Following a less-than-fully-successful second series, Alan Ritchson is back as the true embodiment of Lee Child's literary white knight. Reacher is in trouble, or trouble always seems to find him. Again.

The new season begins with Reacher arriving at a vinyl shop in a small college town in Maine. Immediately, he averts the attempted abduction of meek Richard Beck, son of businessman Zachary Beck. Winning Richard's favour, Reacher is allowed inside Zachary's rug business. Once inside the complex, Reacher reaches for a phone hidden in his boot, dials a number and says, “I'm in.” This long preamble is very exciting and grabs the viewer's attention immediately. It is a bold step also coming fifteen minutes into the episode, the title blaring onto the screen to jolt you out of the immediate suspense.

The violence is methodical and necessary to the story, a story originally crafted so brilliantly by Lee Child and capably brought to life here by showrunner Nick Santora. Ritchson as ever exerts a strong presence onscreen; his performance will never win awards, but it is the right mixture of intimidation and charisma. Ritchson's size and simmering menace means there is more to chew on compared to the still enjoyable Tom Cruise films.

The plot is far more interesting than the wishy-washy second season when Reacher and his associates laid waste to the villains with high-action military shoot 'em ups in dark warehouses. That trend does continue, but Reacher always stays one step ahead of the villains, which this time around is played effectively and with legitimate reason.

This series revolves around the novel Persuader, with Reacher seeking drug dealer Xavier Quinn, who is involved in the death of Reacher's young protege, Dominique Kohl. Reacher thought he had disposed of Quinn, yet he has somehow reappeared as the big boss really pulling the strings of running Beck's ‘rug' business.

There remain sizable obstacles for Reacher to overcome as season three progresses. He encounters Paulie, a mercenary played by the seven-foot-two Dutch bodybuilder Olivier Richters (whose other credits include Gangs of London and Borderlands). Paulie dwarfs Reacher, and will give him more trouble in the second half of series as Reacher's undercover plan comes to the fore for Beck's operation.

Providing capable support is Sonya Cassidy as Susan Duffy, a unique partner of Reacher. She gives as good as she gets with her steely Bostonian accent and no-nonsense attitude.

Reacher will most likely never win awards, and sometimes the acting would not look out of place in a Chuck Norris film. This is nevertheless a gripping fistfight of a series with high octane action ranging from hand-to-hand combat to balmy explosions. The show retains the familiar by-the-numbers feel of the books, but with sinister undertones to the web of corruption pervading across contemporary America. Reacher does a fine job of doing exactly what you hope it to.

Reacher Season Three is streaming Amazon Prime now.