Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: a Series Full of Intrigue

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is a series on Amazon Prime based on the popular series of books written by Tom Clancy about the protagonist Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst. It is an action-packed series, with great locations and engaging characters. 

Tom Clancy has written fiction novels primarily about espionage, military science, and undercover operations. Some of his other books have already been made into movies, such as The Hunt for Red October and Clear and Present Danger. The Jack Ryan series has the same action and intrigue as these movies.

There are only two seasons available to view. The first season focuses on money laundering by a terrorist organization. This season is filled with great location shots from Paris to Turkey to DC. The second season focuses on illegal mining in Venezuela. The locations are no less stunning, from Moscow to Caracas to the jungles of Venezuela. 

Season One helps develop the main characters, Jack Ryan and James Greer. John Krasinski, known for his role in The Office, plays Jack Ryan, a former Marine that now has a PhD in economics and is a CIA analyst. Wendell Pierce of The Wire portrays James Greer, Ryan’s boss. The first episodes give some indication that he has been demoted from a top post. 

The other characters in the series are well developed with a sense that even the “bad guys” could have been “good guys.” The backstories of each of the characters are written so well, the audience has a sense of them as real people. The locations are picturesque and expose the audience to spectacular views of cities and jungles. Of course, there are plenty of action scenes, but they are not overdone or overused, which is a common criticism of these types of shows. There are plenty of twists and turns, so pay attention or you may not fully understand the story. 

As my husband said, “A great series for someone who likes the books or has not even read them.” As a fan of the books and the movies, I was looking forward to watching this series and it did not disappoint. 

If you can, watch Jack Ryan. You may be inspired to read some of the books, with all the time during quarantine!