SERIES REVIEW – Emmy Award-winning actor John Krasinski returns to the world of espionage in the fourth season of the popular thriller Amazon Prime series Jack Ryan, set in the Mediterranean. Michael Kelly’s character Mike November brings new layers and colour to the story, while two-time Oscar nominee David Oyelowo joins the cast as a mysterious British intelligence agent. The thrilling story based on real events, the lifelike acting and the fairly written script deliver the excitement expected from the spy thriller genre, despite the slightly slower start compared to the previous three seasons.

When you put a story in a real political context, it’s not always very exciting. But when you add a dash of fictional politics, it becomes much more enjoyable. Just like true crime dramas, political thrillers are thrilling in the way they shape and twist on the edge of life and death, all in the light of current events and public mood. While series like HBO Max’s Homeland or Netflix’s The Diplomat excel at slowly ratcheting up the tension, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, starring John Krasinski, masterfully uses reality as its raw material to create a thrilling action-adventure that rivets viewers to the screen. As the series enters its fourth and final season, Prime Video’s flagship returns with a spy thriller that starts off a little rough, but then builds up momentum as the series enters its fourth and final season.

The series is based on the world-famous Tom Clancy books, with Krasinski in the title role. The fourth season opens with a dramatic situation where our hero finds himself on the most dangerous mission of his life. It’s not entirely clear how he got into the predicament we see him in and how he is able to endure the torment, but it’s a great dramatic opening to an exciting series. As Jack embarks on his fourth and final adventure, with the support of an impressive cast including Wendell Pierce, Betty Gabriel, Michael Peña, Michael Kelly, Louis Ozawa and Abbie Cornish, a rich and complex plot unfolds, offering a glimpse into the political system surrounding the CIA in the United States.

Season 4 of ‘Jack Ryan’ introduces a new threat

Following the events of season 3, when Jack and Greer (Pierce) successfully avert a nuclear war, their ally in the CIA, Elizabeth Wright (Gabriel), is appointed director of the organisation. But not everything goes according to plan for the woman and the former soldier as the new season begins. The pushy Jack must face the consequences of his decisions aboard the USS Roosevelt, as well as enemies both foreign and domestic. He gradually uncovers the corruption within the CIA, which becomes intimately involved after an American strike kills the Nigerian president. The US government itself hires Jack to uncover suspicious covert operations that expose the country’s weaknesses. As he and his team investigate the depth of corruption within the CIA and discover that more than one person is involved, their mission is confronted with an even worse reality – the merging of a drug cartel and a terrorist organisation.

Through this merger, which also unveils a conspiracy, Jack and his team discover they are much closer to the US than they thought, Jack’s faith in the system is challenged, and he leads our hero to a crossroads, while receiving help from a deadly agent known as Domingo Chavez (Peña). Jack gradually realises that the grey area Greer refers to does not only exist outside the agency, but permeates its entire operation. In this season, Jack experiences and must confront a deep-seated sense of betrayal.

Krasinski, who is best known for his lovable character Jim Halpert in ‘The Office’ and has since enjoyed an impressive career, including directing projects such as Without a Voice, Among Our Lovers and the upcoming fantasy comedy IF, continues to prove his versatility. Taking over the role of Jack Ryan, previously played by actors such as Chris Pratt, Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin, is no easy task, but Krasinski does an excellent job and holds his own with the character, which somewhat reminds me of the character of Jefferson “Jeff” Smith, played by James Stewart, in the film ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’. Just as Stewart’s character is rooted in an idealism that represents the power of democracy, Krasinski’s character has a stern moral compass that warns those who threaten their safety. Thanks to his likeable and likeable personality, which complement very intense and exciting situations, Krasinski has truly reinvented the role since he first took it on in 2018. After watching all four seasons, it’s hard to imagine anyone else replacing Krasinski. From the opening episode of the series to the grandiose finale, the SAG Award-nominated actor consistently does a first-rate job of developing the character.

Season 4 of ‘Jack Ryan’ goes beyond the title character

At the same time, Krasinski does not try to play the others off the screen, never dominating the scenes he shares with his co-stars. Pierce, one of the greatest actors of our generation, continues to deliver a natural and nuanced performance this season. Throughout this season, we see the central theme of family through the character of Greer, played by Pierce, as he stands at a crossroads between the two worlds. Season 4 of ‘Jack Ryan’ leaves room for his personal side this season, especially with the return of Cathy Mueller (Cornish), last seen in Season 1. Jack and Cathy are finally back together, we don’t see the real reasons behind their separation, but from their interactions we understand that they have found their way back to each other. Cornish’s quiet performance continues to thrill as the subtle chemistry between the two actors creates a strong dynamic between the characters.

Also returning for the final season is Gabriel (Get lost!), who is a pure joy to watch on screen as he brings incredible nuance to his character, who in season 3 suffers the consequences of Jack’s decisions and needs clarification. As she continues to make this shift in the role, we also see some insight into her life outside of the agency, though it remains a bigger mystery to her. Also, Michael Kelly (Wire, House of Cards) returns for the third time since his debut in Season 2 as a former CIA agent turned freelance mercenary. While Mike November’s character is not an original Clancy character, he is a unique character who, in an endearing conglomeration of several characters who appear in the source material, is a personality that fits Michael Kelly like a glove.

This season, the cast is joined by two-time Academy Award nominated and BAFTA award-winning actor David Oyelowo, who brings a very exciting character to the story. Oyelowo’s character, Marcus Bishop, is a British intelligence agent who has been a long-time friend of Jack and Greer, but works behind their backs for personal reasons. Oyelowo, best known for his role as Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma – and most recently in Silo – shows a very different side to his character. He plays a calculating, ruthless and yet extremely charismatic character who always plays by his own rules.

A great strength of the series is that the plot is often based on the current geopolitical situation. This season, viewers are transported to the Mediterranean, where the balance of power is threatened by the intertwining of terrorism and intelligence services. Once again, the scriptwriters do a great job in creating a credible and gripping story based on real events.

Although it starts off a bit roughly, season 4 of “Jack Ryan” will once again provide viewers with exciting, high-quality entertainment. The acting, the well-written script and the plot, which is closely intertwined with real events, all contribute to making the series stand out from other productions with similar themes.

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