Jack Ryan (TV Series) Cargo (2019) User Reviews

Terror in Caracas

[lavatch · 8/10 · 11 November 2019]

Dr. Jack Ryan gets linked up with his old tag-team partner Jim Greer, and the scene shifts to Caracas, Venezuela. The nation is in the throes of chaos with the corrupt ruler Nicolás Reyes being challenged by the humanitarian Gloria Bonalde in the upcoming election. Jack and his old Iraq buddy Senator Moreno travel to Caracas on a mission to get the truth out of President Reyes. It turns out that Reyes lies to them, and they recognize the deceit. But only Dr. Jack will make it out of Caracas alive; his dear friend Moreno will be gunned down in a vicious act of terror.

Dr. Jack and Jim Greer suspect the Russians of providing missiles to Venezuela via the vessel La Guaira with shades of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. It appears as well that the Russian vessel Almeta may have launched a satellite at the behest of the Venezuelans.

The nefarious Max Schenkel is the man on the ground conducting the terror operation, having bought off the police. In Venezuela, trust is built over a period of years, but may be purchased instantly. A snoopy spy named Lina, who speaks six languages, catches Dr. Jack in a honey trap for a night in his hotel room. Lina was successful in planting a bug in Dr. Jack's room.

Jack and ambassador Lisa Calabrese are seriously injured in the terror attack that killed Senator Moreno. The police chief's family is taken out. Dr. Jack must make the painful phone call to the widow Moreno.

Bummer!

Decent beginning with an intriguing concept and thrills.

[cruise01 · 7/10 · 1 November 2019]

3.5 out of 5 stars.

The opening episode begins with a satellite being launched were Venezuela cargo ship is involved. The cool concept setting taking Jack and his partner to Venezuela to investigate a possibly corrupt President. New characters are interesting. The episode is a little slow with its direction which can get a little boring. But the intense climax which sets up for a powerful season.

To Venezuela!

[jgfrvyg · 8/10 · 26 December 2023]

Season 2 of Jack Ryan kicks off with a new premise and new location, and not one that would be expected, Venezuela. With echoes of the Bay of Pigs (1961), and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), most of the main characters are back: Ryan, now sporting some designer stubble; Greer, now struggling with a heart condition but no spunky Mueller from Season 1. Still it's great to see Noomi Rapace on the screen again. My only minor quibble with this episode is overuse of the 'F' word. I mean are F bombs really necessary, or could the script writers have utilized their imagination a little more? I look forward to seeing where this season takes us.

PC Hollywood, ruins another one!

[rsvp321 · 5 November 2019]

S1 was awesome - I think I rated it a "9".

I've only watched Ep1 of S2. I had planned a binge watch, but after several scenes that had me yelling at the television, I'm too disappointed and will return to it another time.

Obviously, they've brought in writers that have absolutely no idea of whom Jack Ryan is .They've made him stupid, careless, and *naiive!* for this episode.

The writers may have watched some scenes from old JR movies to plagiarize some old ideas, but other than that - if you're a fan of Tom Clancy or Jack Ryan, you will not like this episode, at all!

I hope Ep2 and beyond is better. I see that there's another season after this one (two). After my gushing review I wrote for season 1, and how awful this episode is, I might not stick around for season 3.

Still going strong

[biloxigunguy · 10/10 · 1 November 2019]

For some reason, two years ago, the writers of Homeland decided to stop making a great show, and instead made it their mission to guilt trip their viewers for enjoying the previous seasons. They neutered the best characters on the show and became a pandering preach-fest. Then 'Jack Ryan' came along and reminded us that no matter how virtuous we want to appear to be, there is still the very real threat of evil, fundamental terrorists who wish to punish ALL Americans, even the ones who disagree with some aspects of our government. 'Jack Ryan' is a patriotic story about patriotic people. Not far right... PATRIOTIC. The action is fast paced. The special effects are (for the most part) practical. The story is complex, yet easily digested. And the acting is superb.

Loved it!

[pfoster38 · 10/10 · 1 November 2019]

I loved the first season and really loved the second. Like how it brings real issues to light, even though the premise is fictional. No matter what the government was labeled as, I understood it to be socialist. Loved how they showed how the media and big government can skew and totally mislead the public. Also was amused at how the election was falsely reported to be rigged to fulfill a political agenda. Liked how being patriotic wasn't a bad thing. Rare gem in this day and age of liberal entertainment.

Series Two. ☺☺

[ladyjules12345 · 10/10 · 3 November 2019]

Loved it! The series cast were brilliant! I am looking forward to series three.

