The series premiered on August 31, 2018 on Amazon Prime Video. Ahead of the third season, Amazon renewed the series for a fourth season[2] and in May 2022, it was confirmed the series would end after its fourth season, which premiered on June 29, 2023 and concluded on July 14.[3] A spin-off starring Michael Peña as Ding Chavez is in development.[4]
Premise
The first season follows the titular CIA analyst as he is wrenched from the security of his desk job into the field after discovering a string of dubious bank transfers, which are being carried out by a rising Islamic extremist named Suleiman.
The second season sees Jack in the middle of political warfare in a corrupt Venezuela.
In the third season, Jack investigates a plot to re-create the former Soviet Union by detonating an untraceable tactical nuclear bomb in a country of former Eastern Bloc.
In the fourth season, Jack, now the CIA's acting deputy director, will face his most dangerous mission yet, which involves a foe operating both in the United States and further afield. The trouble begins after he begins investigating rumours of internal corruption, during which he and his trusted associates uncover evidence of an alliance between a drug cartel and a terrorist organization.
Cast and characters
Main
John Krasinski as Dr. Jack Ryan, a former U.S. Marine officer and Afghanistan veteran working as a financial analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), specifically the Terror Finance and Arms Division (T-FAD) under the Counterterrorism Center (CTC); later promoted to head of T-FAD. In season 3, Jack is working in the field as a CIA operations officer. Krasinski's interpretation of the character is said to be inspired by Harrison Ford's portrayal in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. Director and executive producer Daniel Sackheim said: "What was so great about the Harrison Ford movies was that they were about an everyman hero. He was a guy who wasn't a superhero. He was heroic, but he was vulnerable. He wasn't afraid to be scared. He was a regular man and a hero."[5][relevant?]
Wendell Pierce as James Greer, Ryan's boss in T-FAD, a non-practising Muslim and former CIA station chief in Karachi; later promoted to deputy station chief in Moscow, and then[when?] re-assigned to Venezuela by request. In Season 4, Greer becomes CIA deputy director upon Jack's resignation from the post.
Abbie Cornish as Dr. Cathy Mueller (season 1 & 4), Ryan's love interest, a physician specializing in infectious diseases and spokeperson for the World Health Organization.
Ali Suliman as Mousa bin Suleiman (season 1), a Lebanese-born French Islamic terrorist skilled in finance who is radicalized after graduating from Dauphine and seeks to establish a unified Islamic caliphate against the West with his brother Ali
Dina Shihabi as Hanin Ali (season 1), Suleiman's wife.
Jovan Adepo as Marcus Bishop (season 2), a retired U.S. Navy special crewman now fixing boats, reluctantly recruited back into action with call sign "Uber (Select)".
Michael Kelly as Mike November (seasons 2–4), CIA station chief in Venezuela, twice divorced from U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela Lisa Calabrese.
Betty Gabriel as Elizabeth Wright (seasons 3–4), CIA station chief in Rome, and Jack's superior;[6] later promoted to CIA director.
Low-level CIA financial analyst Jack Ryan comes to believe that $9 million of unusual financial transactions are connected to a new Yemeni terrorist named Suleiman. Jack meets medical doctor Cathy Mueller at a social function before he is collected by helicopter and then taken via a plane to Yemen by James Greer, his new boss in the Terror, Finance, and Arms Division (T-FAD) of the CIA. The man seemingly responsible for the payments and his assumed bodyguard are being interrogated when the American base is attacked by rebels/militia. The attackers then rescue the bodyguard, who an injured Jack then realizes is really Suleiman.
Jack reconnects with Cathy, and Suleiman's wife Hanin is concerned about the armed terrorists he has brought to their home. Jack and Greer figure out that their target is Mousa Bin Suleiman, a French national. His phone records lead them to an apartment outside of Paris, where Suleiman's brother Ali is transferring funds. Jack and Greer accompany French intelligence in their raid, but an injured Ali manages to escape in the middle of the ensuing shootout, which ends in French police officers shooting a woman wearing a bomb vest while she pleads for help, causing an explosion.
In pursuit of Ali, Jack and Greer learn that he is traveling to a rendezvous point in southern France. Hanin escapes with her daughters, but Suleiman sends men after her. One kills the other and attempts to rape Hanin. Meanwhile, Victor, an American drone pilot based in Las Vegas, struggles with his conscience; he later saves Hanin from her attacker with an unauthorized drone strike.
