Reacher is one of Amazon Studios' Prime Video's biggest shows, and the moment it aired, Alan Ritchson's colossally jacked wanderer stole the hearts (and eyes) of audiences across the world. There was another piece of the puzzle, however, that helped the show reach those highs: Maria Sten's Neagley. Neagley was one of Reacher's closest friends, having served with him in the US Army's elite 110th Special Investigations Unit. While she was only a supporting, recurring character in the first three seasons of Reacher, she now has her own show.
Neagley, which hits Prime Video on the same day as Reacher's Season 4 finale on September 16, finally puts the spotlight on the titular character. This time around, audiences will dive deeper into the character than ever before and see what she's like when she's not helping Reacher out of trouble.
The Direct sat down with the cast and co-creator of Neagley for a series of interviews to discuss why the show is perfect to watch after the Reacher Season 4 finale and what makes it a unique experience. The full list of talent we spoke with includes Maria Sten (Neagley), Greyston Holt (Detective Hudson), Jasper Jones (Keno), Adeline Rudolph (Renee), and co-creator/co-showrunner Nicholas Wootton.
Why Neagley Is the Perfect Show After Reacher Season 4
"It's a Completely Different Journey."
- The Direct: "When people see the first episode of this series, most will be coming straight off the end of Reacher Season 4. With that in mind, how would you say that this show is kind of like a palate cleanser for them, and will provide a very unique and different experience than what they just went through?"
Maria Sten: Coming out after the end of Reacher, I think people are just digesting that, and then you know immediately we kick back into gear with 'Neagley.' But really, it's a completely different journey. I think it will be a whole new meal with different ingredients in it, but some of the same flavors of, of course, 'Reacher,' and so I think it will feel familiar, but new and unexpected [with] what we have in store.
Greyston Holt: Fans are going to recognize [that we] certainly wanted to honor the Reacher universe. So it's fast-paced, it's suspenseful, it's thrilling. It has dark humor infused for levity, but we dig into our characters' backstories. We focus a lot on our dynamic with each other, our relationships, [and] how we grow through all our experiences.
Jasper Jones: It definitely provides a different experience in that you're introduced to characters who hopefully you'll get to actually spend more seasons with, and yeah, I think we get to see a bit more into the personal life of an action figure in a lot of ways. So in that way, it's actually kind of fascinating in terms of just the action genre. But I think the way it piggybacks on 'Reacher' makes for a beautiful foray.
Adeline Rudolph: I think people will really enjoy it. I mean, I would almost see it as when we're watching 'Reacher,' we have Neagley who pops in, but she's got a whole life that she's living. So while we're waiting for the next season, why not see what Neagley's up to? And I think it really gives people the opportunity to dive into her backstory and realize, or just find out more about why she is the way that she is in a much more intimate way. And then along the way, I feel like this story is so action-packed. There's a really strong emotional storyline that accommodates all these big action moments, and so I think it goes hand in hand with 'Reacher' in a lot of ways, but it also gives the audience a much more in-depth look into this universe and into the characters that they love so much.
Nicholas Wootton: Your appetite will certainly have been whetted by what you'll be seeing in terms of you know from what's been going on in 'Reacher,' but it's also, for the fans of the show, you know the character is somebody who has a very mysterious story to her, and that we have the opportunity in this show to tell a deeper version for sort of a a different avenue of storytelling for a character that a lot of people know feel they know very well because of how she behaves and how she acts and what an incredible sniper she is. And you know, our question for us was, how did she get that way? And I think that's going to be something that'll be interesting for fans to see.
The New Side of Neagley Outside of Reacher
"We Really Get to See the Backstory of Neagley."
- The Direct: "You've played Neagley for a while now, so I'm curious, now that you have your own spinoff show, how do you feel that you were able to explore this character and discover new things that you just weren't able to on the flagship show?"
Maria Sten: I feel that we finally get to see the backstory of Neagley. I, of course, have done a ton of that work stepping into the first season of 'Reacher' because you have to know your character in order to portray them. So, I'm just excited that all of that stuff that we didn't necessarily get to see but was underneath the surface in 'Reacher,' we now get to actually put cameras to in this show and just dive deeper and take her on a journey that is very new and different and very challenging and triggering for her in this particular show. So that's it's just a privilege and a joy to be able to keep digging away.
