Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (August 9, 2026)
Lee Child’s “Jack Reacher” series of novels debuted in 1997. The franchise spawned two theatrical films with Tom Cruise as the lead and an Amazon streaming series with Alan Ritchson.
This package revolves around Reacher’s third season, and all eight episodes appear on these two Blu-ray discs. The plot synopses come from the set’s liner notes.
Persuader: “Jack Reacher's (Ritchson) attempt to thwart a kidnapping brings him into contact with mysterious businessman Zachary Beck (Anthony Michael Hall).”
Although I really liked Season One of Reacher, Season Two left me considerably less enthused. This left open the question of whether Season Three would rebound or it’d stay in the mild malaise of S2.
If “Persuader” acts as an indication, S3 should bring a nice bounce-back year. The episode starts in a thrilling way and lures us into what appears to exist as S3’s overall narrative in a positive manner. Hopefully “Persuader” acts as a harbinger of a solid season yet to come.
Truckin’: “Tasked with transporting cargo for new employer Zachary Beck, Reacher must juggle the involvement of the DEA and a nosy new associate (Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz).”
Though probably not quite as enticing as “Persuader”, “Truckin’” nonetheless pushes along Season Three well. It comes with intriguing plot developments and enough action and black comedy to make it a satisfying extension of the year.
Number 2 With a Bullet: “As a rising body count threatens his undercover position, Reacher makes a dangerous play to secure Beck's trust.”
Like that synopsis implies, “Bullet” takes Reacher down a darker than usual path, though not one without some humor. Every episode seems to find some new excuse to get Reacher down to his underwear, and this gets an intentionally amusing twist here.
“Bullet” continues to S3 thread in an appropriate manner. I don’t think the last two shows quite live up to the promise of “Persuader”, but it achieves its goals and cranks along the S3 narrative well.
Dominique: “Reacher approaches Xavier Quinn's (Brian Tee) location and meets Susan Duffy (Sonya Cassidy) and Guillermo Villanueva (Roberto Montesinos). Duffy demands to know how Reacher is connected to Quinn.”
We get some backstory here that sheds light on aspects of Reacher’s career and how those impact him now. This leads to an episode told mainly in flashback.
Some of this seems useful but “Dominique” can feel a little mushier than I expect from the series. Honestly, Reacher’s personal vendetta doesn’t come across as a necessary subplot, so I think “Dominique” becomes superfluous in the greater scheme of S3.
Smackdown: “When a DEA tragedy puts the entire mission at risk, Reacher, Duffy, and Villanueva improvise a drastic plan to save their cover.”
With all the exposition from the last episode out of the way, “Smackdown” pushes ahead in a semi-satisfying manner. We find forward movement in terms of various narrative beats.
However, too much of “Smackdown” leans toward a predictable series of events. Although it adds to S3’s narrative thrust, its reliance on cliché makes it a less than great show.
Smoke On the Water: “Reacher struggles between wanting to kill Quinn and keeping his word to Duffy about rescuing Teresa Daniel (Storm Steenson).”
“Smoke” allows for a confrontation between Reacher and Quinn/McCabe but it avoids violent shenanigans due to an old trope: amnesia! The series gives Quinn memory issues to allow Reacher to see him in person without the logical consequences from their history.
This contributes to the continued moderate but noticeable decline in S3. While “Smoke” still keeps us engaged, given how well S3 started, the series’ reliance on clichés as the year progresses means diminishing returns.
LA Story: “After Reacher and Duffy travel to Los Angeles to arrange a deal, Frances Neagley (Maria Sten) arrives in Maine to help Reacher get answers.”
Ever since the start of S3, it became inevitable that Reacher would pursue some form of romance between Reacher and Duffy. This theme becomes more prominent as S3 approaches its end and that tacky choice turns into another drag on the series.
At least we get a change of scenery, as S3 leaves New England – for a little while, that is. The shift to California feels a bit gimmicky but it adds a bit of spark, even if it fails to account for much of the episode.
The narrative kicks into slightly higher gear but the general decline of S3 continues to exist as a problem. Although “Story” comes with some excitement, it doesn’t make me as eager to see the final episode as I’d like.
Unfinished Business: “Reacher, Duffy, Neagley, and Villanueva make a last-ditch effort to save Teresa and Richard Beck (Johnny Berchtold) and get revenge against Paulie (Olivier Richters) and Quinn.”
S3 concludes with the expected beats, including the inevitable brawl between Reacher and Paulie, a beast of a man so huge he makes Reacher look like a preschooler. Though we knew the season finale would bring this confrontation, it still becomes a highlight of behemoth vs. behemother.
Otherwise “Business” seems like a perfunctory conclusion to S3 and nothing more. Although it doesn’t disappoint, it also doesn’t do anything to stand out from the crowd, largely because it comes with so many predictable elements.
Since the same goes for S3 as a whole, I view it as a moderate disappointment. While we get enough action to maintain our interest, S3 drops the ball after a great opening and turns into a spotty collection of shows.
