How John Krasinski brings 'Jack Ryan' to a fitting farewell: 'An unbelievable honor'
Warning: Mild finale spoilers appear late in this story.
John Krasinski is completing his last mission on Amazon Prime's "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan."
It has been a perilous and heroic last stretch for Krasinski's onetime CIA analyst Jack Ryan, author Tom Clancy's most famous character. Ryan saved the world once again during the action series' December Season 3 finale. Then, just six months later, the regular-guy genius who can pack a punch was pressed into critical duty for the fourth and final six-episode season. .
The two-episode finale (now streaming) concludes the first Jack Ryan TV run after the character was portrayed in five movies by Harrison Ford (twice), Alec Baldwin, Chris Pine and Ben Affleck.
"It's been an unbelievable honor to play this character," says Krasinski, 43. "I'm not sure if my 15-year-old self has reconciled with even having this opportunity."
What did Krasinski bring to 'Jack Ryan' in the TV series?
The legendary Ryan has seen many scrapes since Baldwin portrayed the CIA analyst bringing in a defecting Soviet nuclear submarine commander (Sean Connery) in 1990's "The Hunt for Red October." Krasinski was 10, hitting adolescence during Ford's memorable run in 1992's "Patriot Games" and 1994's "Clear and Present Danger."
Krasinski had already flexed his biceps and action muscle in 2016's "13 Hours" when he signed on for the 2018 modern-day "Jack Ryan" reboot series. But the actor was best known as lovable Jim Halpert from NBC's "The Office."
Even Krasinski was daunted by the character and the acting company. "It was beyond overwhelming and surreal. I loved all these movies and performances," he says. "Growing up, Jack Ryan was bigger than Batman in my house. Especially the early movies. Those were my comic books ? I was obsessed."
The long-form TV series storytelling made the project appealing for Krasinski. Ryan, and his relationships with a trusted cadre of CIA colleagues ?James Greer (Wendell Pierce), Mike November (Michael Kelly) and now-director Elizabeth Wright (Betty Gabriel) ? is fully fleshed out.
"We got to spend so much time with Jack. That was my get-out-of-jail-free card," says Krasinski, an executive producer. "I got to be placed in a different world than these other incredible actors who have played Jack Ryan. You get to know Jack Ryan as well as well as in the books. That's what I'm most proud of."
Krasinski's earnest everyman persona (not to mention his biceps) was the pitch-perfect fit for the unassuming Ryan.
"He brings a little John to the character," says executive producer Allyson Seeger. "There's humor and humanity and a moral compass that has never wavered through four seasons, whether that was in the jungles of South America or in front of Congress."
Why is 'Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan' ending?
There have been many global locations. Season 1 featured desk-dwelling financial analyst Clancy navigating budding love with his doctor girlfriend, Cathy Mueller (Abbie Cornish), while getting pulled into the field to track down an Islamic extremist. Season 2 sent him to Venezuela for an adventure amid dangerous political upheaval.
After the COVID-19 pandemic production shutdown, Amazon ultimately greenlighted two more seasons of globe-trotting action. While the expensive show ($8 million to $10 million per episode, according to The Hollywood Reporter) was well-received with its devoted audience, Krasinski and Seeger said they decided to end "Jack Ryan" with a double bang,
"As soon as (Amazon) gave us Season 3 and 4, we felt like we had won the lottery," Krasinski says. "We've been around the business long enough to know not to assume there'll be more. Everyone wants to exit before you're asked to exit. It was time."
The final two seasons were shot concurrently with an intertwined story, starting with Jack going rogue in Russia to stop a World War-threatening tactical nuclear bomb plot. Season 4 featured Ryan hunting down a terrorist and cartel organization with ties to American politicians that leads to imprisonment in Myanmar. Ryan, getting dragged hooded and shoeless in the first episode, is the one who needs saving.
"Jack has always been in such control that his people have always trusted that he'll somehow pull it all together," Krasinski says. "I've always loved the idea of robbing them of that and having Jack taken, which is a scary possibility for someone always running around the world thwarting these major disasters."
With the shifting story timelines, Ryan's imprisonment continues into the finale, where the torture gets real. "When they actually put your feet in the water and raise you up to the ceiling, I'm like, 'This torture scene was actually my idea.'"
Find Jack: 'Jack Ryan' Season 4: How to watch the final 2 episodes of the series
The final season also returns frequently to Ryan's testimony before Congress about his actions in Russia, which comes to a crackerjack conclusion. The Washington homecoming gives Ryan a chance to reunite with his CIA family. It also gives him the opportunity to reconnect with Mueller, who reappeared in Season 4 and is Ryan's partner in many Jack Ryan stories.
"Coming home to Washington seemed like a wonderful culmination for Jack. And the best way to way to say goodbye," Krasinski says.
The two ride off into a Potomac River sunset. And it is goodbye. Unless a new project surfaces, such as a long-rumored spinoff with cartel assassin and Season 4 standout Domingo Chavez (Michael Pe?a). Krasinski doesn't rule out a Jack Ryan return. "If someone had an idea to pop me in somewhere else, I am not saying no. I love playing this character."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan' finale: Why John Krasinski ended hero's run
