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I'm Glad Reacher Toned Down A Brutal Book Scene, But The Show Should've Kept One Detail

By Padraig Cotter

Published Mar 4, 2025

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Warning: Major spoilers for Reacher season 3 episode 4 "Dominique" below!

Graphic descriptions of torture below.

The latest episode of Reacher vs Paulie fight is one of the ages - and one that Amazon's TV adaptation can (hopefully) live up to.

Reacher season 3 episode 4 "Dominique" is told largely in flashback, as Alan Ritchson's main character recounts the tragic fate of his protégé, Dominique Kohl (Mariah Robinson). Kohl's murder haunts Reacher in Persuader, with the former 110th Special Investigator feeling intense guilt about what happened to her. "Dominique" thankfully keeps the details of Kohl's torture and death at the hands of Quinn vague, as based on what I from Persuader, this scene could have been way worse.

Alan Ritchson as Reacher leaning back on his desk in Reacher season 3 episode 4

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Reacher season 3 episode 4 "Dominique" is largely told in flashback, and introduces a major book character into Amazon's TV adaptation.

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I Found Kohl's Death In Lee Child's Persuader Book Very Disturbing

Kohl's demise is the most unpleasant age of Persuader

Mariah Robinson looking concerned as Dominique Kohl in Reacher season 3, episode 4

The Lee Child Jack Reacher books aren't horror stories in any way - though the author can truly disturb if he wants to. While reading Persuader, I knew Kohl's demise was inevitable, but I hadn't counted on how bleak her fate would be. Quinn had strapped Kohl nude to a bed, beaten her badly, tortured her and then cut off her breasts. After Quinn had finished his torture session, he stabbed Kohl under the chin until the blade reached her brain.

Child wants readers to feel as sickened and heartbroken over Kohl's death as Reacher does; mission accomplished, I would say. Persuader is still a fantastic, fun read, but this chapter does stick out for its sheer nastiness. I highly doubted Amazon's Reacher would be faithful to this scene since Persuader's description of Kohl's murder would feel like something out of Saw. Still, I was bracing myself for a disturbing reveal, since the first season translated the more graphic ages from Child's Killing Floor.

Reacher Season 3 Was Right To Keep Kohl's Death Vague

The emotional impact is still there

Reacher and Kohl (Mariah Robinson) toast with beers in Reacher season 3

Reacher's "Dominique" does a great job establishing the warm friendship that blooms between Jack and Kohl. They become true buddies and colleagues while investigating the Quinn case, and she would definitely have been asked to his Special Investigators had she lived. Despite her short screen time, I think Kohl's murder is going to hit viewers hard. On that note, it was the right move not to commit to the horror of Persuader's description of her death.

Every Jack Reacher Movie & Show	Book Adapted
Jack Reacher (2012)	One Shot (2005)
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)	Never Go Back (2013)
Reacher: Season 1 (2022)	Killing Floor (1997)
Reacher: Season 2 (2023-2024)	Bad Luck and Trouble (2007)
Reacher: Season 3 (2025)	Persuader (2003)

Reacher season 3 shies away from revealing exactly what Quinn did, but it's clear she suffered greatly. Earlier in the episode, Reacher deduced that Quinn would interrogate Kohl for information on her superiors since killing the officers investigating Quinn would cause any case against him to collapse. Reacher also knew that Kohl would never give him up - no matter how vicious Quinn's torture became.

Even with the quick glances the episode reveals, I can see her interrogation wasn't as horrifying as Persuader. The shock value totally works on page (or at least it did for me), but there is no need for Reacher to go that far. Ritchson's performance also sells the horror of Kohl's demise better than any gore special effect ever could.

I Wish Episode 4 Had Kept Reacher Crying Over Kohl's Body

Reacher's reaction was more emotional in Persuader

A change to Kohl's death that I'm disappointed by is dropping Reacher's emotional breakdown. In the series, Reacher is clearly heartbroken after finding her body, but while he goes glassy-eyed, he doesn't cry. Persuader is a different story, where Jack is so appalled by his discovery of Kohl that he vomits and breaks down crying. Reacher even cites that he hadn't cried for about 20 years before that night.

I can understand why Reacher's crying scene was dropped - but I still think it should have been included.

I'm not sure why Reacher dropped this part of the scene. It could have simply been fear that some viewers would hate to see the stoic avenger shedding tears, or that the scene could look cheesy if they played it that way. It could simply be a storytelling decision, as Reacher quickly realizes Quinn is still on the farm and he has a chance to him by surprise. I can understand why this part of the novel was dropped - but I still think it should have been included.

It would have been genuinely shocking to see Ritchson's Reacher have such an outwardly emotional response to his friend being butchered; this would have highlighted why he is so determined to kill Quinn too. Again, this sequence still captures the raw emotion of Kohl's killing, but Reacher's tears would have been a powerful addition.

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