Before modification by Roland00 at 06/02/2022 12:45:11 AM
He's an army brat turned military police veteran, who basically ditches possessions and wanders America with a bare minimum of material goods, but he keeps on encountering mysteries and criminal conspiracies and whatnot. He's a huge guy with really great situational awareness and fighting skills, and was a crack investigator in the military and is way more intelligent and well-educated than his brutish appearance indicates, so he is surprising effective at solving these mysteries and giving out necessary beatdowns and hooking up with a female LEO or peripherally involved strong woman.
They made a couple of movies based on the books, starring Tom Cruise, which offended many people, since Cruise is well short of Reacher's size and physical presence. And Moiraine was in the first one.
Ritchson is 6'2'', not 6'5'' but they utilize camera angles and shorter costars to make him look taller. He must have pumped a lot of iron for this role because he looks the part in a way Cruise never could.
You're absolutely right about how he is always underestimated due to his appearance and lifestyle. He's a West Point grad which speaks to the fact he is a lot smarter than he looks.
The 8 part series is based on the first Reacher novel, Killing Floor, and it's a faithful adaptation. I watched 1-4 last night and loved the show. Delayed gratification can be good, but no doubt I will watch the rest before the weekend is over.