Following the Money Takes Ryan Into the Jungle
Season 2 of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan follows Ryan (John Krasinski) fresh off his Season One thwarting of Suleiman. He has turned down the chance to follow Jim Greer (Wendell Pierce) to Moscow. Instead, he is investigating some unusual financial transactions out of Venezuela. The country is amid election season. President Reyes (Jordi Molla) is being challenged by woman-of-the-people Gloria Bonalde (Christina Umana.)
Reyes’ reign is regarded as a corrupt politician who changes the rules to remain in charge. He uses the military and the police as enforcers to silence opposition. Ryan travels to Venezuela with his friend, Senator Moreno (Benito Martinez.) Moreno and others are killed by a mysterious assailant. Ryan himself is almost killed in the attack. The death of his friend drives him to find all the players and their connections.
Ryan once again teams up with Greer, who is as salty as ever. Michael Kelly (House of Cards) returns as Mike November, in charge of the CIA in Venezuela. He meets the mysterious Harriet Baumann (Noomi Rapace) who is searching for her former boss. That lead takes Ryan to London and pits him face-to-face with a dangerous killer.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is running covert military operations in Venezuela. (It is a Tom Clancy property, so there must be a heavy military angle to at least one story arc. Unlike Michael Bay military hero worship, this story line serves a purpose.) This brings back John Hoogenakker’s Matice from Season One while introducing standout character Marcus Bishop (Jovan Adepo.)
Season Two follows Jack’s high stakes investigation, but also focuses on relationships that don’t typically exist in a spy novel. Reyes’ relationship with his right-hand man and childhood friend, Miguel (Francisco Denis) is complicated by political pressure. Harriet’s motivations seem to always be changing, leaving Ryan to question his trust in her. Eduar Salas, Arnold Vosloo, and William Jackson Harper all have small but standout performances.
Jack Ryan Season 2 features well-paced storytelling that builds a puzzle and then solves it. Along the way, viewers meet or revisit compelling characters who are never one-dimensional. The “villains” are never evil for the sake of being evil. They are driven by the people and ideals in their lives that they value. Krasinski and Pierce are terrific, picking up their dynamic right where they paused after Season One.
Fans of the series will enjoy Season Two. All three seasons are now available on Amazon Prime.