There is a tricky balance that makes “Reacher” such a good and entertaining show. It would have been quite easy for Prime Video’s action hit to be a problematic power fantasy, rather than the nuanced and cartoonishly over-the-top fun show it is. Lose any element that makes that show great and it falls apart.
That was the big question mark hanging around the franchise’s first spinoff, “Neagley,” whether leaving the funny hulking Reacher behind as a protagonist would lose what makes this franchise special. In short, “Neagley” is not the same kind of show, and it loses a lot of the dub fun that makes “Reacher” such a great viewing experience. That being said, what we get instead is a thrilling detective show with a bigger focus on character psychology. It’s not “Reacher,” and it doesn’t have to be.
That being said, the “Reacher” formula is very much present here. Trouble finds Maria Sten’s Frances Neagley, and she decides to turn the world upside down to find answers. In her case, trouble is the sudden and suspicious death of a childhood friend, who had disappeared some time ago and joined a cult. Together with some local law enforcement sidekicks, Neagley unveils a massive conspiracy involving experimental pharmaceuticals, international assassins and — in classic “Reacher” fashion — people in power who think they can get away with anything.
Right out of the bat, it’s clear that “Neagley” is more interested in the actual detective work, which makes sense considering the main character works as a private investigator. There is a bigger emphasis in the process of investigating, figuring things out and researching, rather than discovering clues through punches. It’s still compelling, but the show misses something by not having Reacher and the particular over-the-top tone he brings. At worst, there are times when “Neagley” feels less distinct, and more like your average Prime Video Detective show.
That being said, the show excels at making this a compelling character study of Neagley herself. As fun as it is to watch Reacher beat people up, he doesn’t really change from season to season, and we haven’t learned much about him aside from a few flashbacks in the first season. This show, instead, places a lot of weight on the characterization of Neagley and on explaining why she is the way she is and the events that shaped her as a person. We knew from her first appearance that Neagley suffers from haphephobia (the fear of being touched), and that condition is at the very center of the character’s arc, as we explore the traumas that shaped her, as well as how it impacts her relationship with those around her. Particularly compelling is Neagley’s relationship with her dying father, which slowly crumbles as secrets from the past are revealed. The show is deeply sympathetic to both sides, and presents them free of judgement, resulting in an emotionally charged storyline.
Trauma is a connecting thread in “Neagley,” the big thing that the main team has in common. This includes Hudson Riley (Greyston Hold), a detective who happens to come from a family of career criminals and is trying to distance himself from a tumultuous past, Keno (Jasper Jones) a hustler who’s got the crap beaten out of him for as long as he can remember and becomes an informant of sorts to Neagley, and also Renee Birdwhistle (Adeline Rudolph) a P.I.-hopeful who works at Neagley’s agency and is trying to overcome childhood trauma while helping out with the investigation.
The theme of trauma and how it shapes us is deeply ingrained in the season’s story, especially once the show dives into the Echo Canyon farm and its strange community and its cult that weaponizes trauma for sinister reasons.
That’s where “Neagley” shines as a spinoff, and manages to stand out as more than just a slightly different version of “Reacher.” It is a more emotional show, and one that should satisfy detective show fans with its focus on methodology over fistycuffs. That being said, there is still plenty of action here, with the stunt team giving the spinoff its own flavor of action that makes it distinguishable and fresh.
It remains to be seen whether “Neagley” can perfect a formula the way “Reacher” has, managing to sustain itself season after season. But for a debut case, this spinoff has potential.
“Neagley” premieres Wednesday on Prime Video.