The Modern-Day Sherlock Holmes In Crime Thrillers

Calling any detective character a Sherlock Holmes replacement would be unfair, but Jack Reacher comes close to being his perfect modern-day version in more ways than one.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes first appeared in the short story A Study in Scarlet, which was published in 1887. Even though more than a century has passed since the fictional detective character first materialized on paper, he remains an iconic figure in the world of literature and continues to inspire countless adaptations and shows and movies in the crime thriller genre.

Building on Holmes’ enduring influence, it is hard not to see how Alan Ritchson’s Jack Reacher comes off as his perfect modern-day iteration. The comparison may seem unfair, but it makes a lot of sense when one learns about what inspired Lee Child to come up with Jack Reacher’s characterization.

Sherlock Holmes Was Lee Child’s Primary Inspiration For Jack Reacher

At first glance, Jack Reacher seems more reminiscent of action heroes from franchises like Mission: Impossible, James Bond, or Jason Bourne. However, as Lee Child revealed (via Collider), Jack Reacher is actually based on Sherlock Holmes. “It was a very conscious homage on my part,” confirmed Lee Child, highlighting how the legendary detective was on the back of his head when he first created Jack Reacher.

Recalling a sequence from his first Jack Reacher book, Killing Floor, Lee Child also revealed that the character perfectly embodies Sherlock in one sequence. Just like Holmes, Reacher displays impressive thinking abilities when he deduces that Finlay is divorced and gave up smoking in April.

The original Jack Reacher books are jam-packed with several similar sequences where Jack Reacher silently observes and meticulously unearths details that no one else would be able to see. Interestingly, like the books, even the Prime Video show draws subtle references to Sherlock Holmes.

One Major Scene From Prime Video’s Reacher Was Inspired By Sherlock Holmes

In both Lee Child’s Persuader and Reacher season 3, Jack Reacher fights a man, Paulie, who is nearly twice his size. Their showdown begins in a barn but eventually moves to a rocky beach before they end up duking it out in the rough sea. As Lee Child confirmed, Paulie and Reacher’s fight is a nod to Holmes’ fight with Professor Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls in The Final Problem.

Although Moriarty is not as huge as Paulie, the comparison between the two fights makes a lot of sense. Just like Jack Reacher finds his physical match in Paulie, Holmes finds himself facing an intellectual equal when he fights Moriarty. In both showdowns, the stakes are life and death, leaving both Reacher and Holmes with only two choices: kill or get killed.

Both battles also put the detective characters’ physical and intellectual abilities on full display. In both narratives, the fights are even portrayed as climactic symbols of good and evil, where intellect must beat malice.

Alan Ritchson’s Reacher Comes Off As The Modern-Day Version of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock

When one thinks of Sherlock Holmes, especially Benedict Cumberbatch’s iteration from the 2010 series, it is hard not to associate the character with his nearly superhuman deductive abilities. Jack Reacher’s most defining trait in the books and the show is usually his strength, but he, too, displays a razor-sharp intellect and acute observation skills.

As seen in Reacher season 3, he also possesses the uncanny ability to anticipate his enemies’ moves and, like Sherlock, weaponizes their weaknesses to gradually break them. Owing to these abilities, Jack Reacher is also labelled as “Sherlock Homeless” by a General in Lee Child’s nineteenth Jack Reacher book, Personal.

Both in the 2010 series and the original books, Sherlock is also portrayed as an imposing figure. He is not as massive and muscular as Reacher, but he can throw a punch and is also well-versed in boxing and fencing. Reacher’s nearly superhuman strength makes him far stronger than any other detective character, but, like Sherlock, he matches his brawn with brains.

The two characters also seem cold, distant, and almost emotionless. They obsess over little details and diligently follow self-imposed rules during investigations. Reacher seems to have a better romantic life than Sherlock, but he, too, never commits to a relationship.

Reacher and Sherlock seem fascinating because, more often than not, they almost come off as machines, processing information at lightning speed but incapable of holding normal human interactions. However, what truly makes them appealing is the relentless determination with which they pursue criminal cases and solve crimes.

Bosch Comes Close, But Reacher Is More Like Holmes Than Any Other Fictional Detective Character

After seeing Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch in the acclaimed Bosch series, some might argue that his character deserves to be called the modern Sherlock more than Reacher. While it is understandable where that sentiment comes from, Bosch often operates within the constraints of the law and the police system.

His crime-solving methods are more procedural, which makes him significantly different from Reacher and Holmes. Reacher and Holmes are also not primarily driven by the pursuit of serving justice. As Neagley highlights in Reacher season 3, Jack does what he does because he hates “the big, powerful sons of b***hes who think they can just get away with things.“

Similarly, Holmes cares less about justice and is driven by the thrill of solving puzzles and achieving analytical mastery. Both Reacher and Holmes have a moral imperative, but that is a secondary driver of their actions.

Just like Sherlock Holmes has Watson, who often serves as an inner window to the genius detective’s inner thoughts, Jack Reacher has Neagley. In both characters’ stories, Watson and Neagley serve as effective narrative foils and confidants, grounding their extraordinary abilities in relatable human insight.

With so much in common between Jack Reacher and Sherlock Holmes, it is fair to call Reacher the 21s-century Sherlock.