The very first episode of the third season of Reacher introduces its primary antagonist through the character of Zachary Beck, an influential, filthy rich businessman who is suspected to have been using his trade of oriental rug importing as a front for smuggling drugs and other contraband into the country. Initially, Reacher and his new DEA buddies, whom he is assisting in investigating Beck, assume that the entire operation is under Beck’s control, and he is the mastermind of the illegal trade, but as the second and third episodes highlight, Beck is under the thumb of someone much more powerful named Julius McCabe. In fact, he is being forced to let McCabe use his business as a front for the sake of his family. Setting aside his involvement with the criminals, although Beck is your average rich jerk who deserves no sympathy, his relationship with his son Richard and their predicament at the hands of McCabe makes viewers feel for him.
Spoilers Ahead
How Did Beck Get Involved In Drug Trade?
Initially the narrative makes Beck seem like the big bad of the season, running drug deals in the guise of his rug trade, hiding in his stately mansion, guarded by a stacked security team, and having abducted Teresa Williams, who was stationed as a covert informant by DEA Agent Duffy. Beck’s proposal to Reacher about playing Russian roulette to prove his daring feels pretty on-brand given his reputation as well. However, as Beck’s son Richard later confides in Reacher, his father is not the one calling the shots, and instead is a prisoner in his own house as Julius McCabe, a notorious drug dealer, has him held in a vice grip. Earlier, Reacher also learned from Angel that none of Beck’s security team work for him—and there is someone else pulling all the strings.
As it turns out, Beck’s rug importing trade was indeed a legit business in the beginning, and as a skilled businessman, he was able to establish good connections in customs to make a profit by having his shipments cleared easily. Beck’s biggest mistake was to brag about him building this connection network, which pulled him into the crosshairs of Julius McCabe, whose real identity has already been revealed in the third episode to be Xavier Quinn, with whom Reacher shares a history. McCabe forced Beck to comply with his demands of letting his trade network be utilized for the drug trade. McCabe blackmailed Beck by having his son Richard abducted and tortured, and in no time, the dreaded kingpin got complete control over Beck’s business.
Beck’s Relationship With His Son Could Be His Redeeming Factor
As a single father who raised his only son since he was four years old, Beck shares a strong bond with Richard. It was for the sake of his son that he was forced to give up his business to McCabe and got entrapped in his vile plot. Beck blames himself for not being able to rescue Richard back when he was abducted and tortured, and this sense of guilt is what led him to trust Reacher when he saved Richard’s life by staging the fake abduction. As shown in the series, Beck has no say over the decisions he wants to make for his son, as McCabe controls every aspect of their lives. This has resulted in an estrangement between the father-son duo, even though Richard is well aware that Beck is not to be blamed for the situation he has gotten himself caught up in.
Beck’s desperation and helplessness at not being able to own up to his role as a father makes his plight somewhat tragic. He might be a crooked businessman, but he is definitely not a ruthless criminal like McCabe. It was already revealed that Beck had no part to play in Teresa’s abduction, as Duke revealed to Reacher that it was McCabe who was aware of her whereabouts. Beck is shown to be gullible enough to get himself fooled by Reacher’s trickery time and again, and by the end of the third episode, Reacher has already posited himself as Beck’s right-hand man by eliminating vital members of his security detail. If Reacher’s cover gets blown, Beck will feel McCabe’s wrath all over again and find himself and his son targeted. It will be interesting to see, if the situation demands, whether Beck will finally have the courage and stand up to McCabe to protect his son? It’ll surely make for an interesting character arc, in my opinion. I am also hoping that there is a chance of reconciliation between the father-son duo in the near future. Hopefully, Reacher’s connection with Richard will allow him to act a bit sympathetic towards Beck and join hands with him to take down their common enemy—McCabe, aka Xavier Quinn.
