It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why a show like Reacher works so well. Based on Lee Child’s popular and expansive book series, the Prime Video original features a magnetic leading man in the form of Alan Ritchson, kickass action scenes, and a new compelling mystery each season. Season 1, which adapted the first novel in Child’s series, The Killing Floor, rebooted the franchise after two mostly forgettable Tom Cruise films, embracing a more faithful adaptation of the novels. It didn’t need big bombastic action set pieces or a movie star-laden cast when it had Ritchson’s undeniable charm and ruggedness, with writing that perfectly captured the feeling of reading a Jack Reacher novel at the airport.
The series was unsurprisingly a massive hit for Amazon, and while some may have found Season 2 to be a step-down, I beg to differ, as the series ramped up the scope but still found Ritchson leading a new and just-as likable ensemble of characters. Reacher Season 3 scales back in scope, however, taking a more back-to-basics approach while adapting the seventh novel in the series, Persuader. That doesn’t mean that this new installment is limited on the action — far from it — but it does curb its gun fights and brawls to just a handful of locations, as our favorite buff drifter goes deep undercover.
What Is ‘Reacher’ Season 3 About?

In Season 3, Reacher finds himself in Portland, Maine, as the DEA recruits him to go undercover and investigate a criminal enterprise run by Zachary Beck (Anthony Michael Hall), a wealthy businessman. Bostonian DEA agent Susan Duffy (Sonya Cassidy), gives him the lowdown; he needs to rescue a young female informant, whom she believes is being held hostage at Beck’s expansive estate.
Reacher is able to get into Beck’s criminal organization, where he slowly begins to realize that a personal tragedy from his past connects to the syndicate. While staying in Beck’s mansion, he begins to bond with Beck’s 20-year-old introverted son, Richard (Johnny Berchtold), as well as develop a rivalry with Beck’s 7’2″ bodyguard Paulie (Olivier Richters), whose hulking figure makes even Reacher look small. As the bodies begin to pile up, Reacher learns that the criminal business is doing more than just running illegal drugs, and he’ll need to rescue Duffy’s informant before something unspeakable happens to her.
‘Reacher’ Season 3 Doesn’t Have the Same Big Heart as Its Predecessors

Outside of Ritchson’s irresistible performance in the title role, one of the hallmarks of the series has been its rotating supporting cast each season. Maria Sten’s Frances Neagley does thankfully return, but her storyline is mainly relegated to being Reacher’s “woman in the chair” from her Chicago office. The rest of the supporting cast also doesn’t feel nearly as memorable as previous ensemble characters, like Willa Fitzgerald’s Roscoe in Season 1 or Shaun Sipos’ David O’Donnell in Season 2. The fault doesn’t lie with any of the actors; Sonya Cassidy is having a lot of fun in her role as the sarcastic Duffy, but we don’t get much characterization for her until the latter episodes. Outside a few heartfelt moments shared between Reacher and Richard, this new season just doesn’t have the same big heart that made the first two so special. Instead, it runs the risk of being more of a run-of-the-mill action show.
Even though this new season of Reacher feels more like a traditional action-crime show, it’s still one of the better ones of its ilk. While the central mystery might lack some of the muscle, it’s still incredibly entertaining and immensely watchable. The season’s standout episode in particular revolves around Reacher flashing back to his time as an Army police major as he works on a case with a talented young rookie named Dominique Kohl (Mariah Robinson). Not only does this episode take the series to even darker places than what we’ve seen before, but it also makes for one of the most emotional hours of Reacher to date.

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Much like its protagonist, Reacher has always been a smart series. It’s not trying to be high art or win Emmys, but it is fully aware and confident in the kind of show that it is. It also features characters who are incredibly intelligent and make reasonable decisions. In Season 3, however, certain characters make decisions that are not only illogical but also contradict their actions earlier in the story. Some of these decisions are clearly made to move the plot forward, but it feels like there could have been a far more reasonable way to get the point across.
‘Reacher’ Season 3 Ultimately Sticks the Landing After a Bumpy Ride

Image via Prime Video

In what has become a tradition for the series, we do see our hero entering into yet another romantic entanglement. While Reacher’s flings with Roscoe and Dixon (Serinda Swan) felt more natural, his latest romance feels forced, as if it’s there only because we saw Reacher do the deed in the last two seasons. While the heights of Reacher Season 3 rarely ever match the peaks set by the previous two seasons, the final two episodes are where the story finally finds its footing. Anthony Michael Hall spends most of the season being your typical no-nonsense villain, but as we get further along, we get to see his more vulnerable side, and Hall pulls it off extremely well. We also get to see more characterization of Duffy, beyond just her quipping about her love of the Red Sox.
The season’s big climactic action set piece is certainly exciting, even if it becomes a little too dragged out. However, it does offer up some satisfying moments for many of the characters. While the locations are more limited this season, that doesn’t prevent the moments of fistfights and gunplay from feeling too small. Reacher flexes its action muscles stronger than ever. Showrunner and executive producer Nick Santora has clearly built a template for how each installment of Reacher plays out, and it really shows in this latest season. While there’s plenty of fun to be had, the plot twists ultimately feel less impactful. It might be beneficial for the next season to spice things up a little more, especially as the cracks are starting to show in the series’ latest batch of episodes.
Reacher Season 3 premieres with its first three episodes February 20 on Prime Video, with new episodes streaming weekly, every Friday.

Reacher

For better and for worse, Reacher Season 3 is more of the same, but it’s still one of the best action shows on streaming.

Release Date

February 3, 2022

Network

Prime Video

Showrunner

Nick Santora

Directors

Omar Madha, Carol Banker, Julian Holmes, Lin Oeding, M.J. Bassett, Norberto Barba, Stephen Surjik, Thomas Vincent

Pros & Cons

Alan Ritchson is once again the perfect Jack Reacher, but you already knew that.
The fourth episode of the season delivers one of the series’ darkest, most heartwrenching hours yet.
The action scenes are exciting to watch, especially in the finale.
The final two episodes deliver a satisfying conclusion that makes up for the bumpy ride.

Do we really need another love interest for Reacher?
Some of the side characters feel underdeveloped.
Neagley spends most of the season on the sidelines.