WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Reacher season 3, episode 7.
Prime Video's Reacher season 3, episode 7, "L.A. Story," sets up a thrilling showdown between Reacher and two of the franchise's best villains, Paulie and Quinn. While I was half-expecting Harvard graduate Oscar Finlay to show up once Reacher and Susan Duffy made a pit stop in Boston, seeing Teresa's concerned grandmother was a nice touch to start the episode. With Reacher's cover now fully blown at the Beck residence, Duffy and Reacher have to find a new way to not only save Teresa but also bring Quinn to long-overdue justice.
The penultimate episode of season 3 finds Reacher matching Duffy's energy by getting his hands dirty for the greater good. During their stint in Los Angeles, they blackmail Darian, a business associate of Zachary Beck, with blatant lies to get a favor out of him. Reacher breaks his own word by setting Darian up for a DEA raid, which may mark the lowest moral point for Reacher out of any previous episode. Neagley is cleverly included by telling Beck the truth about McCabe, setting up a deal that may become a lethal trap.
Reacher Season 3, Episode 7 Is A Well-Paced But Underwhelming Slow Burn
I Was Expecting More Of A Thrilling Entry Before The Season Finale
Image via Prime Video
Reacher season 3's penultimate episode is mostly anticlimactic heading into the season 3 finale. Several layers of exposition and plot development occur through conversation alone, which makes for a well-crafted but also unexpectedly dormant episode for a typically thrilling action series like Reacher. Once again, season 3's villains fuel the episode's tension from the shadows, forcing most of the scenes to unfold through strategic conversations in various settings.
Reacher and Duffy finally spark their romantic interest after Duffy still playfully denies her attraction towards Reacher in episode 6. She is still arguably the weakest love interest out of all Reacher seasons, particularly because their situation isn't fueled by romance whatsoever. If it weren't such an ingrained part of the Reacher formula, the season might have benefited from removing the romantic element between Reacher and Duffy altogether. Their intimate scenes are hardly necessary or all that entertaining.
If the episode weren't saved by a clever cliffhanger ending, the whole effort would be lukewarm at best. Compared to season 1's penultimate episode, "Reacher Said Nothing," – which is one of the best of the entire series – "L.A. Story" feels like a whole lot of plot explanation through dialogue rather than compelling visual storytelling.
Reacher Season 3's Finale Has To Pick Up The Pace & Pay Off Its Strong Start
This Season Is Starting To Lose Steam At The Worst Possible Time
Image via Prime Video
The opening scene of season 3, which turns out to be an elaborate scheme for Reacher to gain access to Zachary Beck's operation, makes for arguably the best premise of any Reacher season. It also set a high bar which, judging by episode 7's lackluster output, may have been too high. It places the pressure of the entire season on the broad shoulders of its finale, which could very well make or break the whole installment.
Looking back at Reacher season 3 from the end of its penultimate episode, I can't help but think about how great season 1's story was and how strong the ensemble cast's chemistry was in season 2. While I enjoy the narrative of Lee Child's Persuader, it feels like something isn't exactly clicking with its TV adaptation compared to past seasons. I've been looking forward to Reacher's showdown with Paulie for so long that I'm already exhausted from it. I had hoped there would be more from Paulie's character to latch onto but he has faded in recent episodes.
Reacher season 3, episode 7 did provide one crucial answer to a lingering mystery: Teresa is still alive. This, paired with meeting Teresa's grandmother, adds some emotional weight to Duffy's mission to save her. Considering what Quinn did to Lt. Kohl and how dark this entire season has been, I hope Reacher gets his revenge on Quinn to the fullest extent. It will be most interesting to see how Reacher and Duffy can get back into the Beck residence after being exposed and, most of all, whether Quinn will remember Reacher or Kohl.
Reacher season 3's penultimate episode leaves a lot on the table, which will hopefully pay off in satisfying ways during next week's finale. Up until this point, I've been relatively pleased with the whole season. That said, resting on the season's low point heading into the finale doesn't exactly seem ideal for Reacher season 3.
