Season 1 Discussion

[Danny Franks]

Yeah, that apartment raid at the end was really not very well done. Either by the police, or by the writers and director. They just burst in, without knowing what awaits them, and start blasting away, while being blasted by the terrorists? They use one flashbang, but don't seem to observe the doors and corners rule (thanks, Josephus Miller), and are generally trigger happy and dumb. Then one of them just shoots the pleading woman in the head, when it's clear she has a deadman switch.

But not to worry! Jack Ryan has the wherewithal to notice blood on the stairs and identify the target! I'm glad they showed him have a moment of weakness and hesitation, which I'm going to choose is down to PTSD from Afghanistan, and not just because they needed the guy to escape. Still, at least he was sent down the stairs, so he can be absolved of all blame for the raid going wrong. 

Anyway, apart from that the episode was decent enough. Ryan spends much of it in pain, thanks to his injuries from last week, and the unexplained injuries he's had in the past (I'm not sure whether the most recent movie was source material accurate, when depicting how he got hurt). But he's not too hurt that he can't hit on Abbie Cornish again, and get her number. Trouble is, there's not a whole lot of intrigue there, because anyone who has seen any of the movies or read the books know he's married to a doctor called Cathy. We know how this ends.

More interesting, still, is Suleiman's wife, Hanin Ali. The actress has a really strong presence, and her concern for her family versus her husband's plans is obviously going to be a crucial part of the season. I always find the bad guy saying "I'm doing this for [my family]" to be a bullshit excuse. How does his family benefit from him waging a terrorist war against the West? They seem perfectly happy and content, as they are.

[Kel Varnsen]

I liked this one. There were a lot of dumb parts but it was exciting so I didn't mind. I was really surprised the helicopter didn't get shot out of the sky. That was super tense.

On 9/1/2018 at 6:23 PM, AmandaPanda said:

My favorite storyline in everything is Hanin's plot. However, my favorite relationship so far is Greer and Jack. Him messing with Jack about the tie was hilarious. It's also possible that he will always be Bunky to me and thus, I will always love him.

Him talking to Jack at the bar about the morose mother fucker in the J crew button down was totally the bunk. Although Jack with Cathy at the restaurant was the most Jim Halpert scene so far.

The biggest thing that bugged me was drones have IR cameras, so even if they didn't know how the guys left they should have had an idea that the compound was empty. Also wouldn't hostages that were held for seventeen weeks get the most complete medical exam ever before returning home?

[csondra]

I enjoyed the casting. I was concerned about Krasinski, as I have trouble getting past the "Jim" thing, but I think he does a good job at distinguishing his characters - at least as much as someone as distinct looking as he is can. I don't necessarily think he has "typical action star" painted on him, but considering the character, that actually works well for me. I also really enjoyed Pierce as Greer and loved Cornish as Cathy. I though Pierce and Krasinski had great chemistry. With Cornish, I was thrilled to see an age-appropriate woman playing a love interest.. and as an added bonus, she didn't look like she was dying of malnutrition. 

[HavartiHead42]

12 hours ago, Juliegirlj said:

Jack and Cathy have ZERO chemistry. It can’t be too difficult to cast an actress that has good chemistry with John Krasinski...

A thousand times this! It's hard for me to watch them together. It feels forced, and I resent the time spent on their relationship at the expense of other plotlines.

[theredhead77]

20 hours ago, Juliegirlj said:

Jump the shark moment when Jack pinpoints Sulemon’s location, but Greer (Bunk) decides it is story time first. 

Jack and Cathy have ZERO chemistry. It can’t be too difficult to cast an actress that has good chemistry with John Krasinski...

I disagree. Jack and Cathy recently met. Not all chemistry between partners is instantaneous and not every TV relationship needs to have smouldering chemistry between the actors.

[Danny Franks]

That whole scene with the drone pilot and the kinky couple was weird, and felt like Amazon just saying, 'look! We can show boobs!' It was completely unnecessary as a way to show his lonely life and dissassociation issues. I do like the idea of exploring the life of a guy who kills people with a joystick, completely free of personal risk, and the toll that can have on you.

