Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan ★★★★½

Channel: Amazon

Starring: John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, Ali Suliman, Dina Shihabi, Abbie Cornish, Haaz Sleiman and Timothy Hutton

Creators: Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland

IMDb Rating | 8.3

Humpo Show Rating | 9.0

Former Marine and financial analyst Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) is working a desk job at the Central Intelligence Agency, specifically in the Terror, Finance, and Arms Division (T-FAD), which is part of the Counter-terrorism Centre (CTC). That is until he is thrust into the field after discovering a string of dubious bank transfers, which are being carried out by a rising Islamic terrorist named Suleiman.

Each of the eight episodes are packed full of action, suspense and a compelling narrative. The series is very reminiscent of seasons three and four of Homeland – in terms of the US involvement in the Middle East and how they contend with terrorism.

Krasinski is a perfect fit for the lead – this is the opinion of someone who hasn’t read the Tom Clancy novels. He brings intensity to the role, which he displayed in spades in his thrilling A Quiet Place earlier this year. But there is also a hint of Jim from The Office in his little bouts of banter and jokes – mainly with Greer – which helps to form a relatable and likable main character.

It isn’t always the case for any TV series to perform well for every episode, there is usually an episode or two that are slightly off the pace. Not with Jack Ryan. From the ‘Pilot’ episode until the final moments of ‘Inshallah;, the series was compelling and an absorbing watch – never dipping below four stars in my opinion. The fact that there is only eight episode in the season perhaps helps the show value quality over quantity. For most US TV shows that I watch, very rarely is there less than 10 episode in a season, so to have eight was a surprising feature.

As I have said, every episode was of a high standard, but as the season progresses and we begin to understand Krasinski’s character more and the stakes that Suleiman is playing to. However, the final three episodes were absolutely fantastic. The complexity of Suleiman’s planning makes for a good battle of wits between him and Jack.

Jack Ryan is a must-watch for fans of Homeland and other espionage/counter-terrorism TV shows and films. The narrative is well thought out, the action is executed perfectly and the characters are all developed. The combination makes for a thrilling drama, which fits really well into the current political climate in the US and Middle East.