4
4
"The Wolf"
Daniel Sackheim
Carlton Cuse & Graham Roland
August 31, 2018 (2018-08-31)
Suleiman starts an insurrection within ISIS and imprisons its leader, consolidating control of the organization and taking control of 12 hostage physicians from Doctors Without Borders. Jack and French intelligence officer Sandrine Arnaud track Ali to a remote gas station; Sandrine is killed in a shootout with Ali, whom Jack shoots and kills in self-defense. Meanwhile, Suleiman's terrorist cell in Paris stages a sarin gas attack on the funeral of a well-known French priest.
5
5
"End of Honor"
Patricia Riggen
Story by : Stephen Kronish Teleplay by : Stephen Kronish & Daria Polatin
August 31, 2018 (2018-08-31)
Hanin requests political asylum for herself and her daughters in a refugee camp in Turkey, naming Suleiman as her husband and attracting the attention of the CIA. In the aftermath of the Paris church attack, Jack manages to make contact with Suleiman using the messaging board on a video game, posing as Ali. Suleiman detects the ruse, but Jack confirms that Hanin has indeed left her husband, and tells Suleiman that Ali is dead. Jack and Greer proceed to Turkey to extract Hanin and the girls, but she has paid someone to smuggle them from the camp to the coast.
6
6
"Sources and Methods"
Carlton Cuse
Story by : Patrick Aison Teleplay by : Patrick Aison & Annie Jacobsen
August 31, 2018 (2018-08-31)
Jack and Greer, with aid from a Turkish sex trafficker, track Hanin and her daughters to the Turkish coast, where Suleiman's henchman is also in pursuit of the women. Greer reveals that he was PNG'd from Karachi because he had killed his asset, a Pakistani army officer, who was going to turn him in to the authorities to be tortured and killed. Meanwhile, Victor learns that one of his "terrorist" targets had been misidentified and travels to Syria to make amends with the family. Cathy investigates a man infected with a strain of the Ebola virus thought eradicated. It is revealed that six months before in Liberia, Suleiman and Ali had dug up the body of a person who died from the same strain.
Cathy is questioned about her Ebola report and is furious to discover that Jack works for the CIA. Meanwhile, CIA officials debate on whether to capture Suleiman or kill him in an airstrike. Jack and Greer try to convince their superiors to settle on a covert ground assault to do the former, as well as extracting Hanin's son, Samir. The CIA has learned about the hostage doctors, and US President Pickett approves the mission. JSOC forces storm the compound but find no sign of Suleiman; instead, they locate and rescue the physicians. As one of them, Dr. Daniel Nadler, is welcomed by his longtime friend Pickett, Jack and Greer realize that the doctors have been intentionally infected with the Ebola virus.
8
8
"Inshallah"
Daniel Sackheim
Carlton Cuse & Graham Roland
August 31, 2018 (2018-08-31)
Pickett, as well as other high-ranking government officials, are quarantined for exposure to Ebola. Suleiman arrives in the country with Samir to carry out another attack, this time a release of cesium into the ventilation system of Washington Memorial Hospital, intending to kill Pickett and throw the United States into chaos. Jack and Greer warn the Secret Service, and Jack chases Suleiman to a nearby train station and kills him before he can activate the device remotely. Jack and Greer later return Samir to Hanin. For stopping the terrorist attack, Greer is promoted to deputy station chief in Moscow, and Jack replaces him as head of T-FAD.
Jack Ryan searches for the truth behind Venezuela's transactions with various World Powers. James Greer finds out about a satellite that launched from a contact in Moscow. Greer suffers from a heart condition and is threatened to be restricted to a desk. Greer requests a change of station to Venezuela so he can follow the boat the satellite was launched from. Meanwhile Jack and Senator Jamie Moreno meet with President Nicolas Reyes in Venezuela to discuss what the U.S. believes to be a shipment of nuclear weapons that is being hidden in the jungle of Venezuela. The president denies all involvement. An assassin named Max Schenkel is hired to take out Jack and Senator Moreno. Greer meets with Ryan and Senator Moreno and Greer reveals that the ship he is investigating is also the one Ryan believes to have shipped nuclear weapons. Ryan sleeps with a woman who bugs his room and is revealed to be a German spy. The next day when Ryan and Moreno are scheduled to fly home, the security team with them diverts from the direct course. The American convoy is ambushed and Moreno is assassinated by Max but police arrive before Ryan can be harmed. The head of the security detail that was paid off returns home to find his family murdered and he escapes a would be assassin when his dog saves his life. The episode ends with Jack calling Senator Moreno's wife and trying to tell her of his death.