As good as always, but...

[timk-44906 · 8/10 · 2 November 2019]

But why Russia is bad again? Maybe something will change in nez episodes, but on the first one I see rusophobia again. It's very sad to see this, especially after very offensive Call of Duty Modern Warfare campaign. I understand all political problems between USA and Russia, but Russia is not that bad. I hope most people in USA are understand that.

Lame assassin

[faithless4734 · 6/10 · 13 May 2021]

So the killer, the highly paid assassin sucked. First your target is not the guy pulling the driver out of the car so why take him out. You wait and see if they are going to bring your target out. Second when he tracks them down and shoots the senator he again made a huge mistake. He killed the senator instead of attempting to use him as bait for his other target. Then he is taking out the Captain the lose end and he lets the dog live? He lets the Captain reach him, he sucked.

Where is Cathy Mueller?

[jdgtc1 · 6/10 · 3 November 2019]

The absence of Abby Cornish as Dr. Cathy Mueller is glaringly noticeable. It doesn't feel right, and the series is less without her.

The plot seems contrived and filled with leftist talking points. So far, I'm not impressed.

Cargo

[bobcobb301 · 6/10 · 12 November 2019]

I felt bad for the dog. I loved him saving the day, but dying like that is gruesome.

There were some action moments here, but this setting feels so weak compared to last year. Tackling terrorism is a much better premise for Jack Ryan than whatever the plan is this year.

I LOVED season 1

[cathysparta · 2/10 · 3 November 2019]

I absolutely loved season 1, it was fantastic! So far I've only watched the first episode of season 2 but it was absolutely ridiculous. The whole idea that a socialist is going to save Venezuela from a Socialist, how? The (liberal agenda) premise is absurd but that didn't bother me as much as the ridiculous mistakes that Jack is making. Some random woman hits on him in a bar and he takes her back to his hotel room and leaves everything laying around for her to look at, come on! The police chief changes the direction of the motorcade at the last minute and they all follow along like lemmings? I don't even know if I can watch another episode because this one was just terrible.

Do the writes have any Russian consultants?

[jrhochstedt · 19 August 2023]

So, for covert ops in Russia, the CIA sends an African-American operative to, what? Blend in wih the Muscovite population?

In the opening scene, where Greer tries to get the policemen to tackle his tails, he uses the word "padrug ", which does not mean "girlfriend" as in "girlfriend/boyfriend," but is used solely between female friends.

And I do believe they had Greer calling Lev Gorn's character "comrade".

That's just in the first couple of minutes.

Of course the idea that Venezuela was bankrupted by a nationalist when they've been under Chavez and Madura for the.past quarter century is absurd. I suppose Venezuela was supposed to be he substitute for Brazil under Bolsinaro.

And the supposed head of the US Moscow Bureau is ludicrous.

No subtlety nor intelligence in the first five or ten minutes. It's all just preachy blather without a jot of subtlety. Not going to go any further with this dimwittery.

Hmmm Senator...

[limbikanidambuleni · 6/10 · 3 November 2019]

Spoiler : ok it's A good open to season 2 but the story is getting ridiculous now. A US senator going abroad would have much better protection. The rest of the story is well ok at best. Just enjoy for what it is.

Venezuela Fiction, Good, Tempered by Limited chemistry

[aubie84 · 7/10 · 1 November 2019]

No one wants a book read to em on a big screen show. But to have creative control of a great premise, the writers and direction seem to be content to keep this show constrained. It's worth a watch, but it lacks the high octane purpose of grabbing the audience, developing undercurrents to care about the people and their motivations, and intrigue that is expected for an 8 part series. Season 2 starts off ok but never gets out of 2nd gear- pc over site is injected awkwardly, and the relationships are stiff with characters you wanna care about- but don't know enough to do so. Shot in Venezuela, the scenery is Great- but have a fictional setup in story that underplays the complexity the viewer yearns for. Our Analyst grows up this season, and he becomes more independent. Watch, judge for yourself- The show is on the cusp of being great, but doesn't risk or delve out of the box enough to be a great show (hopefully Yet) imho... yet to find that special X factor or "it" to push it over to top notch status of show.

Where Is That Cargo Headed????

[wandernn1-81-683274 · 7/10 · 29 July 2020]

Enjoyable first episode of Season 2. Russian Arms tracked to Venezuela reunites Greer and Ryan. Guess appearance by Aceveda as Senator Moreno. Sure the motorcade ambush was similar to Clear And Present. But there are some solid Clancy elements in this one.

