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

When CIA analyst Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) is pulled from the safety of his desk job and catapulted into a deadly game of cat and mouse throughout Europe and the Middle East, he must race to stop a terrorist’s plans for a massive attack against the U.S. and her allies. From Executive Producers John Krasinski, Carlton Cuse (Lost ), Graham Roland (Fringe ), and Michael Bay, the first season of Jack Ryan includes all 8 episodes on 2 discs plus 4 deleted scenes from the pulse-pounding mission that started it all. Abbie Cornish, Wendell Pierce, Dina Shihabi, and John Hoogenakker also star.

For thoughts on Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Season 1, please see our previous pieces here and here.

Video Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Season 1 is presented with a 2160p HDR transfer that offers a welcome uptick in quality over the streaming version of the series on Prime Video. This particular package does not contain any accompanying Blu-Ray discs, so there is not an easy way to compare the two formats. The physical 4K version allows for an eye-popping amount of depth, clarity and stability within the image. There are numerous instances of Jack going to fascinating locales that you want to take time to explore as you see all of the textural nuances. Scenes cloaked in shadows now allow for a more fully resolved look at the moment that is being shown on screen. The disc is replete with texture from the production design, locations and costumes.

The series allows for a dazzling exploration of the color spectrum for a rich and vibrant visual experience from the first episode to the last. The HDR really finds the nuances of each hue, and the black levels are flawless, staying deep and inky with great detail. Highlights are balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. There are some fleeting instances of compression artifacts that we were surprised to see, but it is not a major issue. This is an incredible transfer that lifts up the series above the streaming version. Fans will not be disappointed by the visual spectacle courtesy of Paramount.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track, which would be very impressive if not for the fact that the older Blu-Ray provided a Dolby Atmos track. The reason for the downgrade is unknown, but it is slightly disappointing. Setting that aside, this 5.1 track is no slouch and knows how to bring the house down in its own way. The series is fairly action-packed with several kinetic moments each episode that bring intensity to the track. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear in the front channel without being overwhelmed by any sound effects or score.

The track has a fine sense of directionality with sounds always emanating from the appropriate point in the room. The more thrilling moments put the low end to work with a vengeance. The Ramin Djawadi score provides the perfect atmosphere for this experience which fills the speakers well. This audio presentation is pretty fantastic even without an upgraded Atmos audio mix to push things even further. There are English and English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Deleted Scenes: There is three minutes of unused material provided here which mostly add up to inconsequential moments that were trimmed for pacing reasons.

Final Thoughts

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is a pretty damn entertaining series which offers some good spy craft and some memorable action sequences that quicken your pulse. John Krasinski does an agreeable job transitioning from an everyman to something more in the “classic hero” realm, even if we do prefer the former. The ensemble complements him very well with Wendell Pierce being a particular standout. This debut season does a nice job of setting up the series, and it leaves you wanting more. Paramount Home Entertainment has done this series a great service by revisiting it for a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that features a pretty great A/V presentation and a paltry amount of special features. Even with the downgrade in audio, this is a nice upgrade for fans. Recommended

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Season 1 can be purchased on 4K UHD Blu-Ray directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.