The action thriller, “Jack Ryan,” returned for season two after a very successful and action packed first season. The new season takes place in Venezuela during the brink of a revolution against the president as civilians seek justice, peace and wealth for all. The writers of the show perform an excellent job of factually portraying the issues being faced in current-day Venezuela in the show.
Emotional pain is emphasized in the show not only for the Venezulean citizens fighting for change, but also for Jack who has to deal with the loss of one of his best friends, who was assassinated right in front of him. Jack is filled with rage, and feelings of revenge and betrayal from a woman who knew about the assassin that took his dear friend. He then pairs up with his former boss, James Greer, from season one to bring this assassin to justice, but to also prevent nuclear warheads entering Venezuela threatening the safety of America.
Each character is shown to be struggling with their own problems: Ryan with the death of his best friend, Greer with his heart condition preventing him from performing in the field and their shared interest in protecting the U.S from nuclear destruction.
The plot takes its time to develop into a larger story. Although the show is called Jack Ryan, the writers perform a great job of not strictly focusing the story on him. They develop multiple characters, showing each individual’s perspective of the story, even if they do not necessarily hold a significant role in the show. This gives a good balance to show the development of each character.
I personally love how Ryan and Greer overcome their physical and mental differences to complement each other in a way that makes it advantageous for them to stick together. Greer acknowledges that Ryan is a key player for Greer to think differently and look at all perspectives, while Ryan learns from the experiences that Greer has faced in the field years before. The dynamic duo gives the series flavor, building up the emotions each character faces, and the action that puts their will and trust to the test.
One thing that stuck out is the missing character, Cathy Mueller, who was Ryan’s love interest in the first season and seemed important in Ryan’s psychology. Mueller brought out a different side to Ryan that the audience desperately needed in order to get into his psyche. However in season two, Ryan is single, and there is no mention of Mueller or her whereabouts and how their relationship ended. This jarring absence makes it difficult for the audience to be open for another partner for Ryan, as they are already attached to Mueller who had potential to build up Ryan and bring out his true nature. Now, we shall see where the newly-single and action-seeking Ryan goes from here.
