Jack Ryan season 2, episode 2 recap: Tertia Optio

Jack Ryan stays in Venezuela to continue his pursuit of justice.

Season 2 of Jack Ryan seems like it’s trying to be a bit more action-packed than the first. That’s going to be a hit or miss with viewers, for those who wanted to see Jack dive into some riskier situations, then it’ll be enjoyable. However, I liked the even-headed agent who used his analytical skills to his advantage. Also, season 1 had a complex antagonist which showed how someone could become radicalized nowadays.

“Tertia Optio” showcases Jack unraveling quite a bit. His mission this time around is fueled by vengeance because he wants justice for his friend. Filiberto Ramos turns himself into the embassy, begging for asylum in exchange for news on the Senator’s assassination. Ultimately, it’s granted for both him and his mother despite Jack’s disgust at his part in the whole situation. Ramos is a coward, but one can argue that he’s already been punished enough with his wife, children, and dog (although he easily could’ve prevented that) ending up murdered.

Despite being emotionally compromised, Jack gets permission from Senator Chapin to stay in Venezuela to find out more information. He heads to a shipping container, where he’s almost busted right away. Luckily, Harry, the woman from the bar, is there to bail him out. The two are caught pretty quickly but manage to escape before striking up an uneasy alliance. She gives Jack a recording of Miguel Ubarri speaking to his wife in exchange for her partner, Max, being found alive.

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Greer and Mike November don’t like that at all that Jack got intelligence from a foreign agent but decide to use it to help them. They kidnap a man, Mateo Bastos, who turns out to be the head of Reyes’ security detail. Their plan is to have Reyes turn on Ubarri, so they hand over the recording to Bastos which they hope will work. As expected, Bastos plays the recording for Reyes and let the dissent begin.

However, Jack loses it once they have a meeting with Reyes. The man claims to have found the people responsible for Senator Moreno’s death. Apparently, it was a group of left-leaning rebels who made the attack. No one believes that story, but at least knows that it’s best to leave peacefully. Jack, on the other hand, openly accuses Reyes of being responsible. He’s probably not far off because an assassination is attempted against Jack. He almost dies, but Greer comes in to fight him off. Unfortunately, his health prevents Greer from actually chasing down the culprit and he gets away.

As for Harry, she reveals that Max is actually a rogue agent who’s done some pretty awful stuff. Jack is horrified, and hopefully, he realizes just how emotionally compromised he is at this point. Elsewhere, Matice is meeting with a man who fixes boats named Marcus. He wants him to be his boat driver, but Marcus keeps saying no because he claims to be out of the military.

Jack Ryan seems a little off with some of the choices made. For starters, wouldn’t the assassination of an American Senator be a massive story, with many people in the United States looking for a transparent investigation? Secondly, Jack is so clearly acting with his heart rather than his head which seems very out of character.

What did you think of this episode of Jack Ryan? Be sure to tell us in the comment section below!