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Warning! This article contains spoilers for Reacher season 3’s episode 7.
Reacher season 3’s episode 7 interestingly features a joke that seemingly has a long cinematic history. Based on Lee Child’s Persuader, Reacher season 3 is far darker than its predecessors. In one of its early episodes, it unfolds a disturbing arc from the Alan Ritchson character‘s past to reveal how Quinn murdered one of his military police allies, Dominique Kohl. The season takes an even darker turn when one of Quinn’s bodyguards ruthlessly kills DEA Agent, Elliot, in a desperate effort to escape law enforcers.
The third installment of the Amazon Prime Video detective series becomes even more grim when Paulie shows no qualms about killing an undercover ATF agent who disguised herself as a maid in Back’s mansion. However, in these harrowing story developments, Reacher season 3 always tries to balance its tone with a little bit of humor. While Reacher’s over-the-top quotes and awkward one-liners are enough to add a layer of lightheartedness to the series, Duffy, too, proves to be a valuable source of comedy in the season. One of her jokes also serves as a massive cinematic easter egg.
Duffy’s “What Are You, A F**king Owl?” Joke In Reacher Season 3 Is A Cinematic Easter Egg
The Joke Has Been Featured In Several Movies
When Reacher and Duffy drive to Los Angeles in Reacher season 3’s episode 7, Duffy takes an unknown turn, prompting Reacher to ask her where they are going. Duffy claims she wishes to meet someone before they get to business. Curious about where they are going, Reacher asks her “who” they are going to meet. Since owls are known to make “whooing” sounds, she funnily jokes by asking him if he is “a f**king owl.“ As unique as Duffy’s joke in Reacher season 3’s episode 7 may seem, it serves as a major cinematic easter egg because of how many times it has appeared in movies.
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In an iconic Wolf of Wall Street scene, Margot Robbie’s Naomi splashes water on Leonardo DiCaprio’s character’s face and asks him about a woman. He wakes up yelling, “Who? Whoo?” This is when Margot Robbie’s character cracks the same joke by asking him if he is an owl. Michael Shannon drops the same pun in Nocturnal Animals when his character, Bobby Andes, confronts Karl Glusman’s Lou for asking him “who” Ray Marcus is. The owl joke has also been featured in several other films, like Heat and Sea of Love, which almost makes it a full-fledged cinematic trope.
Duffy’s Humor Has Been A Breath Of Fresh Air For Reacher In Season 3
Her Involvement Adds Some Levity To An Otherwise Serious Series
The source of humor in Reacher season 1 revolved around the titular character’s constant arguments with Finlay. Reacher season 2 switched things up a little by using Reacher and O’Donnell’s buddy cop dynamic as a source of comedy. While Reacher kept picking on O’Donnell for settling down after being a womanizer during his military years, O’Donnell kept teasing Reacher by trying to convince him to settle down and get married like him. Instead of treading the same path as its predecessors, Reacher season 3 introduces Duffy as a fresh source of humor in the series.
Reacher Key Facts Breakdown | |
Created By | Nick Santora |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score | 96% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score | 84% |
Based On | Lee Child Jack Reacher book series |
Her sharp wit and quirky humor perfectly contrast Reacher’s dry and no-nonsense demeanor. The fact that most of her funny one-liners are directed towards Reacher adds another layer of charm to their dynamic, making her a unique addition to the series. Reacher season 3’s creators could have easily written her like the Alan Ritchson character’s previous love interest. However, instead of playing it safe, they chose to take a different approach to her characterization, which allows her to shine in her limited Reacher season 3 screen time.
