Reacher season 3 addresses key season 2 mistakes – and it pays off

After a divisive second season, which saw the ex-military police officer eclipsed by an unwieldy (and dare I say, boring) ensemble, Reacher thankfully bounces back for an excellent third instalment, as the creative team address key missteps.

The first chapter was based on Lee Child’s debut novel, Killing Floor, with the second then jumping ahead to the 11th book in the series, Bad Luck and Trouble – with events centred around the larger 110th Special Investigations unit.

But for the latest instalment, showrunner Nick Santora has opted to loosely adapt the seventh novel, Persuader, which refocuses on a small-town case, dials back the overwhelming flashbacks and improves the lacklustre action with a grittier and more gnarly approach.

And thankfully, these course corrections, paired with a thrilling twist in the opening episode, help elevate Reacher to one of its best seasons yet.

Not only is it a gripping case with an action-packed prologue, but the undercover angle helps freshen up the format, while pitting Reacher against some of his most formidable foes yet.

The positive changes are evident from the get go, as Reacher is once again back in a small-town setting, switching New York City for Abbottsville, Maine.

These sleepy locations are synonymous with the drifter, better suiting his ‘big fish in a small pond’ stature.

And just like the events of season 1 in Margrave, Georgia, Reacher quickly finds himself the talk of the town due to his explosive actions, intersecting a kidnapping and "accidentally" shooting a cop in the process.

But the action-packed prologue, which is an incredibly faithful adaptation of the opening chapter of the book, proves to be one of the shows' best twists yet, as the kidnapping is ingeniously staged to help Reacher infiltrate the shady Bizzare Bazaar enterprise.

It’s a surprising and entertaining misdirect, which sets up an exciting new direction for the former military police officer as he goes undercover, certainly shaking up the format of the season.

Read more:

• Reacher spin-off confirmed by Prime Video and focusing on a much-loved character
• Reacher season 2 ending explained: Who are the 110th?

The remaining 110th Special Investigations unit have also departed, with the welcome change pivoting the lone wolf back to the main protagonist once again – who is afforded more time to flex his brain and not just his brawn, courtesy of the tense scenarios he encounters while undercover.

There’s also a deeper exploration of the character, along with the return of his famed humour, particularly throughout his exchanges with Beck’s son Richard (Johnny Berchtold).

“What flavour ice cream is this?” Reacher asks Richard. “Today's favourite, lavender infused.” To which Reacher hilariously responds: “No wonder why they beat up on the sidewall."

Reacher’s DEA agents also take on more of a supporting role in this instalment, but they soon share a surprisingly endearing dynamic with their undercover ally.

Sonya Cassidy is excellent as tough new love interest Susan Duffy, often stealing some of the best lines this season. Despite her slightly questionable ethics, she certainly gives season 1's Roscoe a run for her money.

Reacher also affectionately teases veteran agent Guillermo Villanueva (Roberto Montesinos), while fan favourite Frances Neagley (Maria Sten) is afforded an excellent fight sequence of her own, joining the larger action in the latter episodes.

The action and set pieces have also significantly improved since the last season, with star Alan Ritchson recently admitting he wasn’t "thrilled" will some of the action of the previous season.

With the overpowered Special Investigations unit out of the picture, Reacher is back doing what he does best – brutally dispatching bad guys using any means possible.

“I just hate the big guy,” Reacher says, “I hate big smug people who think they can get away with things.”

This is undoubtedly one of the show’s main draws, as the hulking antihero enacts his own brand of lawless justice against an array of awful antagonists. And there’s a lot of satisfying and gnarly kills throughout, with the bodycount certainly racking up.

Furthermore, the inclusion of an even larger opponent helps to subvert the one-man-army action trope, while also giving Reacher a vulnerability which was decidedly missing from the second season.

The series features one of the best and most memorable fight sequences as Ritchson goes toe-to-toe with giant 7'2" Dutch actor Olivier Richters – and trust me, it’s worth a watch for that extended (and surprisingly amusing) showdown alone.

Taking three weeks to shoot, the colossal battle reportedly left both actors "broken and battered" – with the resulting brawl thrusting Reacher into his most dangerous situation yet.

And with the main flashbacks (centring on Reacher’s nemesis Quinn (Brian Tee) contained primarily to one single episode, there’s thankfully less distracting flashbacks and timelines to contend with.

While it’s certainly not a perfect season – with the outing suffering from an overload of (mostly) mediocre villains, with a reticence to actually involve Brian Tee’s BBEG (big bad evil guy) – overall, Santora crucially corrects missteps from the previous instalment.

And with a fourth season already confirmed by Prime Video, along with a Neagley spinoff in the works, there’s plenty more for fans of Jack Reacher to look forward to as the universe expands.

Reacher season 3 is streaming on Prime Video – you can sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial.

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