This voyeuristic life, punctuated by killing the people whose lives you've been watching. But also having to it overrule your morals and not act when you feel you should. I'm sure a lot of people struggle with it.

The actress playing Hanin is stunning, and she's doing a really good job portraying Hanin's fear for her family, love for he husband, and all the conflicts that rise from that. But now that Suleiman is going full on bad guy, I guess those conflicts are being resolved, on way or another.

I don't particularly like deus ex drone as a way of making sure Hanin escapes, but I'm happy that the creepy dude is dead, and that Hanin is apparently going to join the mass of refugees crossing into Turkey, and then the Mediterranean. 

I'm glad Ali didn't kill the family, who I assume were either relatives or old family friends. He seems very much led by his brother, and has perhaps never really stopped to think for himself. Hopefully he'll start, at some point.

One scene I hated: The French police officer telling Ryan he's "a wolf, pretending to be a sheep". Come on, stop this. You don't need people actually telling Ryan how awesome he is.

Edited September 11, 2018 by Danny Franks

[Juliegirlj]

3 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

I disagree. Jack and Cathy recently met. Not all chemistry between partners is instantaneous and not every TV relationship needs to have smouldering chemistry between the actors.

Perhaps I am further along in the series. I think their scenes together are flat, and do not ring true. 

Spoiler

The intimate scenes between Jack and Cathy had no spark at all. 

[theredhead77]

33 minutes ago, Juliegirlj said:

Perhaps I am further along in the series. I think their scenes together are flat, and do not ring true. 

  Reveal hidden contents

The intimate scenes between Jack and Cathy had no spark at all. 

I suppose it's a YMMV situation - I thought it did.

[Erin9]

I really enjoyed the series. Wish we didn’t have to wait so long for S2. 

I think the relationship between Jack and Greer is very well done. They actors play really well off each other. I look forward to watching it continue to evolve.  I’m glad it’s the central relationship of the show rather than the romance because  the romance doesn’t work as well. Spending more time on the bromance wouldn’t hurt. It plays to the show’s strengths. 

Speaking of the romance, I think they need to work on Cathy and the relationship with Jack next season. It’s not quite clicking imo. I’m not sure how to fix it, but the character and relationship need some work.

I do wonder if they boxed themselves in a bit by having her specialty be so tied to this plot. I don’t think they’ll repeat it next year- I’ve gathered from interviews that they know they need to diversify their storytelling. But- still- I’m not sure it did her character any favors.

JK did a good job playing Jack, showing him as both a fish out of water, but with obvious skills and talents in the field that can be improved on. I do think they should devote more time to him next season though. I understand wanting to flesh out other characters too, especially Hanin and Suleiman, but Jack is the title character. They need to flesh him out further. Build his relationships more. 

The Victor plot was basically a waste imo. Except for saving Hanin, he tied into nothing. The airtime could’ve been used better imo. One episode would have sufficed for him. 

Regarding the finale specifically:

I liked how Jack killing Suleiman directly tied back to when he didn’t shoot his brother in a crowd. He listened and learned from Greer. It also showed Suleiman’s downfall was his family. That’s why he stopped. IIRC. 

I thought it was a good call that Jack was unsure about Samir’s future. He fought for him, he hopes for the best, but is undecided. I think he’s likely fine. But Jack’s uncertainty ties a bit back to the kid suicide bomber. Who can know for sure? 

Ending the episode by putting clear focus on Greer/Jack made me particularly excited about next season. 

With a few tweaks this can go from a very good show to a great one. 

[Erin9]

On 9/3/2018 at 6:40 PM, mxc90 said:

I believe he didn't know she was a cop, she turned around with the gun and he shot her after he ordered her to drop it. It was just coincidence he was there at the same time they were. Ali shot him.

Thank you. Why she got shot has been confusing me. That makes sense- he didn’t know she was a cop. 

[cherbitrary]

Funny or Die mash-up of The Office and  Jack Ryan ?

[cherbitrary]

John Krasinski on Colbert

[Danny Franks]

I think Krasinski is fine (though I never watched The Office, either the UK or US version). He does look like an everyman, albeit one in great physical shape, and that seems right for Jack Ryan. Abbie Cornish is obviously underused (at least, as of the third episode). She's too good for one scene an episode.

