The premiere of Season 3 of "Reacher" opens in Abbottsville, Maine, where Jack Reacher arrives at a quaint local record store, intending to offload some of his vinyl collection. However, his intentions are swiftly diverted by a dramatic kidnapping that unfolds in broad daylight. With swift reflexes, Reacher rescues the abducted youth, bundling him into his van and making a swift exit. Driven by instinct, Reacher finds himself in a tense confrontation with arriving officers, ultimately resulting in him shooting one of them.
The rescued child's name is Richard Beck, and as Reacher attempts to evade campus police, he swaps vehicles and urges the kid, Richie, to flee. But Richie, who isn't easily swayed, reveals that this isn't his first kidnapping ordeal. With a wealthy father in the rug import business, Richie seems to be an inviting target for those with ill intentions. Though Richie's dad's fortune stems from generational wealth tied to rug importing, it piques Reacher's curiosity enough to convince him to escort the boy home.
Upon arriving at the beckoning mansion, Reacher is met with a formidable security presence, including Head of Security Chapman Duke and the fiery, muscular Paulie. The overabundance of security measures suggests a deeper story at play. Reacher's suspicions deepen when he encounters Zachary Beck, Richard's father, who decorates his walls with firearms and brazenly displays his affluence. Reacher doesn't mince words in criticizing the security detail's inefficiencies.
Zachary, keen and efficient, quickly runs Reacher's fingerprints and recites his impressive military background. Paulie, however, harbors a disdain for military officers, and soon we uncover the reason behind his animosity. Despite the enigmatic aura surrounding Reacher, Zachary, aware of his past, insists on hiring him. With his hand somewhat forced, Reacher agrees.
As part of his hiring process, Zachary subjects Reacher to a harrowing game of Russian Roulette, with a twist: Reacher assumes the single chambered bullet is a dud, but it proves very real. Though Reacher impresses the team enough to join, he's confined overnight. It transpires that this was all part of a calculated plan, as Reacher informs Susan Duffy, his contact, that he's now inside.
Flashing back a few days, we see Reacher tailing Quinn, only to be intercepted by Susan Duffy, a federal agent who is onto his game. She recognizes his objective and seeks his expertise in investigating a "rug importer." Weeks prior, a high-ranking LA-based drug dealer had flown to Maine for a hush-hush meeting with the proprietor of Bizarre Bazaar. This unconventional encounter hints at Zachary Beck's involvement in illicit activities. The pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fit together, revealing a darker side to the seemingly upright rug importer.
Reacher, however, demands a quid pro quo; he insists on Quinn. With the agreement sealed, Duffy unveils that Quinn is still breathing, having been rescued after plummeting off a cliff. Reacher's recent sighting of Quinn in Beck's vehicle, accompanied by the initial photographs presented to him, clarifies his decision to reconvene with the federal agents and collaborate on this mission.
Duffy's attempts to apprehend both the dealer and Beck have proven fruitless, prompting her to seek assistance from an informant named Teresa Daniels. Teresa secured employment at Beck's warehouse but has since vanished without a trace. A week ago, she disappeared from radar, and Bizarre Bazaar attested to her never reporting for duty. Duffy fears the worst—that Teresa might have met with foul play, her distinctive large earrings perhaps a clue left too late.
Reacher and his team devise a scheme of a phony kidnapping, with Reacher poised to heroically intervene. The policeman he shot at the episode's onset is actually an undercover officer; the entire setup is a ruse to gain Reacher entry. Intriguingly, it was Reacher who proposed using live ammunition, amidst the genuine presence of campus police.
Switching to the present scenario, Reacher had earlier marked his firearm, rendering a game of Russian Roulette manageable since he retained control throughout. Meanwhile, Duffy interrogates John Cooper, a security guard, but he remains as tight-lipped as a clam. As for Reacher, he stumbles upon a concealed cellar and decides to investigate stealthily that night.
Upon entering, Reacher discovers an unmade bed, partially consumed food, and, more alarmingly, a hoop earring. Teresa's whereabouts remain a mystery.
