Reacher Season 3’s Character Return Continues The Best Change To Lee Child’s Books

Warning: This article contains information on the Lee Child book, “Persuader,” and could spoil Reacher season 3.Reacher season 3 will continue to diverge from Lee Child’s book series as Amazon reworks the show’s source material even further. The Reacher season 2 cast differed greatly from the cast of Reacher season 1. Due to the structure of the show, it can be difficult to predict who’ll stay as part of the story other than Alan Ritchson’s character. However, there’s a fan-favorite who will survive the coming overhaul ahead of the third season.

Amazon’s Reacher adaptation has made several key changes to Lee Child’s work. One of their biggest alterations has been moving characters from one season to another. Child’s book series is very anthological by nature, meaning each book functions as a standalone story. Although certain characters do make the occasional return, it’s rare. Amazon’s take on the story has taken a much less restrictive approach and a certain character is set to make Reacher season 3 their third consecutive installment.

Neagley Will Appear In Reacher Season 3 (Despite Not Being In The Books)

Maria Sten’s character is becoming a Reacher regular

Maria Sten made her debut as Frances Neagley in Reacher season 1, reprising her role in a much more central way in Reacher season 2. Neagley’s confirmed presence in season 3 cements her as one of the show’s main characters. However, of the three books selected for the first seasons of Reacher, Neagley only appears in one of them. Lee Child’s Bad Luck and Trouble is the only book that’s been used so far that features the character of Frances Neagley. Through all the changes to Lee Child’s Bad Luck and Trouble during the adaptation process, Neagley’s presence remained important.

Neagley is a former member of Reacher’s 110th Special Investigators Unit, and she has been indispensable to the show’s title character so far. Although Reacher projects the aura of a man who can do everything by himself, the reality is that he’s just a very good leader. This brilliant leadership has been put on display in both of the current seasons of Reacher and Neagley has been a vital component in all of his successes.

Neagley’s Bigger Role Is Reacher’s Best Change From The Books

The Lee Child character is spreading further through the Reacher universe

The translation of Reacher’s story from the pages of Lee Child’s books to Amazon’s streaming service has meant many changes have had to take place. These alterations haven’t only been made to accommodate the change in medium, but also to make the narrative more cohesive as the show progresses. Including Neagley alongside Reacher throughout, despite her sporadic appearances in the books, is the most effective change that’s been made.

Reacher still maintains the same wandering, Stoic persona in the series as he has in the books. The difference that Neagley’s ongoing presence makes is that each time Reacher lands in hot water, he has a close friend and former squadmate to call upon for help. Having Reacher build a support system from scratch in every new season would be time-consuming and very repetitive to watch.

What Role Neagley Could Have In Reacher Season 3’s Story

Neagley will need to have a new role written for her place in the “Persuader” story

Because Neagley doesn’t appear in Persuader, the book that will be used as Reacher season 3’s source material, Maria Sten’s character will need to be woven into the narrative. Persuader has Reacher go undercover for the DEA to take down a criminal enterprise from the inside. While it would be a little on-the-nose to also have Neagley infiltrate the organization, she can still be used in a very natural way and play an important role in the new version of the story.

Alan Ritchson’s Reacher has already shown his disdain for authority in previous seasons. It’s on full display in Reacher season 2 whenever Russo tries to tell the 110th where to go and what to do. However, Reacher will listen to members of the Special Investigators and take their advice. Therefore, the perfect role for Neagley in Reacher season 3 would be to act as the handler of her former commanding officer.

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Reacher Season 3’s Book Has 1 Major Difference That Can Make It Amazon’s Best Yet

Reacher season 3 will be based on another book by Lee Child, and the plot will mean the show taking a huge departure from previous installments.

It’s likely that Reacher’s working relationship with the DEA won’t be smooth sailing, given his character. Using Neagley as a go-between would be a perfect middle ground, as her people skills are much more refined than Reacher’s. Having Reacher communicate via an earpiece or something similar would be too much of a risk for him behind enemy lines. As such, regular meet-ups with Neagley are much more of a possibility. Neagley’s involvement also makes the story unpredictable for fans of the book, as she could derail the source material’s narrative in Reacher season 3.