10
2
"Tertia Optio"
Phil Abraham
Vince Calandra & Daria Polatin
October 31, 2019 (2019-10-31)
Jack is granted permission from Senator Chapin to stay in Venezuela. The head of security shows up to the American Embassy and is interrogated by Ryan, Greer, and Mike November the Station Chief in Venezuela. He reveals he was paid money by someone to change the course of the security detail. President Reyes denies involvement in the events that are keeping Jack in country. Meanwhile, Jack and Harriet team up to follow a lead that could create dissension within the ranks.
The U.S. Special Activities team lands in Venezuela where Jack's intel leads them to a militia guarded compound. Deep in the jungle, Jack's search for answers puts the whole team in danger. President Reyes's opponent, Gloria Bonalde, proves to be a real contender in the upcoming election.
12
4
"Dressed to Kill"
Andrew Bernstein
Graham Roland & Nolan Dunbar
October 31, 2019 (2019-10-31)
Relieved of duty in Venezuela, Jack follows a new trail to London and seeks the help of MI5, only to discover the man he's after is also after him. Meanwhile, Reyes visits Gloria Bonalde and offers her to become the Minister of the Interior and Justice, as well as his successor in the next presidential election in 6 years, but in return Gloria must withdraw her candidacy from the elections this year. Ryan, with the help of MI-5 and German intelligence agent Harry Baumann, arranges an ambush to capture Max Schenkel, but the trap does not work and Jack has to chase Max across the rooftops of London, who manages to escape. In the last scene, Schenkel looks through the recordings from his camera, on which he sees the face of Ryan, as well as his former colleague and lover Harry.
Using Max's daughter as bait, Jack and Harry convince Max to meet face to face. At the meeting, Harry kills Max with a gunshot to the head. Stranded in the jungle, Marcus stumbles across a prisoner camp. Greer visits Gloria hoping to draw a connection between Reyes and her missing husband.
14
6
"Persona Non Grata"
Dennie Gordon
David Graziano & Daria Polatin
October 31, 2019 (2019-10-31)
Reyes accuses the U.S. of tampering with the election. The U.S. Embassy is evacuated. Jack, Greer and Mike November must decide whether to follow orders or go off the grid. Reyes's men pursue Matice and the American soldiers in the jungle.
15
7
"Dios y Federacion"
Dennie Gordon
Graham Roland & Carlton Cuse
October 31, 2019 (2019-10-31)
The election in Venezuela is moved up. Stranded in a hostile country, Jack and Mike fight for their lives, while Greer is interrogated. The Ubarri family must decide to flee or face Reyes.
16
8
"Strongman"
Andrew Bernstein
Carlton Cuse & Graham Roland
October 31, 2019 (2019-10-31)
Jack heads to the Presidential Palace to retrieve Greer. When the polls are shut down, violent protests erupt outside the palace, and Jack must make a decision that could determine his future.
In 1969, a secret project to develop a nuclear weapon, Sokol, is deactivated. Under the orders of Luka Gocharov, a Soviet officer, all of the project scientists are killed. In the present, Jack Ryan learns that Sokol has been reactivated, and is informed that a 3-megaton nuclear weapon may have already been developed. He receives a tip from an asset, Zoya Ivanova. With this, Jack predicts that Sokol is part of an older Soviet war plan to sow confusion in western Europe, culminating in the detonation of a nuclear weapon. Jack is sent the location of a cargo ship, and organizes a team to retrieve what he suspects is the weapon. After leading a team to the ship, he discovers that the payload is a Sokol project scientist, Yuri, who is trying to defect from Russia. The team drops Jack and Yuri off at a rally point on a beach in Greece, but they are quickly ambushed. Much of the extraction team is killed, and Jack and Yuri flee to Athens. Jack and Yuri evade their pursuers, led by a Russian spy, Konstantin, but Yuri is killed. Jack escapes and calls Greer and Elizabeth Wright, the Rome station chief. They inform Jack that the investigation into Sokol is being terminated, and that he is to return to Rome, as he is wanted for accidentally killing a Greek police officer. Jack decides to flee and destroys his phone. In Prague, Czech president, Alena Kovac, prepares to meet with Popov, the Russian Defense Minister. During a publicity event at a soccer game between the Russian and Czech teams, Popov is shot and killed.