I'm really impressed with the Arab cast, so far. Dina Shihabi as Hanin is captivating. Such great screen presence and charisma. And Haaz Sleiman really did a good job in episode 3, portraying a desperate terrorist who still has an element of decency and humanity in him. The yearning for a different life, when talking about the Van Gogh paintings. Also, though this isn't about casting, I appreciate that they're having them speak Arabic, or French, or any other language, with subtitles rather than them speaking accented English.

[Erin9]

18 hours ago, HavartiHead42 said:

A thousand times this! It's hard for me to watch them together. It feels forced, and I resent the time spent on their relationship at the expense of other plotlines.

I feel like part of the problem is they’ve been underwritten. The relationship is like an afterthought. So is Cathy. Sometimes their scenes work imo; others, they seem tossed together, not thought through or given much depth. I go back and forth. But I definitely think the writers need to handle them differently somehow next season. 

It does make me glad that the focus is on Greer/Jack. That relationship works, is interesting and is being nicely developed. The actors have very good chemistry too. 

I don’t expect Cathy to guess he’s CIA, but I do expect her to be more questioning about what he really does. Seems weird that she doesn’t. 

The Victor plot is what really feels out of place. Most of it doesn’t connect to anything else that is happening. That seems like a waste. 

[Erin9]

On 9/3/2018 at 3:47 PM, mxc90 said:

 

At the end, Jack runs in with valuable intel but Greer had to interrupt with a story that could have waited while they were on the plane.

Yeah. It could have. But I’m glad we got to hear the story anyway. It was character building, relationship building, and relevant to what had gone on. I can ignore that the story could have waited. 

[Erin9]

On 9/2/2018 at 11:08 AM, Stenbeck said:

Awesome. Yes, there are minor (or major!) potholes, but it's entertaining as hell.

I was expecting the son to have more of a reaction or an internal conflict upon learning his mother was alive. His dad (whom he's now devoted to) lied to him. 

Yeah. I don’t get his lack of reaction to his father’s lies either. 

At the same time, he doesn’t run and tell his dad they’re in America. Suleiman finds out via the game. Totally unlike how he found out the girls were leaving. 

[csondra]

On 9/10/2018 at 8:26 PM, Kel Varnsen said:

The biggest thing that bugged me was drones have IR cameras, so even if they didn't know how the guys left they should have had an idea that the compound was empty. Also wouldn't hostages that were held for seventeen weeks get the most complete medical exam ever before returning home?

I guess I figured they got to skip a lot of the debrief due to the one doctor's close relationship with the President. Although, you'd think that would....uh...make them MORE suspicious. Like it seems to have most of us.

 

2 hours ago, Erin9 said:

Yeah. I don’t get his lack of reaction to his father’s lies either. 

At the same time, he doesn’t run and tell his dad they’re in America. Suleiman finds out via the game. Totally unlike how he found out the girls were leaving. 

I think we were supposed to see that as him becoming more conflicted about his father? The kid playing Samir may just not have the depth of the actors playing his parents. (I could totally watch an entire show based on Mousa and Hanin.)

[tennisgurl]

Does no one in the world just have their password be a bunch of random letters, or a word that means nothing, and is just easy for them to remember? 

Dont shoot the person with the switch that turns the bomb on! Especially a person who is clearly trying to surrender! Everything that team did was wrong! I mean, I assume it was, based on the fact that running into a room filled with terrorists seems pretty freaking stupid.

I am super into the story with Hanin Ali and his kids, and her trying to raise her family in the midst of his terror plans. It sounds like she signed up for "wife of freedom fighter" and not "wife of international terrorist with a super creepy crew", and is starting to get understandably concerned. 

[csondra]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

Does no one in the world just have their password be a bunch of random letters, or a word that means nothing, and is just easy for them to remember? 

I am super into the story with Hanin Ali and his kids, and her trying to raise her family in the midst of his terror plans. It sounds like she signed up for "wife of freedom fighter" and not "wife of international terrorist with a super creepy crew", and is starting to get understandably concerned. 

The password thing makes me nuts, too. I have a few I commonly use, but none of them are anything anyone would associate with me in any way. Still not the safest (since they're real words and I repeat use), but at least I'm not using my prison number.

