“It’s a sad twist, right?” - Anthony Michael Hall opens up about Reacher season 3 finale and Alan Ritchson’s unexpected audition story

Anthony Michael Hall appeared in an interview with Decider to speak further on the sad twist in Reacher season 3, his career, and his series' co-star. The series follows the story of a former military police officer, Jack Reacher, who tackles dangerous criminals and brings down crime syndicates. Reacher season 3 is based on Lee Child's 2003 novel Persuader.

"Oh, interesting. Right, with the gun. It's a sad twist, right? Because it's the gun he kept from childhood and then he winds up meeting his own demise. But I think it's beautiful because in a classical drama, there's always a death. So, the fact that he dies for his son essentially is really powerful," Anthony explained in the interview.

Anthony Michael Hall is known for playing Zachary Beck, one of the important characters of this season. Julius McCabe uses his character to operate an arms business using his rug-selling company as a front.

In Reacher season 3 episode 8, Zachary meets an unfortunate end in the finale as he is shot to death by McCabe while protecting his son. This occurs after he finally starts reconnecting with his son. The gun he tries to protect him with melts before they can escape.

Since the gun was something he made as a child, his end became a sad twist that Anthony spoke about in the interview. He also spoke about Alan Ritchson's audition on American Idol season 3 in 2004 before Alan became an actor. The audition is popular for Paula Abdul's reaction to Alan's performance.

The audition surprised many as they did not expect Alan to sing and perform like that.

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The tragic fate of Zachary Beck: Why it's a sad twist

In Reacher season 3, Julius McCabe used Zachary's business to run his arms deals. It got him involved in a dangerous situation as Jack Reacher tried to hunt Julius McCabe down. McCabe uses his son, Richard, played by Johnny Berchtold, to maintain control over him. Zachary's son despises him for working with Julius and letting him cut his ear as punishment.

As Reacher season 3 progresses, it explains how Zachary had been doing this to protect his son from McCabe. He begins to reconnect with his son, Richard, after an emotional moment, as he finally sees the good in his father. Zachary makes a deal with Reacher and others to get his son out safely in exchange for information on McCabe.

Unfortunately, in a confrontation with McCabe during the birthday party, Zachary is killed as he tries to protect his son using a soap gun. Before they can escape, the gun melts off, and McCabe kills him in a fit of rage. The gun was something Zachary made with soap as a child. That gun melting at a critical moment, leading to his death, is what Anthony Michael Hall thinks was a sad twist for his character.

Richard finally understood his father's actions and was growing closer to him before he met his tragic fate. At the end of the Reacher season 3 finale, Richard also confesses to Jack Reacher that he wished he had seen more good moments from his father. He was eventually just a father protecting his son.

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Alan Ritchson's 2004 American Idol audition

While the discussion revolves around Anthony's character, his life, and Reacher season 3, he was also asked about his co-star's audition on American Idol.

"Yes! I did see that. I thought it was hilarious. I thought it was really funny. Paula Abdul was certainly enamored with him. Yeah, that was really funny. You know, I thought that was great," Alan stated.

Many expect Alan Ritchson to be physically imposing and a no-nonsense person due to his role in the series Reacher, so the audition was a surprise. The actor appeared on American Idol season 3 in 2004 as a participant, and one of the judges, Paula Abdul, was particularly impressed by him.

In the audition, Alan showcased his impressive vocal skills. The judges made the audition interesting by asking him to perform solely for Paula. He received the go-ahead from all three judges, as Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell were impressed by the effect his performance had on Paula.

Alan Ritchson was also asked to speak on it when he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in December 2023 before the release of Reacher season 3. He explained how he switched to acting later and how being in Los Angeles began his career.

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What's next after Reacher season 3?

After the success of Reacher season 3, adapted from Lee Child's Persuader, a spin-off titled Neagley was also put in production. Maria Stern will reprise her role for the upcoming series, with Santora and Nicholas Wootton serving as showrunners.

Alan Ritchson continues to receive praise from the audience for accurately portraying the character's brutal efficiency and determination for justice. While the third installment marked the end for Anthony Hall's character, Zachary Beck, he was filled with admiration and praises for the crew in his interview with Decider.

"It's a very dynamic role, and the show has done such a great job of adapting the novels," Hall noted as the show has been faithful in adapting to the novel.

On October 9, 2024, Amazon renewed the series for a fourth season. Alan Ritchson will reprise his role as Jack Reacher, with the showrunners set to adapt another Lee Child novel for the upcoming season.

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Reacher seasons 1 to 3 are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.