Loved ‘Neagley’? These are the shows you should watch next
Loved ‘Neagley’? These are the shows you should watch next
If you want more smart investigators, covert missions, and brutal action, start with these four shows.
“Neagley” dropped all eight episodes on release day, so no one’s blaming you if you ripped through it in just a few days. You get no shade from me for getting so involved in one of the most fascinating characters in the “Reacher” universe. And now that both shows have finished their latest seasons, where does that leave you? Right here, reading this article about what shows to watch next if you loved “Neagley.” So, let’s get to your options!
Neagley
Frances Neagley is a private investigator in Chicago and former military colleague of Jack Reacher in the Army’s 110th Special Investigations Unit. When she learns that a beloved friend from her past has been killed in a suspicious accident, she becomes hell-bent on justice.
Loved ‘Neagley’? Watch: ‘Reacher’
Okay, obvious alert, but still. If you’ve already watched “Reacher” just skip ahead to the other shows. And if you somehow haven’t, well, you should. Season 4 just wrapped, and this is the world that introduced Neagley’s character in the first place. You get to watch former Army Military Police Major Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) punch people with his incredibly thick arms while solving murders, uncovering conspiracies and corruption, and just generally kicking ass wherever he goes. And if you can believe it, his brains equal his brawn so it never becomes too one-note.
Neagley shows up here too, as Reacher’s former subordinate in the Army’s 110th Special Investigations Unit and one of the few people he completely trusts. So you get Neagley, and you get a very similar tone — this mix of action set-pieces and chases, along with investigations, some dry humor, and very competent people winning the day. And if you’re here just for Neagley, you can skip to Season 2, where she’s a big part of that season’s arc. Now, “Reacher” is a little more tongue-in-cheek about it all, and he’s framed as this absurdly capable loner wandering the country, so you won’t get quite the emotional history and relationship history you get in Neagley. But “Reacher” is about as close as you’ll get without just watching “Neagley” again. So start here!
Reacher
Jack Reacher, a veteran military police investigator, has just recently entered civilian life. Reacher is a drifter, carrying no phone and the barest of essentials as he travels the country and explores the nation he once served.
Check out ‘Black Doves’
If it’s more awesome female leads you’re looking for in a crime wrapper, “Black Doves” is a great next watch. It’s a Netflix series that follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley) as an undercover spy who’s secretly passing her husband’s political secrets to an organization called the Black Doves. When her lover (not her husband) is murdered, that sets her on a chase for the truth with the help of an old friend/assassin, Sam Young (Ben Whishaw), who’s brought in to protect her.
So, competent female lead investigating the death of someone close to her? Check. There are other similarities to “Neagley” too. Webb is far more comfortable with violence, surveillance, and investigation than she is with emotional vulnerability. That kind of dynamic is usually exclusive to male leads, and it’s honestly refreshing to see it on a female. Plus, you get great action sequences, fight scenes, a web of conspiracy, and everything else you want from this genre. Now, the big difference is this is much more of a spy show. It’s slicker, more British, and more openly, darkly comedic than “Neagley.” But I don’t think you’ll mind. And with Season 2 dropping Nov. 5, it’s the perfect time to make it your new favorite show.
Black Doves
When a spy posing as a politician’s wife learns her lover has been murdered, an old assassin friend joins her on a quest for truth — and vengeance.
Don’t miss ‘Lioness’
Another capable woman takes center stage in “Lioness,” namely Zoe Saldaña as Joe McNamara. Joe is a CIA officer who runs the agency’s covert Lioness program. The program has one focus: use highly trained female operatives to infiltrate the lives of dangerous targets. Season 1 follows Marine Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira) as she gets close to the daughter of a terrorist financier, while CIA supervisor Kaitlyn Meade (played by who else but Nicole Kidman) oversees the whole operation. So if it’s strong women you want, there’s plenty to watch here.
This checks a lot of the same boxes as “Neagley” but in a more military wrapper. You get all the operation planning, fighting, shooting, and improvising you’d expect, along with a real emphasis on team loyalty and community. These are more than co-workers – they’re connected by holding each other’s lives in their hands. You lose the detective mystery angle from “Neagley” and instead fill it with covert missions and national security issues. But with Season 3 just finishing up its run on Paramount+, the show is proving its staying power.
Lioness
Cruz Manuelos, a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine, is recruited to join the CIA’s Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within. Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program, is tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.
One more: ‘The Terminal List’
I wouldn’t blame you if you forgot this show existed. “The Terminal List” came out over four years ago and is just finally dropping its second season on Wednesday, Oct. 21. That’s an eternity between seasons, but it also makes it the perfect time to try it. This series follows Navy SEAL Commander James Reece (Chris Pratt) as he returns home from a nightmare: his whole platoon was wiped out during a mission gone wrong, and Reece is determined to figure out how it all fell apart.
It’s a great match for “Neagley” fans because you get that same “people close to me are dead and everyone thinks it’s not suspicious, but I do” thrust. And that puts them up against not just their enemies but the organizations they work with as well. Keep in mind that “The Terminal List” is a much darker show. Reece is driven by revenge and serious trauma, so you don’t get the same banter and team dynamics as you do in “Neagley.” But if you want another murder mystery with a quick-thinking, military-trained lead who is very easy to watch, this is one to add to your list.
The Terminal List
Navy SEAL Commander James Reece turns to vengeance as he investigates the mysterious forces behind the murder of his entire platoon. Free from the military’s command structure, Reece applies the lessons he’s learned from nearly two decades of warfare to hunt down the people responsible.
More to watch after finishing ‘Neagley’
‘Bosch’ | Prime Video
Bosch
Harry Bosch, an LAPD homicide detective, stands trial for the fatal shooting of a serial murder suspect. A cold case involving the remains of a missing boy forces Bosch to confront his past. As daring recruit Julia Brasher catches his eye and departmental politics heat up, Bosch will pursue justice at all costs.
‘Ballard’ | Prime Video
Ballard
Detective Renée Ballard plunges into a web of murder and corruption as she hunts a ruthless serial killer and uncovers a sinister police conspiracy that threatens everything she stands for. With her own demons nipping at her heels, Ballard must outwit both criminals and colleagues to bring long-overdue justice to the victims and their families.
‘The Night Agent’ | Netflix
The Night Agent
Brought together by a midnight phone call, an FBI agent and a cybersecurity expert must unravel an ever-growing web of political conspiracies.
‘Man on Fire’ | Netflix
Man on Fire
Haunted by his past and hunted by his enemies, a Special Forces veteran fights to keep a teenage girl alive on the deadly streets of Rio de Janeiro.