Season 3 of Shooter is a strong and emotionally charged conclusion to the story of Bob Lee Swagger as he comes to a personal truth and struggles with a fight against an anti-transparency organization. In its essence, the season is a mystery of how Earl Swagger murdered someone in 1988, showing how much this is not his first murder, but a premeditated murder, involving his initial relationship with Atlas, a clandestine government group. The story is enriched with flashbacks of how Earl had a rogue mission in Vietnam, and how the previous undercover acts have effects that extend far into the current conspiracy that has been plaguing Bob Lee. This discovery gives the story an emotional impact and an in depth touch of personal reconciliation, when Bob Lee tries to find out about the real legacy of his father.
The second storyline of breaking Atlas is the one in which Bob Lee, Isaac Johnson and Nadine Memphis are in an awkward partnership. This quest draws them into the snare of political corruption, into government circles to the very top-most- a headlong clash with Red Bama Sr., a corrupt god of his own interest and close to Atlas. The show has perfectly struck a balance between political and visceral elements and the stakes are great with the scope of the conspiracy endangering the lives of both the nation and the individuals involved. The final one, called Red Light consists of the devastating and cathartic finale, which ends with the tragic killing of Julie Swagger by Red Bama Sr., a hit that eventually leaves a permanent wound.
The end of the series is savage and lyrical. Bob Lee eventually finds Red Bama Sr. in a remote cabin in Canada, after a three-month manhunt and kills him in a single and strong shot, which symbolizes his final act of justice. The show finishes with Bob Lee leaving the show and walking to the wilderness in the snow with his past and his old life behind them to presumably start fresh with his daughter. It is a sublime conclusion to the journey of making sacrifices, losing and the elusive nature of peace shown in the last chapter of the book by Shooter which is haunting as it demonstrates how individual and moral struggles determine the fate of the individual.
