Helen Rodin

Exactly.

It's Barr's lawyer, Rosamund Pike's character, who persuades him to actually look closer to investigate properly before condemning him.

Okay, let's tie this back to that master class idea.

Why is cramming all this setup and information into the opening so effective?

Oh, absolutely.

They provide a really strong foundation.

Rosamund Pike, for instance, as the lawyer Helen Rodin, she does a great job.

She's sort of the audience's stand-in, reacting to Reacher's methods, questioning him, a necessary counterpoint to his quiet confidence.