After Season 3's Finale, I'm Convinced Reacher Just Had One Of TV's Most Epic Fight Scenes Ever
Warning! This article contains spoilers for Reacher season 3's finale.After watching Reacher season 3's finale, I am convinced that the series has delivered one of the best television fight sequences of all time. From its opening moments, Reacher season 3 tries to set itself apart from its predecessors by following a unique storytelling format. It initially shows Reacher acting completely out of character, only to later reveal that he has been working undercover for the DEA. As the season unfolds, flashbacks also reveal that, as always, Jack Reacher has personal stakes in the central case because the main villain, Xavier Quinn, had killed his MP colleague, Dominique Kohl.
Instead of making its villains look like regular cannon fodder for Reacher to easily dispose of, season 3 shows how imposing they can be. While Quinn seems scary because of his mercilessness and lack of empathy, his henchman, Paulie, comes off as a worthy competitor for Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher because of his massive stature. Reacher season 3 waits until its finale to feature a much-awaited showdown between the hero and villains. However, when it finally does, it is well worth it.
I Don't Know How, But Reacher Vs. Paulie Actually Lived Up To The Hype
The Fight Sequence Had All The Right Ingredients
Reacher season 3 kept building up to its Paulie vs. Reacher fight scene from its opening episodes. As soon as Paulie was introduced as one of Reacher season 3's main villains, it was evident that Reacher would have to face him ultimately. The show first gives a glimpse of the two characters' strengths by featuring a scene where Paulie challenges Reacher to a bench press competition. Realizing that Paulie is much bigger than him, Reacher declines the offer and puts his intelligence on display by tricking Paulie into punching himself.
....The fight not only meets one's high expectations but also defies them.
Paulie shows what he is capable of doing in season 3's episode 5 when one smack from him makes Reacher fall to the ground, proving he is far stronger than the Alan Ritchson character. With so many solid scenes from Reacher season 3 paving the way for the final battle between the two titans, it was hard not to be concerned about whether the fight would actually live up to the hype. Surprisingly, the fight not only meets one's high expectations but also defies them.
Since season 1, Reacher has delivered many compelling action sequences in which the titular character shows how his raw strength and sheer size advantage against his enemies is often enough for him to overpower them. Arguably, season 1's prison showdown remained the best fight sequence in the series even after season 2. Paulie and Reacher's fight-to-death in season 3, however, easily surpasses the prison sequence in terms of both fight choreography and viewer engagement.
Reacher Vs. Paulie Was Wild, But Avoided Jumping The Shark
It Was Borderline Ridiculous But Still Realistic
Since Jack Reacher seldom struggles to take his enemies down in one-on-one fistfights, his fights rarely last more than two minutes. However, the Reacher vs. Paulie sequence just keeps going on and on as the two giants refuse to give up while duking it out "like men." Reacher gets thrown around by Paulie and even gets slammed onto a table. However, he keeps getting back up to fight again. Paulie, on the other hand, takes many brutal blows to his face but almost seems unbothered by most of Reacher's attacks.
...Even though the fight has a fair share of over-the-top moments, it never extends a viewer's suspension of disbelief too far.
To highlight how Paulie is unlike anyone Reacher has previously faced, Reacher season 3 keeps their brawl long and grueling. Surprisingly, however, even though the fight has a fair share of over-the-top moments, it never extends a viewer's suspension of disbelief too far. The fight almost borders on ridiculousness when Paulie somehow defies death and returns after Reacher nearly drowns him to death. However, the scene's absurdity only improves the fight's overall stakes by highlighting how Reacher is not beating Paulie so easily.
Did You Know: Reacher star Alan Ritchson was knocked unconscious during the filming of the table-smash scene from the final fight and woke up a day and a half later (via EW).
One of Reacher season 2's biggest criticisms was that its final sequence seemed a little too farfetched. Although Reacher is supposed to be almost superhuman even in the original Lee Child books, season 2's ending showdown made him seem too invincible at the cost of realism. Thankfully, Reacher season 3 learns from season 2's mistakes and avoids jumping the gun. It somehow manages to walk the thin line between realistic fighting and brutal over-the-top madness that makes the viewer feel the impact of every punch from the two characters.
Reacher Season 4 & Beyond Will Struggle To Find Another Villain Like Paulie
Paulie's Massive Size Made Him A Perfect Reacher Adversary
After season 3's final battle, Paulie has become the greatest Reacher villain to date. Reacher seasons 1 and 2 had their own share of strengths. While season 1 thrived because of its ability to draw viewers into its mysteries and prompt them to become armchair detectives, season 2 worked because it gave a glimpse into how Reacher worked when he joined forces with his former team members from the 110th Special Investigation Unit. However, both seasons struggled to make their villains seem formidable enough against Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher.
