Reacher’s introduction of the Special Investigators was one of season 2’s highlights, and recent comments from Amazon make a 110th return possible.
The future of Reacher is looking bright, with Amazon’s comments opening the door for the 110th Special Investigators Unit to become a vital part of Reacher’s future once season 3 is done. The Special Investigators were vital to the survival of Alan Ritchson’s character in Reacher season 2, and they were just as important in getting to the bottom of who was trying to kill them all. Reacher’s shared history with his former military unit gives one of the most revealing insights into his character, so their return to the show would be a welcome one.
Amazon executive Jennifer Salke has stated there is “no end in sight” for the action-packed Prime TV show, with Ritchson also making it clear he’s in it for the long haul. While it’s unlikely Amazon will adapt all of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books, the vocal commitment of the show’s team suggests they’ll at least try to make a good dent in the source material. So far, Amazon has largely adhered to the episodic nature of Child’s original work, but the fact the show has already shown it’s willing to stray from the books is promising for the 110th’s return.
Amazon’s Long-Term Plans For Reacher Mean The Special Investigators Will Likely Return
The 110th have plenty of time to appear in Reacher again
Like the books, Reacher seasons 1 and 2 have been largely self-contained narratives. However, the show has been more willing to connect the stories than Child has with his work. For instance, Malcolm Goodwin’s cameo as Oscar Finlay in Reacher season 2 strays from the source material, in that Finlay isn’t in the book on which season 2 is based. Amazon’s flexibility means it’s much more likely that some or all members of the Special Investigators Unit will also appear outside Reacher season 2.
Reacher has already started to tease a 110th reunion by bringing Maria Sten’s Frances Neagley back for Reacher season 3. The third installment of the Amazon TV show is based on Lee Child’s Persuader, a book in which Neagley does not appear. So, if Neagley can cross over between stories, there’s no reason that O’Donnell and Dixon can’t also join forces with their former commanding officer in Reacher season 4 and beyond.
October 24, 2024, will mark the release of Lee Child’s 29th Jack Reacher book. Of the current 28, only four have been adapted for the screen. One Shot and Never Go Back were adapted to create Tom Cruise’s divisive Jack Reacher movies, while Killing Floor and Bad Luck and Trouble have been used to create Reacher seasons 1 and 2 respectively. So, going forward, there is no shortage of books by Lee Child to adapt for Amazon’s TV show, meaning there are plenty of opportunities for the 110th to return.
Reacher Season 2’s Ending Already Teased The Special Investigators Returning
Neagley implies she and the others are Reacher’s family in the season 2 finale
Neagley’s presence in Reacher season 3, despite not appearing in Persuader, is a promising sign of the 110th’s eventual return, but the ending of Reacher season 2 also contained clues that the Special Investigators may come back at some point. In Reacher season 2, episode 8, “Fly Boy,” Serinda Swan’s Karla Dixon says, “So, this is it. Our last night together.” The statement is a clear attempt at goading Reacher into disagreeing, but he simply stares and says nothing in reply. If Ritchson’s character knew he was done with the 110th, he would have said so.
By having semiregular cameos from members of the 110th, they can become much bigger parts of the fabric of the Amazon TV adaptation.
In addition, Neagley’s final words to Reacher before he gets on the bus at the end of “Fly Boy” also strongly suggest a future where the 110th meet again: “You’ve referred to the Special Investigators as your team, your soldiers, even your friends. But you know we’re more than that, right?” The heartfelt implication that the 110th are Reacher’s family is impossible to ignore, and Reacher’s recently rediscovered camaraderie is unlikely to just vanish.
Future Special Investigator Cameos Can Make Reacher’s Allies Even More Important
The return of members of the 110th can enhance the show’s emotional risk
Reacher’s wandering lifestyle means the show will always have a revolving door of characters. The coming and going of these seemingly temporary figures is a great way to highlight the loner status of Alan Ritchson’s character. One of the downsides of this formula is that it can become difficult to become too emotionally invested in any of Reacher’s accomplices because it’s clear they often won’t be around for any longer than a season. However, by having semiregular cameos from members of the 110th, they can become much bigger parts of the fabric of the Amazon TV adaptation.
For those familiar with the books, certain characters will have varying levels of plot armor in the TV show due to the fact they survive in the source material. By bringing back characters like Dixon and O’Donnell beyond when they originally appeared, their fates become much less clear than their debut appearances due to the lack of literary comparisons. As such, the return of the 110th to the Reacher franchise would enrich the show’s storytelling abilities while remaining true to itself.
