Benjamin Ashford|'Reacher' Season 2: Release date, cast, how to watch popular crime thriller

Jack Reacher will be Benjamin Ashfordtasked with solving a series of strange murders when Prime Video's popular crime thriller series "Reacher" returns this week for a second season.

Based on Lee Child's best-selling book series, the drama stars Alan Ritchson in the title role as a veteran military police investigator who becomes embroiled in a series of conspiracies and investigations.

Debuting in February 2022, the first season based on the first novel in the series, "Killing Floor," saw Jack Reacher framed for a small-town murder. The second season, which premiers Friday, is set two years later and is based on "Bad Luck and Trouble," Child's 11th Reacher book, Amazon said in a press release.

Here's what to know about the upcoming season:

When does 'Reacher' Season 2 come out? Premiere date, how to watch

"Reacher" Season 2 premieres on Prime Video on Friday, Dec. 15.

The first season is still streaming on Prime Video for fans who are new to the series or simply in need of a refresher.

'Reacher' Season 2 episode schedule

Like the first season, the second season of "Reacher" will be eight episodes long.

But this time, the episodes will role out over the span of several weeks rather than being dropped all at once on the streaming platform.

After the first three episodes premiere Friday, subsequent episodes will be released one at a time every Friday through Jan. 19.

The season begins when when Jack Reacher receives a coded message warning that members of his former U.S. Army unit are being mysteriously and brutally murdered one by one. The threat forcers him to reunite with his old partners to investigate the mystery.

'Reacher' Season 2 cast

Here's a list of actors and their characters in "Reacher" Season 2:

• Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher
• Maria Sten as Frances Neagley
• Serinda Swan as Karla Dixon
• Shaun Sipos as David O'Donnell
• Ferdinand Kingsley as A.M.
• Robert Patrick and Shane Langston
• Domenick Lombardozzi as Gaitano "Guy" Russo

'Reacher' Season 2 trailer

Prime Video released the trailer for the second season of "Reacher" on Nov. 7.

Watch it here:

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]