In 1969, Luka collects possessions of the slain project scientists and returns them to their families. While doing this, he discovers one of the scientists did not go to work that day, and has survived. In present day, Greer surreptitiously sends money to Jack. Jack has an encounter with Konstantin and flees. Greer and Elizabeth arrive in Athens to look for Jack. Jack encounters Tony, a pimp that he had previously fought;[b] Tony takes him in and hides him from Konstantin. Radek, Alena Kovac's head of security, meets with Popov's assassin and kills him; he had originally hired the assassin. Jack reunites with Mike November in Greece, where he is now a private contractor. Elizabeth reveals that she knows that Greer is helping Jack, and sends Greer to Prague to meet with Kovac.
19
3
"Running With Wolves"
Jann Turner
Jennifer Kennedy
December 21, 2022 (2022-12-21)
Jack and Mike November travel to Vienna to meet Zoya Ivanova and learn about Sokol. Mike November and Jack board a train to travel to Budapest, but alter the surveillance footage to make it seem like they are going to Semmering, Austria. On the train, they encounter Luka and Konstantin. Konstantin appears ready to kill Jack, but is unexpectedly shot and killed by Luka. Jack learns that it is a rogue Russian faction, not affiliated with the Russian government that is looking to destabilize western Europe and bring back the Soviet Union. Luka explains that he is trying to help Jack by getting him intelligence to keep the rogue faction from succeeding. Jack calls Elizabeth and tells her about this plot to resurrect the Soviet Union. At a Czech hunting lodge, Zubkov, Lychkin, Petrov and other Russians meet with Petr Kovac, Alena Kovac's father, and it hints that they are members of a rogue Russian faction. Petr Kovac shoots and kills Lychkin from the hunting party. In Prague, Greer meets with Alena Kovac and investigates the assassination at the stadium. Alena tells Greer that the Czech Republic will purchase surface-to-air missiles, which was a point of contention with the Russian government.
20
4
"Our Death's Keeper"
Jann Turner
Dario Scardapane
December 21, 2022 (2022-12-21)
In Budapest, Jack and Mike plan a sting on a slippery arms dealer to ascertain the whereabouts of the Sokol nuclear device, as Greer discovers some intriguing, and potentially incriminating, information on Petr Kovac.
Jack and Mike head to a mysterious, abandoned outpost in Russia to seize the Sokol nuclear device, but an unexpected visitor foils their plans. Meanwhile, Petr seeks to rescue Alena, who has been kidnapped by her own head of security, Radek.
Luka Goncharov meets with members of a rogue Russian faction, who are loading a nuclear device delivered by Goncharov into a truck. Meanwhile, Jack and Mike arrive at the US Embassy in Prague and, together with the American ambassador and Greer, try to determine the airfield where the Sokol nuclear device will arrive. The director of the CIA calls Elizabeth Wright to him, informs her of her dismissal and begins an operation to detain Jack, so that Ryan and Wright can then be brought to justice. Jack deceives the capture team and, together with Mike, surrenders to the Czech police. At this time, unknown people in Poland kidnap the daughter and wife of Radek, the former bodyguard of the Czech president. Jack and Mike meet with President Kovac and tell her about the Sokol plan of the rogue Russian faction that delivered a nuclear device to the Czech Republic and plans to detonate it. President Kovac calls an emergency meeting and warns the NATO command. The NATO military base has been alerted. Ryan discovers that the Russians' plan is not to undermine a military base but that their target is a convoy. Jack and Mike follow the NATO convoy by helicopter and warn them of the threat. Ryan suggests a reckless plan — one of the NATO vehicles lingers in the tunnel, blocking the way, giving the rest of the convoy time to leave. The lights go out in the tunnel and a Russian truck with nuclear weapons crashes into a NATO car and explodes, bringing down the tunnel along with the hill. At this time, Luka Goncharov meets with Petr Kovac, in whom he recognizes the former sergeant Petr Lebedev, who in 1969 disobeyed orders and deserted. President Kovac learns the location of her father from Radek's wife and Czech special forces storm the residence, killing Petr's guards. Alena Kovac talks to her father and leaves him to die, while Goncharov throws off new coordinates to Ryan. President Kovac, Jack Ryan, Mike November, James Greer and Luka Goncharov fly to Moscow.
