I’ve sat on this review longer than I should have, but it’s here now. Reacher season 3 is complete, and I have thoughts. This time, the show adapts Persuader – book seven in Lee Child‘s series and one of the grittier books of the series that I’ve read so far – and the result is a tense season with brutal action, a lot of beefcake.

Season 3 of Reacher takes everything that worked about the first two seasons – the bone-crunching action, the dry wit, Alan Ritchson‘s biceps – and cranks it to eleven. This season delivers the most focused and faithful adaptation yet, with Reacher going undercover to rescue an informant from a ghost from his past. And let me tell you, it’s a damn good time.

The season starts strong with that killer three-episode premiere (which I already gushed about here), and thankfully, the momentum never lets up. The flashback episode focusing on Dominique Kohl is a standout – instead of dragging out her backstory, the show gives us one tight, emotional episode that quickly establishes why Reacher respects her (and why we should too). She’s basically a female Reacher – hyper-competent, brutally efficient, and completely badass.

The action remains solid, especially Reacher’s fight with Paulie, which hilariously (and painfully) puts our hero in the same position as all the goons he’s ever wrecked since he’s usually the bigger guy. And while Neagley’s late-season appearance requires some suspension of disbelief (my girl practically dodged bullets like she was in The Matrix), it’s still a blast to see her back in action, cereal obsession intact.

Not every character gets their due. Duffy, for example, feels underdeveloped – her whole arc revolves around Teresa, but her decision to use an innocent girl as an informant makes her seem reckless rather than sympathetic. And while the season does a great job with Kohl, Xavier Quinn never quite feels like the monster he’s meant to be, he’s dangerous, sure, but not the full-blown psychopath book readers might remember. It’s one of the season’s only real stumbles.

Then there’s poor Richard, the season’s most tragic figure. Reacher cares more about him than he lets on (that gruff exterior hides his heart of gold), but Richard’s ending feels… uncertain. Let’s just say I wouldn’t bet on his long-term survival with that bag of cash and a target on his back.

Season 3 is Reacher at its best – violent, clever, and unapologetically badass. It sticks close to the source material while adding just enough flair to keep things fresh, and Ritchson continues to own the role completely. If you loved the first two seasons, you’ll devour this one. And if you didn’t? Well, this might just change your mind.

Now bring on that Neagley spin-off – and Season 4!

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