After watching Reacher season 3's first teaser, it is hard not to believe it already looks way better than season 2. Developed by Nick Santora, Amazon Prime Video's Reacher is not the first screen adaptation of Lee Child's Jack Reacher books. Before the series, two movies, starring Tom Cruise, attempted to bring two Lee Child novels to the big screens. While the first movie performed fairly well at the box office, the second proved that the film series' extreme deviations from the source material did not resonate with Lee Child's readers. Fortunately, Amazon's Reacher did not make the same mistake.
While introducing minimal changes to Lee Child's Killing Floor, Reacher season 1 presented a compelling adaption of its source, allowing it to become one of Prime Video's most valuable IPs. Learning from its predecessor's success, Reacher season 2 also closely adapted most elements of Lee Child's Bad Luck & Trouble but still felt underwhelming compared to season 1. Reacher season 3 could have easily fallen into the same traps as season 2, but as its teaser suggests, it is rectifying the previous installment's flaws and bringing back all the aspects that made season 1 captivating.
Jack Reacher Is Riding Solo In Season 3
He Is The Solitary Figure He Is Supposed To Be
Jack Reacher joined forces with the former members of the 110th Special Investigation Unit in Reacher season 2. Although Neagely, Dixon, and O'Donnell were fascinating additions to the show's roster, they seemed a little too similar to the Alan Ritchson character. Like him, they came off as overpowered former military personnel who could single-handedly take down more bad guys than one. This significantly changed the series and its portrayal of Jack Reacher because the character seemed far more formidable and self-reliant when he teamed up with Roscoe and Finlay in season 1.
As Reacher season 3's trailer confirms, Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher will return to being the powerful solitary figure he was in season 1. He will not team up with his former military allies and walk solo as he sets out to serve justice to wrongdoers and protect the innocent. By adapting Lee Child's Persuader, Reacher season 3 is already bringing back one of the best aspects of the Amazon series' first installment: it is embracing the character's lone-wolf persona instead of diminishing his screen presence with unnecessary team-ups.
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Although Neagley is not a part of Lee Child's Persuader, Reacher season 3's teaser confirms that she will return in some capacity. However, it seems like she, too, will have a limited role in the new installment and has only been added to the roster to pave the way for Reacher's upcoming Neagley spin-off show. These hinted story details from Reacher season 3 affirm that its focus will remain squarely on the titular character, whose larger-than-life personality and stoic demeanor were primary drivers of season 1's success.
Reacher Has A Formidable Enemy In Season 3
Paulie Is Bigger And Stronger Than Reacher
Amazon Prime Video's Reacher has left no stone unturned with its casting choices. Owing to this, it is not surprising that its creators have seemingly cast the perfect actor, Olivier Richters, to play one of season 3's villains, Paulie. In Lee Child's Persuader, Jack Reacher describes Paulie as "a very big guy." He even compares him with himself, claiming that Paulie was "at least six inches taller than" him and "ten inches wider across the shoulders." Since Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher himself is a colossal protagonist, finding the right star to play Paulie had to be challenging.
Name of Character | Actor | Height Of Character In The Book | Height Of Actor In The Show |
Jack Reacher | Alan Ritchson | 6'5'' | 6'3'' |
Paul "Paulie" Masserella | Olivier Richters | 7' | 7'2'' |
As Reacher season 3's teaser confirms, the show has seemingly found its perfect Paulie in Olivier "The Dutch Giant" Richters. Best known for his roles in Black Widow, The King's Man, and Borderlands, Richters is over 7 feet tall in real life and close to 350 pounds. While Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher easily towered above nearly everyone else in seasons 1 and 2, Olivier Richters' Paulie makes him look like a lightweight when he stands next to him in the season 3 teaser.
Paulie's involvement in Reacher season 3 also promises it will feature some memorable high-stakes action scenes, where, for the first time, the titular character will have to use his wit to overpower his enemy.
Jack Reacher previously dominated all his enemies in Reacher seasons 1 and 2. However, one slap from Paulie makes his knees buckle, highlighting how the new villain is levels above his previous adversaries. This potentially makes Reacher season 3 better than season 2 because the previous installment's antagonists barely seemed like viable threats to the Alan Ritchson character. Paulie's involvement in Reacher season 3 also promises it will feature some memorable high-stakes action scenes where, for the first time, the titular character will have to use his wit to overpower his enemy.
How Reacher Season 3's Story Will Be Different From Season 2
Reacher Season 3's Story Will Be More Like Season 1's Than Season 2's
Custom image by Yeider Chacon Apart from featuring better villains and portraying Jack Reacher as a lone wolf, Reacher season 3 will also have a smaller setting than season 2. Given how season 1's small-town Margrave setting played a crucial role in grounding its drama in realism and making Jack Reacher's crime-solving endeavors feel more immersive, season 3 will greatly benefit from returning to a more intimate, focused environment. Reacher season 3 will also unfold more like a personal tale of revenge for the titular character, which may seem repetitive but safely allows the series to stick to its strengths.
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Reacher
Produced by Amazon Prime Video, Reacher adapts Lee Child's Jack Reacher book series to live-action. The series follows veteran Military Police Officer Jack Reacher as he unravels a dangerous conspiracy in the fictional town of Margrave, Georgia. Played by the towering Alan Ritchson, the titular hero collaborates with officer Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) and Chief Detective Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) to clean his name and save Margrave from crime and corruption.
Release Date February 4, 2022
Franchise(s) Jack Reacher
Creator(s) Nick Santora
Seasons 3
Writers Nick Santora
Directors Nick Santora
Showrunner Nick Santora
English (US) ·