The epic fight between Jack Reacher and Paulie is one of the most-awaited moments in Reacher Season 3. Ever since it was revealed that the Prime Video series would be adapting Lee Child’s Persuader novel in the new season, fans have been eager to watch the two giants go head-to-head.
It was eventually revealed that the moment had been saved for the final episode of the season. Now that the Reacher season 3 finale is around the corner, Olivier Richters, who plays Paulie, has opened up about what to expect from the showdown.
In an interview with ScreenRant on March 25, Richters revealed that Paulie and Jack won’t be having a simple fistfight. Instead, it will be a well-choreographed scene with six different fighting zones:
“There are a lot of different fighting areas–if I count correctly, six of them–which makes the fight very diverse. It's not just fist-fighting. The areas are different, and we have to adjust to the areas we end up in.”
Olivier Richters talks about the Paulie-Jack Reacher showdown in Reacher Season 3 finale
Olivier Richters added that the fight might seem slightly unrealistic as fans would wonder how Jack and Paulie are surviving the brutal blows from each other. However, he emphasized that this is just a small part of an otherwise realistic fight, which goes on for a long time:
“What I also love about the fight is that 10 percent is unrealistic, as in, 'Okay, can a human survive that?'ubut you’re like, 'Of course you can.' You want the fight to continue.”
“There's some point that we just don't die, and that's why the fight can continue so long. It's super entertaining and 90% realistic. So, that's what I love,” he added.
Further discussing how he prepared for the highly-anticipated scene in Reacher Season 3 Episode 8, Richters stated that he trained for four hours a day consistently for three to four months. At the same time, he had to overcome his fear of water for an interesting reason:
“The preparation that went into this was, for me, three to four months of four hours a day of stunt training to make it as safe as possible during all the choreography. [I had to] overcome my fear of water because there are water scenes [in] one of the six areas.”
The actor concluded by saying that he hopes the viewers like the team’s efforts and the scene breaks the internet. Oliver Richters was cast as Paul "Paulie" van Hoven in Reacher Season 3 after an intense search as the production team had to find someone who was even taller and bulkier than Alan Ritchson, who plays the titular role. His performance has been well-received by the audience so far.
Reacher season 3 finale will be released on Prime Video on March 27, 2025.

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