WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Reacher season 3, episode 4.
Reacherseason 3, episode 4, aptly named “Dominique”, offers an immersive and heart-wrenching portrayal of the Robin to Reacher’s Batman, Dominique Kohl (played by Mariah Robinson). The majority of the episode takes place in an extended flashback sequence, revealing who the bright and rising Lituetenant Kohl was to Reacher and how Xavier Quinn (running under the alias Julius McCabe) brutally murdered her.
The subject of Kohl presents a rare emotional layer to the typically stoic Reacher, who, like in season 2, is out to avenge a fallen soldier he once knew and admired. WhileReacherseason 3, episodes 1-3hinted at Reacher’s past with Dominique, episode 4 leaves it all on the table — from the moment Reacher meets his potential protégé to the nightmarish night he had to take down and cover her tortured body.
Reacherseason 3, episode 4 does an exceptional job of showing what kind of monster Xavier Quinn truly is, making him the most despicable and downright evil villain yet to be featured in the Prime Video series. Meanwhile, in the present-day timeline, Susan Duffy faces her own threat from McCabe as he sends his goons to retrieve Angel Doll’s stolen Bizarre Bazaar laptop. With Reacher set on Quinn, the man he thought he killed for murdering Dominique, season 3 is setting up a powerful, and personal, reunion.
Reacher’s Dominique Backstory Is The Best Part Of Season 3 So Far
Kohl Would Have Made An Exceptional Reacher Sidekick If She Hadn’t Been Killed
Reacherhas effectively employed backstory and flashbacks in its previous seasons, but Dominique Kohl’s subplot may be my favorite of the entire series. WhileKohl was not a member of the 110th Special Investigations unit, she certainly would have become one had she continued working with Reacher and may have just been his greatest military pupil.To see Kohl go like that, at the hands of an absolute monster, is chilling to the bone, placing us right in the mindset of Reacher, who unknowingly assigned Kohl to her death.
There are still plenty of exciting moments to look forward to in the second half of season 3, particularly the visceral showdown with Paulie Van Hoven that was teased in theReacherseason 3 trailer. That said, it seems that none of the ensuing action followingReacherseason 3’s midpoint would be as effective without knowing two key things we learned in episode 4.
I’m Convinced This New Reacher Season 3 Character Will Die Before The End
After several episodes of Reacher season 3, one particular character will likely not make it to the end due to a series of strategic errors.
First is knowing what Reacher lost inKohl, who he described as “a natural” and who “was young but smart, capable, determined.“Second, is learning what Reacher is up against in Quinn, who’s the closest thing to a true sociopath and lowest-of-the-low scumbag of the series thus far. Not only did Quinn rob Reacher of a meaningful professional relationship and Kohl of what would have been a decorated military career but he also robbed us of the emergence of Reacher’s number one sidekick.
Reacher Season 3’s Villains Are Shaping Up To Be The Franchise’s Best Ever
Paulie & Quinn Pose Unprecedented Threats In The Reacher Series
It says a lot about the strength and quality of a television series, particularly an action thriller likeReacher, when one of its key villains (two if you count Angel Doll) is killed within a season’s first three episodes and there are still plenty of exciting and formidable threats at play. With Chapman Duke (Donald Sales) out of the way, that still leaves Zachary Beck, his bodyguard Paulie, Richard Beck’s bodyguard John Cooper, and, of course, the heinous Xavier Quinn as keyvillains inReacherseason 3.
Reacherseason 3’s narrative is just as good, if not better, than those of the previous two seasons, proving that the series has not gotten lazier, but leaner, even after its success.
Nick Santora, who developedReacherfor television,could easily have catered to fans by overutilizing Olivier Ritcher’s Paulieand emphasizing action elements over telling a good story. Season 3’s narrative is just as good, if not better, than those of the previous two seasons, proving the series has not gotten lazier, but leaner, even after its success. The same cannot be said of similar series on otherplatforms.
The final act of episode 4 brings the action back to the present, where unfolding tensions create riveting conflict between Duffy, Guillermo, and the incoming flock of McCabe henchmen. Considering all Reacher and the DEA are up against,it would not be surprising if one of the good guys took a hit, which would only fuel Reacher’s path of vengeance further.
Forget The Explosions, This Is Reacher Season 3’s Most Visually Impressive Shot So Far
The first three episodes of Reacher season 3 feature some outstanding visuals and effects, but one impressive early tracking shot is above the rest.
With a show likeReacher, whose plot is well-known byLee Child’s bookreaders and whose protagonist follows a repetitive yet winning formula, the joy of tuning in is not always about what happens, but how it happens.
Halfway through season 3, most of us would watch Reacher take a gardening class if it meant he’d still be putting up his usual shtick.
Halfway through season 3, most of us would watch Reacher take a gardening class if it meant he’d still be putting up his usual shtick. With the pertinent Kohl backstory and the new knowledge about Quinn/McCabe inReacherseason 3, episode 4, the raised stakes and tension look to deliver another stellar season finale.
New episodes ofReacherseason 3 are released every Thursday on Prime Video.
Reacher
Reacher follows Jack Reacher, a former military police investigator, as he navigates civilian life. Without a phone and carrying minimal belongings, Reacher drifts across the country, experiencing the nation he once served, and encounters intriguing challenges along the way.
