If a pilot episode doesn't grab you then the season is usually lost, thankfully the opening scene puts that aside. The main characters are easily digested and have clear linear back stories which will be processed accordingly and to make it all better a terrific cast and a director who knows storytelling and action. Amazon may be slowly catching up with Netflix at last!!!
23 Reviews
action-packed, but.............
phillip-ayscue-135-6432475 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A little tired of military combat where the "good guys" can't shoot straight, out-smarted by strategy and demolished by a minimal "militia" BUT for the purposes of the series, I guess it was necessary. (Only reason I did not rate a 10)
Excellent pilot
rkelliott-653-55061731 August 2018
Krasinski is Jack Ryan
waggbat4 September 2018
I've been waiting for this since I first heard about a year ago. Will probably binge this within a couple of days. Very engaging direction, script is awesome and the plot is extremely gripping. I've been a big fan of John Krasinski for quite a while, and he did not disappoint. He was made for this role.
Amazing start
jamescathie4 September 2018
First of all I would just like to say that the combination of Wendell Pierce and John Krasinski is unreal. Also, it feels so weird seeing John as Jack Ryan and not Jim Halpert but he fills the Jack role perfectly. Overall, the episode was amazing, leaving me on the edge of my seat. I can't wait to watch the next episodes!!!!!
Has the feel of Homeland ...
itisme00024 September 2018
Clancy would be proud
Fluke_Skywalker4 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Plot; A young CIA analyst uncovers a series of suspicious transactions that will take him from the safety of his desk job into the thick of the war on terror.
The late Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan character has become an unlikely enduring part of our pop culture mosaic. Making the leap from the pages of Clancy's wildly popular novels, he's been played cinematically by no fewer than four actors (Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine), in three different incarnations of the venerable character. Now Amazon prime once again endeavors to bring the character to life in an origin story of sorts not unlike 2014's Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Here Josh Krasinski plays the title role and the multi-talented actor/director makes for a likeable, relatable and most importantly believable protagonist. Surrounded by a solid supporting cast (particularly co-star Wendell Pierce) and supported by good writing and top-notch production values, he spearheads what promises to be a compelling series.
The late Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan character has become an unlikely enduring part of our pop culture mosaic. Making the leap from the pages of Clancy's wildly popular novels, he's been played cinematically by no fewer than four actors (Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine), in three different incarnations of the venerable character. Now Amazon prime once again endeavors to bring the character to life in an origin story of sorts not unlike 2014's Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Here Josh Krasinski plays the title role and the multi-talented actor/director makes for a likeable, relatable and most importantly believable protagonist. Surrounded by a solid supporting cast (particularly co-star Wendell Pierce) and supported by good writing and top-notch production values, he spearheads what promises to be a compelling series.
Jim...er Jack Ryan is back!
codyraybentley31 August 2018
The first episode of Tom Clancy'a Jack Ryan is awesome. John Krasinki is a natural at Ryan. He spent 9 seasons of a show behind a desk as his tryout for this show. The action is well done and the stakes are real. Great job Amazon!
DOUBTFUL AT FIRST.............BUT!
rurick1 April 2019
Convoluted and Cliché
nammage31 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I love the Jack Ryan series. My mother got me into the series. Got all five films; I couldn't wait for this to come out and what I watched was convoluted and cliché. Same basic lines from past films. A tiring subject. It was predictable. They even dropped hints on who the real "bad guy" is before Jack Ryan figured it out and before they revealed it. It was like watching a B-film on terrorism.
I hope it gets better. The end of the episode with the battle at the CIA blacksite (I presume) seemed as the CIA and/or U.S. military are incompetent. I don't think they're incompetent but dude, who doesn't check bodies? And, the dude walks out of the freezer and shoots one soldier while the other just stands there like an idiot. The guy didn't have a suppressor on his gun. And, Jack Ryan was a Marine, one would think he could fight better than that. And, as the people start running away and hopping in their crappy trucks the U.S. personnel stop shooting. WTF?
I really hope it gets better.
