Reacher star Alan Ritchson says he was knocked out cold during that explosive season 3 finale fight with a 7ft 2in Dutch bodybuilder

The final episode of Reacher season 3 gave fans exactly what they had been waiting for. But the fight scene was just as brutal to film as it looked on screen, as star Alan Ritchson (Reacher) says he got knocked out cold during the ordeal.

Warning, the following article contains major spoilers for the Reacher season 3 ending, so make sure you are all caught up on the third instalment before reading on.

Reacher season 3 episode 8 saw Reacher finally face up to Beck’s 7 ft 2in bodyguard Paulie, and the two entered into a huge fight that took place in a barn, a toolshed, and even the ocean – you can read more about that in our Reacher season 3 ending explained. However, filming the fight scene left Ritchson just as bruised and injured as we see him in the series.

"I got picked up and we worked out the camera thing a few times and he slammed me through the table so hard, I went through it into the seventh circle of hell," Ritchson said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "And I woke up a day and a half later. When I came to, I had to tell my kids that I felt great, because they were on set, and I didn't want them to think that like, dad died and was going to not be okay. It was the worst few minutes of my life."

Despite his injuries, Ritchson did not want to use a stuntman at any point during filming the fight scene, which took 3 weeks to complete. "Everybody was like, 'You're going to get killed and we're not going to do that because it's going to hurt you too bad. And so we're going to do it with a stuntman.' And I was like, 'No,'" said Ritchson. "I wanted the camera to come up and just stay on my face the whole time while I get smashed through a table on the barn floor."

This scene marks the first time that we have seen Reacher really get his butt kicked, and although he came out on top in the end, he did take one hell of a beating. Before season 3 hit screens, Ritchson told 12DOVE that it's important for audiences to see that Reacher can be beaten sometimes, adding, "You know, if [Reacher] is like, too superhuman or indestructible, it's not gonna be that fun to watch".

Reacher seasons 1-3 are available to stream in full on Prime Video, with Reacher season 4 on its way. For more, check out our list of the best shows on Prime Video, or keep up with upcoming shows heading your way in 2025 and beyond.