David O'Donnell

O'Donnell is a gray wolf and a ZSI operative on Reacher's field team in We Can Fix Pawbert. Warm despite the circumstances of his work, O'Donnell provides support during critical operations.

Personality

O'Donnell is warm and steady---an unusual combination for a tactical operative. He brings a grounded, human(mammal) quality to high-intensity situations, providing comfort through competence and presence rather than words.

Series History

Season 1

S01E05 "Breach"

O'Donnell participates in the response to the hit squad attack on the safehouse at 86 Pack Street. He helps set up the field stretcher during the aftermath, providing immediate medical support to the wounded. His steady presence under pressure reflects the professionalism of Reacher's team.

Season 2

S02E03 "Extraction"

O'Donnell returns with Reacher's team during the emergency extraction from Zootopia Correctional Facility. He provides field medic support and fire cover as the team breaches an exterior wall to rescue Luther and Pawbert during a coordinated prison siege. His response to Luther shedding the "Rook" persona---"Creepy"---paired with Reacher's "Cute" becomes one of the extraction's lighter moments.

S02E16-19: The Siege Arc

O'Donnell operates as part of Reacher's team throughout the four-episode siege arc. During the weather wall tunnel attack (S02E16), he supports tactical operations against Clawrence's operatives. He continues in this role through the rescue at the Central Weather Interface (S02E19), where the team engages the perimeter to enable Luther's infiltration and Pawbert's rescue.

Season 3

S03E01 "Licence to Claw"

O'Donnell returns with Reacher's team for a Canal District warehouse raid. The team seizes stolen ZTA transit hardware and ZCF security bypass equipment, providing the intelligence that leads to Luther's undercover insertion into Zootopia Correctional Facility as "Rook." O'Donnell provides operational support during the operation.

Season 4

S04E16 "Incoming"

O'Donnell participates in a ZSI raid that ends with a building collapse, leaving Luther with three broken ribs. When Reacher's team arrives at Pawthorne Mansion to inform Pawbert, O'Donnell plays a crucial role: as Pawbert's legs give out during his panic, O'Donnell catches him and holds him through the breakdown. The gray wolf species parallel—O'Donnell and Luther are both gray wolves—provides unexpected grounding, and Pawbert clings to him as a lifeline during the worst moment of his terror. O'Donnell's warmth and steady presence demonstrate that Reacher's team can provide comfort as well as tactical capability.

Season 5: The Icener Crisis (S05E18-21, S05E24)

O'Donnell returns with Reacher's team from Vladifrostok in "The Godfather", joining the defense of Tundratown in the north sector. During the final assault on The Root in "Final Position", O'Donnell operates as part of Reacher's main entry team. He attends the double wedding in "Always" as a guest alongside the rest of Reacher's team.

Key Relationships

Jack Reacher

O'Donnell serves under Reacher's command as part of the ZSI field operations team. His role is operational support and execution.

Frances Neagley / Dixon

O'Donnell operates alongside Neagley and Dixon as part of Reacher's core team. The three respect each other's capabilities and work together with the cohesion of a well-established unit.

Trivia

• O'Donnell is one of the few gray wolves in the series besides Luther, connecting him thematically to the pack dynamic.