Was that Naomi Rapace as Lisa? Cool addition to the cast if she hangs around.

Not a 10, but definitely solid Ep1.

7/10

Disappointingly Derivative

[garylindner · 2/10 · 2 November 2019]

Latin Dictator straight out of Last Ship. Ambush of motorcade straight out of Clear and Present Danger. Unbelievable poor tradecraft picking up one-nighter at a bar. Nationalist President of Venezuela bad guy, good gal. No more Cathy Mueller? Writers obviously not fans or readers of the genre. Hope it gets better after episode 1. Loved season 1 and couldn't wait for season 2. The left ruins everything.

Looks like they changed the format...

[john-87402 · 22 July 2022]

Jack Ryan season 1 was a grand slam... this doesn't really feel like the same show. It's 24 meets Bosch or something. Maybe they were obligated to make another season but who knows. This definitely has almost 0 continuity from season one.

Writing is so bad compared to first season.

[nicksipe-55-812269 · 6/10 · 14 November 2019]

I enjoyed the first season. The script for the second season was so bad it was beyond belief. U.S. intervention was made to look honorable. It is not. U.S. attack on a foreign presidential palace during an election. Give me a break.

Ho Hum

[Easygoer10 · 7/10 · 1 November 2019]

This is Amazon's version of Ian Fleming's James Bond. Unfortunately, like Bond, there have been far too many actors playing "Jack Ryan" (5 & counting) First was Hamilton Ford (who was already a big star); Next, a very young Alec Baldwin in "The Hunt For Red October" (which made Baldwin a star); Next: Ben Affleck (woeful); Next: Chris Pine (mediocre); Next: 2 seasons of a watered down TV Series on Amazon with John Krasinski. Oddly, Tom Clancey is listed as 1 of a dozen or so executive producers. Clancey died over 6 years ago. He was a very good (especially with technical details) writer of mostly Cold War novels. It's interesting he never served in any military or government service. Also, I wrote "oddly", simply because how can a writer who died over 6 years ago actively produce anything? That's like listing H.G. Wells as an executive producer of all the "War of the Worlds" (radio & films). It's sad to see Abbie Cornish go, as she is terrific. Fortunately, Noomi Rapace is there. For me, she is better than everyone else in the cast, combined. Also, Jordi Molla is still here as the antagonist. He is a brilliant Spanish actor. I have admired his work for decades. I think Wendell Pierce is poorly cast. He is a good actor; however, I think he was chosen primarily for his looks (an overweight black man). I am not being critical; it's simply hard to fill James Earl Jones's shoes. Anyway, we shall see how this season goes.

The intro for the second season is GREAT!

[shaunaruss · 7/10 · 8 May 2021]

The intro is beautifully done! Each separate section is impressive and stands on its own for texture, color, appropriate sizes, etc. Then you notice the skillfully executed segues! It's like watching a classical dance - some elements seem familiar, but there is an elegance that keeps you focused, waiting for the next sensual treat! Really, a treat for your senses separate from the show itself.

Reality versus fiction and even the fiction is bad!

[jblupilot · 2/10 · 2 December 2020]

Reality versus fiction and even the fiction is bad! Look, it's a show about the CIA. And I understand that sometimes you have to develop lots. But really, discussing top secret classified Intel at a lunch in a restaurant? Then having JAX sleepover friend discover classified documents just laying on his desk? It makes me wonder are there any technical advisers to the show! I have handled classified information in my day and trust me it doesn't work this way. This is almost as bad as having a guy who remotely controlled pilot drones going pay a family in the first season for destroying people with his winnings from a casino. I thought that season jumped the shark there and now they continue with this crap. Fire the writers and start over!

Hard to Follow

[dchelmick · 8 December 2019]

Horrible Lighting all throughout the episode. Really dark. Also alot of the captions were difficult to read because the background washed out the text. . . . Disapointing !!!

It works

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 9 May 2021]

The first episode of season two and we're offered a change of scenery from the Middle East to Venezuela. This one's rather dialogue heavy with incessant talk setting up the new plot, which turns out to be fine because at the very end it kicks off with some massive set-pieces which really impress and get us back into the zone.

That's disturbing...

[bradleygarrison · 1/10 · 24 November 2019]

So the police captain finds his wife and young kids dead and if that scene was disturbing enough, his dog saves his life and then he decides to run away instead of grabbing the gun and shooting the bad guy so then the viewer has to see his dog get stabbed multiple times... Let's hope the rest of the season is better!