When it comes to real-life politics, the nature of the game is anything but thrilling. Add into the mix a dose of fictional political patterns, however, and things get a lot more interesting. Much like the allure of true-crime dramas, the political thriller remains a staple in popular culture as it twists and turns through life and death stakes, exploring possibilities in contemporary climates. While political thrillers like Homeland or The Diplomat take the slow-burn route to ratchet up the tension, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan starring John Krasinski manages to brilliantly elevate those foundations of reality for a pulse-pounding action-adventure that keeps you at the edge of your seat. As the show heads into its fourth and final season, the Prime Video flagship series returns to its full theatrical form for a strong finish with an energetic story that continues to surprise.
Based on the world-famous series of books by renowned author Tom Clancy and starring Krasinski as the titular character, Season 4 opens up most dramatically with our hero in the middle of his most dangerous mission yet. Though we’re unsure how he got to where he is and the amount of torture the former U.S. marine turned intelligence officer can withstand, it’s a fitting cold open for the biting series. As Jack heads on his fourth and final adventure this season with a spectacular ensemble cast including Wendell Pierce, Betty Gabriel, Michael Peña, Michael Kelly, Louis Ozawa, and Abbie Cornish, there is a rich, complex layer of intrigue involved as we see the exceptionalism of the United States taken to task.
'Jack Ryan' Season 4 Introduces a New Threat
Picking up from the events of Season 3 following Jack and Greer (Pierce) thankfully averting a nuclear war, their ally in the CIA, Elizabeth Wright (Gabriel), is now director. But things aren’t going exactly as planned for her and the former soldier once Season 4 drops, as the whip-smart Jack has to answer for his decisions made aboard the USS Roosevelt. With Jack facing an enemy that is both foreign and domestic, the CIA analyst finds himself unearthing internal corruption that hits close to home following an assassination from a U.S. strike team against the Nigerian president. Pressed by the United States government in front of a committee hearing evaluating Wright as well, Jack subsequently uncovers a string of suspicious black ops that could expose the vulnerabilities of the country.
As he and his team investigate how deep the corruption runs beyond the CIA and recognize there are more involved behind the scenes, there is a far worse reality running through their mission — the convergence of a drug cartel with a terrorist organization. With this unification revealing a conspiracy much closer to home, Jack’s belief in the system is compromised and puts our hero at a crossroads as he acquires the help of a deadly operator by the name of Domingo Chavez (Peña). Slowly realizing how that gray area Greer taught him about exists outside the agency and permeates its campaigns, Jack feels a strong sense of betrayal this season and wrestles with it.
Krasinski, who is best known for playing the lovable Jim Halpert on The Office and has since ventured into a strong filmography with directorial projects, A Quiet Place, The Hollars, and the upcoming live-action, fantasy comedy IF, continues to prove he is a multi-talented performer. Taking on the role of Jack Ryan, previously held by the likes of Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin, is not an easy feat. But Krasinski does an exceptional job and holds his own in portraying a younger character reminiscent of Jimmy Stewart’s Jefferson “Jeff” Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Just like how Stewart’s role is rooted in an idealism that distills the strength of democracy, Krasinski’s runs parallel with a strict moral compass, admonishing those that might threaten their security. With an earthy charm and an affable personality that complements some very intense situations, Krasinski has truly reinvented this role since first taking it on in 2018. After watching all four seasons, it will be hard to think of anyone other than Krasinski taking up the mantle. From the pilot to the series' grand finale, the SAG award-nominated actor makes for continuously fun and engaging entertainment, proving he is more than just what audiences take at face value.
'Jack Ryan' Season 4 Expands Beyond the Titular Spy
Krasinski is also a generous on-screen partner, never dominating scenes when he shares them with his co-stars. Pierce, who is one of the greatest actors of our generation, delivers a continued naturalism and nuance this season. In understanding Greer through Pierce, we see one of this season’s pervading themes of family spread across his arc as he is at a crossroads in the time spent between the two worlds. Giving audiences a glimpse of life outside the agency, Jack Ryan Season 4 creates room for that more personal side this season, especially in the anticipated return of Cathy Mueller (Cornish), who was last seen in Season 1. With Jack and Cathy finally back together, we don’t get to see the real reasons for their separation, but we understand in their interactions that they have found their way back to one another. It’s a smooth performance from Cornish that picks up most excitingly as the two actors share a soft chemistry that creates a strong dynamic between their characters.
