Reacher Season 3 Finale review: Alan Ritchson picks on someone his own size in epic climactic clash

A rich businessman (Anthony Michael Hall) and his nice college-going son (Jimmy Berchtold) turn out to be under the baddie’s thumb. Russian mobsters are afoot. A massive arms deal is about to go down. A trio of Federal agents are tracking the bad guy and his cohorts. As is the case in our hero’s adventures, people get killed in innovative ways, and things are poised for an all-out Reacher attack.

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Which we get, and about time: enough with the goons swanning about, barking orders. We also get the mandatory momentary romantic assignation between the hard-working Agent Susan Duffy (Sonya Cassidy)– no spoiler this, because it’s been building up since they met– but it’s all very brief and workman-like (or should we say, workwoman-like), taking its cue from how bestselling author Lee Child writes those scenes.

There are shoot-outs between the good guys and a nasty crew armed with fancy guns, with both Duffy and her older colleague (Roberto Montesinos) pitching in and making themselves useful. More help comes from Neagley (Maria Sten), one of Reacher’s favourite associates from his past life, who is tracking the goon squad and shooting them very dead as and when the need arises. Sten is wonderful: whenever she’s on screen, I was totally switched on.

But while they all do their jobs, it is left to Reacher to make the clean sweep we are primed for, starting with the guy-who-is-built-like-a-tank (Olivier Richters, in real-life, is a Danish bodybuilder), whom he trades mighty blows with, getting nice and hammered. But Reacher won’t be Reacher if he goes under, right? He’s bloody and bruised but standing, and that’s that for the chief villain (Brian Tee) who is so evil that even the devil would run from him.

Right from the first season (and, of course, the book), Ritchson took over our collective imagination as Reacher, and I’m always going to be back for more seasons. But am I being disloyal if I say that I’m really looking forward to the spin-off toplining Neagley? She has zing, which Ritchson’s Reacher needs a little more of.

Reacher Season 3 Cast: Alan Ritchson, Sonya Cassidy, Roberto Montesinos, Johnny Berchtold, Daniel David Stewart, Mariah Robinson, Maria Sten, Olivier Richters, Anthony Michael Hall, Brian Tee
Reacher Season 3 Directors: Sam Hill, Gary Fleder
Reacher Season 3 Rating: Two and a half stars