In Moscow, Jack teams up with Luka to expose high-ranking members of the clique in the government, who are now organizing a secret plan "Sokol". Luka goes to a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Alexei Petrov, who is going to get rid of Luka. Petrov arrives at the meeting and Luka manages to bring out the dialogue in such a way that Petrov in his own words confirms his involvement in the murder of Popov, his participation in the conspiracy and disloyalty to Russian President Surikov. Ryan helps Goncharov escape, after which Luka gives him a recording of Petrov's words. Mike, Greer and President Kovac meet with Popov's widow in Moscow and let her listen to a recording of Petrov's confession. The widow promises to arrange a meeting for Alena Kovac with President Surikov. At this time, President Surikov convenes the Russian Security Council, at which Defense Minister Petrov recommends continuing the escalation. Ryan and Goncharov search the house of captain 1st rank Rolan Antonov and find an order for the introduction of a nuclear-armed ship "Fearless" (Russian: Бесстрашный) into the Baltic Sea. The order was signed by Defense Minister Petrov, although he does not have such authority. Jack and Luka realize that this is the beginning of a coup d'etat, and this was the purpose of the Sokol plan. Ryan reports this to the CIA Director Elizabeth Wright, who passes this information to the US president, but he says that this data is not enough.
24
8
"Star on the Wall"
Jann Turner
Vaun Wilmott
December 21, 2022 (2022-12-21)
Jack, Greer, Wright, Alena and Luka are all working together to prevent the outbreak of World War III. Luka Goncharov arrives on the Russian warship «Fearless», gets rid of the escort, but he has to surrender to the guards of Rolan Antonov. Defense Minister Petrov holds an informal meeting, where he begins voting for the removal of President Surikov from the leadership of the country. Through a system of underground tunnels, Alena Kovac and Mike November enter the Kremlin and meet with Russian President Surikov, who is given an audio recording of Petrov's confession about his participation in the conspiracy. Luka manages to persuade senior assistant Kagansky to release him. Despite Jack and Luka's intervention, the situation escalates into a small firefight between the «Fearless» and the USS «Roosevelt». Ryan manages to keep the commander of the «Roosevelt» from responding promptly to the attack of the «Fearless». Goncharov, together with Kagansky, go to the bridge and accuse Captain 1st rank Antonov of giving illegal orders that were not approved by the president and could start World War III. Having removed Antonov from command, Colonel Goncharov gets in touch with the commander of the USS «Roosevelt» warship and completely de-escalates the situation. After exposing the coup d'etat, Russian President Surikov orders the arrests of Petrov and his accomplices in the top leadership of the Ministry of Defense. Petrov was shot by the Kremlin security. The US President thanks Elizabeth Wright, after which he goes to a telephone conversation with President Surikov. A week later, Elizabeth Wright presents a state award to Jack Ryan and James Greer, who narrowly averted the war. At this time, Luka is taken away, presumably ordered to be killed.
New CIA Director Elizabeth Wright and her acting Deputy Director, Jack Ryan, report to the US president that the president of Nigeria has been assassinated. Jack later testifies to a US Senate committee that the CIA may have been involved in the assassination but it is now almost impossible to prove this due to the influence of former CIA Director Miller. The Marquez cartel has eliminated its last direct competitor in Mexico, to ensure its monopoly over US drug trafficking. Domingo Chavez, Marquez's cousin, is informed by Lieutenant Marales of the Mexican Federal police that the authorities consider the cartel weakened and are preparing to raid the cartel's laboratory. Chao Fah, a representative of an Asian triad, flies from Myanmar to Mexico to inspect the laboratory and meet with Marquez to make a deal with the cartel and start deliveries. He visits the laboratory but is interrupted by the police raid, deploying automatic weapons. Jack collects documentation for nine mysterious operations, but neither he nor James Greer can decipher Miller's file encryption. Ryan and Wright decide to stop funding and close these operations. Chavez enters Jack’s home surreptitiously and demands he restore funding for the closed operations within 24 hours.
Jack Ryan delves into redacted files left by the CIA's former director, Miller, uncovering covert operations led by Domingo Chavez under a program named Pluto. Chavez reveals his unknowing ties to the Silver Lotus Triad through the Marquez cartel. The episode highlights the potential threat of a cartel-terrorist alliance at America's southern border. As Jack's investigation deepens, involving former agent Mike November and rekindling his relationship with Dr. Cathy Mueller, Miller is found dead in a staged suicide.
