Lee Child explains why Neagley has a larger role in Prime Video’s Reacher show than she does in his bestselling Jack Reacher novel series.
SUMMARY
Maria Sten’s Neagley is an important part of Reacher because she can be used to show Jack Reacher’s thought process.
Reacher’s mental problem-solving can take up multiple pages of Lee Child’s novels, but this isn’t possible in a TV show.
After a more team-focused season 2, Neagley’s role in Reacher season 3 will seemingly be closer to that of season 1.
Jack Reacher novelist Lee Child explains why Neagley’s role in Reacher is bigger than in his book series. Premiering on Prime Video in 2022, the popular show sees Alan Ritchson taking on the role of the titular former Military Police Officer. While the Reacher cast of characters is mostly shaken up between seasons 1 and 2, Maria Sten’s Neagley plays a role in both seasons, and she’s set to return again in the confirmed season 3.
Now, as audiences await Reacher season 3, Child explains in an interview with Empire that Neagley is a necessary part of the show due to her function in fleshing out Jack’s thought processes. Although she only features in a small number of Child’s books, Sten’s character becomes a much more important figure in the show due to the nature of the medium of television. Check out Child’s full explanation below:
“Neagley was a strategic decision. The one thing you cannot do on screen that you can in a book is have the inside of somebody’s head. Reacher thinks a lot, and there are pages and pages of Reacher puzzling things out. You can’t write an eight-minute scene with Alan Ritchson sitting there, thinking. So we needed a secondary character to bolster the exposition.”
Neagley’s Expanded Reacher Role Explained
How Will Season 3 Handle Neagley’s Return?
Reacher season 1 is based on Child’s Killing Floor, a novel in which Neagley doesn’t appear. Sten’s character served an important function in season 1, however, giving audiences a hint of Jack’s past life and showing audiences how he could have taken a different path in his career, leaving the army and grabbing a high-paying private sector job. In season 1, then, in addition to helping show how Reacher parses through an investigation, Neagley helps to flesh out Reacher’s personality.
Neagley’s role in the well-reviewed Reacher season 2 is much bigger, and she plays an important part in essentially every episode. Season 2, as a whole, is much more team-focused than season 1, and Neagley serves as a sounding board throughout, constantly helping Reacher make sense of new developments in the case. Season 2 also further cements and explores their friendship.
In addition to Ritchson and Sten, the Reacher season 3 will include newcomers like Anthony Michael Hall and Sonya Cassidy.
Although the Reacher season 2 finale sees Reacher bid farewell to Neagley as he sets out on the road once more, Sten is confirmed to return in some capacity in season 3.
Season 3 has been teased to be a more solo adventure for Ritchson’s character, perhaps hinting that Neagley will feature in a capacity more similar to season 1 next time, cropping up in only a few episodes. In any case, it seems like Neagley is here to stay in future seasons of Reacher.
News
Reacher Season 3 Gives Us First Look At The Dutch Giant, Olivier Richters, On Set And He’s Already Messing With Alan Ritchson
Clash of the (literal) titans! (Image credit: Marvel Studios) Paulie is a character that Reacher fans have been curious about ever since it was confirmed that Reacher Season 3 – the hit show available with an Amazon Prime Video subscription – would be adapting the…
Gerard Butler’s Den of Thieves Sequel Finally Sets Theatrical Release Date
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera has finally gotten its theatrical release date. A date has finally been put on the board for Gerard Butler’s upcoming action sequel Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. A sequel to 2018’s Den of Thieves, the new film has been…
Gerard Butler is in Talks To Star in The Action-Thriller Comedy EMPIRE STATE
Gerard Butler is in talks to star in an upcoming comedic action-thriller titled Empire State, which is about the Empire State Building being attacked. Butler will re-team with Den Of Thieves director Christian Gudegast on the project, which will involve two first responders who don’t…
Gerard Butler’s ‘Den of Thieves 2’ Finally Sets a Release Date After 6 Years
Butler will star opposite O’Shea Jackson Jr. for the sequel to the hit heist film. Image via STXfilms THE BIG PICTURE Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is set to release on January 10, 2025 with the original cast returning for another heist…
Kriti Sanon Reveals Her Fangirl Moment With Gerard Butler, Calls Him Humble: ‘I Was Like Oh My God’
The Crew actress mentioned that the incident took place when she was shooting for her Telugu film with Mahesh Babu in London. Kriti Sanon is gearing up for her next release Do Patti with Kajol. Well, recently the teaser was…
The Top 10 Films Featuring Gerard Butler, According to Critical Acclaim
Known for his commanding screen presence, Gerard Butler has secured his place among the luminaries of the film industry. From his early beginnings with a background in law to becoming a standout performer in film and television, the 54-year-old Scottish veteran has…
End of content
No more pages to load