And I said it in another episode thread, but I could totally just watch a show about Mousa and Hanin. And maybe Mousa's brother. I love Greer and Ryan, but I find the radicalization of the brothers and Hanin's rising concern to be hugely interesting.

[xander874]

19 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

The actress playing Hanin is stunning, and she's doing a really good job portraying Hanin's fear for her family, love for he husband, and all the conflicts that rise from that

Agreed.  She totally needs an Emmy next year for this episode alone. Her storyline is the most riveting. I actually got emotional during the attempted rape scene. The girls playing the daughters were very good too.

However, for a show called Jack Ryan, he was barely in this episode it seemed.

[Erin9]

5 hours ago, xander874 said:

Agreed.  She totally needs an Emmy next year for this episode alone. Her storyline is the most riveting. I actually got emotional during the attempted rape scene. The girls playing the daughters were very good too.

However, for a show called Jack Ryan, he was barely in this episode it seemed.

She was great. I enjoyed watching her story. 

I totally understand why they wanted to spend significant time on the terrorist end of the show. It was humanizing and they only have one season with them. And it was over all well written. 

But in S2- they really need to work on time management and character development for their core cast. We should certainly see more of Jack Ryan- the title character- than we have. He should be developed further. They have time to do it, but they should put some real focus there next season. 

I was relieved Ali couldn’t bring himself to kill the family. I really didn’t want to see that. But- it made total sense to me why Suleiman told him to kill all witnesses. 

I found Victor’s story unnecessary. And more than I wanted to see on multiple levels. 

One problem with having quickly watched the whole series- the episodes have blended together. I can’t quite remember exactly what happened in a given episode....and I don’t want to spoil anything 

Edited September 12, 2018 by Erin9

[Enero]

I recently finished this show and thought it was just okay. 

JK was passable as the lead, but didn't have the charisma to make me care about his character. I thought his boss, Hani and her husband were way more engaging and their stories interesting. 

I could not have cared less about Cathy. She had no chemistry with Jack and in fact I felt like their whole meeting and courtship was contrived. As the series went on I found myself fast forwarding through their scenes together and when they were speaking about each other to their acquaintances or friends. 

I agree. Victor's story was just filler. Perhaps an attempt at making the story deeper than it actually was?

Again, I enjoyed the complexity of Suleiman. That his terrorism wasn’t  born in a vacuum. His family was destroyed when he was a child. He started a new life in France, attempted to assimilate was rejected, at times harshly, which eventually led him down the unfortunate path of terrorism. 

There were a few things that were very over the top or a huge leap, i.e. the helicopter picking up Jack at the birthday party, Sulieman just out of the blue deciding to open the video game his son was playing and discovering the U.S. was on to him. The doctor who was friends with the President being allowed to interact with him so soon after being held captive by terrorist and then mysteriously left behind? Now that the U.S. should've been suspicious. Why did Sulieman not kill them should've been the question being asked. 

Again, this was an okay series. Don't know if I'd watch a second season. 

Edited September 13, 2018 by Enero

[Kel Varnsen]

On 9/3/2018 at 1:49 PM, Penman61 said:

This series relieved me of any qualms I might've had about USA's use of drones because apparently their main job is to STOP ARAB RAPISTS IN PROGRESS.

 

But the rapists are unfortunately missile proof.

A decent show. Exciting but kind of straight forward. Season 2 in Russia could be fun especially if Jack ends up on an experimental submarine.

A couple of dumb things though. If you pull a fire alarm in a building the elevators will be recalled to the main floor right away so Cathy shouldn't have been on the elevator with the bad guy. Also if the president is in an isolation ward, the ventilation system in his room will literally be isolated from the rest of the hospital.

Edited September 16, 2018 by Kel Varnsen

[Danny Franks]

The plotting of this show is starting to bug me. So Ali changes vehicles and just happens to stop at the same petrol station as Ryan and Boldly Sexual French Cop*. Not only that, but Ryan just decides to wander around the forecourt with his phone, and notices there is more ice on the car than there should be (hell of an analysis, there) then that it's been hot-wired. Too many coincidences, in that period of about a minute. Meanwhile, Aggressively Islamophobic French Cop* is pissing off Greer in another car, and they're handily unavailable to help.