27
3
"Sacrifices"
Shana Stein
Jada M. Nation
July 7, 2023 (2023-07-07)
Elizabeth arrives in Lagos as a US peace envoy, aiming to assure Nigeria's acting President Okoli that the CIA wasn't involved in the assassination of his predecessor. She's accompanied by Ade Osoji, a US-based oil lobbyist, who provides insights into Nigeria's political landscape. Meanwhile, Jack Ryan, after resigning from his deputy director position, teams up with Mike November and Domingo Chavez. Their mission leads them to Yucatan, Mexico, where they target the Marquez Cartel and Chao in Myanmar. The trio conducts a raid on a cartel drug lab, capturing triad contraband. Under pressure, Chavez's cartel contact reveals the location of "the marketplace" in Dubrovnik, Croatia, a hub for the Marquez and Silver Lotus Triad. Chao, fearing betrayal from the triad, takes drastic actions, highlighting the triad's involvement in human trafficking and money laundering. Elizabeth's candid approach is tested as the conspiracy within the CIA unfolds, and Greer faces threats to his and his son's life, emphasizing the sacrifices made by agents.
28
4
"Bethesda"
Jann Turner
Robert Port and Aaron Rabin
July 7, 2023 (2023-07-07)
Jack Ryan, Domingo Chavez, and Mike November arrive in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Their objective is to connect with Chao at "The Marketplace," a black market run by Olafsky. To gain entry, they collaborate with Katarina, a high-end madam, and Zubkov, a Russian arms dealer from the previous season. However, their plan to meet Chao goes awry. Elizabeth Wright returns from Lagos, navigating political challenges, and trusting Jack's field decisions. James Greer investigates shell companies linked to Miller and faces an assassination attempt by Tuttle, but survives. Zeyara Lemos, a philanthropist close to Cathy Mueller and Elizabeth Wright, is revealed to be secretly aligned with the Silver Lotus Triad. She tasks Chao with overseeing the Myanmar operations. At Olafsky's party, the team discovers "triggers," mysterious devices with world-changing implications. After some fighting, they escape with the triggers. Chao then sends them coordinates.
29
5
"Wukong"
Lukas Ettlin
Joe Greskoviak and Aaron Rabin
July 14, 2023 (2023-07-14)
Jack Ryan, Domingo Chavez, and Mike November, using false identities, enter Myanmar following coordinates provided by Chao. They are greeted by Chao, who is working undercover within Zeyara Lemos's criminal operation. Their mission is to thwart her plans and help Chao escape with his family. Zeyara lures Cathy Mueller to Myanmar under the guise of humanitarian aid to distract Jack. With Chao's assistance, the team infiltrates the Wukong Casino, placing explosives on the triggers in its vault. As events unfold, Zeyara's plans begin to crumble. Mike takes out her convoy, and Cathy manages to escape captivity. Chao is killed while his family escapes with Jack, Mike, and Domingo. The episode concludes with Jack's capture by Zeyara's forces.
30
6
"Proof of Concept"
Lukas Ettlin
Aaron Rabin
July 14, 2023 (2023-07-14)
Jack Ryan endures torture by Zeyara Lemos, seeking details about her criminal plans. Domingo Chavez orchestrates a rescue, while Mike November arranges their escape. In DC, Elizabeth Wright becomes the new CIA director and confronts Ade Osoji, linked to Zeyara's schemes. Back in Myanmar, after intense torture, Jack is saved by Chavez who also kills Zeyara. The team discovers Zeyara's plan to smuggle bombs into the US. A border confrontation ensues, leading to the bombs' defusal. The episode wraps with Jack exposing Senator Henshaw's ties to Zeyara's operations.
Production
Development
On September 22, 2015, it was announced that Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland were developing a television series adaptation of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series of novels.
