What happens to Steven Elliot in Reacher season 3? Character fate explored
The first five episodes of Prime Video's Reacher season 3 have aired so far. A lot has happened in those episodes with protagonist Jack Reacher infiltrating Zachary Beck's estate, aiming to rescue the undercover DEA agent Teresa Daniels. In doing so, he will come face-to-face with some unfinished business from his own past, although it is yet to be revealed.
Reacher season 3 introduced several new characters, including Steven Elliot, a DEA agent and a member of Susan Duffy's team. Daniel David Stewart portrays Elliot's character. However, Elliot meets a tragic ending in episode 5, titled Smackdown, which aired on March 6, 2025.
Reacher season 3: Steven Elliot's character fate explained
Daniel David Stewart's Steven Elliot is introduced at the beginning of season 3 as a rookie DEA agent who works alongside DEA agents like Susan Duffy (Sonya Cassidy) and Guillermo Villanueva (Robert Montesinos). When DEA begins working with Jack Reacher to rescue Teresa and investigate Zachary's (Anthony Michael Hall) illegal business, Elliot plays a prominent role.
Elliot is shown to be relatively inexperienced compared to his other teammates. This often makes him Susan's verbal punching bag as she is seen taking out her frustration on him. When DEA illegally captures one of Zachary's men, John Cooper (Ronnie Rowe), under the guise that he is dead, Elliot is given the responsibility of babysitting Cooper.
During this time, the latter would often ask him for a cigarette. However, Elliot is strictly told not to give Cooper anything at all, so he follows those instructions. After spending episodes guarding a bound and restless Cooper in a remote cabin, Elliot gives in and agrees to light a cigarette for him.
Unbeknownst to Elliot, Cooper had taken a swig of rubbing alcohol. The moment Elliot puts on the lighter, Cooper spits the alcohol at it. Consequently, Elliot is knocked off his feet with a sudden burst of flames. Then, Cooper all but stomps at Elliot's head with his boot, which results in the latter's tragic death.
Cooper escapes only to be later found by Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) and killed for once and all. Duffy regretfully informs Elliot's father about his son's brutal fate and feels responsible for how another one of the DEA's agents ended up a victim during their mission.
Sonya Cassidy on how Steven Elliot's death serves as a turning point for Reacher season 3
Reacher season 3 episode 5 featured the deaths of two characters, Steven Elliot and Annette (Caitlin McNerney), an ATF undercover agent and Zachary Beck's maid. Those moments were some of the most gut-wrenching ones for the viewers. Elliot's death especially had a huge impact on Duffy.
During an interview with TVLine dated March 6, 2025, Sonya Cassidy, who plays Duffy in the series, addressed how huge the impact is.
"The loss of Eliot is horrendous. Horrendous. It is unimaginable to lose one of your team, someone who was so young. But it’s also a tragic sign of where they’re at at that point. They’re losing. People are dying, and they’re not getting any closer to taking down these guys or finding Teresa," Cassidy said.
She also reflected on Duffy's feelings towards it.
"So in that moment, we’re at a crossroads with Duffy. She’s like, ‘Do I continue doing this? How much longer do I keep trying?’ But she is so determined and driven that she chooses the path of, ‘His death cannot have been for nothing, so let’s just f–king do this' and take down the bad guys. 'I am not walking away from this, I cannot walk away, having lost a young man’s life and still having not having found Teresa,'" she added.
Cassidy claimed that Duffy is willing to do whatever it takes to take down Beck and his organization and also rescue Teresa without any more casualties in the last three episodes of Reacher season 3.
Reacher season 3 episode 6 will premiere on March 13, 2025.
