Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Season 2)
Channel: Amazon Prime
Starring: John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly, John Hoogenakker, Noomi Rapace, Jordi Mollà, Francisco Denis, Cristina Umaña, Jovan Adepo
Creator: Carlton Cruse and Graham Roland
IMDb Rating | 7.8
Humpo Show Rating | 8.3
After tracking a potentially suspicious shipment of illegal arms in the Venezuelan jungle, CIA Officer Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) heads to South America to investigate. Jack’s actions threaten to uncover a far-reaching conspiracy, leading him and his fellow operatives on a mission spanning the globe.
As Jack searches for the truth behind Venezuela’s transactions with various World Powers, James Greer (Wendell Pierce), about to get sidelined from his new post in Russia, joins Jack in Venezuela and the two find themselves in the midst of the country’s leadership re-election campaign.
The antagonist this season is the pseudo-populist leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Reyes (Jordi Mollà), who is using multinational financial back channels to control rare earth resources that are critical to electronics manufacturing as well as using all of his powers to prevent progressive and liberal candidate Gloria Bonalde (Cristina Umaña) from beating him in the upcoming election. Reyes is a textbook definition of a narcissist – his inflated ego and determination to silence anyone against him makes him a ruthless villain.
A key plotline throughout the second season is the question of whether a progressive reform candidate running on an anti-corruption platform can beat the oligarchic dictator in charge. This provides the backdrop to much of the season, as we see the effects that the current government has had on the poor neighbourhoods throughout the country. The contrast with the presidential palace highlights the corruption, and provides Jack with another reason for taking down Reyes.
As the season progresses, the action scenes heat up and become more intense as the stakes get higher and walls begin to close in on Reyes. There is a rawness to the action, perhaps because much of it is set on Venezuelan streets and in the jungle, which contributes to an overwhelming suspense that builds consistently through each episode. Every beat of silence or close-up makes you hold your breath because conditions in Venezuela are so dangerous that things could go awry at any time.
Season two is entertaining and absorbing with the same blend of action and politics that the first season had. It’s a winning formula that I don’t see any reason in changing for season three, which has already been given the green light for production.
The Humpo Show | Richard
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