Frances Neagley's biggest problem in Amazon's Neagley is not even addressed in the first episode – it is a spin-off of Reacher. Which means the show has to prove it can sell Neagley alone, without Jack Reacher walking beside her. Maria Sten has already proven herself to be one of Reacher's most loyal companions, but putting her into the spotlight for eight episodes turns out to be a harder task, which Sten successfully copes with.
The story of Neagley starts after the death of her old companion, Tommy. What seemed like a simple suicide doesn't feel right, so Neagley starts investigating his death. The investigation leads her into a rural commune, a bunch of strange people with some weird beliefs, and a pharmaceutical corporation that makes the case much bigger than it seemed at first sight. It is quite a familiar setting for Reacher, but the show tries to make it personal for Neagley in order to create some interest.
Neagley has always been one of the quietest characters in Reacher. She doesn't need any explanations for her actions, and Sten understands that she can be the main character of a scene without speaking much. The show focuses more on her fear of being touched, or haphephobia, which has been briefly mentioned in Reacher. In the new show, it becomes a part of her way of interacting with people. Sten is perfect when the show allows the character to reveal a bit more about herself: she is still the same hard-boiled investigator, but with some cracks that appear during the investigation and remind her of something she would rather forget. These parts of the story are the only place where Neagley reveals a little bit more than she could in Reacher, as the character wasn't the leading one.
However, the investigation part turns out to be much less interesting than it could be. The first several questions raised by the initial situation become the fuel for the first episodes, but it becomes more and more boring as time passes. Once the big conspiracy unfolds, it is just too easy to guess what will happen next. It doesn't mean that Neagley becomes boring. There are enough events to keep you interested, and of course, the lead is much more interesting than the plot. However, the show can't escape the feeling of the familiar Reacher formula with a different name. It never finds a mystery worthy of its protagonist.
Action is another element that separates Neagley from the rest. The main heroine is capable, but she doesn't use violence the way Reacher does; it is much harsher and more desperate, and she suffers from it, using her knowledge to overcome the obstacles rather than just beating everyone around her. It is one of the most obvious ways the show proves that it has its own identity: it is the same universe as Alan Ritchson's Reacher, but with its own character.
It is a good mix of characters in the supporting cast. Detective Hudson Riley, played by Greyston Holt, is a worthy partner for the investigation, while Jasper Jones, Adeline Rudolph, Matthew Del Negro, and Damon Herriman join the commune and its orbit. But none of them leaves such an impression as Sten.
This is the real reason that makes the new series deserve its existence: Sten doesn't try to create a female version of Reacher. Instead, she shows the heroine with a different pace and more attention paid to her thoughts, and that is enough reason for the spin-off.
It is not as instantly satisfying as Reacher, but it doesn't have to be. The show is good both as a crime series and as a spin-off of the Reacher universe, but its best parts are the moments when it stops imitating the parent show and just lets Frances Neagley be her own character. If the show gets a second season, this is the way it should go.
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