*Seriously, guys, be a little less broad with your stereotypes?

I'm actually annoyed that Ali is dead, because the actor was giving a really nice performance. Sort of soulful and vulnerable, despite the things he was doing. Oh, and the French cop is dead, leaving Ryan traumatised and the only witness to what happened.

And hey, of course Suleiman is using biological/chemical weapons, because then Cathy's job is crucial to the plot of the show. Someone else called it, and it was obvious they were going to be right.

I kind of like Ryan and Cathy together. They were a bit awkward, but it was a first date. She obviously knew he was lying about his job, but didn't push it. I guess she needed to get laid as much as Ryan did.

[Rickster]

One thing regarding Greer’s story: surely as station chief in Karachi, he had diplomatic cover and therefore diplomatic immunity? So the chances of him ending up in a Pakistani prision were, I think, nil.

I find Cathy to be a pretty dull unexpressive character, but have’t figured out if it is the actress or the writing.

Agree the Victor plot is a waste and the one misstep in the series. I’ll be especially annoyed if the weird hotel room encounter earlier in the series has no bigger plot role.

[Danny Franks]

I appreciate Hanin's storyline more than anything else in the show. Even without her husband being the evil mastermind, it's still cool to see a woman trying to get herself and her children to safety, through the refugee system. Putting a human face on people in that position is so important.

Suleiman's backstory is pretty sad. Clearly a very bright man, whose life was derailed by events beyond his control, and then he grabbed onto the only lifeline he could see: the fantasy of a better life. 

The drone pilot's plot has some interesting beats, but I agree the actor is a bit lifeless. And having him explain all the stuff that was being adequately conveyed already was redundant. Yes, I get that he's struggling with the mix of impersonal attacks, and the intimacy of being able to watch your target's life beforehand.

Ryan is a bit ridiculous, I have to say. He works everything out first, every time. Just once, it would be nice if some of these far more seasoned intelligence officers actually knew what they were doing, without Ryan having to explain things. They joked about him not being a superhero in the episode, but he might as well be.

[Danny Franks]

A US Air Force drone pilot on active duty can take leave to fly to Southern Turkey, and no one notices? His storyline is dumb, and I hope he gets himself killed.

Abbie Cornish's face is oddly inexpressive in this show.  I don't know if she's trying to create a still, centred character, or if she's had a load of botox. But I'm starting to agree that she was a casting misstep. You really want Cathy to jump off the screen, and get viewers invested in her and her relationship with Jack, and she doesn't.

The coincidences keep piling up, irritatingly. Cathy is working on a case that ties directly to Suleiman, because of course she is.

Jack himself continues to be a self-righteous asshole. Yes, the Turkish sex trafficker is a sleazebag, but acting like a prissy, pissy jerk isn't going to make him more eager help you. That's not how intel work is done. Greer telling him to grow the fuck up clearly isn't going to take.  I guess this is why analysts, no matter how preternaturally intelligent and capable they are, don't belong in the field.

"Geography is destiny" was quite a good line. It's something people do need to think about, when judging those from other countries, or those trying to leave those countries.

I'd have been more interested to see Hanin follow the refugee trail all the way from Turkey to Western Europe, but I guess it would have been considered too dull. At least they're safe now

Greer definitely had the coolest moment in the series so far, killing Yazid. Shows why he's cut out for this and Ryan isn't. But then he went and undid all that coolness by telling a long story that Ryan doesn't really care about.

Edited September 15, 2018 by Danny Franks

[Danny Franks]

Oh wow, who would have figured that Cathy would find out about Jack's real job! Surely it would be incumbent on him to tell his boss and the military guys that he knows her? Not only does he not say it, but he acts as though he doesn't know her at all.

But still, why is she getting as pissy as that, when it seemed fairly clear in earlier episodes that she knew he was lying? Or did I misread more nuance into their date scene than they intended? Anyway, I guess it just doesn't seem like a big betrayal, but I suppose it's to show that Cathy is more invested than she claimed.

And seriously, the abducted doctor is the president's old friend? Man, these coincidences just pile up and up, don't they? Fortunately for Ryan, that means the ground op is a go as well.

