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Reacher season 3, episode 5, titled Smackdown, was released on March 6, 2025. Fans eagerly awaited the next exciting adventure in the lead character's life, Jack Reacher. However, many viewers were left confused about the events of the latest episode.
A lot of shocking deaths and exciting moments happen in this episode, which is about Jack Reacher going undercover to expose criminal operations. While some fans were happy with what happened, others were angry about the sudden turns and bad decisions the characters made.
Disclaimer: The article contains spoilers for Reacher season 3. Reader's discretion is advised.
Starting from Dominique in episode 4 to Eliot and Anette in episode 5, there have been multiple deaths that raised questions. Be it a poor decision or unseen sinister, the disappointment is real. Fans reacted to the recent developments on the show on social media. One summed up the disappointment by writing on X:
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"Season 3 of Reacher is so stupid. Because they can’t get a warrant to find a missing beer over agent, DEA agents get Jack Reacher to go undercover."
More fans expressed their discontent with the complicated plots in Reacher season 3 and what they see as unrealistic situations.
"Reacher S3 isn't as good as the previous seasons, the whole plot seems rushed and lacking in substance," one fan commented.
"The problem I've been having with #Reacher is he's one of those characters that's supposed to be smart, but the writers aren't so he just knows random things that turn out to be true even though there's no reason they should," one fan commented.
Then again, in one scene with Paulie in Reacher in season 3, episode 5, the Big Guy knocks down Reacher. This questions not only the character's choices but also the show's third season as a whole.
"Reacher episode stressing me out so bad. Why in the hell did he hide the badge in the pillow case? Shoulda thrown it on the roof," another user opined.
"The fact that Reacher can’t beat up that man who is taller than him," one fan commented, referencing Reacher's failed attempt to overpower one of his adversaries.
"Reacher almost getting knocked out in this new episode is so funny lol," another added.
Reacher's willingness to compromise his morals to ensure his mission succeeds is a fact that does not sit well with all fans.
"How u gonna make 'in an investigation, assumptions kill' one of his sayings and have him assume someone's dead after being shot in the dark," one fan commented.
"About six people have already died because the DEA didn’t want to just fake evidence for a warrant," one fan pointed out the flaws in the decision of Jack across all five episodes of season 3.
"Been watching Reacher season 3 and this show is hilarious. 3 eps in and so far:..." one fan noted.
"Watched Reacher S03 and either I feel out of love or this season isn't just it It feels pale, boring, forced S01 introduced him, S02 developed him but now S03 doesn't have the evolution of him as a character," one fan commented.
The rising deaths and questionable decisions in Reacher season 3
Reacher season 3 episode 2 shows Jack Reacher killing Angel Doll because he starts to doubt him. Doll, an astute observer, starts to put together pieces of Jack's story that don't make sense, which could reveal who he really is and what he's up to.
When Angel Doll talks to Jack and threatens to tell everyone the truth, he acts quickly. Realizing how important his mission is and the need to get rid of the risk, Jack kills Angel Doll by shoving his head into a paper memo holder. It's a cruel move that changes the course of the season.
Reacher kills Duke in the third episode of season 3 because he is always getting in the way of his mission. Duke, who works for McCabe, hurts Reacher's undercover operation, and the fact that he treats Zachary Beck and Richard badly only makes things worse.
Duke doesn't give Reacher any useful information about Teresa Justice, leading Duke to kill him. This makes it possible for Reacher to gain Zachary Beck's trust and move his mission forward. He has to make up a lie about Duke's death to hide what he had done, which makes the case more complicated.
In Reacher season 3, episode 4, Frasconi and Dominique's painful deaths become one of the most important events in the show. It is Quinn who kills Frasconi after he tries to arrest him for doing illegal things. These two deaths are part of a bigger plan that Quinn is running.
It turns out that Quinn is really Julius McCabe, who is behind many of the illegal activities that Reacher has been trying to expose. There is still the question of why Reacher stayed behind after sending Dominique to catch Quinn when he knew that Quinn was a crazy criminal. He probably needed to think about the risks even though he wanted to give Kohl all the credit.
There are even more deaths in Reacher season 3 episode 5, titled Smackdown. Reacher and his team are in a scary game where more people are dying all the time. Annette, who worked as a maid for Beck, turns out to be an ATF spy. After McCabe's men find out what she did, Paulie kills her.
Reacher had hoped to keep her alive long enough to get useful information, so this death hurt him. At the same time, Quinn's bodyguard kills DEA agent Steven Eliot after he has been captured and abused.
Eliot's death was a big loss because he was working closely with Duffy. This moment shows how physically difficult it is for Reacher to do his job, even though he is still a powerful character.
Finally, John Cooper, who was very important to the operation, is killed when Reacher and his team catch him on the road. Reacher and Guillermo block Cooper's way so he can't get to Beck's house.
Cooper is shot and killed when he tries to run away before he can reveal what Reacher really wants. This last scene of Reacher season 3 episode 5 ends the series' rising tide of deaths, each of which has major repercussions for Reacher's investigation.
Reacher season 3 is available to stream on Prime Video.
