Netflix’s New Crime Thriller Will Brutally Flip Every Reacher Rule

Netflix’s New Crime Thriller Will Brutally Flip Every Reacher Rule Alan Ritchson staring at someone in Reacher season 3 By  Dhruv Sharma Published Feb 25, 2026, 9:46 PM EST Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns. Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies. After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Add Us On Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

A new crime thriller is all set to premiere on Netflix soon, and it will brutally flip every rule Prime Video's Reacher has established for the genre.

Like Reacher, the upcoming Netflix show in question is also based on a bestselling book series. If it performs well, Netflix could potentially have a massive TV franchise under its belt that could last as long as Reacher and Bosch. The source material for the series has also previously been adapted for the big screen, but like the Jack Reacher movies, the film adaptation did not leave its mark.

Despite sharing quite a few similarities with Reacher, though, the Netflix crime thriller has all the right ingredients to etch its own identity in the genre.

Netflix’s New Detective Thriller Will Be Reacher's Anti-Thesis

Netflix's adaptation of Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole novels is all set to premiere on March 26, 2026. Similar to Jack Reacher, the titular detective, Harry Hole, in the series is portrayed as a loner with exceptional deductive abilities. However, in terms of other traits, he is nothing like the Alan Ritchson character.

If Jack Reacher is a disciplined, nomadic force of justice, Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole is a chaotic, self-destructive detective driven by addiction and obsession.

As the upcoming Netflix show's trailer establishes, it will capture Detective Hole's alcoholism and struggles with compulsive need to chase killers even when it costs him everything.

Check out the trailer below:

Another major distinction between Harry Hole and Jack Reacher is that Reacher is almost always portrayed as this nearly invincible force who uses his sheer strength to get himself out of rough situations. Harry Hole, too, gets involved in many a fist fight, but, unlike Reacher, he does not always win. Owing to this, he carries the scars of many lost brawls and battles.

Before leaving a town and embracing the open road again, Reacher almost always leaves it a better place by resolving local crime. Harry Hole's intentions are also in the right place, but he cannot help but leaves some kind of devastation in his wake.

Detective Hole is the perfect Jack Reacher anti-thesis and seems more similar to True Detective's Rust Cohle.

Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole Is Exactly What The Crime Thriller Genre Needs Right Now

Almost all crime thrillers seem to tread the same path as Reacher, where stoic, hyper-competent protagonists move from case to case with unwavering moral clarity. Some of the more nuanced ones, like Bosch, feature protagonists that have inner demons, but they shy away from fully embracing the darker traits of their main characters.

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Netflix's take on Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole will seemingly defy the norm and portray a more morally ambiguous detective protagonist. This will seemingly bring something new to the table.

While only time will tell whether Netflix's Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole will have the same cultural impact as Reacher, it already seems promising. The original book series' author, Jo Nesbø, is the show's main writer, and even its cast is led by talented actors like Tobias Santelmann and Joel Kinnaman.

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  Like Follow Followed Reacher TV-MA Crime Drama Action Thriller 8/10 680 9.2/10 Release Date February 3, 2022 Network Prime Video

  Cast

  See All
  • Alan Ritchson Jack Reacher
  • Maria Sten Frances Neagley

  Reacher follows Jack Reacher, a former military police investigator, as he navigates civilian life. Without a phone and carrying minimal belongings, Reacher drifts across the country, experiencing the nation he once served, and encounters intriguing challenges along the way.

  Directors Omar Madha, Carol Banker, Julian Holmes, Lin Oeding, M.J. Bassett, Norberto Barba, Stephen Surjik, Thomas Vincent Writers Cait Duffy Main Genre Action Creator(s) Nick Santora Producers Agatha Barnes, Don Granger, Marcy Ross, Scott Sullivan, Nick Santora, Lee Child, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Paula Wagner, Sam Hill, Derek Rappaport, Sean Ryerson, Adam Higgs, Aadrita Mukerji, Penny Cox, Bill Bost Seasons 3 Powered by Expand Collapse
• Like Follow Followed Joe Nesbø's Detective Hole M18 Mystery Crime Drama Thriller Release Date March 26, 2026 Network Netflix

  Cast

  • Joel Kinnaman Det. Tom Waaler
  • Tobias Santelmann Det. Harry Hole
  • Pia Tjelta Rakel Fauke
  Directors Øystein Karlsen Writers Jo Nesbø Main Genre Crime Creator(s) Jo Nesbø Producers Tor Arne Øvrebø Seasons 1 Powered by Expand Collapse

• Reacher
• Joe Nesbø's Detective Hole
• Netflix

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Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper Hole vs Reacher analysis

Want more perspective? Subscribe to our newsletter for in-depth coverage and analysis of Detective Hole's reinvention of the crime thriller — character breakdowns, adaptation context, and how it stands against Reacher. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Trending Now 5 Best Netflix Shows To Binge-Watch This Week (Feb 2–6, 2026) Netflix's New 6-Part Crime Thriller Series Is One Of Its Best Why Marvel Is Replacing Peter Parker For The New Spider-Man Series