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Whenever we see Jack Reacher, his gruff exterior and solitary nature take the limelight. However, he is not just a man of action. This iconic character by Lee Child, with his physical prowess and unwavering sense of justice, hides empathy beneath the hard surface. There have been several cases when Reacher has shown a profound sense of concern for others and empathy. In some cases, it has been against his own self-interest to help those in need.
In this list, we will delve into 10 such instances when Reacher’s actions were such that he exhibited empathy. Through these examples, we can challenge the perception that Reacher is purely a self-serving individual. His code of honor extends beyond personal vengeance and has a genuine concern for the well-being of others. This will deepen our understanding of Reacher and shed light on the importance of empathy in a world that is characterized by indifference and self-interest.
If you haven’t watched Reacher yet, please be prepared for spoilers ahead.
1)Saving the dog
In season 1, episode 2, Reacher was going through the town when he came across a house with a dog in the backyard. He approached the dog and saw that the dog was suffering without water. He then gave the dog some water. The owner of the house came out to see Reacher giving the dog water, and he told him that he had given water to the dog in the morning. However, Reacher understood that he was lying.
Later, in episode 3, Reacher goes back to the dog's house and brings food to the dog. When the owner of the house comes out again, he sees that Reacher was feeding the dog. He asks him what he was doing there and tells him to leave again. In episode 5, Reacher sees the dog lying in the backyard and goes to check up on him. He finds that the dog's collar has been hurting the dog. He then punches the owner of the house and leaves with the dog, saving him.
2)Saving the woman from robbery
In season 2, episode 1, when Reacher was trying to make a withdrawal at the ATM machine, he saw that the woman in front of him was disturbed. He understood that she was in some kind of trouble. He tells her not to turn around and assures her that he can help her. She tells him that she was carjacked and her child is in the backseat. He tells her to keep taking the money out and asks whether the minivan was hers.
He quickly goes to the minivan and punches through the window, breaking it. He then proceeds to attack the burglar and throws him out of the car. However, even after saving the woman and the kid, when the woman asks who he was, he tells them he does not want to get involved. Despite his distant nature, he does not back down from saving people from danger.
3)Protecting Hubble in jail
In season 1, episode 1, Jack Reacher and Hubble are sent to prison. Reacher tells to inventory Hubble’s watch, as it will be the first thing that will get stolen in the jail. As Hubble and Reacher were on the bus, Hubble tried to thank Reacher, but Reacher shut him down and showed that he had no interest in his well-being and told him that he had ruined his trip to Margrave. In the jail, Hubble and Reacher are given the same cell.
Although Reacher and Hubble were not supposed to be in the jail with criminals serving life sentences, they were sent there. In the morning, when a group of men came inside their cell and started to harass Hubble, Reacher intervened. Reacher threatens them that if they do not leave, they will face consequences. When they refuse to leave, Reacher injures the man that was threatening Hubble, saving him.
4)Leaving a tip at the restaurant
In season 1, episode 1 of Reacher, Reacher arrives at Margrave. After stepping off the bus, he walks to a restaurant. Before entering the restaurant, he sees a man verbally abusing a woman he was with as they were leaving the restaurant. He confronts the man for abusing the woman.
Though he does not speak, his overall attitude makes the man feel scared, and he apologizes for his behavior. From the beginning, we see that Reacher has a stoic attitude, but he has empathy towards others. As he enters the restaurant and orders coffee and peach pie, he notices a police van has arrived at the restaurant. He assumes that they are there for him, so even before he can eat his food, he pays for the food and leaves a tip. Even when he is in a grave situation such as getting arrested, he is riven by empathy and leaves a tip.
5)Protecting Finlay
In season 1, episode 7, when Finlay was in the motel, Reacher called him to tell him to meet at Pete Jobling's house. However, Finlay tells him that three hitters were headed towards the motel office, and he understood that they were searching for him. He knew that they were there to kill him. Reacher, however, did not want Finlay to die.
So, he tried his best to navigate Finlay to safety. He asks Finlay whether he has a gun and also asks him about the type of motel he was in. When Finlay tells him the details about the motel, Reacher tells him to use the bar from the closet to go through the other room and escape. He guides Finlay through the whole process and leads him to safety. His training makes him an expert in situations like this, and this relationship with Finlay made him be protective towards him as well.
6)Sparing one to drive the others to the hospital
In season 1, episode 2, when Reacher was in the motel outside his room, four boys wanted to talk to him. They told him that they heard that he got arrested for murder and inquired about his intentions. This makes Reacher tell them that he knew that they were waiting for him and that they were paid to beat him up.
This angers Reacher, and he tells them that he was going to break the hands of three of them. When the boys tell him that there were four of them, he tells them that one of them needed to drive the others to the hospital. Despite being disturbed and attacked, Reacher cared about the well-being of the boys. Though humorous, this moment showed his empathetic side.
7)His relationship with Roscoe
In season 1, episode 8, after the success of their mission, when Reacher decided to leave Margrave, Roscoe gave him her number and told him to call her. Reacher asks her what she was going to do, and Roscoe answers that she is going to rebuild the town her family built.
Reacher tells her that she should run for mayor and makes a joke. They share a kiss, and the moment has resonated with the viewers, considering Reacher’s stoic and harsh exterior. This shows the empathy and relationship that he has developed with Roscoe throughout his time in Margrave. It also reveals Reacher's softer side and his ability to connect with others on a deeper level, despite his tough persona.
8)Saving Hubble
In season 1, episode 8, Reacher finds out that Teale, Picard, and KJ were in the whole operation together. They captured Hubble’s wife and children along with Roscoe. KJ tells Reacher to find Hubble. Reacher and Picard go to find Hubble, but Reacher tells Picard that he won’t be able to find Hubble unless he has a map and a place to think.
They go to a restaurant, and Reacher sneaks in a fork behind Picard's back. After they got out of the restaurant, Reacher punctured their car tire. On the road, Reacher outmaneuvers Picard and shoots him. He finds Hubble and saves him. Despite knowing the situation they were in, Reacher did not hesitate to save Hubble and protect him.
9)Sympathising with Molly Beth
In season 1, episode 3, Roscoe gets a call from Molly Beth. Molly asks her whether she has any information about Joe. Reacher picks up the call and tells her about Joe’s death. Though she initially was not able to believe that Joe had died, Reacher’s words got through to her. Reacher wanted to know about Joe’s work, and Molly gave him information regarding it.
Reacher is a stoic person, but his behavior with Molly showed his empathetic nature. Though he did not know her, he tried his best to be empathetic because he realized how important Joe was to Molly. In episode 4, when he saw that Molly was stabbed by someone and severely injured, his reaction, unlike other times, showed his empathetic side again. Reacher feels guilty and expresses his emotions by acting out.
10)Being supportive of Finlay
In season 1, episode 6, when Finlay and Reacher were in the woods, they started to talk. Finlay asks Reacher about the 110th and his relationship with Neagley. Reacher tells him that the army let him put together his own special investigations unit. He also tells him about the nine members of the team. Reacher tells Finlay that even though they were very close, he has no contact with them.
This makes Finlay comment about how he lets go of people easily. Reacher then points to the ring that Finlay has kept with him. He tells Finlay to move on, thinking that Finlay had divorced his wife. However, Finlay reveals that his wife was dead. This makes Reacher understand Finlay’s emotions. Even though he was not often involved in other people's lives, he showed his sensitive side by sympathizing with him.
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