The third season of Reacher is hyping up the inevitable fight between the title character and new villain Paulie, and the show should break a major novel rule to sell the threat of the character. The first two seasons of Amazon’s adaptation of the Lee Child Jack Reacher novels have seen Alan Ritchson’s hero think, punch and shoot his way through every problem. While both seasons have been great fun, audiences are getting a little bored of seeing him shrug off every threat.

That won’t be the case next time, with Reacher season 3 adapting Child’s Persuader, where Ritchson’s hero faces off against hulking bodyguard Paulie. Played by Dutch bodybuilder Olivier Richters, Paulie is an abusive and borderline unstoppable henchman who poses a genuine physical threat to Reacher. Their climactic fight is the standout chapter from Persuader, but the show can take things a step further by having Reacher lose a fight to Paulie and really underline the stakes.

Reacher Should Lose His First Fight Against Paulie

The show needs to sell Paulie as Reacher’s equal

The trailer for Reacher season 3 introduces Paulie, with the bodyguard barely flinching when punched in the stomach. In return, he hits Reacher with a devastating blow that instantly floors him. Audiences have never seen the titular avenger look so vulnerable, and season 3 should break a rule of the Child books and have Jack unambiguously 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 shock move.

Before playing Reacher’s Paulie, Olivier Richters had roles in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Borderlands.

Paulie is considerably dumber than Reacher so while the bodyguard can’t outthink him, he can still overwhelm him with brute strength. Reacher can be far too cocky and self-confident, so watching him get well and truly humbled by losing a bout to Paulie would fully underline the threat he faces. Not only would this add to the stress of his undercover mission, but he’d have to deal with the humiliation of losing a fight for probably the first time since he was a child.

Reacher Has Never Lost A One On One Fight In The Lee Child Novels

Reacher even beats Paulie during their Persuader brawl

The Jack Reacher books are a power fantasy for readers, where they get to walk in the shoes of a guy who is smarter, stronger, and meaner than the people he goes up against. In terms of plotting, they are one-half Murder, She Wrote-style mystery and half a Sylvester Stallone action movie from the 1980s. In Child’s novels, Reacher has basically won every fight he’s ever had, be it a one-on-one bout or facing off against a group. His fight with Paulie in Persuader is grueling, but he still comes out the winner.

It may not be an official rule that Reacher can never lose a direct fight, but it’s one the books have maintained regardless. Amazon’s show has been willing to color outside the lines by adding new characters or subplots, so if Reacher featured a scene where Ritchson’s protagonist actually loses, that would add an interesting new wrinkle. Of course, it’s a given 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 little softer than his novel counterpart

The Jack Reacher found in the books has barely changed throughout 30 books, and while he has some friends, he much prefers his freedom. He has no home, no cell phone, and he’s definitely not on social media. One slight change Amazon’s Reacher has brought to him – aided by Ritchson’s performance – is that he’s a slightly warmer character. Between the romance Reacher formed with Roscoe (Willa Fitzgerald) and reconnecting with his old teammates from the Special Investigators unit, he feels like more of a regular human being on the show.

… Reacher has been right to bring more human dimension to the character – even if he’s still the toughest guy in the room.

Reacher’s season 2 finale even saw his best friend Neagley (Maria Sten) making a plea that he stay in touch – as opposed to vanishing from her life for years at a time. The series still portrays him as a nomad roaming the land, but he isn’t as closed off as the novels portray him. That will only continue with Reacher’s third season, where he finally faces an opponent who can (quite literally) crush him.

Every Jack Reacher Movie & Show
Book Adapted

Jack Reacher (2012)
One Shot (2005)

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)
Never Go Back (2013)

Reacher: Season 1 (2022)
Killing Floor (1997)

Reacher: Season 2 (2023-2024)
Bad Luck and Trouble (2007)

Reacher: Season 3 (2025)
Persuader (2003)

In past seasons, Reacher has tended to bulldoze his way through his foes, so Paulie’s introduction will add a whole new dynamic. On the whole, Reacher has been right to bring more human dimension to the character – even if he’s still the toughest guy in the room. That’s why having him lose a fight against Paul would be a strong statement, and make their final confrontation feel more epic.