Tom Clancy Would Be Proud

This week I got around to watching the 8 episode Amazon series Jack Ryan, based on the novels of Tom Clancy.

Back in the 90s, I had yet to rediscover my inner geek and rejoin the ranks of the superhero fan.  In those days, my passions ran to books like The Hunt For Red October, Patriot Games and a whole host of Tom Clancy-esque military and spy thrillers.  The tech-ier, the better.  I guess my inner geek was speaking a bit after all.

With the huge success of the books, movies naturally followed.  Alec Baldwin and then Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and finally Chris Pine all played Clancy's reluctant hero, Jack Ryan.

To be honest, none of the movies ever rocked me the way Clancy's crisp, fast paced, tech savvy prose did.  They were all good in their way, but never really hit the heights that I hoped for when I lined up to see them in the theater.  Good, but generally forgettable.  The Hunt For Red October was tops of the lot, with Sean Connery's fun turn as a Russian sub commander being pretty memorable, even if the bridge of the sub looked more space ship than war ship.

Amazon's Jack Ryan doesn't draw directly from any one novel in the series, but rather pulls the character out and places him in today's geopolitical mess, to the greatest effect of any Jack Ryan vehicle yet.  It's smart, fast paced, complex and totally, completely plausible.  John Krasinski nails the true-blue damaged Boy Scout that Clancy created.  While the character is a former Marine (making his action sequences feel natural), Krasinski gives us a totally believable portrayal of a truly reluctant hero, drawn in against his will, wishing only for a simpler life behind a desk.

I have said before that being a geek in the 21st Century is truly a wonderful and nearly religious experience, I think it's safe to say that the same can be said for fans of serious serialized drama.  Game of Thrones, Handmaid's Tale and several others have shown that independent, non-network made dramas made for grown up audiences who have heard the word "fuck" without a case of the vapors and don't mind seeing the occasional naked person, can and do connect with people like myself and a large swath of the viewing public.  It's about damned time.  When you think about the restrictions of language and image on network television, it's akin to the way we sanitize reality for children.  I for one don't feel I need that kind of protection.

I'm not suggesting that networks can't make great drama under broadcast guidelines, but they are handcuffed to a degree.  I for one appreciate not having to pretend that it's normal that bad guys can get shot and never say anything stronger than "Damn".  Similarly, if a story is predicated on a violent premise, showing it on screen as bloodless and clean is not really being honest with your audience.

All this is my way of saying, if you haven't seen Amazon's Jack Ryan, do.