‘Jack Ryan’ Recap: ‘Sacrifices’ & ‘Bethesda’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Michael Peña and John Krasinski as Domingo ‘Ding’ Chavez and Jack Ryan in Episode 404 of ‘Jack Ryan’ – ‘Bethesda’. (Photo Courtesy of: Johnny Cournoyer/Prime Video.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episodes 403 and 404 of ‘Jack Ryan’. To revisit the Season Four Premiere, click here.
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When we last settled in to discuss the wondrous Prime Video series, Jack Ryan, we talked at length about the fact… that Jack and the Central Intelligence Agency as a whole, were facing quite the horrifying threat. In that, Miller, the former CIA Director, had made a deal with the devil really. One that set up black ops around the world to aid the Silver Lotus Triad in quite the diabolical plan. One that would unite the drug trade under their banner and would give them unfettered access to the United States of America. Wherein they could sow chaos through drug sales and any other particular plan they wanted to execute, up and to and including, a terrorist attack on American soil. Which of course… was news that left Jack in quite the difficult place. 
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For now, he had to urgently figure out how to track down all the details on what the Triad had planned specifically, in order to stop it before it could come to fruition and well, that meant extreme measures would need to take place in ‘Sacrifices’ and ‘Bethesda’. Simply because, this needed detailed care and resources that would allow for the truth to be exposed and that would be no easy task. Not with congress watching over the CIA closely and looking for any reason to blow up current leadership and well, that prompted Jack to get creative in stopping the bad guys. Wherein he resigned his commission as Deputy Director and had Jim Greer installed in his place. Giving him the freedom to head out into the world and go on the offensive for a change.

Which did wonders for this mess. In part because it allowed for Jack to, in a way, be in two places at once. Since he could be on the ground gathering live intelligence on the fly, while Elizabeth and Jim worked in an official capacity to unlock whatever secrets they could at the Federal level. Which produced some interesting results. Since Wright came to learn that everyone in Nigeria was worried about the attack suffered on their soil and wanted to know the players involved. Giving rise to cooperation and unity and peace and Jim… well he scared the hell out of whomever was working the American side of this plan. Since they sent their lackey to threaten him, and they even attempted to harm him, a move that put that man on camera and allowed for the CIA to collect his DNA and blood on a blade when he learned that Jim is not to be messed with.

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Michael Kelly as Mike November in Episode 403 of ‘Jack Ryan’ – ‘Sacrifices’. (Photo Courtesy of Attila Szvacsek/Prime Video.)

Granted, that didn’t expose who exactly is behind this mess, but scaring the bad guys always does good in this kind of story and speaking of them being spooked… there was definite chaos surging through the ranks of the Triad in these tales. Courtesy of grand moves that Jack and Chavez and Mike made to rattle the saber, and that led to Chao having to resort to some extreme measures to keep his intentions to defect a secret, and it forced him to play along as the power dynamic in the Triad shifted. To the point where Chao was pulled from a critical meeting that Jack and his team were hoping to meet him at, since they were curious about his intentions, to talk with Zeyara Lemos. A surprise that spoke to how far this conspiracy reaches and that we aren’t sure who can be trusted at this point. And her hope regarding meeting with Chao, was to make him a top leader as part of the dynamic shift, in the hopes of benefitting her role in the madness.
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A hope that was transformed… courtesy of the next power play from Jack Ryan and his crack team of spies and soldiers. For there was mention of that all-important meeting that they missed Chao at, and that is of note… because without Chao there, the team went all out in making life hell for the Triads and getting answers on their own. By recruiting their old friend Zubkov to get them into the meeting, wherein they were able to open fire and get their hands on some kind of unique detonator and they were also able to take out one of the big players in this mess. Leaving the right kind of chaos in their wake whilst putting Chao in that uniquely hopeful position. Since his communication with Ding Chavez, in the wake of that attack gave him the potential out he’s been searching for, and that might give Jack and his team the information they need regarding the plan. 

But while we wait to see what comes next for this story, we can celebrate a pair of intense and engaging tales. The kind that did a phenomenal job of allowing for the good guys to strike back. Because the CIA and America, as a whole, were at the mercy of the Triads until Jack was turned loose in this tale. But now, they’re confused, worried and may potentially have a defector ready to expose their secrets and that was just wonderful to watch. Because it means there is hope that something horrible won’t happen on American soil and that Jack might be able to uncover the traitors in his midst before they can run and hide, and that is going to make the wait for Friday’s grand finale of this saga, quite painful. Simply because we have to know how this long and winding story is going to end, and we absolutely want to see Jack Ryan be sent off in style… courtesy of a victory that denies evil a chance to harm the country he loves. Until next time.

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