Alan Ritchson’s ‘Reacher’ Could Break Its Biggest Formula Rule in Season 6
Season 5 of *Reacher* is set to adapt Lee Child’s *Make Me*, and that choice could set up a significant change for Season 6. The next book, *The Midnight Line*, continues directly from *Make Me*, potentially giving the series a connected story instead of its usual standalone adventures.
In *The Midnight Line*, Reacher travels to Wisconsin, finds a West Point ring in a pawn shop and traces it to a criminal operation. The story also follows the ring’s owner, a former servicewoman dealing with opioid use after an injury, giving Reacher a more emotionally focused case. The article presents this as a risk that could broaden the show’s storytelling.
In short
- Season 5 is expected to adapt *Make Me*.
- *The Midnight Line* follows directly from that novel.
- Its former veteran owner adds a more emotional thread.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Adapting The Midnight Line as a continuation could give the series room to develop consequences and relationships across seasons, making Reacher’s investigation and the former servicewoman’s story feel more emotionally connected. It could also bring fresh variety to a show whose standalone structure may eventually feel repetitive.
The case against
Keeping each season largely self-contained is part of the series’ appeal: viewers can follow a new case without needing to remember an earlier season, and each story can deliver its own resolution. A direct continuation could make the show feel less accessible and risk weakening the brisk, independent adventures that define its format.