

2021-Current

The idea of a hero operating outside the typical law enforcement boundaries in order to see justice served is not a new concept on television. The original The Equalizer series also had a similar premise which has also been adopted by the new hit remake starring Queen Latifa. Separate from the Denzel Washington Equalizer movies, the series stars Latifa as Robin McCall, a former CIA operative who uses his impressive set of skills to help out those in need.

While Reacher likes to be a lone wolf most of the time, the second season of the show with his fellow of the 110th ing him felt more like McCall's trusted team.

McCall is very much like Reacher as a hero of the show. They are both imposing and resourceful protagonists who can be dangerous yet care about helping people. They also have little patience for doing things "by the book," preferring to hand out their own brand of justice. While Reacher likes to be a lone wolf most of the time, the second season of the show with his fellow of the 110th ing him felt more like McCall's trusted team.

13 Special Ops: Lioness

2023-Current

While Taylor Sheridan is mostly known for his Western shows within the Yellowstone universe, Special Ops: Lioness is a thrilling series that took him into the modern world of espionage. Unlike the smaller-scale missions of Reacher, Lioness deals with international situations, such as taking down terrorists or rogue cartel bosses. Zoe Saldaña stars in the series as Joe, the head of a special operations division of the CIA that trains female agents for intense undercover missions.

Lioness is a grittier and more intense thriller series compared to the fun escapism of Reacher. However, it is not hard to find similarities between the two shows. Like Reacher himself, Joe is a protagonist whose work leads her to be emotionally cut off from those around her in many ways. She also operates in a morally gray area that differs from Reacher's good-vs-evil outlook, but both are determined soldiers who will get the job done no matter what.

12 Bad Monkey

2024-Current

Though Reacher can be a very violent show with some pulse-pounding moments, it also brings enough humor in to keep things light and entertaining. Bad Monkey is an Apple TV+ original series that is much more comedic and features a protagonist who is more like a laidback version of Reacher. Vince Vaughn stars in the series as Andrew Yancy, a friendly yet determined police detective who is suspended from his job and takes a temporary gig as a private investigator, looking into a supposed accidental death that turns out to be something much more complicated.

Both Yancy and Reacher are characters who are at peace on their own but keep getting caught up in dangerous situations. In the case of Reacher, he seems to seek out injustice being done while Yancy wants to stay out of it, but his detective mind pushes him to take a closer look. It is a funny, thrilling, and somewhat dark series that looks like it could follow Reacher's format of a new case each season.

11 Tulsa King

2022-Current

Another series from Taylor Sheridan once again takes him away from the Western world and into gangster territory. Sylvester Stallone stars in Tulsa King as Dwight Manfredi, a member of the Italian mob who is released from prison after a long stretch only to learn that his bosses are sending him to Tulsa, Oklahoma in order to establish some new business ventures. However, Dwight takes this opportunity to build his own empire, forming an unlikely crew of allies and cementing himself as a gangster in an unexpected setting.

Like Reacher, Tulsa King is able to be an intense and impactful crime and thriller series while also not taking itself more seriously than it has to. Stallone shows his gift for comedy while also playing his typical intimidating character. Dwight also makes for a formidable protagonist like Reacher, even if he isn't as heroic, with both men always seeming like they can get out of any situation.

10 The Night Agent

2023-Current

The Night Agent is one of the new wave of lone wolf-type agent shows in the past few years. It has a unique premise: rookie FBI agent Peter Sutherland is assigned to the White House on an overnight shift to man an emergency phone line that rarely sees action. However, one night it rings, and the caller on the other end of the line pulls him into a conspiracy involving a mole in the White House.

Like the Jack Reacher series, The Night Agent is based on a series of books, these by Matthew Quirk. It's earned lots of praise from critics and viewers alike for being a gripping story told with sophistication. It may not rewrite the spy thriller genre, but it's taut and engaging, and clicks along at a pace fast enough to keep it from getting bogged down in all the moving pieces.

9 Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan

2018-2023

Amazon's adaptation of the Tom Clancy series is the latest, as well as the first TV adaptation of the prolific author's book series. Jack Ryan is a former Marine turned CIA agent on the rise. During an intelligence gathering assignment, he discovers a specific pattern of communication between terrorist cells. His discovery throws him into a deadly job where failure means a new breed of terrorism will be unleashed around the globe.

When John Krasinski was first cast as Jack Ryan, most fans scratched their heads. After all, up to that point, Krasinski was best known for playing Jim on The Office. Fans need not have worried, though: His turn as the titular character in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan was a career-defining role for Krasinski and solidified him as a force to be reckoned with across genres.

8 The Old Man

2022-2024

The Old Man employs one of the best tropes in the action-thriller genre: the old skilled pro who is pulled out of retirement. Jeff Bridges plays Dan Chase, a former CIA agent who has since deserted the agency and now lives a simple life off the grid. When an assassin hunts him down, and the FBI is also on his tail, Dan has to rely on his old tricks and rusty instincts to keep one step ahead of his pursuers.

The Old Man was canceled after two seasons but earned solid reviews, thanks largely to Jeff Bridges' portrayal lending gravitas to the crusty, wily old agent. The ing cast around him also brings their A-game, with their performances elevating the script. The writing is sharp, and while it doesn't rewrite the genre, it's full of tension and powerful action sequences that are nicely balanced with character development.

7 Tracker

2024-Current

2024's hottest new network show of the year is hot for a reason. Tracker, based on a book character created by Jeffrey Deaver, stars Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, a self-proclaimed "rewardist" who tracks down missing people for reward money. His skills were honed during his strange, off-the-grid upbringing, which ended with the mysterious death of his father. However, the past comes back to haunt him when his father's death – or murder – keeps interfering with his life.

Tracker has gained a lot of praise for being an entertaining, engaging show that balances the somewhat played-out lone wolf trope with an ensemble team. Colter Shaw is an interesting character, with all of Jack Reacher's skills and tendencies to self-isolate, but with a better head on his shoulders thanks to his system. Hartley has a self-possessed swagger whenever he's on the screen, and his chemistry with the other characters promises for a fun ride in Tracker season 2.

6 The Terminal List

2022-Current

Just as audiences were initially dubious about John Krasinski taking on an action-oriented role, they were also skeptical of longtime Parks and Recreation actor Chris Pratt transforming into an action hero when he was cast in Guardians of the Galaxy. Since then, however, he's more than proved his action chips, with his first foray into TV being the action-thriller The Terminal List.

It's one of the many Amazon shows based on a book series (this by former Navy SEAL Jack Carr), following a SEAL agent who goes rogue after his whole platoon is ambushed and he decides to hunt down those responsible. The Terminal List is just as testosterone-laden as Reacher, and has been almost as big a hit. It's gotten some flak from critics for being too serious and unable to laugh at itself, but sometimes, that's exactly what an audience wants to see.