The first episode of Reacher Season 3 starts in Maine. Jack Reacher arrives at a vinyl shop in a van, intending to sell his vinyl records. As he stands outside, he notices a pickup truck crashing into a sedan. The impact leaves the sedan’s driver unable to react.
Suddenly, a man steps out of the pickup truck with an Uzi. He forcefully removes a boy, Richard Beck, from the sedan’s backseat and throws a flashbang into the car. The bright explosion likely ensures the driver stays disoriented and unable to fight back. The kidnapper then shoves Richard into his truck and prepares to leave.
Jack immediately takes action. He rushes toward the scene with his gun ready. In a matter of seconds, he shoots the kidnapper and rescues Richard. The boy is safe, but the situation quickly worsens. A police officer in the area approaches Jack. Overwhelmed by the tension, Jack reacts instinctively and shoots the officer.
The shot kills him instantly. Jack realizes the consequences of his actions. He knows the police will come after him. To avoid getting arrested, he takes Richard and flees the scene while dodging approaching police cars.
Once Jack finds a safe spot, he stops and plans his next move. He decides to abandon his van to make it harder for the police to track him. He then switches to another car and focuses on crossing the state border. Jack tells Richard to find his own way home.
However, Richard insists on staying with Jack. He fears that the kidnappers might come after him again. He offers Jack money in exchange for protection, explaining that his father is wealthy and will compensate him well. Jack agrees to escort Richard home.
Jack Reaches Zachary Beck’s Mansion and Gains His Trust
Jack drives Richard to his luxurious home. At the entrance, two security guards, Paulie and Duke, stand watch. They work for Zachary Beck, Richard’s father. Beck is a successful rug seller with a powerful presence. His security team runs a background check on Jack before allowing him inside.
While waiting, Jack spends time with Richard. He learns about Richard’s troubled past. Five years ago, Richard survived a kidnapping attempt that left him without his left ear. He also lost his mother at a young age. His relationship with his father remains distant. To cope, he paints scenes from the view outside his window.
Soon, Zachary receives Jack’s background check results. He feels impressed by Jack’s skills. However, he wants to test Jack’s courage before trusting him. He forces Jack to play Russian roulette to prove his worth.
Jack remains calm and plays the deadly game. He succeeds without hesitation, earning Zachary’s approval. Beck decides to hire Jack to replace the driver who just died. He offers him a room in his mansion.
After settling in, Jack secretly inspects the house. He finds a hidden phone in the heel of his boot. He uses it to call someone and informs them that he has successfully entered the Beck household.
This moment confirms that Jack is on an undercover mission. His arrival in the van, his vinyl records, and his gun were all part of an elaborate plan. But what is his real objective?
Jack Joins the DEA’s Secret Operation
The story then shifts to a few days earlier. Jack was in Maine when he spotted a familiar face. While stopping a young boy from stealing, he noticed a man who seemed important. However, the man quickly got into a car and drove away. Jack needed more information.
He contacted the 110th MP Special Investigations Unit, where an officer named Powell answered his call. Powell was a big admirer of Jack and agreed to help.
He checked the number plate of the car Jack saw, but the search led to a dead end. Jack had no choice but to give Powell his motel address and phone number, hoping to receive an update later.
Instead of a phone call, three DEA officers—Susan Duffy, Guillermo Villanueva, and Steven Elliot—showed up at Jack’s motel. Duffy explained why they were investigating Zachary Beck’s company, Bizarre Bazaar. The DEA suspected that Beck was connected to an L.A.-based drug dealer who had recently traveled to meet him. However, Beck’s business and home remained difficult to track.
Jack asked why this investigation involved him. Duffy explained that the car Jack had been searching for was the same one Beck used for his meeting with the drug dealer. The DEA had flagged the vehicle. When Jack asked Powell to trace it, Duffy received a notification and tracked him down.
Now, she wanted to know why Jack was interested in Beck. Jack avoided revealing his true reason but realized the DEA needed his help. He agreed to assist them in exchange for a favor. He asked them to check hospital records in Virginia for a deceased Asian-American man who suffered a gunshot wound to the head and drowned on March 13, 2012.
