The third season of Reach is hyping up the inevitable fight between the title character and new villain Paulie, and the series should break a major rule of the novel to sell the character's menace. The first two seasons of Amazon's Lee Child adaptation Jack Reacher the novels saw Alan Ritchson's hero think, punch and shoot his way out of every problem. While both seasons have been a lot of fun, audiences are getting a little bored watching him ignore all the threats.
It won't be the case next time, with Reach Season 3 adapting Child's Persuaderwhere Ritchson's hero faces off against burly bodyguard Paulie. Played by Dutch bodybuilder Olivier Richters, Paulie is an abusive, unstoppable henchman who poses a genuine physical threat to Reacher. Their climactic struggle is the standout chapter of Persuaderbut the show could go a step further by having Reacher lose a fight to Paulie and really underline what is at stake.
Reacher must lose his first fight against Paulie
The show needs to sell Paulie as Reacher's equal
The trailer for Reach season three introduces Paulie, with the bodyguard barely flinching as he is punched in the stomach. In return, he hits Reacher with a devastating blow that instantly knocks him down. Audiences have never seen the titular Avenger look so vulnerable, and season three should break a children's book rule and have Jack unequivocally lose a fight against Paulie. In both the novels and the show, Reacher always comes out on top, but having Paulie kick his ass during their first confrontation would be a shocking move..
Paulie is considerably dumber than Reacher, so while the bodyguard can't overcome him, he can still overpower him with brute force. Reacher can be very arrogant and self-confident, so seeing him get well and truly humiliated by losing a fight to Paulie would totally underline the threat. he faces. Not only would this add to the stress of his secret mission, but he would have to deal with the humiliation of losing a fight, probably for the first time since he was a child.
Reacher never lost a one-on-one fight in Lee's children's novels
Reacher even beats Paulie during the Persuader fight
THE Jack Reacher The books are a power fantasy for readers, where they step into the shoes of a guy who is smarter, stronger, and crueler than the people he faces. In terms of plot, they are half Murder, she wroteSylvester Stallone-style mystery and action film from the 1980s. In children's novels, Reacher has basically won every fight he's ever had, whether one-on-one or facing a group. His fight with Paulie in Persuader It's tiring, but he still comes out a winner.
It may not be an official rule that Reacher can never lose a straight fight, but it's a rule the books keep anyway. The Amazon show is willing to go beyond the lines by adding new characters or subplots, so if Reach featured a scene where Ritchson's protagonist actually loses, which would add an interesting new wrinkle. Of course, It's certain that Reacher will win eventually – but making him work a little harder for that victory would be a smart move.
Amazon's Reacher is right to make the character more vulnerable
Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher is a bit softer than his novel counterpart
The Jack Reacher found in the books has barely changed over the 30 books, and although he has some friends, he much prefers freedom. He doesn't have a house, he doesn't have a cell phone and he's definitely not on social media. A slight change at Amazon Reach brought to him – aided by Ritchson's performance – is that he is a a little hottest character. Between the romance Reacher has formed with Roscoe (Willa Fitzgerald) and reconnecting with his old teammates from the Special Investigators unit, he feels more like a normal human being. on the show.
… Reacher was right to bring more of a human dimension to the character – even if he's still the toughest guy in the room.
Reacher The season 2 finale even saw his best friend Neagley (Maria Sten) making a plea for him to stay in touch – instead of disappearing from his life for years on end. The series still portrays him as a nomad wandering the land, but he is not as closed off as the novels portray him. This will only continue with Reacher season three, where he finally faces an opponent who can (literally) crush him.
|
All Jack Reacher Film and program |
Adapted Book |
|---|---|
|
Jack Reacher (2012) |
One shot (2005) |
|
Jack Reacher: Never Come Back (2016) |
Never come back (2013) |
|
Reacher: Season 1 (2022) |
Floor of Death (1997) |
|
Reacher: Season 2 (2023-2024) |
Bad luck and trouble (2007) |
|
Reacher: Season 3 (2025) |
Persuader (2003) |
In previous seasons, Reacher has tended to blast his way through his enemies, so the introduction of Paulie will add a whole new dynamic. In general, Reach He was right to bring a more human dimension to the character – even if he is still the toughest guy in the room. That's why seeing him lose a fight against Paul would make a strong statement and make the final showdown feel more epic.
Source: Prime Video/YouTube