Who is Zachary Beck in Reacher season 3? Character role explored
Reacher season 3 has been quite a ride for the audience and the characters. The rescue mission for missing DEA agent Teresa Daniels is still going on. Episode 6, which dropped on March 13, 2025, finally dropped some hints that she is still alive.
One of the major adversaries in this mission has been Zachary Beck, a character introduced in Reacher season 3. Beck is the owner of an Oriental rug importer, Bizarre Bazaar, but that is not all he does. He also works with Francis Xavier Quinn/Julius McCabe as the illegal importer of weapons which he trades under the guise of Bizarre Bazaar.
Disclaimer: The following article contains major spoilers for Reacher season 3. Reader's discretion is advised.
Reacher season 3: Everything we know about Zachary Beck so far
Zachary Beck, portrayed by Anthony Michael Hall, was introduced in Reacher season 3 episode 1. Besides being a formidable and successful businessman, Beck is also a single father of a young boy named Richard Beck. The DEA had been watching Zachary and realized some of his activities were suspicious.
When the DEA asked Reacher to help them find Teresa, he decided to go in because of his interest in investigating a corrupt military officer, Francis Xavier Quinn, who now goes by the name Johnny McCabe and has a link with Beck.
To help Reacher get into Beck's inner circle, DEA plots a fake kidnapping attempt on Richard Beck. Reacher accidentally shoots at a cop during the kidnapping attempt and saves Richard. When he says that he needs somewhere to hide, Richard suggests that his father Zachary might be able to help.
Reacher lies to Zachary about needing a place to lay low and wanting to have a fresh start. To win his trust, Reacher plays a game of Russian Roulette with a loaded gun. Soon, Reacher becomes one of Zachary's most trusted men, which also includes Paulie Van Hoven (Olivier Richters).
However, in episode 6 titled Smoke on the Water, Zachary discovers that Reacher is not who he has been pretending to be and the fan-favorite hobo's cover is blown off. Luckily, at the end of the episode, Reacher manages to escape Beck's estate.
Anthony Michael Hall's thoughts on his character as Zachary Beck
Once associated with a group of young actors known as the Brat Pack, Anthony Michael Hall is widely known for his roles in three movies by John Hughes. He also appeared in The Dead Zone and had a supporting role in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight.
During an interview with Variety in February 2025, he reflected on his character as Zachary Beck in Reacher season 3. He said:
It’s a very rich character. He has a cover for his life, and is operating within this framework of a criminal network. But there’s a power struggle, and he’s trying to stay alive as a criminal with this very dark side. Then again, the B storyline is essentially his relationship with his son, Richard.
One of the primary reasons Hall took up the role was because it is quite multifaceted due to Zachary's relationship with his son. Hall, who became a father himself in June 2023, relates to Zachary in this aspect. He said:
Suddenly, I had a wealth of things to draw on. That allowed me to really connect with the whole nature of the Richard and Zach relationship. When you’re playing a dark character, you want to find some light in him.
Hall continued:
I think the light in him is his relationship with Richard. He’s very damaged, and it’s a damaged relationship. He’s looking to redeem himself to his son, so there’s that sense of self-forgiveness and redemption.
Reacher season 3 is available for streaming on Prime Video.
