‘Reacher’ Recap: ‘First Dance’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘Reacher’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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For the most part, stories that focus on crime and the investigations surrounding an illegal act… waste little time in providing the gumshoe (and the audience) with a bevy of clues to follow. Because the prevailing belief when it comes to how these stories should be constructed, is that they should move briskly and give the audience just enough mystery to keep them coming back for more and what better way to do that, than through clues that reveal what’s going on and let’s be honest… this is a supremely effective method of telling a crime related story. Because it does the job as advertised and leaves you curious about who committed said crime and why.

Which is why it is always surprising to run into a crime story that defies that particular norm. Since it speaks to the reality that there are other ways to engage an audience and for the sake of today’s discussion, one way to accomplish that… is through danger and intrigue, as evidenced by the next episode of Reacher on Prime Video. For when we catch up with Reacher in ‘First Dance’, he’s rightfully on the hunt to figure out who killed his brother. But rather than run into clues that hint at who might have taken part in such a heinous act… there’s nothing for Reacher to find. For the individuals responsible for this mess, did everything to cover their tracks… making it seem as though the case would quickly end with zero resolution. 

But there is something quite afoul in Margrave. For the implication that dark forces are working behind the scenes turned into confirmation here. Courtesy of the fact that the police chief was viciously murdered and immediately replaced by the current Mayor, whom has a lot of question marks surrounding him regarding his integrity. Plus, the fact that Hubble went missing here… speaks to a grand conspiracy. One that is desperate to remain under wraps and that created the intrigue in question… since we instantly want to know what kind of organization would want to keep secrets in a small town that seemingly has no strategic value, nor is it the hub of something critical. But alas, those answers will indeed have to wait, since no information regarding what is happening in this tiny little town were revealed to us in the slightest.

In fact, the intrigue was replaced in this tale, by the danger in question. As evidenced by how Spivey set up a trap for Reacher when an attempt was made to pull a little intelligence out of Spivey regarding the corrupt nature of the prison and what happened to Reacher and Hubble within its walls. Not to mention, the fact that Roscoe’s house was ransacked and vandalized with an ugly message during a night out with Reacher, informs our heroes that they’ve stumbled onto something ugly, something so foul in fact that people will die in a horrible manner to keep the truth from ever coming to light and that is a perfect way to create a genuine sense of danger. Since we don't know when the dark forces that are lurking about will strike and cause strife, and that oddly, adds to the intrigue as well and creates a sense of anticipation.

Since all of these shady and unsettling acts managed to motivate Reacher to keep the investigation going. For he is fearless and angry and will stop at nothing to bring peace and justice to his brother’s name, and we definitely want to see him complete his search, since these bad, bad people deserve their comeuppance. But what matters most here, is the unconventional nature of this tale and how it informs us that there are indeed other and better ways to engage an audience outside of the norms. Because this plot just grabs hold of you and never lets go and sends your mind racing with questions. For now, you’re dying to know who the mastermind is here and why they are so eager to sow trouble and take lives in doing so, and it will be fascinating to see this mystery unravel in what is likely to be an equally unconventional manner, as our journey through Margrave continues in the weeks to come. Until next time.

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