There will be one key difference betweenReacherand its upcoming spinoff, and it could decide whether Prime’s Neagly-centric story will succeed or fail. With Alan Ritchson returning to lead theReacherseason 3 cast, the latest live-action adaptation ofLee Child’sJack Reacherbookswill become a TV franchise whenMaria Sten reprises her role as Frances Neagley in her own show. However, Sten and the rest of theNeagleycastwill be tasked with exploring a unique corner of the fictitious, action-packed universe.
Although Sten’s presence in theReacherseason 2 castwas faithful to the source material, as Neagley appears in the book on which the show’s second run was based, her casting in season 1 placed her in the events of a story in which she didn’t originally feature. The confirmation ofyet another return inReacherseason 3confirms thatshowrunner Nick Santora intends to continue making heavy use of Frances Neagley, even if it means turning a blind eye to the Lee Child books, and the spinoff compounds his affinity for the character in a really interesting way.
Neagley’s Spinoff Not Being Adapted From The Books Makes The Story More Unpredictable
Lee Child never included Neagley very much in his books
Child is fast approaching the 30-book mark in hisJack Reacherseries, and so far,Neagley has appeared very little in the franchise’s source material. WhileReacherhas a solid plan of using one book per season to create the storyline, the spinoff will be uncharted territory due to the fact the writers will be shaping an entirely original story for Sten’s character. As such, while those familiar with the books have been able to accurately predict certain events inReacherso far, this will be impossible to do withNeagley.
With Sten being required to lead the spinoff, it’s becoming increasingly unlikely she’ll continue to be Reacher’s onscreen side-kick in the main show - at least, not for a while.
The increased usage of Neagley in the main show is one of the biggest deviations from Child’s work so far. With Sten being required to lead the spinoff, it’s becoming increasingly unlikely she’ll continue to be Reacher’s onscreen side-kick in the main show - at least, not for a while. So, althoughit’ll be a shame that Neagley probably won’t appear as regularly alongside Ritchson’s titular character, her departure will at least result in theReacher’s return to a more faithful adaptation of the Lee Child books. The fact thatNeagleywill be brand-new content is a welcome bonus.
Neagley’s Show Not Being Based On Lee Child’s Novels Risks Diluting What Makes Reacher Work
Neagley as the main character is an unproven formula
One ofReacher’s biggest appeals is the isolated, intense nature of the season-long stories. The adaptation does an awesome job of capturing the semi-anthological nature of the source material, and the established popularity of the individual books that have already been chosen to adapt is a great litmus test for how successful the live-action versions will be., so the height of success the spinoff can establish remains a worrying enigma.
It would be pointless forNeagleyto copyReacher’s format. If this is the plan, it would make more sense to keep Maria Sten in the main show.
It would be pointless forNeagleyto copyReacher’s format. If this is the plan, it would make more sense to keep Maria Sten in the main show. What’s more likely is thatNeagleywill have distinct differences in its storytelling approach and could carry the larger stories across multi-season arcs. While similar shows have proven to be successful when using this framework,existingReacherfans may expect something more akin to the property that spawned the spinoff. Only time will tell whatNeagleywill look like, but there are some big decisions that need to be made.
Neagley’s Spinoff Must Still Capture The Spirit Of Reacher (Even Without Being Based On The Books)
There are certain Reacher hallmarks Neagley can’t ignore
Although it would make sense forNeagleyto function as a standalone show that makes sense out of context, the spinoff also has a responsibility to align itself withReacherin whatever ways it reasonably can.The Sten-led project is well within its rights to establish new tropesand storytelling techniques, but separating it too much fromReacherwould create too much of a disconnect and also risk reducing the appeal to those who have come to expect certain things from the franchise.
Every Time Reacher Says “I Ever Tell You You’re Smart, Neagley” In Amazon’s Reacher
One of Reacher’s famous quotes in the show involves his second-in-command Frances Neagley as they bounce ideas off each other with this quote.
Of course,Neagleylacks proper source material, but that doesn’t mean it can’t do a convincing job of making everyone understand it takes place within the same continuity asReacher. Interestingly, although they weren’t loved by all,Tom Cruise’sJack Reachermoviesare evidence that Lee Child’s work can be adapted with various tones. While Cruise’s brief cross-section of the saga took the form of a relatively generic action franchise, Prime’s version has adopted a notably grittier tone. So,Neaglywill have choices to make when extending theReacheruniverse - it just needs to make the right ones.
Reacher
Cast
Reacher follows Jack Reacher, a former military police investigator, as he navigates civilian life. Without a phone and carrying minimal belongings, Reacher drifts across the country, experiencing the nation he once served, and encounters intriguing challenges along the way.
