Before Reacher, Nick Santora created an underrated gem that can be streamed on Paramount+. Alan Ritchson's hit series returned to Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, for its fourth season with the release of the first three episodes, with the rest dropping weekly. While waiting for what's next for Jack, fans might want to check out some of Santora's previous creations, particularly his forgotten 4-part series now streaming on Paramount+.
Before Reacher and before Most Dangerous Game (2020–2023), Santora created a show filled with action, found family, and some incredibly wild scenarios. Featuring a group of geniuses (including one adorable child genius), a female server, and one government contact, the show followed their organization as it acted as the last line of defense against highly complex and technologically advanced threats from around the world.
Scorpion, a true hidden gem of a show, originally ran for four seasons, from 2014 to 2018 on CBS. Starring Robert Patrick, Elyes Gabel, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Ari Stidham, Katharine McPhee, Jadyn Wong, and Riley B. Smith, this Santora show wasn't technically a part of the action genre, but still offered the kind of action-packed scenarios found on Reacher today.
Scorpion Is A Sci-Fi Drama With Lots Of Action That Reacher Fans Would Be Used To
A sci-fi drama loosely based on the real-life Walter O'Brien, an Irish information technologist well-known for claims of accomplishments he made that didn't hold up to scrutiny, Scorpion followed a think tank of geniuses working with Homeland Security to combat the most advanced threats against civilization. The flurry of unbelievable scenarios starts right off the bat in the first episode, with Walter and his team of prodigies tasked with landing planes at LAX when a bug shuts down the air traffic control system. By the end of the episode, two team members are in a car, chasing a plane down a runway in order to plug a computer into it and prevent disaster.
As the seasons went on, Team Scorpion faced a number of high-stakes crises that included a nuclear reactor meltdown, a trek to Antarctica, an unexpected launch into space, and so much more. Tensions ran high as preventing these disasters often came down to the wire, and the potential consequences and fallout of aiding the government in some of these tasks created whole new problems on the side.
What kept the show incredibly entertaining, though, and inspired some of Scorpion's best episodes, were the characters surrounding Walter. Whether it was Paige, the single mother and server who helped the team with social interactions, or one of the other prodigies using their skills to save another team member, the found-family trope is strong in the series. Having characters who cared about each other and who the audience cared deeply about, too, amped up the thrills involved in all of that non-stop chaos.
Nick Santora's Next Show Releases In September
Even more exciting is Santora's next show, Neagley, premiering Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Following the character from Reacher (who has thus far been the only one other than Jack Reacher to stick around between seasons on that show), Neagley will see the former sidekick heading off to untangle a dangerous conspiracy of her own, which will make it interesting to see how this show sets itself apart from Reacher)
"When she learns that a beloved friend from her past has been killed in a suspicious accident, she becomes hell-bent on justice. Using everything she's learned from Jack Reacher and her time as a member of the 110 Special Investigators, Neagley puts herself on a dangerous path to uncover a menacing evil."
Not a lot is currently known about this new series, which has led some to believe that it ties into Reacher season 4. Whether that's true or not, one thing that is likely is that Neagley will use some of those tech-savvy skills of hers to hunt down the person (or people) responsible for the death of her friend. (It's also unclear whether Jack Reacher will show up to lend Neagley a helping hand, as she's done many times for him before.)
The world will find out soon, as the wait for Neagley will end in a month. Until then, though, Scorpion and new episodes of Reacher are available to watch on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video, respectively.
Alan Ritchson Effectively Seals Reacher’s Long-Term Fate On Prime Video
A surprise move from Alan Ritchson effectively seals the long-term fate of Reacher on Prime Video. Following its successful debut in 2022, the action-adventure series immediately became a hit for the streamer. This is despite being burdened by the previous big-screen adaptation of Lee Child's novels. Tom Cruise's movie take on Jack Reacher had its fans, and it remain enjoyable upon rewatch now. That said, it's safe to say that Ritchson's portrayal as the former military-turned-wanderer is widely regarded as its definitive version, especially after three seasons of Reacher.
While its sophomore year wasn't able to be as universally beloved as its freshman year, it never really impacted the public's interest in the Prime Video series. Reacher season 3 posted the highest viewership for the show in its history and considering the hype surrounding what's next for the character, the wait for season 4 has been frustrating for some. Based on "Gone Tomorrow," the next installment of the Prime Video project has long finished production, with a release date supposedly sometime this year. Beyond that, however, Ritchson has effectively confirmed Reacher's long-term fate thanks to a new update.
Alan Ritchson's First-Look Deal With Prime Video Solidifies Reacher's Future
Proof of Prime Video's confidence in the series is the fact that it has already renewed for Reacher season 5 before it could even come back with new episodes this year. Admittedly, that's unsurprising, considering the show's popularity. Looking after that, however, the fate of the project is still uncertain. That said, Ritchson's new three-year first-look television deal with the studio via his production company, Dancing Skeleton (via Deadline), effectively solidifies Reacher's return throughout the terms of that new agreement.
This means that if the show maintains its yearly release, it can run for two to three more seasons after Reacher season 5. Obviously, that doesn't factor in the possibility that Prime Video and Ritchson will extend their current deal, or that the streamer will renew the show even after the first-look agreement is done. However, considering that there are about 30 books in Child's novels, Reacher can definitely stay on the air for more years to come.
Why Reacher Has Resonated With The Public
Reacher is arguably the biggest breakout hit of the last few years. Granted that it had built-in fans, thanks to Child's novels and Cruise's films, it would be hard-pressed to find anyone who could have predicted just how big it was going to be. Streaming and traditional broadcasters have their respective action-adventure book adaptation shows, but very few come close to the success of the Prime Video series. The project has been so popular, the streamer has started to expand the franchise via its very first offshoot, Neagley.
What sets Reacher apart from its peers is how it has been able to perfectly balance being faithful to its source material while also offering viewers something new. This way, fans of the books can still enjoy them without being able to predict every single twist that's coming their way. Beyond that, the fact that Reacher has also made sure to have a yearly release despite being on streaming somehow helps in keeping it relevant amid an influx of other shows in the genre.
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