I hope it gets better. The end of the episode with the battle at the CIA blacksite (I presume) seemed as the CIA and/or U.S. military are incompetent. I don't think they're incompetent but dude, who doesn't check bodies? And, the dude walks out of the freezer and shoots one soldier while the other just stands there like an idiot. The guy didn't have a suppressor on his gun. And, Jack Ryan was a Marine, one would think he could fight better than that. And, as the people start running away and hopping in their crappy trucks the U.S. personnel stop shooting. WTF?
I really hope it gets better.
Nicely done
pliten15 October 2018
Pilot
bobcobb3015 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Some humorous moments, a coherent story, the only problem is we have seen this all before. It feels a little Homeland-lite to me.
That being said, they have hooked me and I will definitely quickly finish binging all these episodes.
John Krasinski is okay in this role, even if there were probably better options out there though.
That being said, they have hooked me and I will definitely quickly finish binging all these episodes.
John Krasinski is okay in this role, even if there were probably better options out there though.
Confusion Abounds
georgepetree10 September 2018
Am I missing something? Did actual humans write the other reviews on here? This was a great letdown. I really wanted this show to be awesome and it was the opposite. The writing was horrid. There were tons of plot holes. It was impossible to take any of it seriously. I haven't talked to anyone who feels differently than me.
"Dr. Ryan, I Need You to Come With Me!"
lavatch13 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The pilot episode of "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan" includes an interesting symmetry to the fast-paced program. The opening scene occurs in Lebanon in 1983, where two young boys are at play when a shocking bombing raid levels their village and ends their fun. Do the youngsters survive the massive explosion? The episode comes around to a startling answer at the very end when we meet them as adults.
Fast forward to the present. The place is Washington, D.C., and Dr. Jack Ryan, an economist, has a post with the CIA. But there is something troubling Jack from his past when he served in active duty on the ground in the Middle East. His nights are restless with memories of a traumatic experience in combat.
In his desk job as an analyst, Jack has come across some chatter and a substantial financial transaction that sets off an alarm bell in his quick-thinking mind. He takes the information to Greer, the new head of T-FAD, who has received a demotion from Chief of the Base, after apparently going rogue like Colonel Kurtz in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness."
Greer rejects Jack's request for a démarche that would instantly freeze the funds. But Jack goes behind the back of his boss to get the démarche through one of his colleagues working with the Treasury Department. Now, the action picks up fast after Jack is hustled onto a chopper while attending the party of his own boss Joe, a financial tycoon. After a brief flirtation with Dr. Cathy, an infectious disease specialist working at Memorial Hospital in D.C., Jack and Greer find themselves in Yemen.
Two possible terrorists have been captured after meeting briefly with a banker, and they may have ties to the mysterious Suleiman, the ringleader of the operation, whose name means "man of peace." Suleiman's wife may also be linked to the operation.
The final sequence of the program occurs in a fortified compound where the interrogation is occurring in a secluded desert site in Yemen. Suddenly, there is an attack on the breastwork of the compound and a cleverly planted terrorist in a Mission Impossible-style outfit that allows him to impersonate a cadaver. He rips off his mask and rescues the man that Jack is interrogating. Jack receives a knife wound, but the escape is successful as the mysterious man claiming to be a "bodyguard" is taken out of the compound. At the close, we flash back to Lebanon in 1983 to learn the identity of the two mysterious men.
Fast forward to the present. The place is Washington, D.C., and Dr. Jack Ryan, an economist, has a post with the CIA. But there is something troubling Jack from his past when he served in active duty on the ground in the Middle East. His nights are restless with memories of a traumatic experience in combat.
In his desk job as an analyst, Jack has come across some chatter and a substantial financial transaction that sets off an alarm bell in his quick-thinking mind. He takes the information to Greer, the new head of T-FAD, who has received a demotion from Chief of the Base, after apparently going rogue like Colonel Kurtz in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness."
Greer rejects Jack's request for a démarche that would instantly freeze the funds. But Jack goes behind the back of his boss to get the démarche through one of his colleagues working with the Treasury Department. Now, the action picks up fast after Jack is hustled onto a chopper while attending the party of his own boss Joe, a financial tycoon. After a brief flirtation with Dr. Cathy, an infectious disease specialist working at Memorial Hospital in D.C., Jack and Greer find themselves in Yemen.
