Reacher seasons 1 and 2 have similar opening hooks, and, as season 3’s story details suggest, it will continue the narrative trend set by its predecessors. Based on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books, Amazon’s Reacher, so far, has had a successful run both critically and commercially. Owing to this, it is not surprising that ahead of its season 3 release, it has already been renewed for season 4. While only time will tell whether Reacher season 3 will maintain the high standards set by the previous seasons, its story details suggest it will be similar to its predecessors in one significant way.

Reacher season 3 is adapting Lee Child’s Persuader, the seventh installment in the Jack Reacher book series. Since Persuader unfolds a solo mission for Jack Reacher in a small-town setting, Reacher season 3 can be expected to be more similar to season 1 than season 2. When it comes to its opening arc, however, the third installment of the Amazon series could seemingly adopt a plot device that drove the early story developments of both seasons 1 and 2.

Reacher Seasons 1 & 2 Start In Exactly The Same Way

Both Seasons Begin With A Character’s Death

In Reacher season 1, the titular character’s journey begins when his brother, Joe, gets murdered in Margrave after getting involved in a local conspiracy. Joe’s death eventually becomes a trigger for Jack Reacher to get to the bottom of what is secretly happening in Margrave’s underbelly. Interestingly, Reacher season 2’s opening arc is not too different. Out of nowhere, Jack Reacher receives a distress signal from Neagley, prompting him to get in touch with her.

In both Reacher seasons, vengeance is among the key drivers that fuel his quest for justice.

When he finally meets her, he learns that Franz, one of the former members of his 110th Special Investigation Unit, has been killed. Franz’s death encourages Reacher to join forces with Neagley, Dixon, and O’Donnell to uncover the truth behind the murder and the larger conspiracy at play. While Jack Reacher’s strong sense of justice propels him to fight against the bad guys in both seasons, the deaths of people from his past give him a personal reason to pursue the overarching villains. In both Reacher seasons, vengeance is among the key drivers that fuel his quest for justice.

Why Reacher Season 3 Could Begin With The Death Of Dominique Kohl

Like Joe & Franz, Dominique Is An Important Character From Reacher’s Past

Lee Child’s Persuader does not exactly begin with a character’s death. Instead, in its opening moments, it unfolds an undercover mission for Jack Reacher, where he must infiltrate a criminal organization. However, as the book progresses, and Reacher is asked to back off from the dangerous assignment, it becomes evident that he was on it for personal reasons. From the beginning, he knew that the off-the-books operation would eventually pave the way for him to have another go at former Military Intelligence agent Francis Xavier Quinn.

Throughout season 1, Jack Reacher insists on being called a hobo instead of a vagrant. This is because of the historical distinction between the two.

Francis Xavier Quinn and Jack Reacher’s shared history reveals that Quinn had brutally murdered Reacher’s former colleague Dominique Kohl. Reacher initially assumed he had already killed Quinn and made him pay for his actions. However, he later went undercover after learning that Quinn was alive. Given how Jack Reacher’s quest for justice in Persuader is also primarily driven by a hunger for revenge, Reacher season 3 could unfold like seasons 1 and 2 in its opening moments by portraying what happened to Dominique Kohl.

Dominique Kohl Will Play The Same Role Joe & Franz Did In Past Seasons

Kohl Will Serve As A Trigger For Reacher’s Quest For Revenge

Since Reacher seasons 1 and 2 stayed true to the essence of their source material, season 3 will also closely adapt Lee Child’s Persuader. Owing to this, Dominique Kohl can be expected to play the same role as Joe and Franz from the previous seasons. Like Joe and Franz, she will serve as a major trigger for Jack Reacher’s motivations and actions in season 3. His desire to avenge her death will be the primary reason why Jack Reacher will set out to hunt down and punish Francis Xavier Quinn.

Reacher Season
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Lee Child Book It Adapts

Season 1
92%
91%
Killing Floor

Season 2
98%
78%
Bad Luck & Trouble

Season 3
—
—
Persuader

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Similar to previous seasons, Alan Ritchson’s Jack Reacher will also get himself embroiled in a bigger conspiracy during his journey to avenge his former colleague’s death. However, the primary driving force behind his actions will remain rooted in his past guilt towards his inability to protect Kohl from someone like Francis Xavier Quinn. Despite being similar to seasons 1 and 2, Reacher season 3 will likely be able to effectively raise the stakes for the Alan Ritchson character by introducing Paulie, a formidable villain who is even bigger and stronger than Jack Reacher.