CIA Analyst Jack Ryan is trying to save the United States from a looming terrorist attack that could potentially be as large or greater than 9/11.
Amazon Prime’s new series, “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” finds America once again worried about increasing terrorist attacks, but one CIA agent isn’t going down without a fight.
The series, which premiered on Aug. 30, follows the lives of an Islamic extremist, who is now seeking revenge on the world and Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who comes across suspicious bank transfers and looks to halt terrorist actions before they get any worse.
The eight-episode series begins with the life of Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) an average young man who has been working as a CIA analyst for the past four years. Ryan’s job requires him to manage and analyze multiple accounts and watch for suspicious activity. Suddenly, he catches a large transfer of $9 million and alerts his boss.
Initially, his boss James Greer (Wendell Pierce) isn’t interested in getting the United States involved in what could be a casualty by shutting down the account. Behind Greer’s back, Jack has a colleague put in a démarche, which is a written demand from the U.S. Department of State to the Republic of Yemen’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
While Greer isn’t at all pleased with this decision, Ryan continues to look further into the possible threat of a terrorist named Suleiman. Due to the worry of Ryan, CIA field operatives go to Yemen to monitor the bank manager and two men. When the agents can’t distinguish what the two men are saying, they decide to capture them and bring them in for questioning.
In a complex rescue mission, which involves a suicide bomber hiding among dead bodies and the impersonation of a body guard, viewers are finally introduced to Suleiman.
From that moment forward, Ryan, Greer and the rest of the CIA embark on this hunt for Suleiman and his team to bring a halt to whatever large, destructive event they have planned. The Americans find themselves in a back and forth game with deadly consequences, as every mistake brings them closer to a potential catastrophic event from the country and its allies.
One of the most interesting parts of the series is the storyline within the main plot of the show. While the CIA are attempting to stop Suleiman, viewers get a look into the Islamic camp and the actions that are taking place. However, rather than paint the portrait of a religious extremist group, the writers and director made the decision to portray a man who has been hurt by the world and seeks ultimate power as revenge.
Throughout the series, the audience views the life of Suleiman and his only surviving family: his brother. The two have faced many difficulties growing up without any parents while also being a minority in foreign countries. Many times we see brief moments of Suleiman’s mistreatment and how it relates to his character and actions today.
The choice to portray a potential terrorist in this manner is risky and interesting for an American project. It puts an emphasis on the human part of all villains in media and forces us to look beyond their horrible actions to the deeper story.
While the plot for this show is new, the heart of it has a rich history.
The show and “Ryanverse,” as it has been aptly named, are based on author Tom Clancy’s book which stars main character Jack Ryan. Many of Clancy’s books were previously turned into successful films starring the likes of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and more, playing the namesake.
The show is the fifth version of Tom Clancy's character to be released but the first for television.
While the show may have only just premiered, the reception has been nothing but great. So great, in fact, that Amazon Prime already renewed “Jack Ryan” for a second season. Four months before Jack Ryan launched on Amazon Prime Video, the show had already been renewed for season two.
"With so much early anticipation for Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan from our customers and personally having the pleasure to preview the exhilarating, action-packed first season, we are excited to greenlight a second season of the series months ahead of its debut," said Amazon Studios boss Jennifer Salke.
