By Mr. Nobody
Warning: Major spoilers for Reacher Season 4, Episode 8, “Cut.”
After seven episodes of conspiracies, assassinations, stolen evidence and a deadly chemical weapon plot, Reacher finally brings Season 4 to a close with an episode that understands exactly what its audience came for: Jack Reacher hitting people very, very hard.
“Cut,” released September 16 on Prime Video, picks up in the aftermath of the previous episode’s explosive cliffhanger. The finale runs about 58 minutes and brings Reacher, Tamara Green and Jacob Merrick into the final confrontation with Lila and Amisha Hoth.
And while the episode doesn’t reinvent the Reacher formula, it provides a remarkably energetic conclusion to the season.
The action takes center stage
The centerpiece of “Cut” is an extended action sequence that reportedly runs for roughly 15 minutes. Reacher and his allies track their enemies to a restaurant, where a thunderstorm provides the backdrop for an all-out assault.
This is Reacher at its most excessive.
There are gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, improvised weapons and the kind of punishment that would put an ordinary human being in the hospital for months. Reacher, naturally, keeps moving.
One particularly outrageous sequence involves Reacher having nails driven through his hands. Rather than simply retreating, he turns the injury into another weapon against his attacker. The scene is simultaneously ridiculous and completely in keeping with the show’s approach to its hero.
The finale isn’t interested in subtlety. It wants the audience to wince, cheer and wonder how Reacher is still standing.
Reacher vs. Lila
The final confrontation between Reacher and Lila Hoth provides the episode with its most personal physical showdown.
Rather than relying exclusively on weapons, the two engage in a lengthy and vicious fight that allows the series to showcase Ritchson’s physicality while giving Lila an opportunity to prove that she isn’t simply another disposable villain.
The choreography is among the episode’s biggest strengths. The fight feels exhausting rather than effortless, and Reacher takes enough punishment that the viewer can legitimately wonder whether he’s finally reached his physical limit.
Of course, this is still Reacher.
The laws of action-movie physics eventually take over.
The emotional side of the finale
For all the violence, “Cut” also spends time dealing with the consequences of the season’s events.
Congressman John Sampson’s sacrifice from Episode 7 is confirmed early in the finale. He died after tackling the suicide bomber into the Delaware River, an act that prevented an even greater catastrophe.
That moment gives the finale a little more emotional weight than simply ending the season with a body count.
Jacob’s journey also reaches an important point. Much of the season has revolved around his sister Anna’s death and the information she left behind, so finally confronting the people responsible gives his storyline a sense of closure.
Does the finale work?
For the most part, yes — provided you accept what Reacher is.
The series has never pretended to be a grounded police procedural. It is a larger-than-life action thriller built around an almost impossibly capable protagonist.
“Cut” pushes that philosophy to the extreme.
At times, the violence becomes so excessive that it borders on cartoonish. Reacher takes an extraordinary amount of punishment during the final fight, and the amount of blood loss alone raises questions about how he remains conscious. Tom’s Guide similarly noted the episode’s extreme violence and described the finale as essentially a long, brutal action showcase.
But that excess is also part of the fun.
If you came to Reacher expecting realism, the finale may test your patience. If you came for Alan Ritchson’s towering action hero, brutal fights and deadpan one-liners, “Cut” delivers exactly that.
A fitting end to Season 4
Season 4 took Reacher into a more complicated conspiracy involving Philadelphia, government secrets, a missing flash drive and a chemical-weapons plot. The season has generally maintained strong critical reception, with Rotten Tomatoes listing a 94% Tomatometer score from 33 critics as of September 16, 2026.
The finale doesn’t attempt to dramatically change the character or reinvent the series. Instead, it clears the board and sends Reacher back into the world.
And that’s probably appropriate.
Reacher is most comfortable when he’s moving from town to town, following trouble wherever he happens to find it. Season 4 gives him another massive conspiracy to dismantle, another collection of dangerous enemies to defeat and another reason to disappear when the job is finished.
Final Review
“Cut” is a bloody, excessive and thoroughly entertaining Reacher finale.
The plot occasionally takes a back seat to the action, and Reacher’s ability to survive punishment reaches superhero territory. But the fight choreography is impressive, the stakes are high and the finale gives the major storylines enough closure to make the journey worthwhile.
It isn’t subtle.
It isn’t realistic.
But it is very, very Reacher.
My review: 4 out of 5 stars.
Season 4 of Reacher is streaming on Prime Video, and the Season 4 finale, “Cut,” premiered September 16, 2026.
