Prime Video's Newest Action Thriller Beats 'Reacher' at Its Own Game

Published Oct 31, 2026, 7:48 AM EDT Dyah (pronounced Dee-yah) is a Senior Author at Collider, responsible for both writing and transcription duties. She joined the website in 2022 as a Resource Writer before stepping into her current role in April 2023. As a Senior Author, she writes Features and Lists covering TV, music, and movies, making her a true Jill of all trades. In addition to her writing, Dyah also serves as an interview transcriber, primarily for events such as San Diego Comic-Con, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival. Dyah graduated from Satya Wacana Christian University in October 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, concentrating on Creative Writing. On March 2026, Dyah graduated with Master's degree in English Literature Studies, with a thesis on intersectionality in postcolonial-feminist studies in Asian literary works. Born and raised between Indonesia and Singapore, Dyah is no stranger to different cultures. She now resides in the small town of Kendal with her husband and four cats, where she spends her free time cooking or cycling. Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) might be the face of the Reacher franchise, but his closest confidante is proving she can hold her own without him. Since its television debut in 2022, Reacher has remained one of Prime Video’s most consistently successful action thrillers, with renewals coming year after year and the hype showing no signs of slowing down. Now, there's another show challenging Reacher for its coveted top spot, but it's all friendly competition. Spin-offs notoriously get a bad reputation for "milking" an original IP, often getting stuck within the creative limits of their source material, but that isn't the case with Neagley. Rather than simply playing Reacher's sidekick, Frances Neagley (Maria Sten) is now front and center, with a new home base, a fresh story built from scratch, and intriguing new characters of her own. It's the perfect recipe for a spin-off that has successfully overtaken Reacher on the streaming charts, as the numbers show. 'Neagley' Continues to Outrank 'Reacher' on Prime Video's Top 10 Charts Four seasons in, Reacher remains a streaming hit, but its success was hardly unexpected. The franchise already had a massive readership through author Lee Child’s bestselling novels, with more than 100 million books sold worldwide since the series began in 1997. The show's 2022 debut also got off to a strong start, earning 1.84 billion viewing minutes during its opening weekend and landing at No. 2 on Nielsen's overall streaming chart. By Season 4, Reacher had raked in 66 million global viewers in its first 28 days, topped 1 billion weekly viewing minutes for five consecutive weeks, and claimed the No. 1 streaming spot for four of them. Knocking Reacher off the top spot on Prime Video is no small feat, but Neagley has managed to do just that with its debut season alone. After the spin-off's premiere on September 16, the same day Reacher Season 4 aired its finale, Neagley climbed to No. 1 on Prime Video’s global rankings over the weekend, pushing its predecessor to second place. The spin-off also outperformed Reacher in Nielsen’s U.S. streaming rankings, drawing 661 million minutes viewed between September 28 and October 4, compared with Reacher’s 513 million. At the time of writing, Neagley remains ahead of Reacher on Prime Video’s Top 10 chart, sitting two places higher. 'Neagley' Proves There's an Audience for Characters Besides Jack Reacher Neagley makes a strong case for why the franchise doesn't need Reacher at the center of every story. Unlike the flagship series, which directly adapts Child's novels, Neagley builds its story around details about Frances scattered throughout Child's books. That gives the spin-off more room to take risks, and its first season delivers a dark, twisted mystery involving an apparent suicide, a rural cult, and a mind-altering conspiracy reminiscent of The Terminal List. While she's often the brains and resident tech expert in Reacher, Neagley's solo outing puts her military training and combat skills front and center, proving she's more than just the person Reacher calls when he needs help. However, Neagley might not exist without Sten’s stellar performance in Reacher. The character was initially created to externalize Reacher’s thoughts, which are easier to explore in Child’s novels than on screen. What began as a practical storytelling device became something much bigger, with Sten giving Neagley enough personality to stand on her own. Child has credited the actress with making the character her own, saying, “She stole that character. She just grabbed her. She grabbed it and ran home with it.” In Child's view, Sten’s performance turned what could have remained an exposition tool into a character magnetic enough to warrant a spin-off. 'Neagley's Success Opens the Door for More 'Reacher' Spin-Offs Image via Prime Video Although Neagley's story is only just getting started, the spin-off's success could give Prime Video an incentive to explore more characters from Child's books. During the release of Child's latest Jack Reacher novel, Chain Reaction, the author suggested that Susan Turner could be another strong candidate for a spin-off. Previously portrayed by Cobie Smulders in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Susan is the head of an elite military investigative organization that succeeds Reacher's original 110th Special Investigators. Child sees her return as both a welcome development for the books and a potential opportunity for a spin-off, noting that Amazon may want to expand the franchise if Neagley continues to perform well. The Reacher-verse has plenty in store, with multiple projects currently in production and development. Alongside Reacher Season 5, which is already underway following the show's Season 6 renewal, Neagley is also moving forward with its second season. The upcoming installment is expected to explore Renee Birdwhistle's (Adeline Rudolph) search for her missing brother, Neagley's ongoing struggle with haphephobia, and the relationships within her growing team. Unlike Reacher's lone-wolf lifestyle, where allies tend to come and go, Neagley is building something more permanent with her partners. That's ultimately what separates the two shows: Neagley has a chosen family, giving the spin-off a different emotional hook that helps it stand alongside Reacher rather than remain in its shadow. Release Date September 16, 2026 Network Prime Video Cast Greyston Holt Detective Hudson Riley Maria Sten Frances Neagley Neagley follows private investigator Frances Neagley in Chicago as she seeks justice for a friend's suspicious death. Utilizing skills from Jack Reacher and the 110 Special Investigators, Neagley braves a perilous journey to expose a lurking malevolence, driven by her unwavering determination to uncover the truth. Main Genre Drama Seasons 1