It is simply too big, this foe – unexpectedly huge and surprisingly quick. Jack Reacher’s creator, Lee Child, designed his hero to strike this fear in his adversaries as they size up all six feet and five inches of him and realize he’s tougher and more strategic than they expect him to be. Maybe we can empathize with that powerlessness, what with rogue forces presently stomping systems meant to protect the vulnerable.

Jack Reacher, if he were real, wouldn’t be the villain in this scenario. A billionaire plays that part, whereas Reacher takes pride in moving through life with nothing but the clothes on his back and a toothbrush.

Reacher is both an overt right-wing power fantasy and the kind of avenger lefties can get behind.

But it’s satisfying to imagine that somewhere in the wilderness, a Goliath slayer is waiting for the right time to strike. In every season of “Reacher,” Alan Ritchson’s retired military investigator doesn’t gun for anyone who doesn’t deserve it.

So what happens when he’s the little guy going toe-to-toe with someone who is physically much larger? Does he stand a chance? Do we?

If cinematic violence is a language of escalation, “Reacher” is fluent and specific. There are many scenes in which Ritchson’s wandering knight succinctly spells out to some lunkhead he’s just broken how he broke them – that is, if they don’t die outright.

Related

Although the stories change with each new season of “Reacher,” some pleasures are constant. Foremost among them is the assurance that’s he going to extralegally kill a lot of people who have it coming and not feel bad about one of them. Neither will we.

That’s because Reacher is an expert in what he does, a type frequently dismissed in this kakistocracy. In........

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