The show did a good job of ratcheting tension, when the soldiers went in. But... they find a dry hole with one single man desribed as "one of them", and they... just kill him? Really? Because for all they know he could have vital information.

The twist with the vitamins was something I didn't see coming, actually. The show did a fairly good job of burying the lede on that. Quite a novel idea, for a spy thriller.

[Danny Franks]

Ah, so the helicopter crash is canon Jack Ryan, then. That's how he gets hurt in the Chris Pine movie that came out a couple of years ago too. Still, that's a hell of a backstory, for Jack. And I guess the fact he's not completely embittered to Muslims, like many are, is testament to his character.

That was the best Abbie Cornish has looked, in the show so far, in that first scene. Not sure if she just doesn't suit the dressier attire they had her wearing in earlier episodes, or maybe having her hair up does her no favours.

It always amuses me how easily wanted terrorists find it to move about the globe, even in and out of their target countries, in fiction. Suleiman and his whole band are now in America, un-monitored and carrying out their nefarious plans. It's where my suspense of disbelief always falls apart. 

Now that Suleiman's dead, I guess we'll get no more Hanin next season, which is a shame. She was definitely the stand out, of this show. The nuance for all the other Middle Eastern characters fell away, as they became more and more stereotypically evil.

Suleiman had a complex backstory, but everything about his present was too black and white. I guess they were trying to show that this is how radicalisation works?

All in all, this was okay. Not challenging viewing, but easy enough to consume. The writing could have been so much better, though. Overall, the plot was like something out of all the shallow, formulaic spy thriller novels that are so popular at the moment. There were just too many neat coincidences and cliches through the whole season, and they weren't disguised well enough.

I'll watch the second season, but I won't be waiting for it with bated breath.

[Anela]

On 9/3/2018 at 1:34 AM, FozzyBear said:

I actually kind of liked that they cast an actress in her 30s to play a woman in her 30s and didn’t bother to try and make her look younger. She looked like a very beautiful 36 year old woman. Now I’m not saying I think Abbie Cornish was amazing in the role, but I was able to buy her as a Dr at least.

I haven't finished the episode yet - couldn't focus - but I'm glad that they cast an age-appropriate woman, as well.

I haven't read the books, or seen the movies, but the helicopter carrying him away from a party, impressing a woman he's just met, and likes, almost had me rolling my eyes. 

[Raja]

10 hours ago, Anela said:

I haven't finished the episode yet - couldn't focus - but I'm glad that they cast an age-appropriate woman, as well.

I haven't read the books, or seen the movies, but the helicopter carrying him away from a party, impressing a woman he's just met, and likes, almost had me rolling my eyes. 

I read that the miniseries started life as a remake of Clear And Present Danger, thus the Coast Guard involvement with the story. But with all the secret agent stuff you would think a detective or federal agent ringing the door at the party would be way more covert.

[Raja]

Clancyverse books Jack Ryan was a peacetime Marine thus his first actual combat was when terrorist tried to take out Prince Charles. Which was a strange part for a middle aged Harrison Ford. to play.

[csondra]

5 hours ago, Raja said:

I read that the miniseries started life as a remake of Clear And Present Danger, thus the Coast Guard involvement with the story. But with all the secret agent stuff you would think a detective or federal agent ringing the door at the party would be way more covert.

I had the same thought... "Way to fly under the radar there, Super Secret CIA Guys!"

[Anela]

I thought I'd never seen the movies, thinking that they were the Tom Cruise movies. Having a "duh" moment, here. A big one. Harrison Ford was Jack Ryan! Anne Archer was his wife. I saw those when I was a kid. One of them was about the IRA, right? I also saw the Ben Affleck one. 

I need to pay more attention, or not watch at all. I saw the guy holding the suicide vest, and a bunch of people panicking, but didn't know who they were. Then the woman puts it on, the whole thing goes "boom" and I'm just thinking, "Oh". I've lost any suspense. It reminded me of a woman wearing a suicide vest in Paris, a few years ago. Doesn't seem like that long ago, when they were tracking the people who shot up a concert there. Unless I'm mixing her up with someone else. I just remember surprise at a woman wearing one. 

