Although Amazon Prime Video's Reacher portrayed certain characters as heroes in the first season, the upcoming second season will flip this archetype on its head, and make these characters the villains. Reacher is a thriller action series based on the "Jack Reacher" novels by Lee Child. While the first season followed Reacher as he unraveled a conspiracy of corruption in Margrave, Georgia, alongside two police officers, Reacher season 2 will see the ex-military policeman on a new and different crime-fighting adventure.

Although Reacher season 2's exact release date is not confirmed yet, it has been announced that the show's second installment will be based on Lee Child's eleventh "Jack Reacher" book entitled "Bad Luck and Trouble." Although Amazon Prime Video is skipping earlier "Jack Reacher" books, the second season will still make plenty of sense following season 1. "Bad Luck and Trouble" sees Reacher reunite with his old military unit after one of his former colleagues is brutally killed. Reacher, along with his old friends, must figure out this murderous mystery, which has a surprising villain behind it.

Related: Reacher Season 2's Main Character Replacements Are Worse In 2 Major Ways

Reacher Season 2's Cops Will Be Foes, Not Friends

While Reacher season 1 saw police officers Finlay and Roscoe as Reacher's closest allies, the second season will see police officer characters as enemies. According to Lee Child's "Bad Luck and Trouble," Reacher discovers that there is a strange conspiracy happening when he comes into contact with an old military colleague who reveals that a member of their military unit has been mysteriously killed. The pair then go on a mission to find the rest of their team, and in the process, uncover a major scheme that is run by local and former police officers.

In particular, Reacher and Neagley discover a company called New Age which produces high-strength weapons and sells them to foreign terrorists. The company is helmed by former police officer Alan Lamaison and his former partner and current police officer Curtis Mauney. The two men are not only involved in dangerous weapons sales, but are also behind the deaths of Reacher's colleagues. The fact that the story's two main villains are police officers shows that Reacher season 2 will have a much different perspective on law enforcement than in season 1.

How Reacher's Police Flip Makes Season 2 More Dangerous

The fact that Reacher is making police officer characters villains rather than heroes makes the second season more dangerous than the first. This is mainly because, in season 1, Reacher was able to rely on police officers to help him unravel the mystery. Not only did he have Finlay and Roscoe on his side, but he also had the entire police department's resources to use and their commitment to justice. On the other hand, with police officers against him, Reacher is sure to hit more roadblocks and problems than he did in season 1.

Furthermore, having police officer characters as villains creates some moral dilemmas in Reacher season 2. As previously mentioned, season 1 saw Reacher getting physical and moral support from police officers, however, with the police officer characters in season 2 acting as enemies, this will raise questions of morality and justice. Reacher will have to come to terms with the fact that not all law enforcement is good, and in fact, many figures of authority are deeply corrupt and cause serious danger on the individual and international level. Overall, Reacher season 2 will give the protagonist plenty to think about.

Reacher's Missing Cop Character Makes Season 2's Story Curious

Although Reacher season 2 is following "Bad Luck and Trouble," and is set to be released in December 2023, there is still a hole that needs filling. Namely, the character of Curtis Mauney has yet to be cast for Reacher season 2. Mauney is one of the corrupt police officers at the head of Reacher's investigation, and is a prime example of an evil police officer character. The fact that Mauney has not been cast yet means that the season may not include his character at all, which is curious. Mauney is an ideal representation of season 2's "bad cops," so it's interesting that the season would not include him.

However, this could mean that Curtis Mauney is being saved for a different Reacher season. All in all, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps Reacher intends to continue themes of corrupt law enforcement, and for this reason, wants to elongate the "Bad Luck and Trouble" plot. Of course, there may be other reasons for Mauney's lack of casting, but either way, the character will likely appear eventually. In the end, Reacher season 2 is definitely turning over a new leaf that will be more intricate and more thought-provoking than last season.