Two possible terrorists have been captured after meeting briefly with a banker, and they may have ties to the mysterious Suleiman, the ringleader of the operation, whose name means "man of peace." Suleiman's wife may also be linked to the operation.
The final sequence of the program occurs in a fortified compound where the interrogation is occurring in a secluded desert site in Yemen. Suddenly, there is an attack on the breastwork of the compound and a cleverly planted terrorist in a Mission Impossible-style outfit that allows him to impersonate a cadaver. He rips off his mask and rescues the man that Jack is interrogating. Jack receives a knife wound, but the escape is successful as the mysterious man claiming to be a "bodyguard" is taken out of the compound. At the close, we flash back to Lebanon in 1983 to learn the identity of the two mysterious men.
It has potential
AlohaKatt4 September 2018
This show has potential, but the fight scenes leave much to be desired in the first two episodes. The portrayal of the US military is frustrating. Other than that the storyline is good. However, if the third episode doesn't improve, we may stop watching the show all together.
Excellent!
ZinQ31 August 2018
Season one review
gtsantin8 September 2018
Not To Be Missed
ohio9379 September 2018
Too good must watch!
rupakiro10 May 2020
It's been like really long since I ve seen any series sooo beautifully n with such precision made. I can't get enough of this 2 seasons n will be waiting for the 3rd season...you ll think what s coming... N then you ll be struck by surprise!!!
A solid start
Leofwine_draca16 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Tom Clancy's fictional CIA hero Jack Ryan has so far appeared in a number of films over the years, the best being the 1990s films with Harrison Ford. Here, for the new TV show, he's given a younger version in the form of the slightly bland John Krasinski, who I hope will grow on me as the series develops. This Amazon original starts off on a strong footing with lots of interesting plot elements, a few twists, and an action climax that rivals those found in Hollywood films. It promises a lot, and it remains to be seen if it can hold the same level of quality throughout.
Off and Running
Hitchcoc21 December 2023
This type of show is not in my wheelhouse. I know little about what is happening internationally, whether it is cliched, blown out of proportion, or accurate to some degree. We are introduced to Jack Ryan who pretty much analyzes what comes over the internet. His boss is a man who was shamed in a previous position and is trying to revive his career. Ryan notices some financial transactions in Yemen that could lead to another 9/11. He goes over the boss's head and orders an investigation which gets him to the last place he wants to be--Yemen. Once there he gets in the middle of a situation he was not prepared for. He has admirable courage.
This is awful.
daniel-kyle21 April 2022
After waiting a long time, and running through the entire Bosch series 4 times (my favorite!), I decided to give this a chance, being a fairly good fan of the Jack Ryan books, up until the 9th one anyway. And I liked all the films except the Chris Pine one.
Unfortunately, this series took its cues from the Chris Pine movie.
First, though I like Krasinski well enough on TV and in movies, he is wholly miscast here. As are many of the supporting players, esp. Wendell Pierce.
Worse, though the books were hardly Shakespeare, the writing here is subpar and full of scenes we have had repeatedly in every "hero" action tale. I'm convinced that Hollywood writers (unlike the very insider view of Clancy himself) have never spent a moment in the World they write about. They just watch other writer's movies and repeat the implausible fiction.
Awful. Note: the music score is the only really good part (same guy as Westworld).
Unfortunately, this series took its cues from the Chris Pine movie.
First, though I like Krasinski well enough on TV and in movies, he is wholly miscast here. As are many of the supporting players, esp. Wendell Pierce.
Worse, though the books were hardly Shakespeare, the writing here is subpar and full of scenes we have had repeatedly in every "hero" action tale. I'm convinced that Hollywood writers (unlike the very insider view of Clancy himself) have never spent a moment in the World they write about. They just watch other writer's movies and repeat the implausible fiction.
Awful. Note: the music score is the only really good part (same guy as Westworld).
they needed a different guy for greer
sandcrab27714 August 2021
I was surprised to see the horse's ass wendell pierce as admiral jim greer because he just doesn't pull it off any where near james earl jones ... thinking perhaps a better choice would have been morgan freeman for such a dynamic role.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
