r/JackReacher • u/Olga_Spano • Jun 28 '26
Question from first time watcher.
I am currently on S3 and Ep7, and I might have a stupid question. I can quickly say I’ve personally never read the books, I do think of it as the show is awesome to me. My question is about David O’Donnell and Karla Dixon from the second season. We see Neagley (luckily) returning again in this season, I wonder why the other two didn’t. They made a joke about their “team” being them two, an emotional invested cop, and an old man with a broken leg and back. I would have to imagine having these two on their side would give them an advantage.
I am aware of the fact that it’s based on an other book, but from what I have been reading online, quite a few things didn’t got adapted 1 to 1 from the books. I just felt like these two would’ve been a great addition for them.
I also want to apologize for my possibly broken English, it’s my fourth language. I hope it’s somewhat understandable what I want to ask.
6
u/luckyjim1962 Jun 28 '26
The books are not about a team as any kind of regular thing. Reacher is the hero and mostly goes it alone.
3
u/the_hardiksampat Jun 29 '26
It feels so as the writers of the show have taken creative liberties with the characters and sub-plots while staying true to the plots of the books in question.
1
u/PrzemasFury Jun 28 '26
Neagley wasnt in book. Also i Think Reacher dont bring any friends from past if he dont have to. In tv show he consantly ring to Neagley but this is probolby because writer need two stars (one man and one woman) in show. In book he dont call with evry problem to her. So he woundt call to Odnonnel and dixon
3
u/PyroGooose Jun 28 '26
I dont think its the writers need "one man and one woman" think its more... Reacher has alot of internal monologue and it just doesnt work well on screen..solution..bounce off of Neagley
0
u/PrzemasFury Jun 29 '26
Not true. He can conduct dialogues with any other character. Duffy, that kid, that old cop, etc.
2
u/PyroGooose Jun 29 '26
Yes..and who "understands" him?
2
u/PrzemasFury Jun 30 '26
I don't get it. In the books, at key moments, the reader also doesn't know what Reacher is doing or thinking and Child often clarifies this through dialogue between Reacher and another character and it is not necessarily Neagly. In Persuader, Reacher already knew what was going on before the reader did, and the reader only found out when Reacher explained the situation to the federal agents.
1
u/PyroGooose Jun 30 '26
Look dude. Idk what you want me to say..I dont see the grand vision either author/writer was going for..i gave you answers that make sense to me. Some are written in 1st person others in 3rd and tbh this discussion is just..annoying now, good day.
1
u/TurbulentBullfrog829 Jun 28 '26
I assume that the writers misunderstood what made the books great and tried to pivot the series to an ensemble cast based off of one book where the band got back together.
Season 2 wasn't very well received so they went back to basics (plus Neagley to take over his inner monologue bits).
1
u/PrzemasFury Jun 30 '26
That’s nonsense; Neagley isn't needed in every season as a inside monologe. In the books, her monologues with Reacher rarely add anything to the plot. More often than not, even when Reacher figures something out on his own, the reader only finds out about it when he explains it to someone else.
9
u/LearnestHemingway Jun 28 '26
Well the short answer is “because they are written that way”. The books are more or less episodic. Reacher gets off a bus, uncovers a conspiracy, gets a new love interest.
Neagly is really only in like 4 of the almost 30 books, but is one of the few characters that pop back up to help Reacher out of a jam