[Raja]

20 hours ago, Anela said:

I thought I'd never seen the movies, thinking that they were the Tom Cruise movies. Having a "duh" moment, here. A big one. Harrison Ford was Jack Ryan! Anne Archer was his wife. I saw those when I was a kid. One of them was about the IRA, right? I also saw the Ben Affleck one. 

I need to pay more attention, or not watch at all. I saw the guy holding the suicide vest, and a bunch of people panicking, but didn't know who they were. Then the woman puts it on, the whole thing goes "boom" and I'm just thinking, "Oh". I've lost any suspense. It reminded me of a woman wearing a suicide vest in Paris, a few years ago. Doesn't seem like that long ago, when they were tracking the people who shot up a concert there. Unless I'm mixing her up with someone else. I just remember surprise at a woman wearing one. 

The faux, we are not that crazy IRA was featured in Patriot Games, it was the Clancy-books Jack Ryan origin, but with Harrison Ford in the role after Alec Baldwin in The Hunt For Red October it could not be used that way in the movies. Chris Pine's Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit provided a movie origin story.

The Ben Affleck version is most famous for changing the Islamic terrorist in the source book into White Supremacist terrorist for the movie. And in a counter white washing it wasn't to prevent roles from going to Middle Eastern actors

Edited September 20, 2018 by Raja

[Anela]

On 9/5/2018 at 6:53 PM, Happywatcher said:

I thought it was interesting Amazon had all the women co stars so far, except the french captain, sign nudity contracts.

I wish that they would remember that they can tell a good story, without putting naked women everywhere.

I haven't watched yet. I will soon.

[katiepotatey]

On 9/12/2018 at 3:04 PM, Enero said:

There were a few things that were very over the top or a huge leap, i.e. the helicopter picking up Jack at the birthday party, Sulieman just out of the blue deciding to open the video game his son was playing and discovering the U.S. was on to him.

I assumed that he knew his children used a game to chat, like what he did with his brother, so it was not that big of a leap for me to believe that he would check the game for messages. 

[Morgan of Hed]

The real leap was that the CIA agent at the house would give an internet -connected device to the daughter.

[mehtotheworld]

Am I not understanding the Paris of 2001, or is it kind of ridiculous that someone with Suleiman’s experience (Credit Suisse intern, published papers on banking, etc.) couldn’t get any job other than falafel seller? Not even, like, bank teller or something? Perhaps in some other country if the “stain” of where he lives is too great in Paris?

Jack Ryan is kind of the least interesting part of the show, which makes me sad as a Krasinski fan. Hanin is amazing though. Every scene with her leaves me anxious. 

[sinycalone]

I like the way the Jack Ryan character was written (I'm only up to episode 6)..  He has enough of a "physical" background to make his being able to handle weapons (including grenades) believable.  Yet, he really wanted to stay behind a desk (after his experiences as a Marine)....he loves puzzles, codes, tracking money, etc.  I think they've shown his growth in each episode, though -- he's becoming more forceful and more committed to the field agent's behavior.  

They have crossed the line into unrealistic at times (the password breaking, the lack of a French-speaker to help with the conversation with Suleiman, etc.)....but those instances haven't been enough to make me lose my focus.

Hanin is a great character...I'm rooting very hard for total escape.

For me, the weakest character is Cathy...I don't know if it's the writing, or the acting.

 

 

 

I

Edited September 25, 2018 by sinycalone

[Claire85]

I thought Samir’s diabetes would become a bigger plot point, such as, they have a limited window to save him because he needs his insulin. It kind of makes me wonder if we may see him again someday. 

[blackwing]

Just binge watched the entire series, and I really liked it.  I know the reviews weren't great and it wasn't perfect, but I found it very entertaining.

I enjoyed seeing the development of Jack from an office analyst into a field agent, but I guess I didn't fully understand how that even happened?  He was part of some unit that actually did support analysis.  He had a finance/banking background so he was tasked with tracing the money.  He found some lead and then because of that he gets made to go with Greer to the Middle East to ask about the money?  Not every person at the CIA is a spy or has intense military training.  But I guess I just have to handwave that otherwise there'd be no show.