Jack Hunts for Quinn
The next day, Duffy returned with information. The man Jack was looking for had survived. Even though he was shot in the head and left to drown, the freezing cold water slowed his heartbeat and stopped him from bleeding out. He was rescued and taken to a hospital as a John Doe.
Doctors took six months to stabilize him. His medical records showed he had amnesia, but there were suspicions he was faking it.
Jack finally revealed the truth. The John Doe was Lieutenant Francis Xavier Quinn. He had worked in Military Intelligence but betrayed his country by selling classified information to enemy nations.
Jack’s former team, the 110th, was assigned to capture Quinn, but they failed. Quinn remained hidden for years because of his military connections. Jack confirmed that Quinn was his true target. He would not stop until Quinn was dead.
Duffy made another request. She asked Jack to find a missing woman named Theresa. She had been sent as a spy to Beck’s company, but she disappeared without a trace. Duffy believed Beck or his associates had captured her. She needed Jack to infiltrate Beck’s operations and locate her.
Jack and the DEA Stage a Fake Kidnapping
To gain Beck’s trust, Jack and the DEA staged a kidnapping scene. Elliot pretended to be the kidnapper. Guillermo acted as the police officer rushing to assist. They used squibs to create fake gunshot wounds. Jack played the hero, killing the “kidnapper” and rescuing Richard.
The staged death of the officer ensured that Richard wouldn’t go to the police. The plan worked. Richard trusted Jack and invited him home, revealing Beck’s location to the DEA.
Guillermo provided Jack with vinyl records as a reason for him to be at the scene. They used a flashbang to fake the death of Richard’s driver, who was actually taken into DEA custody.
The vans Jack used were taken from the impound. Even the car Jack “hotwired” was pre-rigged. Duffy gave Jack his special boots and an untraceable phone with a 14-day battery. This meant Jack had two weeks to complete his mission.
Jack survived the Russian roulette game by marking the chamber with a knife to track the blank rounds. If Beck had used a different gun, Jack’s plan might have failed. But his quick thinking kept him alive.
Jack Discovers Theresa’s Earring
Now that Jack was inside Beck’s mansion, he searched for clues. He noticed Duke taking his food outside instead of eating with the others. Jack suspected Duke was feeding someone in hiding.
Jack also remembered seeing unusual markings on the floor of a storage shed. That night, when everyone was asleep, he sneaked into the shed and uncovered a hidden cellar. Inside, he found a bed, leftover food, and an earring. The evidence confirmed that Theresa had been held captive there.
Jack knew time was running out. If Quinn or Beck’s associates had taken Theresa, her life was in danger. His mission had just begun, and he had to act fast before it was too late.
Summary
Jack Reacher’s mission in Reacher Season 3, Episode 1 is far more complex than it initially appears. What started as a simple act of heroism turns out to be a well-orchestrated plan involving the DEA, a dangerous drug operation, and a personal vendetta against Quinn.
Jack successfully infiltrates Zachary Beck’s mansion by faking Richard’s rescue, gaining Beck’s trust, and securing a position within his security team. However, his real objective goes beyond just gathering intelligence. He must locate Theresa, uncover Beck’s connection to Quinn, and ultimately take down the man who once betrayed his country.
Every step of Jack’s plan is calculated, from staging the fake kidnapping to manipulating the Russian roulette game. Despite his careful approach, the risks remain high. Jack could be in serious danger if Beck or Quinn realizes his true intentions.
The discovery of Theresa’s earring confirms that she was indeed held captive, but her current whereabouts remain unknown.
As Jack moves forward with his mission, he must outsmart Beck’s security, keep the DEA informed, and prepare for an inevitable showdown with Quinn. The first episode sets the stage for an intense, action-packed season where every move could mean life or death.
Also Read: ‘Reacher’ Season 3 — Who’s Teaming Up with Alan Ritchson for His Latest Mission
