REVIEW: Reacher – Season 3, Episode 1, “Persuader”

Television Reviews

It doesn’t feel like it’s been two years since Reacher last aired, but season 2 of the action series based on Lee Child’s book series aired in 2023. Season 3 started today with three episodes, the first of which is “Persuader,” named after the Jack Reacher novel this season adapts. And it’s off to an okay start; “Persuader” has some good moments and feels faster-paced than you’d think for an episode that’s mostly setup, but it lacks the bang previous seasons have begun with, and it features a new character who’s already annoying and probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

While selling some old vinyl albums at a record store in Maine, Jack Reacher witnesses an attempted kidnapping and intervenes, saving the target but making a fatal mistake in the process. Realizing he must go on the run, Reacher accepts help from the would-be kidnapping victim’s rich father. But when he arrives at the wealthy estate, he quickly discovers the family’s money comes from somewhere other than their vaunted carpet business.

The beginning of “Persuader” seems like it’s getting the new season of Reacher started the same way season 2 kicked off, with Reacher happening on a crime and saving some random person from bad guys. But this time, something feels a little off; Reacher, the wandering drifter, is riding around in a van and carrying a gun. His intervention in the kidnapping involves him shooting rather than using his strength to subdue the attacker. He seems more nervous than usual. And, most importantly, he makes a big mistake, one that is entirely out of character for Jack Reacher. Even the way he talks to the kidnapping victim, a scared teenager who’s been through this before, is more clipped and dismissive than usual. “Persuader” immediately makes you feel like something is wrong, that this isn’t the Reacher – or the Reacher – we know. And it isn’t.

***SPOILERS***

“Persuader” breaks tradition by dropping you in medias res, which we learn for sure about twenty minutes in, when Reacher, finally left alone in the villain’s compound, checks for recording devices, then pulls a cell phone out of a secret compartment in his gigantic boots and tells whoever is at the other end of the line, “I’m in.” Now, we’ve got the gist; that seemingly sloppy opening was staged to get Reacher undercover with Zachary Beck, a wealthy businessman who is clearly up to his neck in some sort of criminal enterprise. (This is the Anthony Michael Hall character, who was clearly the villain because, much like last season’s Robert Patrick, he was the biggest name in the guest cast.) That’s not a bad introduction, but it doesn’t work as well as it could have because it was fairly obvious that this was happening almost from the outset. During the rescue, Reacher accidentally shoots a cop, which is not a mistake the cautious, professional Jack Reacher would make, especially while panicking because… Reacher doesn’t panic. He’s also a bit too mean to a kidnapping victim, something else Reacher wouldn’t do. Once inside the Beck estate, he asks too many questions and probes a bit too hard. Aside from knowing the plot of the season from the trailer, this stuff points to a setup.

In fact, it points to that too hard. Reacher is so obvious in his pointed questions to Beck and his henchmen that it’s hard to believe they don’t suspect he’s a plant right away. For example, when Beck offers Reacher a glass of expensive Scotch, Reacher initially refuses, then surmises that Beck is trying to get his fingerprints so he can run a background check on him. This seems a bit too far to push, but I get it; Reacher wants Beck to know how smart and capable he is. Then, when Beck shares the results with him, Reacher says, “That was fast,” which would have been fine on its own, but then adds something like, “Who do you have on the inside?” Come on; that’s pushing way too far for an initial meeting like this, and nobody in their right mind would offer him a job. Speaking of which, Reacher also pushes this too hard too quickly, asking Beck for a job almost immediately. Aside from alluding to the book, “Persuader” is meant to imply that Reacher is persuading Beck to trust him, but that’s undermined when he’s not overly persuasive. (A similar situation in the outstanding miniseries The Night Manager is handled much better, with the undercover operative waiting for his mark to make the offer.) Reacher used to do this stuff all the time as an MP; he should be better at it.

Once he’s revealed to be undercover, “Persuader” jumps back in time and shows how Reacher got caught up in this scheme, getting drawn into an off-the-books DEA investigation after recognizing an old enemy from his Army days. For the most part, this section of the episode plays out better; it’s mostly just people talking, but there’s a propulsive pace to it that keeps it fast and engaging instead of slowing things down. Reacher acts like Reacher, wanting to be left alone, keeping his cards close to the chest, not trusting anyone until they prove themselves, and making it clear that he’s not intimidated by anyone. I also like the two DEA guys, one a nervous rookie, the other an easy-going old hand. And it makes sense why Reacher would get involved with a federal operation like this – not only to find a traitor who got away but to save an innocent girl who was dragged into this by the government. The problem here is a big one, and it’ll probably stay that way for the rest of season 3: Susan Duffy, the DEA agent leading the team running the investigation. She’s unbearable, one of those “look how tough I am” female characters who can’t stop trying to prove herself for five seconds to talk like a normal person. Reacher has had tough women in both of its previous seasons, but they felt authentic and human, and they conveyed their grit through their actions, not through posturing. It looks like she’s the female lead this year, and there are suggestions that she’s attracted to Reacher, so I imagine she’ll be sticking around. Hopefully, the show can lighten up on her as it goes along, or at least have Reacher put her in her place at some point; otherwise, it’s gonna be a long season.  

And there are some good things in “Persuader” that I’m sure will be explored this season. The undercover angle brings plenty of opportunity for drama and tension from close calls and Reacher having to investigate without the bad guys catching him. There’s also the possibility that Reacher will have to do some dark things to maintain his cover, which “Persuader” alludes to with the Russian roulette scene. And the conflict is already building between Reacher and Paulie, Beck’s towering henchman, played by Olivier Richters; Reacher having to face someone even bigger than he is should put him at an unusual physical disadvantage. I’m also looking forward to seeing Reacher get his hands on the traitor he thought was dead and make sure he finishes the job this time. Amazon released three episodes tonight, so by the end of the weekend, we should all have a good idea of what to expect from season 3. Hopefully, it’ll be another fun season of Reacher.

Let us know what you thought of “Persuader” in the comments!

***

If you want to know what kind of political leanings movies have or just talk about cinema, check out the movie ratings community Criticless.

Get Your Geeks + Gamers merch here!