Yes, That's Alan Ritchson In Blue Mountain State — His Character & Possible Sequel Series Explained

Long before Alan Ritchson was launched into megastardom with his Amazon Prime Video series Reacher, he was one of the funniest characters on TV, with his iconic role in Blue Mountain State. From Ritchson appearing as a contestant on American Idol to playing Aquaman in Smallville, the actor has had an incredible career trajectory culminating with Reacher, making him the star he was always meant to be. With Reacher season 3 premiering in February 2025, it's worth looking back on one of Ritchson's greatest roles.

Alan Ritchson has appeared in some fantastic movies and TV shows throughout his career, but there was one series that premiered in 2010 that helped him begin to make a name for himself — the hilarious raunchy comedy Blue Mountain State. Who exactly did Alan Ritchson play in the series, and with talks of a sequel series for Blue Mountain State in the works, what will that mean for him now that he is one of TV's most popular actors?

Alan Ritchson Plays Thad Castle In Blue Mountain State

Thad Is The Captain Of BMS' Football Team

Alan Ritchson as Thad yelling in the locker room in Blue Mountain State — Alan Ritchson as Thad in *Blue Mountain State*

Blue Mountain State originally appeared on Spike TV in 2010, showcasing the absurd world of college football at what feels like one of the biggest party schools in history. Though the series primarily focused on Alex Moran (Darin Brooks), the backup quarterback, for most of its run, it was Alan Ritchson's character Thad Castle that stole every scene he was in, showing just how funny the actor truly is.

Always multifaceted, Ritchson played Aquaman one more time in Smallville while he was also portraying Thad Castle.

Thad Castle is the team captain of BMS and one of the greatest players to ever play for the program. Though he often appears in stereotypical "jock" mode, Thad is perhaps the funniest part of the show, with Ritchson's honest and brave performance as the character truly electrifying. He is at the center of virtually every ridiculous scenario that comes up in the series, and has dreams of making it into the NFL.

How Ritchson's Blue Mountain State Performance Shows Up In Reacher

The Thad Castle Actor Brings Charm & Charisma To Both Characters

Taking into account both Blue Mountain State and Reacher as a whole, the two series are completely on opposite sides of the TV spectrum in terms of tone and content. But at the forefront of each is Alan Ritchson as Thad Castle and the titular character, Jack Reacher respectively. It might not seem like there is a lot Ritchson can pull from his Thad Castle performance to inform Reacher, but one thing that is undeniable about both characters is their level of likable charm that Ritchson can pull off so easily.

Jack Reacher as a character is so much more reserved than Thad Castle, but there are moments where it feels like Ritchson is reaching for his Blue Mountain State performance sometimes in Reacher, though not at nearly the same energy level as Thad Castle. Alan Ritchson's ability to be funny with two vastly different characters is just a testament to his acting skills.

Blue Mountain Sequel Series & Alan Ritchson's Involvement, Explained

Alan Ritchson as Thad challenging someone in Blue Mountain State

Blue Mountain State featured one of Alan Ritchson's best performances, and the show has gained a cult following since its initial run ended in 2011 after three seasons. There was one follow-up to the series in 2016, as Alan Ritchson and a number of other actors returned for a movie called Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland, which picks up a few years from where the original series left off. Since then, it felt like Blue Mountain State as a franchise was finished, but that might not be the case.

In February 2024, Deadline announced that a Blue Mountain State sequel series was in the works, though nothing had been finalized at that time. The sequel series will see the return of the three series leads — Darin Brooks as Alex Moran, Chris Romano as Sammy Cacciatore, and Alan Ritchson as Thad Castle, a role he hasn't played since 2016. Since that announcement, though, there have been no further updates, but if Reacher remains popular, maybe Amazon Prime Video would be willing to see arguably their biggest star reprise his hilarious Blue Mountain State role once more.