Neagley Review: Maria Sten Proves Reacher’s Best Friend Can Steal the Show on Prime Video
Reel Perspectives
September 16, 2026
Fans of Reacher barely had time to catch their breath after the explosive Season 4 finale, and now Prime Video is giving viewers another reason to jump back into the Reacher Universe with the highly anticipated new action series starring Maria Sten in her first titular role as Frances Neagley. All eight episodes are now streaming exclusively on Prime Video, and if there was ever any doubt that Reacher’s best friend could hold her own, Maria Sten wastes no time showing fans that Frances Neagley can carry a series by herself.
After spending seasons alongside Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher, Sten finally gets her moment in the spotlight. Based on the character created by Lee Child, Neagley pulls Frances out of Reacher’s shadow and puts her front and center, giving fans a chance to discover the woman behind one of the franchise's most intriguing supporting characters. While Reacher has always been the larger than life force of nature who walks into a situation and leaves very little standing, Neagley operates with a different kind of intensity. She is just as dangerous, just as determined and every bit as capable, but her approach is distinctly her own.
The action is exactly what you'd expect from a Reacher spinoff. There are fights, danger, investigations, and enough ass-kicking to keep things moving, but what makes Neagley stand out is that the series isn't simply trying to recreate Reacher with a different lead. Frances has her own rhythm, her own rules and her own demons, and Sten makes every bit of it work.
The series kicks into gear when Neagley learns that a beloved friend from her past has died under suspicious circumstances. What begins as a personal loss quickly becomes something much bigger, sending Frances down a dangerous path as she searches for answers and refuses to accept the official explanation. Drawing on everything she learned during her time with Reacher, the former protégé puts her particular set of skills to work, determined to uncover the truth no matter how far the investigation takes her.
And that is where Neagley really starts to find its groove.
Now settled in Chicago and working as a private investigator, Frances has built a life where she can play by her own rules, even when those rules don't exactly sit well with her employer. Sten brings a terrific physicality to the role, but what makes her performance especially effective is the vulnerability. Frances doesn't need to announce that she's the toughest person, or the smartest, in the room. She usually just proves it.
The season's biggest strength is the chance to finally peel back Frances' layers. Her haphephobia, something longtime viewers already know about the character, isn't simply thrown into the story for shock value. Instead the series uses her past to give viewers a deeper understanding of Frances and the walls she has built around herself. That character exploration gives Sten some really good material to work with. The personal story sometimes proves more compelling than the central murder investigation, which occasionally loses momentum. Fortunately, the character work keeps the season moving, especially as Frances is forced to confront pieces of her past she has spent years burying.
The supporting ensemble gives her plenty to play against, starting with Greyston Holt as Detective Hudson Riley, Frances' reluctant partner and possible love interest. Adeline Rudolph's Renee Birdwhistle adds another compelling presence. Jasper Jones' Keno gives Frances another unexpected relationship as she reluctantly takes him under her wing, while Matthew Del Negro's Pierce Woodrow and Damon Herriman's Lawrence Cole lead Frances to a sinister cult organization.
But let's be honest — fans will be watching for Reacher, too.
Prime Video clearly understands the assignment because Alan Ritchson appears early, immediately reminding viewers why the friendship between Reacher and Neagley has become such a beloved part of the franchise. Then, just when fans need another reminder of their bond, his presence becomes important again toward the end, reminding viewers how much she means to him. Those moments are pure Reacher comfort food.
Ritchson and Sten have an easy chemistry. They complement each other like peanut butter and jelly — two wildly capable people who understand each other without needing to say much. If these cameos leave you wanting more Reacher and Neagley adventures together, you're definitely not alone. Those moments work because the chemistry between Ritchson and Sten has always been one of the franchise's secret weapons. Watching them together feels less like a forced crossover and more like catching up with two old friends, which makes the prospect of future appearances particularly exciting.
Co-created by executive producers and co-showrunners Nick Santora (Reacher) and Nicholas Wootton (Scorpion), Neagley understands what made the flagship series such a hit while carving out enough personality to stand on its own. The action is there, the danger is there and the larger than life personalities are certainly there, but this time the emotional center belongs entirely to Frances.
After watching Neagley kick butt beside Reacher, it feels long overdue to see her finally get her own playground. Her noticeable absence from parts of Reacher only made viewers more aware of how much she brings to the franchise, and Neagley takes full advantage of that goodwill.
The result is an entertaining expansion of the Reacher universe that gives Maria Sten the opportunity to kick down doors, throw some serious punches, and, most importantly, show audiences why Frances Neagley deserves to be more than Reacher's best friend.
Neagley is streaming on Prime Video.
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