The finale of Prime’s Neagley is as action packed as the rest of the series, wrapping the gruesome storyline up while still allowing room for more investigations in the future.
“Touched” begins where episode 7 left off, with Hudson reassuring Neagley that he did not have an ulterior motive in sending her to the agoraphobe’s house and that he just doesn’t want anything to happen to her. She admits the same, and they hint at deeper feelings for one another.
Meanwhile, Rawlings’ men arrive at Echo Canyon Farm, informing Lawrence that they received a tip that there would be a Federal raid and that his followers needed to head to the barn. Wary, Lawrence gathers his followers within the same compound that Keno is being held captive in. Keno, all the while, has begun to talk to (or rather, at) a man named Ozzy who – rendered practically catatonic by the treatment – bangs his bloody forehead against the glass wall over and over. The moment they are all below ground Rawlings’ men open fire on Echo Canyon Farm’s security team – rendering them defenseless.
Neagley, Hudson, and Renee all arrive at the gate and assume it to be a trap, deciding to go on foot from there on out. They notice that nobody seems to be in the compound and find a group suicide note, which they deduce to be a forgery by Rawlings in an effort to pull another “Hamilton.” Neagley realizes that Rawlings plans to detonate the silo with the cult members inside, pinning the blame on Lawrence and fabricating it as another Jonestown massacre. The team decides to split up, with Renee entering the silo through the vents and Hudson and Neagley entering through the barn doors.
As Renee searches for bombs in the vents, Neagley and Hudson enter through the barn and come into contact with Rawlings’ men, whom they get into a fight with. They manage to take them down and, separately, they both make it down the elevator, and Neagley comes across another of the men who she chokes out. She takes his radio and learns that two out of three of the bombs have been planted already. She tells Renee, who shares that she has already found one.
All the while, Lawrence and his followers have been lined up within the silo. Desperate, Lawrence convinces his followers to rush their attackers, as he believes they can conquer them in sheer numbers alone. They abide, but the attempt is useless, and the members are quickly shot down. Drawn by the sound of gunfire, both Neagley and Hudson join the fight, before Neagley peels off to join Renee.
As Renee and Neagley attempt to disarm the bomb, they come under fire from more of the men. They manage to take them out, before continuing their work. Hudson radios in, asking where they are, but before he can return his response he comes under fire as well. They agree to switch off their radios so as not to accidentally override the bomb’s trigger, and in turn agree to not speak to each other until it is all over.
Keno, still talking to Ozzy, sees that a crack has begun to form from Ozzy’s incessant head banging. Keno encourages him to continue and, in doing so, manages to create a small hole within the glass through which Keno lets himself and all the other prisoners out of the cells. As this transpires, Lawrence and his flowers attempt to crowd onto the elevator but are shot from behind by the men. Lawrence flees from the gunfire, attempting to escape into the vents.
Keno, now free, runs into one of the acolytes. Keno tells him he was lied to but he refuses to accept that. Keno pushes the man into a tub of water and, throwing a radio into it as well, electrocutes him. Neagley, Renee, and Keno all follow in the direction of Lawrence and find him still attempting to escape into the vents. Neagley – finally getting her retribution for Tommy – throws him from the ladder, beating him as he denies his wrongdoings and blames it all on his coconspirators. Lawrence pleads for a doctor but, mercilessly, Neagley denies him, saying that because he did not care about Tommy she does not care about him. Renee asks what they will do with him to which Neagley replies, coldly, “leave him.”
Shaken and having gathered all the evidence available (including some of the remaining Tranqlara), the team leaves the compound, walking past Mandy’s deceased body as they do. Neagley detonates the remaining bombs, destroying the compound with Lawrence Cole still inside.
In the aftermath, Neagley finds Rawlings and injects him with the drug, and moments later he walks into the street nude, much like Tommy did. Finally satisfied, she pays a visit to Tommy’s parents, where they gift her a photo of her and Tommy when they were younger. She learns that the man her father killed had hurt Tommy when she was younger, and he had sworn never to tell anybody.
Overwhelmed by the new information, Neagley goes to visit her father, only to find out he passed the night before. In his note he urges her not to cut herself off from the world and tells her that raising her was the “greatest job” he ever had.
Reacher shows up to her father’s funeral and – thinking she may need it – tells her he is willing to stick around. Neagley refuses and gestures to her team, implying that she has more than enough support. For the first time ever, they shake hands.
Neagley buys York’s business and – though everybody quits – she does not lament, as she hires Keno as an intern and moves him in with her. Hudson confesses his feelings and, though she is not ready to kiss him, is willing to wait until she is. The season ends with Neagley – true to her word about getting better – going to therapy.
“Touched” wraps the first season up nicely, bringing the story to a natural stopping place within the world of Reacher. The romantic elements between the characters, however, seem a bit forced. There appears to be no natural chemistry between Neagley and Hudson, and they seem to be better suited as friends than as romantic partners. The insistence on the front that they are distracts from the plot slightly, and is almost a disappointing let down in what would be a practically perfect finale.
7/10