Reacher season 3 episode 6 ending explained: Who killed [spoiler]?

Reacher season 3 episode 6, titled Smoke on the Water, premiered on March 13, 2025, on Prime Video. This episode continues the intense storyline of Reacher, where Jack Reacher finds himself embroiled in a dangerous mission. After so many deaths in episode 5, Reacher is about to confront his old enemy in this new episode.

So, as the episode progresses, Reacher navigates dangerous alliances, fierce enemies, and complex situations, all leading up to a confrontation. Episode 6 not only advances the plot but also unravels deeper connections between the characters, setting the stage for even more explosive developments in the series.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers from Reacher season 3 episode 6. Reader’s discretion is required.

In this episode, Reacher's quest to bring down the dangerous arms dealer Julius McCabe (aka Quinn) takes a major turn. The episode builds upon the previous ones, with tensions between Quinn, his Russian mafia partners, and Reacher escalating.

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Quinn's shady dealings with the Russian mafia are revealed, and Reacher must navigate through a web of lies, deceit, and deadly threats. Duffy and Jack are still on the lookout for Teresa, and Harley gets killed by them in the process.

Reacher season 3 episode 6 ending: Harley’s death takes it all down

A still from Reacher season 3 episode 6 (Image via Prime Video)

In Reacher season 3 episode 6, Harley plays a pivotal role in the episode’s final act. Harley, a trusted member of McCabe's team, is one of the few people who could still give important information about McCabe's illegal activities.

Reacher and Susan Duffy follow a lead that brings them to the ferry Sweet Marie, where they are now. This ferry is the last place where Teresa is seen being held. When they arrive, they find proof that Teresa was there, but she is no longer on the boat.

When Harley walks in and stops them, Reacher and Duffy are looking into something on the ferry. Harley tries to kill Reacher and Duffy because he thinks they are seeing too much and getting too close to the truth.

The three of them get into a tense argument, and Harley's attempts to stop them fail in the end. Reacher and Duffy are stronger than Harley, and Harley gets caught in a fire at the end of the fight.

A bullet goes off during the fight and hits a lantern on the boat, starting a fire. Harley is caught off guard and can't get away from the fire. Reacher and Duffy let Harley die in the fire when they realized they had no more use for him.

As the Sweet Marie burns, Harley's death is a major turning point in the story. Now that he's gone, Reacher and Duffy have lost their last clue about where Teresa is, which makes their mission harder. Harley's death is very important because it means that McCabe has lost a key player in his plan and that Reacher and his team are in more danger as they try to get justice.

Jack Reacher is no longer undercover

As Quinn/McCabe thinks another possible spy is working for him, he tells his men to look into anyone who might be looking into his business. They find Powell (Owen Roth) and Neagley (Maria Sten). Powell refuses to give any information and is killed brutally.

Neagley, on the other hand, tricks her attackers, which lets her tell Reacher about Quinn and McCabe's investigation. However, all signs point to the Army's 110th Special Investigations Unit. When Quinn/McCabe shows up at Beck's house out of the blue, he learns that Reacher used to be a member of that unit.

Reacher can't stay on the inside anymore since his cover has been blown. After killing some of Quinn/McCabe's men, he gets away and meets up with Duffy again. Now that his identity has been revealed, everything he knew about the gun deal is useless.

Once this cover is blown, Reacher and Duffy are left with no idea when or where the big arms sale will take place. They might at least know where Teresa is being held. Now that Reacher isn't working with Beck, he and Richard are in the hands of Quinn/McCabe, who is angry and out for revenge. Richard had to play Russian roulette in front of his dad, and now McCabe wants a "matching set."

Long-awaited confrontation with McCabe

Reacher season 3 episode 6 opens with the long-awaited meeting between Jack Reacher and Julius McCabe, also known as Quinn. As the series went on, McCabe stayed out of sight, but after what happened in the previous episodes, he finally met Reacher.

On the other hand, McCabe doesn't recognize Reacher at first. This is because McCabe has amnesia from the last time they met, so he has no memory of Reacher.

McCabe is disgusted with his employee Zachary Beck for mistakenly hiring an ATF agent as a maid in the house, thereby giving them the chance to sneak their operations. McCabe states that he doesn't like Beck's mistakes but doesn't kill him immediately because he still values Beck.

As the conversation continues, McCabe admits that the Russian mafia is putting pressure on him because he owes them a lot of money. This exchange hints at McCabe's desperation and his dangerous situation. It becomes clearer how McCabe is connected to the Russian mafia and the consequences of his criminal activities.

Duffy and Reacher investigate Teresa’s whereabouts

Once they were done meeting with McCabe, Reacher and Duffy set out to find Teresa Daniels, the woman McCabe had captured and was holding for an unknown buyer.

Reacher and Duffy find a dress ordered for a redhead, but they think it is really for Teresa. They go to a tailor's shop and find a phone number to help them find McCabe without him knowing. They try to find out more about Teresa's location, but their efforts don't immediately pay off. However, this lead helps them figure out what McCabe was trying to do.

Reacher wants to keep Teresa safe and stop McCabe's dangerous arms deals that are putting many innocent people in danger. As Duffy and Reacher's investigation goes on, they learn that McCabe has a huge network of businesses and that getting to Teresa is the key to shutting them down.

Neagley’s fight and Reacher’s narrow escape

In the meantime, Neagley, probably the best ally Reacher had from 110th, is in a fight for her life. Powell, an officer from the 110th, had been looking into McCabe's car, and Quinn's men found him. The men beat Powell up to get information from him, but Neagley stops them. Using her superior combat and firearms skills, Neagley outsmarts and shoots both of Quinn’s attackers.

After telling Reacher about the attack, Neagley and Reacher work together to keep Powell safe from more harm. The only name Neagley gets from one of the attackers is Costopoulos, who has sent these goons to kill her.

This scene in Reacher season 3 episode 6 not only shows Neagley's competence but also reveals the threat that everyone included in this investigation is going to face.

The search for Teresa leads to Port Rome

Reacher meets up with Duffy and Guillermo, who have new information after just barely escaping McCabe's men. They find out that the fake phone number they found earlier is linked to a place called Port Rome, which could give them important clues about where Teresa is.

Reacher drives to Port Rome because he knows this might be their last chance to find Teresa before McCabe moves her again. When Reacher and Duffy get to Port Rome, Harley meets them and tries to stop them from finding out the truth.

Harley tries to kill them, but he fails, and in the end, Reacher and Duffy beat him. Harley's fiery death on the ferry Sweet Marie at the end of the fight means they are no longer in the lead.

McCabe’s growing desperation and Reacher’s next move

So now, in Reacher season 3 episode 6, Reacher and Duffy know that their time is running out now that Harley has died. McCabe wants to protect his operation even more now that the Russian mafia is threatening him. Reacher is aware that they won't be able to get into McCabe's operation or save Teresa without new leads.

Reacher is still determined and promises to keep fighting. He tells Duffy they need to go to Los Angeles next because that's where McCabe will likely be.

Reacher season 3 episode 6 is available to stream on Prime Video.

Edited by Toshali Kritika