Question... what was the point of the Ebola plot?  Suleiman and his flunky go to Liberia to dig up an Ebola body, from which they extract Ebola and make it into vitamins to infect the DWB hostages.  Wasn't this plan put in place well before the son got a video game message from his sister saying they were in America, or before he got a false video game message from Jack?  How did Suleiman know that the hostages were going to go back to America at just the right moment they did?  If the U.S. rangers hadn't come looking for the hostages, would Suleiman have released them on his own?

As it was, I have a hard time believing that those hostages wouldn't have been checked out thoroughly.  Especially since David was shown on camera sweating profusely and coughing.  I guess the show needed a convenient way to quarantine the President.

So why the need for the cesium?  And why the need to hide it in the bodies of two randoms?  Seems like it would have been much easier for them to just blow up the whole hospital.  Also, why wasn't there better security at the hospital?  I get that there was a cafe explosion but still with the President in the hospital I would have thought that everyone would get checked out.  Ryan and Greer get asked who they are but yet anyone in a security or medical looking uniform can just freely come and go?

So Greer gets transferred to Russia.  Was that supposed to be a suggested build up to the events of "The Hunt for Red October"?  Because if so, I don't think it would work because Greer was a navy guy in the books, and never in the CIA.  I guess this is supposed to be a standalone series based on characters inspire by the books.  

I read that Season 2 takes place in South America, so I am assuming we won't be seeing Hanin and her kids again.

On 9/15/2018 at 8:11 AM, Danny Franks said:

A US Air Force drone pilot on active duty can take leave to fly to Southern Turkey, and no one notices? His storyline is dumb, and I hope he gets himself killed.

Victor was the stupidest part of the series, but to answer the question... he was put on leave by his boss for killing Hanin's would be attacker without permission.  He was told to take two weeks off or something so I guess he took all his gambling winnings and just booked himself a flight to Turkey.

Some of the "trivia" bits that are on the Amazon app said that the show creators wanted minor vignettes to track through the series because they said that's how the Clancy books are, with small stories about minor characters.  Or something like that.  I guess that was the point of Victor, but on the whole I found it a complete waste of time.  It didn't advance the plot as a whole at all.

 

I am looking forward to Season 2, hope it comes sooner rather than later.

[Artsda]

Just finished season 1 and looking forward to a season 2.

I'm hoping for a return of Hanin. 

[Raja]

The season 2 teaser trailer is up. 

It looks like a lot taken from the Clear and Present Danger Colombian ambush scene. Trade an IED for the original's RPG

[ribboninthesky1]

The season started out interesting, and it was basically a live-action video game by the end. I half-expected Yazid to pop up alive again after being shot in the head.  

Someone way upthread mentioned the poor hair and make-up particularly among the  middle Eastern male characters, and right there with you! It was distracting at times. 

On 9/12/2018 at 3:04 PM, Enero said:

JK was passable as the lead, but didn't have the charisma to make me care about his character. I thought his boss, Hani and her husband were way more engaging and their stories interesting. 

Yeah, I thought Wendell Pierce stole the show from JK.  Jack Ryan immediately undermining Greer's authority in episode 1 put him into asshole territory, and he never really left it for me.  The scene where Greer mentioned narcissism in reference to Jack's morose self-loathing over the Paris church terror attack had me nodding my head in agreement.  There's an inherently decent, compassionate person struggling to do the right thing, and there's self-righteous peacocking because your way is the only way.  Jack Ryan was definitely the latter.      

On 9/12/2018 at 3:04 PM, Enero said:

I could not have cared less about Cathy. She had no chemistry with Jack and in fact I felt like their whole meeting and courtship was contrived.

Agreed on the lack of chemistry, although JK wasn't selling it.  Abbie Cornish gave it her best shot, and wasn't getting much back.  The writing wasn't there, either.  I didn't understand why she felt so betrayed when it was revealed that Jack was CIA.  They barely knew each other, and she was the one who wanted to keep it casual.    

Agree with the "drone pilot's spiral due to the PTSD arc was useless" sentiment.  The season probably could have been cut down to 7 episodes without those scenes.        

[lonestar]

Quote

Best Wendell Pierce since The Wire.

I liked him more in Treme.