Highlights

  • David O'Donnell is a former member of the 110th MP Special Investigations Unit and a trusted ally of Jack Reacher.
  • O'Donnell is a family man who still displays loyalty to his former team and possesses excellent persuasive skills.
  • Actor Shaun Sipos, known for his roles in TV shows like Krypton, portrays David O'Donnell in Reacher season 2.

Reacher Season 2 has been one of the best television series of recent times, and with only two episodes left to stream on Prime Video, leading up to a tense finale on January 19, it's going to be a showdown of epic proportions. Alan Ritchson is the muscle-bound hero, Jack Reacher, but the real strength of season 2 is in the very good ensemble cast of characters from his former unit in the military. Shaun Sipos joined the cast as a series regular in season 2, playing David O'Donnell.

David O'Donnell was hand-picked by Reacher for the 110th MP Special Investigations Unit, and he's one of his most trusted men, and the banter they share with each other is one of the highlights of season 2 thus far. He is joined in season 2 by Serinda Swan as Karla Dixon and Maria Sten as Frances Neagley. They are all working together to find out what has happened to former members of the 110th unit who are missing or murdered.

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Who is O'Donnell in Reacher season 2?

o'donnell and reacher

David O'Donnell is a former member of the 110th MP Special Investigations Unit, who is known for carrying around a switchblade and various other handy weapons. He was the playboy of the group when he was part of the 110th, but when he turns up in Reacher season 2, he reveals he is now a family man. He still possesses that cocky side to him, but also displays great loyalty to his former team.

O'Donnell makes his first appearance in Episode 1's 'ATM', when he catches Reacher and Neagley by surprise in their ransacked hotel room. He tells them he found the place like this and says he's angry about Franz's death and wants to help find out who is behind his murder.

Who we killing over it?

Turns out, O’Donnell went to law school and this comes in useful when he cons his way into coming along with Reacher to the police station as his lawyer, when Gaitano 'Gus' Russo turns up to arrest him for assaulting him and brings him in for questioning. O'Donnell's skills are more about his gift for using his words, rather than his legal skills, but nevertheless, he provides vital backup to Reacher in his time of need.

More is revealed about O’Donnell's work since he left the 110th in Episode 4's 'A Night at the Symphony' when he suggests using some dodgy methods he's used in his current line of work to get hold of the name of Senator Lavoy's legislative director. As much as the 110th members are a team, as season 2 progresses, they tend to split into teams.

Neagley and Dixon investigate one lead, while O'Donnell teams up with Reacher to follow up another. This gives the two men time to reacquaint with each other, and Reacher notices up close the changes in O'Donnell since he left the 110th, as he tries to reason with his two bickering children over the phone as they sit in a diner, waiting for Karla Dixon to lure Lavoy's legislative director, Daniel Boyd into a trap.

Who plays O'Donnell on Reacher?

shaun sipos

David O'Donnell is played by Canadian actor, Shaun Sipos, who has developed a successful career on television and in movies, and broke into the industry with a small role in Special Unit 2 in 2001, and has progressed from there. On the big screen, he's starred in horror movies, including Final Destination 2, The Grudge 2 and Texas Chainsaw.

On the small screen, he was a season regular on the reboot of Melrose Place in 2009, playing David Breck in 18 episodes, before the show was canceled after one season. He also appeared in multi-episode guest starring roles in Life Unexpected, The Vampire Diaries and Dark Matter.

In 2018, he landed a series regular role on Krypton, which was the untold story of Superman's grandfather as he fights for justice on his home planet. It ran for two seasons before being canceled, and Sipo's career went quiet for a couple of years before he landed the role of David O'Donnell in Reacher, which is arguably the biggest role of his career thus far.

Shaun Sipos signed a one-season deal to appear in Reacher season 2, and the character has been very popular with fans. Unfortunately, O'Donnell doesn't feature in any other novels in Lee Child's series, meaning a prominent return in the future is unlikely. However, Oscar Finlay returned in season 2 in a brief cameo despite not featuring in the Bad Luck and Trouble novel that the sophomore season was based on. This could pave the way for O'Donnell to possibly turn up briefly in a future season of Reacher to assist his former 110th colleague.

Reacher is available to stream on Prime Video

reacher poster Cropped
Reacher
Action
Mystery

Based on the books by Lee Child, Reacher follows the journey of titular former MP Jack Reacher (played by Alan Ritchson). Reacher drifts across the United States, providing help to those who need it along the way. The Prime Video series has also featured performances by Willa Fitzgerald, Serinda Swan, Domenick Lombardozzi, and Robert Patrick.

Release Date
February 4, 2022
Creator
Nick Santora
Cast
Alan Ritchson , Willa Fitzgerald , Domenick Lombardozzi , Robert Patrick , Malcolm Goodwin , Serinda Swan , Maria Sten
Seasons
2
Streaming Service(s)
Prime Video

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