Jack Ryan Season 2 review: The John Krasinski starrer is watchable

The eight-episode season 2 picks up from last year. Greer was transferred to Moscow — “one of the toughest postings in the world” — and had invited Ryan to join him. We learn that Ryan declined the offer and was stationed in Washington DC and working with Senator Moreno to uncover the Venezuelan puzzle. Talk about like minds thinking alike, Greer, sitting in Moscow, has apprehended a satellite that was launched in the South China sea, with links to Venezuela and aided by Russia. The former boss and subordinate meet again in Caracas, and the tension is thick. While Greer is miffed that Ryan didn’t follow him to Moscow, Ryan seems to feel short-changed regarding credit for his contribution in the last mission. Egos are massaged and opinions asserted, and the two move on. There is a clear shift in the dynamics between the two – Ryan is done taking orders and Greer is more than happy for his former subordinate to come into his own. Amidst all this, Senator Moreno is assassinated in broad daylight in the streets of Caracas. This is personal for Ryan, as the senator was his commanding officer in Afghanistan.

Therein begins the cat-and-mouse game between Ryan and the unknown European assassin, who was hired to kill Moreno. The chase is quite a roller coaster, it involves a black-op up the Orinoco river, a quick trip to London and several attempts on the life of Ryan and many chase sequences. One deserves a special mention — on the rooftops of London, and it ends with the suspect jumping into the Thames. The narrative also weaves in tangent between Venezuelan oil reserves, rigged elections, corrupt politicians and other geopolitical occurrences.

The last season had Ryan tip-toeing his way around, as he figured out his way in the field. This time he is not afraid to call the shots. His tentative self-assurance from last season has morphed into smugness. “Jack is an ass”, says Greer to November, “But that doesn’t make him wrong”. He still “follows the money”, but we also see him jumping off roofs and taking down a platoon of soldiers alone. Ryan had stood out among other super spies and heroes, as he was grounded and idealistic, much more comfortable behind a desk than in the field. Here he tries to balance the two worlds, even though he is highly idealistic and very human — we see him break down as he deals with the loss of his CO, and the time when he felt he had lost Greer — his Rambo-esque stance is a bit odd to come to terms with.

Themes of American democracy, and the purity of the armed forces are recurring. ‘Leave no man behind’ is something of a guiding beacon for the show. But really, in the current political scenario, where almost the entire world is trying to come to terms with a new political order, the ‘American idealist’ dream seems a bit archaic, and in need of a desperate update. And if only they could get their own house in order, before rescuing other ‘failed states’ in the world.

But nonetheless, Jack Ryan is watchable, courtesy its tight writing and detailing. The narrative is more complex and layered, reflecting global geopolitics. The scale of the show is quite expansive, and we are taken through USA, Latin America, Russia and England. Highly predictable, yet we are glued. Maybe its Ryan’s evolution, or his chemistry with Greer.