They say we live in a golden age of television and I can't really argue with that. There is so much quality content being put out with the advent of streaming services, in addition to premium cable channels and a few highlights on basic cable, that it can be hard to know what series is worth investing your time into. But there was one show in development that I was particularly excited for—Amazon Video's Jack Ryan. Based on the characters from Tom Clancy's brilliant books that inspired movies like Hunt For The Red October and Clear and Present Danger, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan seemed like one of the most logical high-end television reboots and one that could have immense staying power and versatility. With the right team of writers, it could also help us better reflect on the complex geopolitical realities of our increasingly chaotic world. And above all that, I'm just always down for a good spy thriller. With all this in mind, I fired up the Amazon Video app on my television and dove into the eight-episode first season run of Jack Ryan. After the final episode's credits rolled I was left flabbergasted, but for all the wrong reasons.

First off, let's talk about the new Jack Ryan played by John Krasinski. Yes, Jim Halpert from The Office is now flexing his acting muscles as a CIA analyst turned action hero. The role has been held by four other players in the past: Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine. Every single one of these actors brought something different to the role, with the first two becoming legends in my mind and the others being far less memorable. Still, I really enjoyed every Jack Ryan movie aside from Shadow Recruit, which was lackluster and tried too hard to emulate the success of the Bourne Identity series of films.

Krasinski is a good actor who has a proven likable quality that spans both male and female audiences. We all know he can do comedy, but he can also do action, as proven in 13 Hours, a film I think was grossly underrated. In addition, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan premiered following what has been widely viewed as a total directing, producing, acting, and box office success for Krasinski in the form of the horror film A Quiet Place. So to call him a rising star with proven talent would be a big understatement. So what does the long-hyped new show do with Krasinski's unique mix of talents? Nothing.

Amazon