Paulie had an opportunity to kill Jack Reacher in the epic Reacher Season 3 finale showdown, and here’s how he missed it

Paulie’s brutal clash with Reacher in the Reacher Season 3 finale wasn’t just another fight — it was a turning point that exposed the limits of brute strength against strategy.

Throughout the season, tensions built toward this moment — a battle where Reacher would have to rely on more than just brute force to survive. Regardless of Paulie’s size and raw force, he made one deadly blunder that cost him success and, eventually, his life.

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Paulie had the upper hand but made a crucial error in the battle of the finale in Reacher Season 3

From the very beginning, Paulie having the upper hand in the fight was absolutely unquestionable. Reacher had made an attempt to jump on Paulie, only to be floored and knocked right to the ground.

In the finale fight, Reacher made an impatient move towards a gun lying around. Paulie got his hands on the werapon first. The move should have been enough as the deciding factor for Reacher’s fate — Paulie had the opportunity to end the fight then and there.

Instead of pulling the trigger, Paulie made the egotistical decision to kick the gun away, demanding that they fight the old-fashioned way — with their fists. Paulie, overconfident he'd win given his sheer size, saw no need for weapons. He wanted to humiliate Reacher in a one-on-one fight.

By neglecting his biggest advantage — the gun — Paulie invited doom. His choice to fight by simply throwing punches gave Reacher a somewhat upper hand in the fight.

At first, during the Reacher Season 3 finale, it felt as if the gamble Paulie had taken would play out to his advantage. His overpowering size made it almost difficult for Reacher to throw substantial punches.

Paulie dragged Reacher through the mud, highlighting the absolute power he possessed, which made him a physically daunting enemy.

However, what Paulie failed to foresee was Reacher’s ability to think tactically, on the spur of the moment.

How Jack Reacher turned the fight to his advantage

In Reacher Season 3 as the fight dragged on, Reacher got used to the environment he was in. He made use of Paulie’s own moves against him, thwarting with well-thought-out punches.

When the fight began to move near the cliffs next to Beck’s house, Reacher nearly sank Paulie in the waters. However, even though he survived the drowning, Paulie’s fatigue became obvious and it took a toll.

As exhaustion set in, Paulie abandoned his arrogance. Desperate, he reached for a gun in an effort to kill Reacher, not realizing that the end was near.

At this very moment during the Reacher Season 3 finale, Paulie thought he had reclaimed control in the fight though in actuality, he had, by now, lost.

Reacher had already outwitted him. A missing round in the machine gun was something that would put an end to Paulie’s life — when he pulled the trigger, the weapon exploded right on his face in the most brutal way. Paulie was dead.

Toward the end of Reacher Season 3, Paulie’s death was a result of his superiority complex, one that he carried on all through the season as well as the final fight. Arrogance blinded Paulie to the obvious dangers.

Had Paulie simply made use of the gun when he had the chance, the result be different.

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Jack Reacher’s triumph in the finale of Reacher Season 3 proved that brain power eventually wins over physical strength. Paulie’s arrogance led him to ignore an easy win, giving Reacher the chance to turn the fight around. By the time Paulie reached for a weapon, it was too late — Reacher had already plotted his eventual death.