Paulie Missed One Easy Chance To Kill Reacher In Season 3's Big Final Showdown
Warning! This article contains spoilers for Reacher season 3's finale.
Paulie dies fighting Jack Reacher in Reacher season 3's finale, but he could have won the showdown if only he had not missed one big opportunity. Reacher season 3 is jampacked with many epic moments from the beginning itself. The season sets itself apart from its predecessors in its early moments by featuring a compelling twist that reveals that Reacher is undercover for the DEA. With what follows, Reacher season 3 only gets more and more compelling as the Alan Ritchson character struggles to keep his identity a secret from the villains.
The season hits its highest note when it finally features a one-on-one showdown between Reacher and Paulie in its finale. After setting up the battle between the two giants from its opening episodes, Reacher season 3 walks viewers through a white-knuckling showdown that never leaves a dull moment. A closer look at Reacher and Paulie's fight in season 3 also reveals that Paulie could have easily killed the Alan Ritchson character if he wanted to. However, he dug his own grave by making one decision.
Paulie Had A Glaring Opportunity To Shoot Reacher In Season 3's Final Battle
Paulie Could Have Just Used His Gun In The Beginning
Paulie and Reacher's showdown begins with Reacher sneaking up behind him and attempting to choke him dead. To Reacher's dismay, Paulie slams him to the ground and prevents him from finishing the job. Realizing that Paulie is much stronger than him, Reacher attempts to take the easy route by grabbing a gun on the ground. However, Paulie gets to the gun before him and kicks it away, insisting they should fight like real men. Given how Paulie reached the gun before Reacher in the fight's opening moments, he could have used it to kill Reacher and end the fight for good.
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?
However, Paulie seems to underestimate Reacher when he claims he wants to brawl with no guns. He establishes the fight's ground rules, believing that his fists and physical prowess will be enough to take Reacher down. Little does he realize that by kicking away the gun, he ended up digging his own grave. Paulie initially seems to have the upper hand in the fight as his massive stature allows him to overpower Reacher with ease. Reacher eventually makes a massive comeback, though, by putting his fighting skills and intelligence on full display.
Paulie Eventually Using A Gun Proves How Far Reacher Pushed Him
Paulie Broke His Own Rule By Using The Gatehouse Gun
Image via Prime Video
After initially being dominated by Paulie, Reacher gradually returns to form in the final fight and almost manages to drown Paulie when the two fall into the sea behind Beck's house. Paulie still returns, but Reacher keeps pushing him to his edge, which eventually forces the Reacher season 3 villain to step back on his word. Towards the end, Paulie feels so drained and broken during his fight against Reacher that he breaks his own rule and points the massive gatehouse gun at him. He believes he has won the fight, but by deciding to use the gun, he establishes that he is no longer in control of the situation.
...Even though Paulie had what it took to take Reacher down, his overconfidence got the best of him.
This becomes all the more evident when he pulls the trigger, and the gun's barrel explodes in his face. As Paulie takes his final breaths, Reacher reminds him, "You may be bigger and stronger, but I'm smarter." With this, it becomes evident that even though Paulie had what it took to take Reacher down, his overconfidence got the best of him. He could have ended the fight in Reacher season 3's finale long before the Alan Ritchson character tricked him into killing himself. However, he was too blinded by hubris and the belief that sheer strength would be enough to win against Jack Reacher.
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
