The Next JACK RYAN

Article first published as TV Review: JACK RYAN on Seat42F.

Amazon now has the latest version of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan character in a series entitled, appropriately enough, TOM CLANCY’S JACK RYAN. In this drama, the first adaptation of the role in an ongoing series, not just a film or two, Ryan is a financial analyst for the CIA, out of the Marines, but before he holds public office. Of course, the everyman gets drawn into major terrorist activities and turns into action hero, which is what the show will mainly be about.

John Krasinski (The Office) is the fifth actor to portray Ryan, and despite a light resume of action flicks, he handles the role well. Krasinski is as believable as the soft-spoken nerd as he is the desperate man thrust into a situation he’s not prepared for. Ryan’s past service explains how he can handle himself in a battle situation, even if he doesn’t seem the type that will be fist fighting anytime soon. This is some solid casting.

Just as solid is the supporting cast, which includes Treme’s Wendell Pierce as Jack’s boss, James Greer, Abbie Cornish (Klondike) as Cathy Mueller, Jack’s love interest, Ali Suliman (The Looming Tower) as Mousa Bin Suleiman, the main terrorist, and Dina Shihabi (BKPI) as Hanin Ali, Sleiman’s wife. I know I often say the casts of these shows are strong, but this one is, too. With a smaller group, more is on these few players, and they all are up to the task.

JACK RYAN feels like a pretty quality production. It was developed by Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Graham Roland (Fringe). Roland’s background certainly helps make the military stuff work, and Cuse has plenty of experience on other good shows. Michael Bay is among the long list of producers on the project, and that might have come in to play when developing the action, which is big and intense.

In fact, that will likely be the main reason some will complain about this show. It contains a lot of action and special effects, ridiculously big attack sequences, and plenty of explosions. This is entertaining, obviously, elements common in tentpole blockbuster films. But there is a simplicity to the story, a bit of two dimension us vs. them stuff, that does drag down JACK RYAN. However, it’s less than 24 had, at least for now, so it’s not an unprecedented amount. There are also slower scenes that help balance things out, so I wouldn’t consider the action a disqualifying factor.

The plot in the CIA is welcome, with plenty for Pierce to do. The romantic stuff, where Ryan falls for his ex-boss’s daughter, is a little less interesting. To start with, it seems a predictable, uninspired relationship. However, I’ll admit to not having ready any of the Ryan novels, so there may be a faithfulness or importance here that I’m not seeing in the first few episodes of the series.

Despite the danger of blatant blind patriotism, and there is definitely a danger to such a thing, especially in the current political climate, I think most Americans won’t have any trouble rooting for the thoughtful, noble Ryan. It’s a fun series, and sometimes it even gets a little better than that description. I certainly think it’s ripe for a continuation over many years in which we see Ryan grow into the president of the United States, a post Jack Bauer did not, and could never, achieve. It’s nice to see a bit of restraint in the midst of such a glaring viewpoint.

In summation, I like JACK RYAN, I think most people will like Jack Ryan, and while it’s not a perfect show, it is definitely an entertaining one.

The entire first season of TOM CLANCY’S JACK RYAN is available streaming now on Amazon Prime.

Journey to KLONDIKE

Article first published as KLONDIKE Review on Seat42F.

Discovery Channel’s first scripted miniseries, KLONDIKE, tells the story of the gold rush in Alaska in the late 1890s. It paints a picture of many types of characters who just might make it in a frontier setting, where rules and laws give way to survival of the fittest and nature, as well as the hero who struggles to adjust his morality. Who will thrive and who will perish? Tune in to find out.

It’s good to see more cable networks getting into the scripted game. As someone who detests most reality programming, and even finds many of the so-called “educational” stuff on Discovery and History hokey and annoying, I don’t typically appreciate the offerings of these networks. But a good drama, which either tells a true story (in a fashion) or presents a period of time most people don’t know a lot about, is welcome. KLONDIKE may fit this category.

KLONDIKE reminds me a lot of AMC’s Hell on Wheels. It has a similar tone and wild spirit, and the players feel familiar. It took me awhile to get into Hell on Wheels, likely because the frame of reference is so far off between today and that era. KLONDIKE, too, begins a little slowly, but it has good enough cast that I’ll give it the same chance, hoping it will grow on me the way the AMC show has, though KLONDIKE is a limited-run piece. Plus, a twist late in Part One really got me excited about what’s happening.

After the obligatory, out-of-sequence hook, which nearly all shows seem to feel the need to include these days, though they really shouldn’t, the first part begins with two young men, Bill Haskell (Richard Madden, Game of Thrones) and Byron Epstein (Augustus Prew, The Borigas), setting out to make their fortune beyond The Wall in the snowy wilderness.. They have a spirit of adventure, brave souls, and a naivety that will definitely bring them more trouble than good. They’re familiar types, but not unwelcome ones.

Upon reaching their destination, the town of Klondike, Bill and Byron quickly learn that they are not at all prepared for the life they’ve embarked upon. They don’t understand the attitudes of the local Native Americans, and are surprised by the unscrupulous and selfish nature of their new neighbors. They get in over their heads in a compelling way, and by the end of the first part, viewers should care about them.

Among the characters they meet in their new home are mill owner Belinda Mulrooney (Abbie Cornish, Outriders), who is very protective of her business ventures, wise, kind priest Father Judge (Sam Shepard, The Right Stuff), whom the locals don’t care for nearly as much as Bill does, con-artist Soapy Smith (Ian Hart, Luck Dirt), who tries to seem harmless, The Count (Tim Roth, Lie To Me), the clear villain of the piece, and aspiring writer Jack London (Johnny Simmons, The Perks of Being a Wallflower).

Yes, that Jack London. For whatever reason, many historical tales feel the need to stick in real-life figures. London isn’t the only such person in KLONDIKE, but is the most famous one. I think they feel this gives the story some legitimacy, tying it to the real world by using a familiar name. But rarely do such projects care much about portraying the person in an authentic light, bending them to the whims of the script, instead, so London, like many that came before him in other shows, is a failed experiment, which KLONDIKE would be better off without.

The others are mostly types, too, to be honest. We’ve had plenty of woman who spur the traditional gender roles, or businessmen who are ruthless. Perhaps these archetypes work for a reason, but it still leaves one, who has already born witness to so many of them, yearning for something more fresh and original.

That being said, there is some strong casting here, and hopefully the actors will raise the parts above their starting position. I already like Bill, and the others have just enough potential that they might salvage the program, though in lesser hands than those currently guiding them, they would very much waste away.

KLONDIKE airs at 9 p.m. ET this week on Discovery Channel, starting Monday.