Also back for the final season is Gabriel (Get Out), who is an absolute joy to watch on screen as she brings an immense amount of gradation to her character who answers for Jack’s decisions in Season 3 and needs clarity. As she continues this upturn in her role, we too see a glimpse of her life outside the agency even as there is still a greater mystery to her. Additionally, Kelly (House of Cards) is back for a third time since his debut in Season 2 as the former CIA agent turned freelance mercenary. Though his character Mike November is not an original Clancy creation, he is a unique character that is a sharp, endearing composite of several characters that appear in the source material. For the Emmy-nominated actor who is having the most fun in these government-operative kinds of roles (fresh off the heels of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and will be seen next in Special Ops: Lioness), Mike is a personality that fits him like a glove. While he might not have had much say in Mike’s creation for Season 2, since then we have seen him evolve in a way only Kelly can create through intricate and balanced nuances that elevate this character to a prestige level alongside Jack and Greer.
Joining the fun this season is Ozawa (Hunters) as Chao Fah, an ambitious Southeast Asian businessman looking for a better life for his wife and child. Ozawa gives a focused and complex performance that shows us there is more to this character than meets the eye. Not only do we see a mercilessness in Chao’s decisions for protecting those he loves, but we understand these anti-hero traits through an intense interpretation thanks to Ozawa. Lastly, Peña joins the series and holds his own as the original Clancy creation from the Rainbow Six books, Domingo Chavez. Playing a character known as the “deadliest operative the CIA has ever deployed," Peña is at the top of his game in this magnetic, mysterious role. Coming into the show for its last season, he manages to offer audiences a complex look at a man that has lost faith in his government and the system through masterful quietude. In carving out Chavez’s personality, Peña finds himself creating a character that has a lot more to offer with the possibility for him to lead his own potential spinoff.
The Writing of 'Jack Ryan's Final Season Is Uneven
Aside from stellar performances and characters that elevate the final season, the writing at times falls a bit to the wayside in its delivery. While the story is different from other seasons and manages to work itself through some real-world threats like the covert war against cartels and triads, there is a feeling of familiarity in the execution. It’s not so much the dialogue as it is the formula in creating a story that pays homage to Clancy’s books as seen across its previous seasons. But because the show is a strong microcosm of the “Ryanverse,” it still works and makes for binge-worthy TV. Visually, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan feels like a movie and nails action sequences perfectly, but there is a wall it hits in some ways where you can sense the budget constraints. This is seen in the exotic locations the show heads to in Season 4 that support the story quite well though also reveal its barriers.
But the pacing remains smart and strong, allowing audiences to overlook these minor issues that could have used a bit more attention. For a television show, it delivers exactly what is expected by its audience. In so many ways, Jack Ryan understands it's knee-deep in the cliché territory of the genre. Still, it manages to help us understand the stakes when its story and action kick into gear. It’s in this competency that our attention is held especially with the characters rounding out the story.
As an action-packed adventure that keeps us engaged, the fast-paced action-thriller does an exceptional job of pulling together the Jack Ryan legacy for a beloved character previously known primarily on the big screen. It manages to set itself up for an espionage thriller that stands tall among a shortlist of our favorites. With pulse-pounding action that makes for fun TV, this final season is a swan song befitting of a great character who will be missed. As a functional spy thriller with some surprising turns and plenty of twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat, it is a notable final chapter while still sticking to the notes that have worked best throughout this series. Though some might have touted the series as “Dad TV” solely pleasing one demographic since its debut in 2018, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan holds enough strength outside its surface appeal to make it a work that can captivate just about everyone as it combines the elements of big-screen joys with small-screen pleasures.
Rating: B
The final season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan premieres June 30 on Prime Video.