Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Season Three Early Review

The misadventures of the titular CIA case officer are continuing in another season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Being right despite being constantly being doubted by one’s peers must be exhausting. Nevertheless, here we are again. In a world that is always on a perpetual state of war, this season may hit a little closer to home but that being said, it could always count on Ryan to save the day. Suffice it to say that it wasn’t easy as he once again found himself in the middle of a decade-spanning mystery full of twists and turns as the season plays out, taking him across Europe and Russia while in the crosshairs of those looking to stop him. Ryan once again had to save the world before it was too late and doing so meant facing new and old enemies and joining forces with new and old allies to uncover a rogue faction looking to cause chaos and destabilize the world for their personal gain. In terms of the spy genre, the series may not bring all that new to the table. However, it still delivers a season that is sure to leave viewers on the edge of their seats right along Ryan as he fought for his life. Not so much the consummate underdog anymore, Krasinski has definitely not lost a beat and remains very much rootable as Ryan.

Working out of the Rome station, Ryan is given a anonymous tip about the Sokol Project, a plan to restore the Soviet Union to its former glory after allegedly being shut down 50 years prior. Looking into that tip, little did he know he would be caught up in a wide-reaching conspiracy as a target was placed on his back. Being accused of treason and having a red notice placed on him, Ryan had to continue his pursuit of the secretive faction responsible and their nuclear weapon in the hopes of stopping the developed world from destabilizing virtually on his own as his government looked to arrest him. Both sides of that coin made for some tense moments for Ryan. As he worked to evade or get ahead of the forces that be who wanted him eliminated, the true history of the Sokol Project and its connection to and in the context of the current day storyline was slowly revealed over the course of the season while the few allies he had left in old colleague James Greer and CIA Rome Station Chief Elizabeth Wright (Betty Gabriel) worked behind the scenes to keep control of the situation and fight for Ryan’s freedom. Meanwhile, another big player in the story is Czech President Alena Kovac (Nina Hoss) who found herself in the middle of a geopolitical conflict among other things.

As Ryan’s pursuit got closer to the truth and all the surrounding pieces inevitably started to come together, it was truly riveting to watch as the mystery started to take shape. The tension and suspense were not exactly exclusive to him. While it didn’t necessarily all work, everyone had something to do with each having their moments as the season advanced returning characters or established some promising new ones in Wright and Kovac. But at the end of the day, this was undisputedly Ryan’s show as he lone-wolf-ed his way through with the occasional assist. The action set pieces were well-executed and had stakes that added to the tension and not to mention were thrilling to watch, be it vehicle chases or shootouts. Each of those moments ultimately propelled by strong dialog and strong performances from the aforementioned Krasinski as Ryan and the cast as a whole. The dynamic between Ryan and Wendell Pierce as Greer is still alive and well with their chemistry not missing a beat despite the fact that it takes more of a backseat here. Gabriel was solid as a teetering authority figure driven by ambition and love of country; however, Hoss was impressive as Kovac, taking the rare female head of state angle further. The remainder of the supporting cast, from newcomer James Cosmo to the returning Michael Kelly all fit in nicely.

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is another winner that will continue to thrill fans of the series and as far as any other concerns, it is likely to be deemed as more of the same. It’s basically an extended spy action thriller for better or worse though for a lot of viewers, that’s enough. What makes it stand out above the rest, albeit slightly is John Krasinski.

still courtesy of Amazon Studios

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.