Jack Ryan (TV series)


Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan is an American political action thriller television series based on characters from the fictional Ryanverse created by author Tom Clancy. Featuring modern-day interpretations of the original characters, it stars John Krasinski as CIA analyst Jack Ryan. The series was created by Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland. Cuse, Roland, and Krasinski serve as executive producers, alongside Michael Bay, Morten Tyldum, and Brad Fuller, among others.
The series premiered on August 31, 2018, on Amazon Prime Video. Ahead of the third season, Amazon renewed the series for a fourth season 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. A spin-off starring Michael Peña as Ding Chavez and a sequel film are in development. The film was announced to be in production on February 19, 2025.
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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 the Czech Republic.
In the fourth season, Jack, now the CIA's acting deputy director, faces 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

Recurring

Guest

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. 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.
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.
In January 2017, it was announced that Morten Tyldum would direct the pilot and that Daniel Sackheim would direct multiple episodes and produce the series.
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." 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.
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.
On September 4, 2018, it was reported that Dennie Gordon would direct three episodes of season two and serve as an executive producer.
On February 13, 2019, Amazon renewed the series for a third season at the TCA press tour which was scheduled to be released on December 21, 2022.
On October 24, 2019, Paul Scheuring was reported to be the showrunner for season three, as well as an executive producer. 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.
On October 14, 2021, before the release of the third season, Amazon renewed the series for a fourth season.
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. A spin-off revolving around Peña's character was also announced to be in development.
On October 30, 2024, it was announced that Amazon MGM Studios, Paramount Pictures and Skydance was developing a sequel film directed by Andrew Bernstein, written by Aaron Rabin, and starring John Krasinski and Wendell Pierce, who reprise their roles while Michael Kelly is in talks to rejoin the cast. Krasinski will also produce the film alongside Allyson Seeger via Sunday Night Productions.

Casting

On April 29, 2016, it was announced that John Krasinski had been cast in the series' title role. On November 3, 2016, it was reported that Abbie Cornish had been cast as Ryan's love interest Cathy Mueller. On December 16, 2016, it was announced that Wendell Pierce, Ali Suliman, and Dina Shihabi had been cast in series regular roles. In March 2017, it was announced that Peter Fonda, Mena Massoud, Timothy Hutton, and Al Sapienza had been cast in recurring roles. On June 5, 2017, it was reported that Amir El-Masry had joined the series in a supporting role.
Alongside the announcement of the series' renewal, it was confirmed that Krasinski and Pierce would return for the second season. 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. 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. 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. On September 25, 2018, it was reported that Tom Wlaschiha had been cast in a recurring role for season two. Upon the series' fourth-season renewal announcement, Michael Peña joined the cast in an undisclosed role. On October 18, 2021, it was reported that Cornish will reprise her role as Dr. Cathy Mueller for the fourth season.

Filming

Jack Ryan was filmed in multiple locations. On May 10, 2017, Krasinski was spotted filming his scenes in Washington, D.C. For the next several days the TV series was also shot in Maryland, Virginia, Quebec, London. Some scenes were shot in Paris and Chamonix, France.

Release

Premiere

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.

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.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes it received an overall score of 77%, and an overall score of 67 on Metacritic.

Season 1

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." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 66 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
In a positive review, RogerEbert.coms 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." Similarly favorable, The Gazettes 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." In another enthusiastic appraisal, Rolling Stones 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."
In a more mixed assessment, TVLines 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." In a negative critique, Vanity Fairs 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." Equally dismissive, Pastes 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."

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". 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 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".
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 Ryans 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." Metacritic, based upon 6 critics, assigned the season a score of 56 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter gave a favorable review:
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." Metacritic, based upon 4 critics, assigned the season a score of 73 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

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 fourth season is tasked with delivering brainy thrills and ably gets the job done." Metacritic, based upon 4 critics, assigned the season a score of 73 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Venezuela clip resurfacing

In January 2026, a scene from the season two premiere episode "Cargo" circulated widely online and was discussed on cable news following the U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The clip, in which Jack Ryan outlines Venezuela's resource wealth, political instability, and humanitarian crisis, was described by some commentators as "prophetic". Responding to the characterization, series co-creator Carlton Cuse said, "The goal of that season wasn't prophecy; it was plausibility". On CNN, Jake Tapper said the resemblance reflected "truth following fiction following truth", noting that Venezuela's instability and resource wealth predated both the series and the real-world events.

Future

In October 2024, it was announced that a feature film follow-up to the series was in development, with Andrew Bernstein serving as director on the project with a script written by Aaron Rabin. John Krasinski and Wendell Pierce will reprise their roles as Jack Ryan and James Greer, respectively. The studio entered early negotiations with Michael Kelly to also return in his role from the series; while Krasinski, Allyson Seeger, and Andrew Form will produce the movie. The project will be a joint-venture production between Amazon MGM Studios, Sunday Night Productions, Paramount Pictures, and Skydance Productions. The film was confirmed to be in production on February 19, 2025.