Jack Ryan Season Two (Spoiler-Free) Review

I want to preface this review with a disclaimer: Jack Ryan isn’t my kind of show. And that’s perfectly ok. I don’t enjoy action movies all that much, and I found myself less than invested in the spy games going on in season two of the series. So, since I know this isn’t the kind of show I like to watch, I’ll take that in consideration when writing up this review.

So, Jack Ryan season two was, for my money, a much better example of what the series can do than season one (which I found dull and uninspired, while committing the mortal sin of misusing John Krasinski). This season, the site of the international intrigue is Venezuela, where Jack and company are trying to ensure fair elections and deal with the assassination of a US Senator (that may or may not have been ordered by the Venezuelan president). Yes, that’s a lot of plot, but the eight episode season manages to churn through it at just the right pace, providing just enough for the ever expanding cast to do (save for recent addition Noomi Rapace who is criminally underused and given a shockingly thin stereotypical arc that left me feeling plain sorry for her).

Joining holdovers Krasinski (who gets to use his boundless charm to great effect throughout the season – something that was sorely missing in season one) and Wendell Pierce (also given a lot more to do this time around as Ryan’s former boss James Greer) are a solid list of familiar faces. Rapace plays a mysterious European spy; Michael Kelly (Doug Stamper of the late House of Cards) is a CIA field officer assigned to Caracas; Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqen H’ghar from Game of Thrones) is, you guessed it, a creepy assassin; Cristina Umaña (best know to American audiences from Narcos) is sensational as the politician running against the Venezuelan president. It’s a solid supporting cast. I just wish the story was a bit more involved than the one we get.

Here’s the thing about Jack Ryan: We’re always pretty darn sure Jack is going to get out alive. Sure, those around him are in constant danger, but we need Jack to get through this relatively unscathed so he can battle the bad guys again next year. But that’s pretty much a given with most action stories: The title character likely isn’t going anywhere. But where Jack Ryan could really elevate itself above the general fray is in its storytelling. You have as talented a group of actors that ever assembled for an action story. Give them something new and interesting to play. But alas, we don’t get that here.

This season, the writers have opted not to square Jack against an intellectual equal. There’s no major puzzle to solve, and Jack really isn’t even working directly against the main threat of the season – Venezuela continuing to be governed by a dictator. This does two things that make the season less compelling, if more fun, than season one. First, it pulls Jack out of the main action. With his own personal agenda to take care of (albeit one that dovetails nicely into the season’s main goal by season’s end), Jack is often operating as a lone wolf on side missions. Sure, it’s great to see Krasinski commanding the screen, but so much of his strength as an actor comes from his amazing ability to play off others. When he’s jumping across buildings it looks awesome, but anyone could do that. You hire Krasinski for his scene work and his ability to create a character everyone falls in love with.

The second thing is that it lets us get to know other characters better (which is the fun part). Wendell Pierce is a joy to watch be a curmudgeon with a good heart, and we get to spend lots of time watching him do just that. Michael Kelly is great at keeping us guessing regarding his loyalties, and we get to spend a lot of time watching him do just that. Season two of Jack Ryan feels much more like an ensemble series than a star showcase, and that only works in its favor. After all, I don’t care if Greer is in danger if I haven’t spent enough time growing to like him as a character. I just wish the plot surrounding them wasn’t nearly as thin and uninspiring to watch. You can spot the twists and turns from miles away, which zaps any suspense from the goings on.

So, if you’re an action fan, you are going to love season two of Jack Ryan. It has some spectacular action set pieces, fun chase scenes, some interesting bad guys, and eight episodes that don’t let up. If you aren’t an action fan by nature, I’d suggest skipping this one. While there’s enough to capture those looking for a fun action spectacular, the show still lacks an emotional center or strong character development. That’s not to say the cast isn’t trying their best with what they are given, but it just isn’t enough to make the series a truly engaging drama.

Jack Ryan‘s second season drops on Amazon Prime Friday, November 1.