The potential series was described as "a new contemporary take on the character using the novels as source material". Production companies involved with the project were slated to include Paramount Television, Platinum Dunes and Skydance Media.[8] A week later, following a bidding war among multiple television networks, it was announced that streaming service Amazon Video had purchased the rights to the series.[9]
Amazon proceeded to put the production into development during which time they ordered three scripts written by Cuse and Roland. On August 16, 2016, it was announced that the production had been given a straight-to-series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes.[10]
In January 2017, it was announced that Morten Tyldum would direct the pilot[11] and that Daniel Sackheim would direct multiple episodes and produce the series.[12]
On April 24, 2018, it was reported that Amazon had renewed the series. The second season was set in South America, where Ryan takes on "a dangerous, declining democratic regime."[13] On May 14, 2018, it was reported that Richard Rutkowski had served as cinematographer for the pilot and that Checco Varese had acted in the role for the following seven episodes of season one.[14]
On August 14, 2018, it was announced that Phil Abraham was joining the series as an executive producer and would direct the first two episodes of the second season.[15]
On September 4, 2018, it was reported that Dennie Gordon would direct three episodes of season two and serve as an executive producer.[16]
On February 13, 2019, Amazon renewed the series for a third season at the TCA press tour which is scheduled to be released on December 21, 2022.[17][18]
On October 24, 2019, Paul Scheuring was reported to be the showrunner for season three, as well as an executive producer.[19] Scheuring stepped down as showrunner in January 2020 "after discovering he wasn't a good fit". He was replaced by Vaun Wilmott, a writer and producer on Star Trek: Discovery.[20] On October 14, 2021, before the release of the third season, Amazon renewed the series for a fourth season.[2] On May 9, 2022, before the release of the third season, it was confirmed the series would end after the fourth season, which premiered on June 30, 2023.[3] A spin-off revolving around Peña's character was also announced to be in development.[21]
Alongside the announcement of the series' renewal, it was confirmed that Krasinski and Pierce would return for the second season.[13] On May 4, 2018, it was reported John Hoogenakker had been promoted to a series regular for season two after previously appearing in season one in a recurring capacity.[30] On July 20, 2018, it was announced during Amazon's San Diego Comic-Con panel that Noomi Rapace had joined the main cast for season two.[31] In August 2018, it was announced that Michael Kelly, Jovan Adepo, Jordi Molla, Cristina Umaña, and Francisco Denis had joined the cast of season two as series regulars.[32][33] On September 25, 2018, it was reported that Tom Wlaschiha had been cast in a recurring role for season two.[34] Upon the series' fourth-season renewal announcement, Michael Peña joined the cast in an undisclosed role.[2] On October 18, 2021, it was reported that Cornish will reprise her role as Dr. Cathy Mueller for the fourth season.[35]
Production on the third season of Jack Ryan began in May 2021, with locations including Prague, Czech Republic.[43] Season 3 was released on Prime Video in December 2022.[44]
On June 16, 2018, the series held its world premiere at the 58th Annual Monte-Carlo Television Festival at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The event included a screening of the series' pilot episode that was attended by cast members John Krasinski, Dina Shihabi and Wendell Pierce, alongside series creators, showrunners and executive producers Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland.[49][50]
Home media
Paramount Home Media Distribution released Blu-ray and DVD disc editions of the first season of Jack Ryan on June 4, 2019. The Blu-ray edition includes deleted scenes and Dolby Atmos surround soundtrack not available when viewing through Amazon Prime.[51]
The series premiered to a positive critical response. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 75% with an average rating of 6.4 out of 10, based on 85 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "Though not as thematically rich as some of its geopolitical predecessors, Jack Ryan is a satisfying addition to the genre buoyed by exceptional action sequences and a likable cast."[52]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 66 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[53]
In a positive review, RogerEbert.com's Nick Allen praised the series saying, "Expertly plotted by creators Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan is all the more impactful for its restraint and scope, offering excellent character-based drama that's concerned with much more than just its namesake."[62] Similarly favorable, The Gazette's Terry Terrones awarded the series a grade of "A−" and directed specific approval towards Krasinski's performance saying, "This version of Jack Ryan is relatable, but also admirable because the actor portraying him can balance so many aspects of the character with ease. Krasinski plays him so naturally I couldn't tell where he ended and Ryan began."[63] In another enthusiastic appraisal, Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall accorded the series three and a half stars out of five and complimented it saying, "Like Jack Ryan himself, the Amazon show is smart and confident and thorough. That's enough to get the job done."[64]