Reacher Season 3: How Paulie In the Show Compares to the Book Character
Paulie is set to make his debut in Reacher season 3, but how will his character be different from Lee Childs' Jack Reacher novels?
The overpowered protagonist was easily able to destroy his enemies in one-on-one fights in both seasons. Reacher season 3 hit a masterstroke by introducing a villain who was mightier, taller, and stronger than Jack Reacher. It also gave Paulie a level of resilience and brutality that perfectly captured why even Reacher would be scared of him. Towards the end, it even perfectly portrayed how Reacher had to dig deep and use both brain and brawn to overcome a monumental challenge like Paulie.
Since it would just seem strange and make little narrative sense if Reacher just kept running into 7-foot villains in every subsequent season, Reacher season 4 will have to find another creative way to make its villain seem compelling. The series cannot pull off the same trick twice by featuring another giant character as its antagonist. This makes it hard not to believe that all installments in the series after Reacher season 3 will struggle to make their villains seem as dangerous and intriguing as Paulie.
What Happens When Reacher & Paulie Fight In The Book
The Show Arguably Improves The Fight
In the series, Paulie sets the ground rules for the fight by establishing that they will fight like men and not use guns. The book's version of the character, however, tells Reacher that if he manages to get past him, he can grab the guns and shoot. Similar to the show, the fight unfolds with Reacher showing better fighting skills. To Reacher's dismay, though, Paulie almost remains unscathed by his blows in the book, while Paulie's hits severely injure him.
Reacher Key Facts Breakdown | |
Created By | Nick Santora |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score | 96% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score | 80% |
Based On | Lee Child's Jack Reacher book series |
The show's version of the character messes up when he underestimates Reacher's intelligence and breaks his own rule by resorting to using the massive gun in the Beck mansion's guardhouse. In the book, however, Reacher gains an edge over Paulie when the giant villain's ego gets the best of him, and he tries to use fancy martial arts moves toward the end of the fight. He makes the mistake of lifting one leg off the ground to kick Reacher, which is when Reacher grabs his leg and jerks him off the ground.
"You may be bigger and stronger, but I'm smarter." - Jack Reacher reminds Paulie after beating him for good in the show.
With Paulie on the floor, Reacher turns the tides in his favor. Although Paulie eventually manages to stand up again, the fight gradually drifts away from him as Reacher breaks his arms. Unlike Prime Video's Reacher, where the titular hero outsmarts Paulie by making his gun's barrel explode in his face, the book shows how Jack Reacher eventually acquires a gun and shoots Paulie twelve times in the chest. In more ways than one, the show improves the fight by making it seem more competitive and emotionally intense for both characters.
Reacher follows Jack Reacher, a former military police investigator, as he navigates civilian life. Without a phone and carrying minimal belongings, Reacher drifts across the country, experiencing the nation he once served, and encounters intriguing challenges along the way.
- Network
- Prime Video
- Cast
- Alan Ritchson, Maria Sten, Malcolm Goodwin, Willa Fitzgerald, Serinda Swan, Chris Webster, Shaun Sipos, Bruce McGill, Ferdinand Kingsley, Robert Patrick, JD Smith, Kelsey Falconer, Lee Villeneuve, Eli Ham, Emeka Agada, Hazel Gorin, Nathaniel McParland, Connor Laidman, Darrin Maharaj, Drew Moss, Peter Skagen, Rohan Mead, Kaz Morgan, Zachary Gallegos, Scott Barker
- Showrunner
- Nick Santora
- Directors
- Omar Madha, Carol Banker, Julian Holmes, Lin Oeding, M.J. Bassett, Norberto Barba, Stephen Surjik, Thomas Vincent
- Writers
- Cait Duffy
- Franchise(s)
- Jack Reacher
- Main Genre
- Action
- Creator(s)
- Nick Santora
- Producers
- Agatha Barnes, Don Granger, Marcy Ross, Scott Sullivan, Nick Santora, Lee Child, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Paula Wagner, Sam Hill, Derek Rappaport, Sean Ryerson, Adam Higgs, Aadrita Mukerji, Penny Cox, Bill Bost
- Seasons
- 3
- Story By
- nick santora
- Streaming Service(s)
- Prime Video
