Neagley TV Review: The Maria Sten-led Reacher spin-off series is as good as the Alan Ritchson original

Plot: Frances Neagley is a private investigator in Chicago and former military protégé of Jack Reacher in the Army’s 110th Special Investigations Unit. When she learns that a beloved friend from her past has been killed in a suspicious accident, she becomes hell-bent on justice. Using everything she’s learned from Jack Reacher and her time as a member of the 110 Special Investigators, Neagley puts herself on a dangerous path to uncover a menacing evil.

Review: The success of Reacher was apparent from the first season as Prime Video quickly renewed the Alan Ritchson-led adaptation of Lee Child’s best-selling novels, turning the actor into an action superstar. Reacher easily eclipsed the Tom Cruise feature films, an accomplishment few can claim. With the fourth season of Reacher coming to a close, fans are going to be able to jump right into the first spin-off led by Maria Sten as Jack Reacher’s fellow special investigator in Neagley. Set in Frances Neagley’s hometown of Chicago, Neagley expands on elements of the character not explored in any of Lee Child’s books, making the series the first fully original entry into the Reacher-verse. Co-starring Damon Herriman, Greyston Holt, and Adeline Rudolph, Neagley checks the same boxes as Reacher while delivering a different angle on the themes and tones from the main series. Fun and action-packed, Neagley is a worthy companion series.

Neagley wastes no time in getting to the action with a shocking opening scene featuring a death on the Chicago elevated train tracks. It then shows Neagley (Maria Sten) teaming with Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) on a case from Neagley’s employer. Neagley uses the skills she learned in the Army to help her solve cases while caring for her father, who is not in the best of health. When Neagley learns that the victim from the opening scene was her childhood friend, she begins looking into the death through her investigative lens and realizes there may be more to it than suicide or drugs. Teaming with Chicago police detective Hudson Riley (Greyson Holt), Neagley uncovers a bigger mystery involving a wealthy businessman, Pierce Woodrow (Matthew Del Negro), and a rural cult led by the charismatic Lawrence Cole (Damon Herriman). The eight-episode series uses similar twists and red herrings like Reacher, but Neagley also gives the title character a new team to work with rather than relying on Jack Reacher himself.

Each season of Reacher has shown Jack Reacher teaming with his fellow investigators, especially Frances Neagley, who comes in to aid him when the going gets tough. But, for most of Reacher, he aligns with new characters who factor into the individual novel that inspired the season. With Neagley, there is a sense that she will keep her roots in Chicago rather than change her geographic setting from year to year. This season makes solid use of Chicago’s unique urban qualities, like elevated trains, alleys, and the Bears and Cubs, but also gives Neagley a supporting cast who bring their own skills. This season introduces Detective Hudson Riley, whose family has long had an illicit connection to Chicago crime, as well as Renee Birdwhistle (Adeline Rudolph), an executive assistant with aspirations to be an investigator like Neagley. Neagley also befriends a homeless teen whose street smarts come in handy during her investigations. Unlike the Special Investigator’s Unit in the Army, Neagley features an ensemble that is more ragtag and scrappy but every bit as capable and skilled.

Neagley keeps the mystery moving as we learn how the subplots connect, bringing the series to an intense and action-packed final episode. Throughout this season, we get to see more of Neagley than we have in all of her Reacher appearances combined. Neagley has always had an aversion to being physically touched, and we gain insight into where that comes from. We also see a wider range of emotions beyond her cool demeanor and penchant for taking suspects down a peg. Maria Sten is great in the role, and while this season does not transform Neagley into a different character than we have seen before, this season digs in and develops her into a fully realized person. The dynamic between Neagley and Reacher was one of the best pairings of the original series, and Maria Sten gets to forge similar dynamics in distinct ways with each of her new co-stars. Neagley gets to explore a lot of emotional territory tied to the character, and Maria Sten does a solid job of using this new narrative to enhance the portrayal she has been linked to for four years.

Developed by Reacher showrunner Nick Santora alongside Nicholas Wootton, Neagley debuts its full season at once, unlike the weekly rollout of Reacher. Some may see this as a red flag that Prime Video does not have the same confidence in Neagley as Reacher, but it is a smart move to allow audiences to dig into another facet of this fictional universe and truly appreciate this character on her own merits. Reacher’s physical presence allows him to stand out in any fight, but Neagley is just as skilled and capable despite being a fraction of her friend’s size. Because Neagley is not based on a specific Lee Child novel, fans of the books may want to experience this story in a binge and really appreciate how Santora and Wootton embrace Chicago’s unique qualities while also delivering an interesting story worth unraveling. Just like Reacher has had a shockingly memorable moment each season that will stick with you, Neagley does the same. I won’t spoil what it is, but you will know before you reach the midway point of the season.

Reacher is not high art or the pinnacle of television quality, but it doesn’t have to be, and that does not detract from it being a fun and entertaining franchise full of interesting characters and storytelling. Neagley fits right in alongside Reacher in the same ways. Maria Sten holds her own as the lead of this series that does not need Alan Ritchson’s presence to keep it fun and exciting, but seeing Reacher and Neagley together always feels like seeing the Avengers cross over with one another. Audiences are going to have a blast with this spin-off, and I can only hope that we get multiple seasons of Neagley solving crimes around the city of Chicago while still finding opportunities to jump in and save Jack Reacher when he needs it. If Prime Video plays its cards right, Reacher and Neagley can keep having their own corners of the universe and build towards crossover events that bring Alan Ritchson and Maria Sten back together for years to come.

Neagley premieres all eight episodes on September 16th on Prime Video.