Ballard made a frustrating mistake with its Bosch cameo, but Reacher‘s return in the Neagley spinoff will not do the same.
Reacher and Bosch are not only two of the most successful IPs on Prime Video but also among the most acclaimed and popular crime thrillers of modern times. Given how both shows are significantly different and bring something entirely unique to the crime thriller genre, it would be wrong to compare them. However, like Bosch, Reacher is now expanding its universe with a female-centric spinoff.
Just like Titus Welliver briefly showed up as Harry Bosch in Ballard, Alan Ritchson, too, will return as Jack Reacher in the Neagley spinoff show. Interestingly, though, there will be one key difference between both cameos, making Reacher’s appearance in Neagley far better timed than Bosch’s in Ballard.
Reacher’s Neagley Spinoff Return Will Be Reminiscent Of Bosch’s Cameo In Ballard
Titus Welliver’s Harry Bosch shows up as a guiding force for Maggie Q’s Ballard in the Prime Video spinoff series.
He makes quite a few appearances throughout Ballard season 1’s runtime and helps Maggie Q’s character connect her cold case investigation with a previous unsolved murder. The capacity of Alan Ritchson’s role as Jack Reacher in the Neagley spinoff remains unknown. However, it seems obvious that, like Bosch, he, too, will team up with his long-time partner and help her with her investigation.
Since both Bosch and Reacher serve as mentors or allies for the main characters in the Prime Video spinoffs, it is fair to say they have similar roles in Ballard and Neagley, respectively.
However, Bosch’s Ballard cameo had one major issue: it happened after the parent show, Bosch, had wrapped its run. Owing to this, instead of coming off as a pleasant homecoming of a beloved character, it became a sad reminder of how Titus Welliver will not be seen as Harry Bosch again.
In more ways than one, Welliver’s return as Bosch also felt like a forced handover of the franchise to the new character, Ballard. And as compelling as Ballard may be, it struggles to fill the void Bosch left behind.
Fortunately, Reacher is not treading the same path as Bosch.
Reacher’s Neagley Appearance Seems Better Timed Than Bosch’s Ballard Cameo
Prime Video’s Reacher is still going strong with no clear end in sight. The show still has an abundance of source material, which it can pick up for future seasons. Even if Reacher only lasts as long as Bosch, it should have at least four more seasons in the tank.
This makes Reacher’s appearance in the Neagley spinoff far better timed than Bosch’s Ballard cameo because it strengthens the overarching franchise instead of functioning as a throwaway crossover moment.
Not to mention, it also pays off one of the most intimate Alan Ritchson scenes from the series. Toward Reacher season 2’s ending, the Alan Ritchson character agreed that Neagley and the Special Investigators were no less than family members to him.
By returning in the upcoming Neagley spinoff, Reacher bends some of his own lifestyle rules to help his partner. This makes his return in the spinoff far more significant in the overarching story than Bosch‘s Ballard cameo.
