‘Reacher’ – Season 3 – Review
Jack Reacher is back, and this time he’s in over his head, facing his biggest threat yet. He finds himself undercover in a group of dangerous criminals, with everything on the line as he tries to survive in the gripping third season of Prime Video’s smash-hit action thriller, Reacher.
Based on Lee Child’s novel Persuader, in the third season of the action-packed series, Reacher hurtles into the dark heart of a vast criminal enterprise when trying to rescue an undercover DEA informant whose time is running out. There he finds a world of secrecy and violence—and confronts some unfinished business from his own past.
Prime Video’s Reacher has become a force in streaming television, building a loyal following of fans who have devoured the two previous seasons and made series star Alan Ritchson one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Now Ritchson is back again as ex-U.S. Army Military Policeman turned wandering drifter Jack Reacher, and he’s roped into a dangerous game of cat and mouse where his back is up against the wall, and he’s got few options to choose from.
Loosely adapted from Lee Child’s Persuader, Season Three picks up after the events of Season Two and once again finds Reacher alone on the road and swept up into a compelling and dangerous new mission. A botched kidnapping soon turns deadly, and Reacher finds himself appointed as a bodyguard to Richard (Johnny Berchtold), the son of wealthy businessman Zachary Beck (Anthony Michael Hall), who has some very shady connections. But it’s all a ploy, as Reacher is actually undercover and on assignment to DEA Agent Susan Duffy (Sonya Cassidy), a hard-charging, take-no-prisoners agent who needs his help to rescue her previous undercover. And Reacher is soon in over his head, and this season brings all the tension.
For a character who is normally always in control, it’s a fresh take to see Reacher in over his head and doing everything he can to avoid suspicion and trying to stay above ground. Episode by episode, the pressure and tautness of the narrative continues to build, and Reacher has to do some pretty extreme things in order to prove that he’s all that, and this season makes for a far more psychologically complex watch because of it. While Ritchson again takes up plenty of space as the hulking Reacher, this time around, it’s a far more emotional journey for him as he has to contend with being undercover and holding back on his hero complex. Something that is not a natural behaviour for him and which makes his mission all the more taxing for him. It’s a bold new direction for the series to take, showcasing a visibly more vulnerable Reacher, and is a credit to both Ritchson and showrunner Nick Santora and their desire to push the character into new and unfamiliar territory.
Season Three of Reacher also packs a terrific supporting cast of both new allies and adversaries, and the performers add to the intensity of this new watch. Sonya Cassidy provides a brash, take-no-prisoners attitude as DEA Agent Susan Duffy, who sends Reacher undercover, and she’s incredibly compelling in the part. Cassidy builds a fun chemistry with Ritchson, and there’s a great bit of banter between their two characters, along with the odd flirtation that only builds on the series’ fun. Cassidy can also hold her own as Duffy, and she finds herself in plenty of tight corners where a fair bit of firepower is needed. The always dependable Maria Stern also shows up as Reacher’s former teammate and best friend Francis Neagley, and it’s always a blast when these two besties are back in action.
Bringing the menace to Season Three is the gigantic presence of Olivier Richters, a 7’2, 350-pound beast, as Paul “Paulie” van Hoven, a terrifying brute and the loyal mercenary of the sadistic Xavier Quinn (Brian Tee), a ghost from Reacher’s past who he thought he buried long ago, and who he now wants to put down for good. Richters immense frame dwarves Ritchson, and for the first time ever, we’re seeing Reacher literally in over his head and confronting an enemy who literally has him beat in both size and speed. While Ritchters is an immense physical threat, he also showcases that he’s a well-rounded performer and oddly humourous and quirky in the role. Reacher also has a bone to pick with Brian Tee’s Xavier Quinn, a sadistic former enemy. Tee brings an incredibly dark presence to this vicious, cold-blooded killer, and he makes a serious threat to Reacher’s mission.
Santora and Ritchson take a different approach to the action of Season Three of Reacher this time. Primarily directed by the series’ undercover narrative, Reacher, this time around has to take his time when it comes to pulling his punches, and this time, it’s much more about Reacher being stealthy and using surprise to his advantage. This series also throws the action right at its audience from the very start, and the danger and tension build step by step as Reacher finds himself dealing with a conspiracy that grows episode by episode. The threat of Richters’ Paulie also dictates the action, and the building showdown between Paulie and Reacher promises to be a rumble of pure brute force for audiences!
Reacher Season Three is a compelling and intense watch, and there are plenty of surprises in store for audiences. It gives fans a look at Reacher under pressure and having to fight his way out and proves that when it comes to settling for justice, Jack Reacher will go all the way.
Reacher is currently streaming on Prime Video.
Image: Prime Video
