It’s hard to imagine that Alan Ritchson so seamlessly fit into the Reacher role — so much so that he pushed aside one of the biggest stars on the planet, Tom Cruise. Before starring in the Prime Video adaptation of Lee Child’s uber-popular book series, the behemoth of a man with the voice of an angel was best known as “Young Scully,” and the cult hit Blue Mountain State.
Now, in his third outing as Jack Reacher, Ritchson remains in the role, relentlessly entertaining. He continues to possess pitch-perfect comic delivery with an edge that creator Nick Santora knows is essential to the series’ success.
It’s like watching Dirty Harry on steroids, combined with the deductive reasoning of Agatha Christie — without the need to fill the air with exhausting explanations. Reacher’s third season is about the baddest man on television with a code since Omar Little.
Prime Video’s Reacher Season 3 Review and Synopsis
The third season of Reacher is based on Lee Child’s seventh book in the globally best-selling series, Persuader. This is a much darker version of Reacher than we have seen in the first two seasons. Here, while trying to unload some used vinyl records in a college town, Jack stops the abduction of a young student, Jacob (The Passenger’s Johnny Berchtold).
Unfortunately, while saving Jacob, he shoots a good Samaritan who is turning the corner and trying to help. Now, the Hulk-like figure needs money and a place to lay low for a few days. Jacob’s father (Anthony Michael Hall) is a rug magnet operating in Maine. He owns a mansion on the waterfront, perfect for waiting for the heat to die down.
Due to spoiler restrictions, we cannot discuss a significant shift in the first episode. However, we can say that Jack encounters a pair of DEA agents, led by Susan Duffy (The Tudors’ Sonya Cassidy), who needs his help to locate one of her informants who has gone missing. Of course, like Shrek, everyone hears Reacher coming, and he doesn’t care who is in his way.
Prime Video’s Reacher Remains Relentlessly Entertaining!
The third season of Reacher remains relentlessly entertaining. However, the series is not as engaging as last year’s best guilty pleasure or the first season’s superior adaptation. The main issue is that the supporting cast is nowhere near as strong as in the first two outings.
The biggest issue is Cassidy, whose over-the-top Boston accent and lack of chemistry with Ritchson make her a step down from Willa Fitzgerald and Serinda Swan’s previous love interests. While Maria Stern’s Frances Neagley makes a welcome appearance, she is underused.
Additionally, Roberto Montesinos and Daniel David Stewart play thin, cardboard-like characters, while the villains, such as Hall and Brian Tee, are so over the top that it diminishes their effectiveness. Black Widow’s Olivier Richters, known as the Dutch Giant, however, is a refreshing change, towering over the beloved titular character, adding some much-needed suspense.
Is Prime Video’s Reacher Season 3 Worth Watching?
The third season of Reacher may not live up to the first two outstanding outings, but it is still worth watching. The series excels when it flashes back to explore the main character’s connection to this chapter’s villain, which is powerful. The season three premiere’s first 20 minutes are gripping and, at times, armrest-grabbing, creating palpable tension.
The thing about the third season is that, well, this is the third season. The second season humanized Jack, giving fans insight into how he became the man he is today. That’s why the third season’s best episode involves flashbacks with Mariah Robinson’s Dominique Kohl — a storyline that could have been dedicated to an entire season.
Yet, we didn’t come to see Lee Child’s creation shed a tear. We came for Ritchson’s brand of bone-crunching, knuckle-busting, lip-splitting action — a show that intends to drag you across concrete with the taste of asphalt in your mouth and bits of glass in your forehead. By that standard, the third season exceeds expectations and then some.
All eight episodes of the third season of Reacher were screened for this review. You can stream this series only on Prime Video starting on February 20, with new episodes every Thursday until March 27!
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