Warning: Major spoilers for Reacher season 3 episode 1 “Persuader” below!Having read the original book, I initially hated how the opening episode ofReacherseason 3 blew a big twist - until I realized what the show was doing. I’ve become a fan ofLee Child’sReacherbooksafter readingKilling Floor, which was adapted as the first season of Amazon’s show. Part of the pleasure of the books is that each story is standalone; readers can start with book 17 and still understand everything that’s happening. That’s the approach Amazon takes, with each season followingReacheron a new misadventure.
My favorite novel from the series isPersuader, which follows Jack going undercover with a suspected gunrunner named Beck. The book is a tense, well-crafted thriller that sees Reacher just about staying ahead of his employer’s suspicions. The show also recreates the elaborate fake kidnapping setpiece Reacher and his DEA allies stage, where the former “rescues” Beck’s (Anthony Michael Hall) son as a way to infiltrate his operation.ThePersuadernovelplays the kidnapping straight in the opening passages, only to reveal it was all stagedwhen Reacher is inside the Beck compound.
Reacher Season 3 Rotten Tomatoes Score Debut Sets New Series Record
The Rotten Tomatoes score for Reacher season 3 has now arrived, and it sets an impressive new record for the Prime Video action series.
I Hated How Reacher Season 3 Immediately Ruined The Undercover Twist From The Book
Persuader’s twist is immediately obvious
I was pleased to seeReacher’sseason 3premiere following the book’s staging of the kidnapping, but I felt a real tinge of disappointment when “Persuader” quickly lets the cat out of the bag. The first red flag is Reacher (Alan Ritchson) pulling a large magnum - which is unusual for a guy who only carries a foldable toothbrush.What truly gives the mission away is Reacher accidentally shooting a cop and acting panickedand stressed in the aftermath.
Those familiar with Reacher will know the character never panics and never loses his cool, so watching him blow a cop away and then fleeing the scene isn’t his style.Reacher’s stilted delivery of “I didn’t know!” is also very suspiciousalso. Of course, I was long spoiled on the undercover reveal after reading the novel, but the factReacherwas making no real effort to conceal it felt lazy. This was my mistake, since I didn’t give the showrunners enough credit.
Reacher isn’t used to being panicked
The detail that really sold Reacher’s opening scene to me is how the title character is a terrible actor. Part of the mission is selling the attempted kidnapping to young Richard Beck (Johnny Berchtold). The operation involves getting Richard to take Reacher back to his father’s compound instead of just asking to go to the police instead. That’s whyReacher insists on staging the death of a police officer so that the option of going to the police is off the table.
Since one of his mottos states, “In an investigation, details matter,” it’s ironic that Reacher’s attention to his own performance sucks.
Since he’s in a state of shock throughout most of the kidnapping, soReacher’s wooden delivery of lines like “I didn’t know!” sails right past Richard. Since one of his mottos states, “In an investigation, details matter,” it’s ironic that Reacher’s attention to his own performance sucks. He’s his usual stoic self for most of the kidnapping, but since he’s not used to being panicked or stressed out, he does a poor job conveying those emotions.
The title of Lee Child’s novel is a reference to the Model 500 “Persuader” shotgun.
Thankfully,Richard’s panic and naivete let Reacher get away with some really unconvincing line deliveries. Once he’s inside the Beck mansion, Reacher doesn’t have to work hard to sell him as a convincing badass. I think the showrunners decided there was no point overselling the reality of Richard’s fake kidnapping and wanted to power through it instead.
I Realized Reacher Season 3 Spoiling The DEA Twist Doesn’t Really Matter
Reading season 3’s plot synopsis already gave the game away
Even if I hadn’t been spoiled on “Persuader’s” undercover twist, it would almost be harder to view it fresh.The trailers forReacherseason 3 spoil the DEA reveal almost immediately, and reading any article or plot synopsis would do the same. I was holding on to the memory of readingPersuaderwith no real idea what the story was, so it surprised me. Books and TV shows are two very different mediums, and ultimately, the twist comes too early for it to be an actual spoiler.
Bad Luck and Trouble(2007)
Reacher: Season 3(2025)
Persuader(2003)
I supposeReacher’sseason 3 premiere could have handled the kidnapping more straightforwardly and worked to keep the twist hidden, but it’s not a dealbreaker. Even before his bad acting gives it away, Reacher somehow being present at the sight of a kidnapping and wielding a hand cannon is already wildly out of character. I would have clocked it instantly, as would many other fans of the series.
