The hit Amazon Prime TV show Reacher recently returned for its third season, which is currently at its midpoint with four episodes having released, and while this season has been a notable return to form, the warts of the show’s second season only became apparent in its latter half, so I will be reserving my full opinion until the finale releases on March 27th.
Instead, I’m going to focus on Reacher’s (Alan Ritchson) number one go-to ally, Frances Neagley (Maria Sten), or more specifically, the spinoff show centering on the character that Amazon greenlit in October of last year, which, of course, will simply be titled Neagley. The announcement initially came as something of a surprise, though with hindsight it hardly came out of nowhere, given the sheer popularity of Reacher and that Neagley is the most popular and prominent supporting character of the series, especially when compared with the frustratingly flat members of Reacher’s 110th Special Investigations Unit that appeared in season two. Head of Amazon MGM Studios Vernon Sanders essentially confirmed as much, saying, “As ‘Reacher’ continues to resonate with our global customers in a profound way, expanding on the storytelling and characters with a spinoff was an easy decision,” elaborating that the spinoff show “will not only honor the ‘Reacher’ legacy but also bring fresh energy and excitement to new and longtime fans alike.”
Not everyone is sold on the concept of a show led by Maria Sten’s Neagley, and while Sanders’ words contain the usual rhetorical spin that you would expect from the very person making these decisions, there is reason to be hopeful for this show. That’s because Reacher creator and showrunner Nick Santora will serve as the showrunner and writer for Neagley, duties he will share alongside Emmy award-winning writer Nicholas Wootton.
Though, admittedly, the official plot description released by Amazon does read like just another season of Reacher, wherein “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.” This is not lost on the show’s star Maria Sten, who openly admits that “It’s still ‘Reacher’,” but also assures that “it has something that’s Neagley, not Reacher. It’s the same fun tone but [the writers] make it its own.” Whether Neagley can truly stand on its own comes down to if it can truly pull off the ‘same, but different’ approach, which remains to be seen.
With shooting for the series having begun in Toronto on February 18th, we at least have confirmation of the series regulars who will be supporting Sten, which includes Calgary native Greyston Holt, Jasper Jones, Adeline Rudolph, Matthew Del Negro, and Damon Herriman. It also wouldn’t be surprising if further additions to the cast were announced during the shoots, as this is something that does happen. And yes, just as Neagley frequently appears in Reacher, it has at least been confirmed that Reacher will appear in Neagley, though to what extent has yet to be revealed.
A release date has not been announced, though early 2026 window is most likely date considering that Reacher season three wrapped filming around June last year, but only just released the first three episodes on February 20th.