‘Jack Ryan’ Season Four Review – A Lukewarm End To The Series

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

When Jack Ryan season one came out, I was very impressed with John Krasinski. The only thing I had seen him in prior had been The Office. I thought he did well in the role that differed greatly from the one he played as Jim Halper. It was the second season, however; that really roped me in. I really loved that season and it made me excited for more Jack Ryan. Season three didn’t hold my attention the way the previous season had, but it wasn’t bad.

A Lukewarm Sendoff

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan has now ended after four seasons and it feels…as if it was gone too soon. While season four was only two episodes shorter than previous seasons, the six episodes feel like an unsatisfactory end to a great show. It makes me genuinely wonder why this season is shorter and why a final season felt like it was rushed out – especially when season three had only just premiered in December of 2022.

Now, I don’t want to be too critical of everything surrounding the fourth season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. John Krasinski is still good as the titular character and seeing Wendall Pierce return as James Greer was also great. The characters still shine, albeit having to do their best to do so in a plot-heavy season that needed more episodes to breathe.

This Show Focused on the Wrong Things

There are moments where the show is focusing too much on the spy/espionage aspect of the show. Don’t get me wrong, the show has always leaned into this – it’s literally a spy show. But, what made this show stand apart of shows like Citadel was that it focused a lot on the characters and making you care about the relations between them, instead of just focusing on the theme of the show. I don’t know, I missed the character arcs in this season. It was cool seeing the action and whatnot, but I just felt like something was missing.

Overall, Jack Ryan season four was just…okay. If this wasn’t the last season, I would be okay with it being the end. However, considering this is it, I’m left…well, almost forgetting about it. I’m not sure if this season or the last cements the show as a long-lasting story. Will people want to rewatch Jack Ryan? When we think of a good spy show, will Jack Ryan be the first we think about? I’ll certainly think of the first two seasons, but I think these last two have been a little bit of a letdown.

Have you watched the fourth and final season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan? What’d you think of John Krasinski’s Amazon Prime sendoff?