Detective Hudson, Neagley's New Foil
"I Don't Think He's Too Into the Way She Handles Cases..."
Greyston Holt joins Neagley as a Chicago detective who wants to prove himself by injecting himself into Neagley's case—something he can do given that it is a local police investigation. However, Holt doesn't take Neagley's approach to things well and isn't afraid to call her out for it.
- The Direct: "Neagley is one to simply push people out of her way and kind of shut them down. However, Hudson doesn't really let that happen from even the first episode, and that creates a unique dynamic between the two and something very different than, say, her partnership with Reacher. Can you talk a little bit about the dynamic between your two characters and how he kind of feels about her way of doing things, especially at the start of the season?"
Greyston Holt: At the start of the season, I mean, he's—I don't think he's too into the way she handles cases and deals with people. You know, she can be quite severe, she can be quite guarded, standoffish, and you know, Hudson isn't afraid to call her on her BS, and vice versa, and I think that's something they both appreciate in one another is seeing each other underneath their guarded exteriors, and you know, we ultimately see in each other that we're both we care about justice, we're both competent in our jobs, and and that we have a mutual respect.
Neagley Introduces Kino & Renee, Who Are Forced Into Tricky Situations
A Homeless Former Drug Addict & a Private Investigator
Two new characters to Neagley are Jasper Jones' Kino and Adeline Rudolph's Pierce Renee. Kino is a homeless, recovering drug addict who sees something he shouldn't have, causing him to cross paths with Neagley. Meanwhile, Pierce works with Neagley as an aspiring private investigator, though the two don't get along.
- The Direct: "Both of your characters have a unique similarity in that they're kind of thrown into the deep end of a life that they were not in in the first place. Kino gets thrown into a very important situation [and] there's a lot of pressure and a lot of responsibility, and Renee is pulled into the same thing. Can you guys both talk about just how your characters handle that sudden shift in their lives to just how Neely's, how her how she like has changed their lives as this show progresses."
Jasper Jones: Well, in a lot of ways, Kino has been facing pressure since birth. You know, it just kind of shifts to a more immediate throbbing, pressure. It's like, oh my God, this is life or death every day. So, I think, because he had to go through that hardship, because Neagley put him through that hardship, he actually found out that he was worth more than he thought he was, and so yeah, I think Neagley really helps Kino grow in that respect.
"[She] Knows That Neely Will Owe Her Big Time For Something Bigger to Come."
Adeline Rudolph: And then I think for Renee, she's got this ulterior motive, right, where she is in need of Neagley's help for something personal, and so I feel like her kind of starting off in this journey with Neagley, it feels like a very transactional relationship at first, which then kind of pivots into moments where Renee's thrown into situations where she's way in over her head and has no idea what's going on, and this is not what she signed up for, but is also at the same time learning so much from Neagley and knows that Neely will owe her big time for something bigger to come.
How Neagley Is Different From Reacher
The Show Gets to "[Go] Into Her Psychology and [See] a Deeper Cycle..."
- The Direct: "What do you feel is the very core of what makes this show an entirely different experience for fans compared to Reacher?"
Nicholas Wootton: I mean, I think going into her psychology and seeing a deeper cycle, like delving into essentially, she has this psychological condition of Haphephobia, which was the kernel of the show. That's the core of the show: delving into why she can't touch people and why she doesn't want to be physically touched by them. And it's not explained in the books, and it's not explained in the 'Reacher' show.
The co-creator noted that, unlike Reacher, Neagley is firmly planted in one location and with one crew:
Wootton: And we thought, oh, we can make a different thing here, in that we can go into this core element and really tell the deeper sort of backstory for her, and to see this is a character who's not wandering as much as Reacher is. She's planted, and she's a Chicago. She's a Chicago native. Her team is in Chicago. She builds this team out over the season in Chicago, and to see somebody who really knows every nook and cranny of Chicago is the is a different kind of vibe.
All interviews with the cast and co-creator of Neagley can be viewed below:
