I will only watch Neagley if the spin-off includes this one storyline, which Reacher never did

Neagley is, undoubtedly, one of the most powerful characters in the Reacher universe. She is, after Reacher, probably the coolest and smartest. She isn't just strong, but also sharp and can easily outsmart her enemies.

Season 3 of Reacher gave us an excellent Neagley scene where she smoothly handled Quinn’s men who showed up at her office to kill her. That’s Neagley for me. Every time she shows up on screen, I find myself fan-girling like crazy. She’s sleek and bold. But what makes her stand apart is how she’s completely unbothered by nonsense.

It felt so right when the news of her spin-off dropped. It’s about time she got the spotlight. We will be able to see more of who she is and what made her. We will know about her past, her instincts, and the stuff that makes her tick.

And there’s one particular storyline or one part of Neagley that I need to see explored. It’s what makes her so unique and real.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinions. Reader discretion is advised.

---

Neagley was kept a mystery by Lee Child, but the show gave her depth

Neagley was kept mysterious in Lee Child’s books. She popped up, did her thing, and disappeared before we could ask too many questions. And that wasn’t by accident. Child deliberately kept it so because he liked the air of intrigue around her. But the Reacher TV show didn’t hold back. It gave us more of her than we ever expected. And I believe that's why she became a fan favorite character.

She is important to Reacher, and that makes her an indispensable character in the show. But it didn't just make her lethal, it also gave her a kind of vulnerability that made her very real. She has haphephobia - the fear of being touched.

She doesn't do handshakes or hugs. In Reacher Season 1, this was made pretty clear, and it added a fascinating layer to her character. This wasn't a “cool badass woman” trope. Neagley had boundaries, and they were respected.

Now it’s only natural to expect more about her origin as she's getting her own spin-off. A standalone story opens the door to explore her childhood and her past missions.

We might also get to know how this haphephobia developed. Lee Child mentions in the books that she was born with it. But the show might take a different path.

Showrunner Nick Santora has already expressed plans to explore her backstory more thoroughly. And Lee Child himself seems pretty impressed with what the team is doing. In an interview with The Wrap, he admitted:

"I thought that was brave. And I think the solution that he came up with is magnificent, and I’m professionally, incredibly jealous of it. He did something that I was afraid to do, and he did it superbly well."

That says a lot. Even Child was hesitant to go there. He said:

"I was nervous about doing it, because the thing about her, it seemed to me, was that she's mysterious. She's unexplained. I didn't want to go too deeply into what made her who she is. I felt that would burst the bubble somehow, so I shied away from it."

The show is up for the challenge, and if her spin-off continues in the same vein, it might just give us the most grounded and powerful origin story in the Reacher universe yet.

---

Neagley's haphephobia could be linked to trauma

There’s this scene in Reacher Season 1 that has always stuck with me. It’s in the very first episode. Someone tries to grope a dancer, and Neagley gets furious. It might be hinting at something personal if you look a little deeper.

Could that reaction be tied to her haphephobia? Could it stem from a childhood trauma? Possibly even sexual abuse? It’s not confirmed, but Reacher doesn’t exactly throw in details like that for no reason. That scene, along with her complete aversion to touch, makes me think there's more beneath the surface.

Another angle to consider is her complete lack of romantic involvement. Neagley has never had a love interest in the three seasons of Reacher. That might just be due to limited screen time or story focus. But then Season 2 actually gives us a small clue. She explicitly says she’s not attracted to anyone.

Now maybe that’s just her avoiding a situation, or maybe… she’s asexual. It’s not something that’s often explored on mainstream shows. And if her spin-off really leans into that, it could be groundbreaking. It could also explain her discomfort with physical contact.

We can only speculate for now. But I really hope the spin-off explores this side of her. Not only because it would give her character more depth, but also because it's one of the most unique and defining traits she has. And if we’re getting a Neagley-centric story, I want to know why she is the way she is.

---

Stay tuned to Soap Central for more updates and detailed coverage.