In a more mixed assessment, TVLine's Dave Nemetz gave the series a grade of "C+" and offered the series restrained commendation saying, "Amazon's awkwardly titled Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan is at its best when things are exploding, delivering a number of impressively high-octane action sequences on a scale rarely seen on television. The rest of the series, though, is disappointingly mediocre ... and its choice of leading man may be a major stumbling block."[65] In a negative critique, Vanity Fair's Sonia Saraiya chastised the show saying "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan is hysterical. Hysterical as in histrionic; hysterical as in somehow funny; hysterical as in you wish its team had worked harder to take the temperature of the world around us before sending this highly charged and obscenely blinkered James Bond manqué into the world."[66] Equally dismissive, Paste's Amy Amatangelo criticized the series saying, "But more often than not, the show plods along with no real sense of urgency. I often had to restrain myself from scrolling through my phone. I was that bored while I was watching. Those indoctrinated into the Jack Ryan canon via the books or the movies will find the eight-episode series is faithful to the spirit of all that preceded it. I'm just not sure we needed it at all."[67]
The series has been criticized for a scene in the episode "Black 22" in which a character uses the word tranny. LGBT activist Eliel Cruz alleged that the scene treats a major cause of violence against trans women as "a throwaway joke."[68][69] Similarly, the series has also received criticism in French publications for its depiction of the country, specifically in the episodes "French Connection" and "Black 22", where various scenes have been condemned. Stéphanie Guerrin of Le Parisien expressed her concern for the dialogue spoken by and about the French saying, "This series of dangerously caricatural comments leaves one wondering."[70]Le Point's Bastien Haugel specifically took grievance, in an otherwise positive review, with the portrayal of a French policeman who espoused anti-Muslim views calling it "dangerously caricatural".[71]
Season 2
Previews of season two, in which Ryan ends up on a mission to Venezuela to "bring stability to a country on the brink of collapse", has been criticized by the government of Venezuela for allegedly promoting an invasion of the country by the United States. Venezuela's Minister of Cultural Affairs, Ernesto Villegas, described previews of the show as "Crass war propaganda disguised as entertainment".[72] Venezuelan actor Francisco Denis, who plays Ubarri, a senior Venezuelan government official in the new season, responded to his government's criticism by highlighting the fictional character of the series. "I don't think the CIA needs [a show like] this to intervene or not in a country," he said. Denis did regret that the series has included mistakes such as the fictitious meeting of the Venezuelan president with the CIA—which, in his opinion, would never occur under the current administrations—or presenting the most powerful man in the country as "basking in luxury".[73]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds an approval rating of 67% based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7 out of 10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Jack Ryan's second season is both more refined and more predictable, doubling down on its espionage set-pieces while toning down its titular character's moral complexities to create a more straight-forward spy show."[54] Metacritic, based upon 6 critics, assigned the season a score of 56 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[55]
"Jack Ryan is still fun, despite being a little bit ridiculous and predictable ... Not all the events described above make perfect sense and there's definitely some bloat here storytelling-wise, but that never seems to cut into the pacing. It's a strong, appealing cast and an entertaining story — the same successful formula as the first season and a welcome return visitor to the living room".
Season 3
On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season holds an approval rating of 81% based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6 out of 10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Leaning harder than ever on John Krasinski's earthy charisma, Jack Ryan gets the job done with a third season that doesn't reinvent the formula but executes it with the utmost efficiency."[56] Metacritic, based upon 4 critics, assigned the season a score of 73 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[57]
Season 4
On Rotten Tomatoes, the fourth season holds an approval rating of 87% based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 7 out of 10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Reporting in for one final mission, Jack Ryan's fourth season is tasked with delivering brainy thrills and ably gets the job done."[58] Metacritic, based upon 4 critics, assigned the season a score of 73 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[59]
Erik Henry, Matt Robken, Jamie Klein, Pau Costa Moeller, Bobo Skipper, Deak Ferrand, Crawford Reilly, Joseph Karsparian and Francois Lambert (for "Pilot")
Erik Henry, Juliette Yager, Peter Crosman, Pau Costa Moeller, Paige Prokop, Deak Ferrand, Francois Lambert, Jesper Kjolsrud and Richard Vosper-Carey (for "Strongman")
^Mace Neufeld let the production use his name and was credited as an executive producer but was not involved in the series. Neufeld was posthumously credited in the third and fourth seasons.[1]
^As depicted in Season 1, Episode 6, "Sources and Methods".
^"Where Was Jack Ryan Season 2 Filmed?". Fortune. November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019. When we were in Bogota, we were in genuinely dangerous neighborhoods.
