Aquaman: Reacher Season 2 Drops Reference to Alan Ritchson's Smallville Hero

Before starring in Prime Video's biggest hit TV series — even before stealing scenes as the hilarious Thad Castle — Reacher star Alan Ritchson played beloved DC hero Aquaman on the small screen. Ritchson appeared in the hit series Smallville as a young version of Arthur Curry, working alongside Tom Welling's Clark Kent. As the years have gone by, Smallville fans haven't forgotten Ritchson's Aquaman, and it appears the writers of Reacher have fond memories of the character as well. The latest episode of the series made reference to the hero, a clever nod to Ritchson's superhero past.

In the fifth episode of Reacher Season 2, which debuted on Prime Video Thursday night, several of the characters attend the funeral of Calvin Franz, the member of Reacher's old unit that died at the start of the season. Guy Russo, the detective played by Domenick Lombardozzi, comforts Franz's young son by giving him an action figure. He also tells the boy about his favorite superhero growing up: Aquaman.

With Ritchson's character looking on, Russo says that he loved Aquaman because he could talk to fish. He liked the idea of being able to talk to his family dog.

It's a small moment that offers a little insight into an important supporting character, but the fact that it takes place in a series starring Alan Ritchson is what makes it stand out.

Aquaman in The CW's Crisis on Infinite Earths

The Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event on The CW a few years ago brought a bunch of beloved iterations of live-action DC superheroes into the mix, but fans were disappointed to see that Ritchson's Aquaman didn't surface for a cameo. According to Ritchson, the production team reached out to him and he wanted to take part in the crossover, but a difficult schedule got in the way.

"They did reach out to me," Ritchson told Collider. "We tried to work it out. We were shooting and it was a very difficult schedule for us. We were shooting three episodes at once all the time. I would have had to leave the country and come back in to get a permit specifically for that show. I did want to participate. We tried to work it out. I'm happy that everybody is getting to come back. I'm especially happy for the fans. That's why we do this. Those shows are like a bonanza for the fans. I wish I could have been a part of it."

Reacher Season 2 Episode Release Schedule

There will be a pretty massive change to Reacher in Season 2, at least when it comes to how the show is released. Season 1 was released all at once, allowing fans to binge through every episode at their own pace. Season 2 will be more spread out.

The first three episodes of Reacher Season 2 were released all at once. Going forward, the series will see one episode released on a weekly basis. Here's the complete schedule for the new season:

• Reacher Season 2, Episodes 1-3: Friday, December 15, 2023
• Reacher Season 2, Episode 4: Friday, December 22, 2023
• Reacher Season 2, Episode 5: Friday, December 29, 2023
• Reacher Season 2, Episode 6: Friday, January 5, 2024
• Reacher Season 2, Episode 7: Friday, January 12, 2024
• Reacher Season 2, Episode 8 (Season finale): Friday, January 19. 2024