The modern-day Sherlock Holmes in crime thrillers

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

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes first appeared in the short story A Study in Scarletpublished in 1887. Although 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, shows, and films in the crime thriller genre.

Building on Holmes’ enduring influence, it’s hard not to see how Alan Ritchson’s Jack Reacher stands as his perfect modern iteration. The comparison may seem unfair, but it makes sense when we discover what inspired Lee Child to come up with the characterization of Jack Reacher.

Sherlock Holmes was Lee Child’s main inspiration for Jack Reacher

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

Remembering a sequence from his first Jack Reacher book, Kill the groundLee Child also revealed that the character plays Sherlock perfectly in one sequence. Much like Holmes, Reacher demonstrates impressive thinking skills when he deduces that Finlay is divorced and quit smoking in April.

The original Jack Reacher the books are full of several similar sequences where Jack Reacher silently observes and meticulously unearths details that no one else could see. Interestingly, like the books, even the Prime Video show makes subtle Sherlock Holmes references.

A major scene from Prime Video’s Reacher was inspired by Sherlock Holmes

In both Lee Child’s Persuade And Reach Season 3, Jack Reacher fights a man, Paulie, who is almost twice his size. Their confrontation begins in a barn but ends up taking place on a rocky beach before eventually confronting each other in rough seas. As Lee Child confirmed, Paulie and Reacher’s fight is a nod to Holmes’ fight with Professor Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls in The last problem.

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

The two battles also highlight the physical and intellectual abilities of the police characters. In both stories, the fights are even depicted as climactic symbols of good and evil, where the intellect must overcome wickedness.

Alan Ritchson’s Reacher presents itself as the modern version of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock

When we think of Sherlock Holmes, particularly Benedict Cumberbatch’s iteration in the 2010 series, it’s hard not to associate the character with his almost superhuman deductive abilities. Jack Reacher’s most defining trait in the books and series is generally his strength, but he too demonstrates a sharp intellect and acute observational skills.

As seen in Reach season 3, he also possesses the uncanny ability to anticipate the movements of his enemies and, like Sherlock, uses their weaknesses to gradually break them down. Due to these abilities, Jack Reacher is also labeled as “Homeless Sherlock” by a general in the 19th century by Lee Child Jack Reacher book, Staff.

Both in the 2010 series and the original books, Sherlock is also depicted 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 almost superhuman strength makes him far stronger than any other detective character, but, like Sherlock, he combines his brawn with his brain.

Both characters appear equally cold, distant and almost emotionless. They obsess over small details and diligently follow their 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 come across almost as machines, processing information at lightning speed but unable to maintain normal human interactions. However, what really makes them attractive 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 hit film Bosch series, some might argue that his character is more deserving of being called the modern Sherlock than Reacher. While it’s understandable where this feeling comes from, Bosch often operates within the constraints of the law and the police system.

His methods of solving crimes are more procedural, which makes him very different from Reacher and Holmes. Nor are Reacher and Holmes primarily motivated by the quest to serve justice. As Neagley points out in Reach season 3, Jack does what he does because he hates “the big, powerful sons of bitches who think they can get away with it.“

Similarly, Holmes is less concerned with justice and is motivated by the pleasure of solving puzzles and gaining analytical mastery. Both Reacher and Holmes have a moral imperative, but it is a secondary driving force behind their actions.

Just as Sherlock Holmes has Watson, who often serves as an interior 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 relevant human insight.

With so much in common between Jack Reacher And Sherlock Holmesit’s fair to call Reacher the Sherlock of the 21st century.