Reacher and Neagley share an emotional farewell in Reacher season 2’s finale, but their scene is packed with several layers of deeper meaning.

Warning: spoilers ahead for Reacher season 2’s finale.

SUMMARY

 Reacher’s use of “Master Sergeant” when referring to Neagley in the finale is a sign of his deep respect and admiration for her.
 When Reacher says he was “visiting family” in the ending, it confirms that he considers Neagley and the Special Investigators his family, despite his reluctance to express emotions directly.
 The lack of physical contact between Reacher and Neagley during their goodbye symbolizes the mutual understanding and respect they have for each other’s boundaries, which forms the foundation of their unconventional friendship.

Reacher season 2 ends with one final parting scene between Reacher and Neagley, but there are deeper levels to this conversation that reveal hidden truths about their friendship.

While Alan Ritchson’s Jack Reacher is close to all members of his 110th Special Investigators team – the ones still alive, at least – he shares a special bond with Maria Sten’s Francis Neagley.

Not only was Neagley the friend he called during Reacher season 1’s Margrave incident, but it was Neagley’s summons via ATM that brought Reacher into season 2’s New Age investigation in the first place.

As such, it’s entirely fitting that Reacher season 2’s ending features a touching scene between Ritchson and Sten’s characters before rolling its end credits.

Having saved the day and left a trail of bodies behind them, Reacher and Neagley say their goodbyes as the former prepares to take full advantage of his shiny new bus pass. While still an emotional and affecting scene on a surface level, Reacher’s farewell to Neagley contains several subtle details that have deeper implications for both characters.

Why Reacher Calls Neagley “Master Sergeant” In Season 2’s Finale Scene

Reacher makes a point of referring to Neagley as “Master Sergeant” shortly before heading towards his next destination. This was, of course, Neagley’s rank when she joined the Special Investigators, but none of the 110th characters refer to her as such during Reacher season 2’s present timeline.

No member of the crew remains in the military, so their former ranks are no longer relevant. Reacher’s “yes, Master Sergeant” line in season 2’s dying frames, therefore, is highly significant – it’s a sign of his deep respect and admiration.

During Reacher season 2’s flashbacks, it became clear that Neagley’s rank was a point of contention. Episode 1 saw a group of gruff soldiers kicking Neagley out of an officer’s bar based on her rank, while even Reacher himself joked, “You’re a master sergeant, almost everyone outranks you.”

In Neagley’s past, being called “Master Sergeant” was almost always a put-down, or, at the very least, a reminder of her place in the pecking order. When Reacher calls Neagley by her former rank in season 2’s finale, he’s flipping that, turning what was once viewed as a negative into a positive.

“Yes, Master Sergeant” proves that, in the eyes of Jack Reacher, Neagley’s worth is beyond the measurement of military rank. A master sergeant she may have been, but to Jack Reacher, Neagley’s intellect, field prowess, loyalty, and friendship are all the qualities he needs to see. An address some would use as an insult becomes a huge compliment when Reacher says it to Neagley.

Why Reacher Says He Was “Visiting Family” In Season 2’s Ending

Jack Reacher is famously not a man in regular contact with his emotions, but Neagley makes a rare attempt to change that before the friends go their separate ways in Reacher season 2’s finale.

She points out that while Reacher refers to the Special Investigators as his “team” or “friends,” he should know that they are “more than that.” Predictably, Neagley’s touching sentiment fails to yield a direct response from the human mountain, but when a fellow bus traveler asks what Reacher was doing in New York, he replies, “visiting family.”

She refrains from saying so explicitly, but Neagley is, of course, alluding to the dreaded F-word when she assures Reacher that he isn’t just a friend and teammate.

The season 2 finale’s “visiting family” line is a sly way for the Amazon series to confirm Reacher does feel the same way, and considers Neagley, alongside O’Donnell, Dixon, and their fallen comrades, his family.

This raises the question of why Reacher ignores Neagley’s original comment, then opens up to a random bus passenger.

Most likely, Reacher is taking one gradual step at a time in terms of emotional growth. Admitting the Special Investigators are his family is a big step; admitting it to Neagley’s face is a challenge for another season.

Why Reacher & Neagley Don’t Touch When They Say Goodbye

Throughout both of Amazon’s Reacher seasons, Maria Sten’s Neagley has avoided physical contact with other characters, notably breaking her no-touching rule when Russo dies in Reacher season 2, episode 6.

In Lee Child’s books, Neagley has haptephobia – a fear of being touched that Reacher himself reveals came from her younger years. This explains why Reacher and Neagley extend their hands without actually making contact during season 2’s closing moments, but, once again, the true meaning digs deeper into both characters.

The underlying strength of Reacher’s bond with Neagley lies in how both characters respect boundaries. Reacher respects Neagley’s aversion to physical touch, while Neagley respects Reacher’s unusual lifestyle and aversion to showing emotion.

As the duo reach out their hands, a cushion of air remaining between their palms at all times, the imagery symbolizes this mutual understanding that makes up the foundation of Reacher and Neagley’s unconventional friendship. They may not necessarily relate to each other’s boundaries, but both Reacher characters respect that those boundaries exist.