‘Jack Ryan’ Recap: ‘Wukong’ & ‘Proof of Concept’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

John Krasinski as Jack Ryan in the Series Finale of ‘Jack Ryan’ – ‘Proof of Concept’. (Photo Courtesy of Attila Szvacsek/Prime Video.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Finale of ‘Jack Ryan’. To revisit the previous two episodes, click here. Also, this article was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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One particular truth about the world that remains quite taboo to discuss in the United States of America, is the sheer fact that not everyone in the world thinks kindly of the Good Ol’ US of A. And we don’t like to talk about that… in part because of our strong sense of patriotism, but more so… out of a real sense of privilege and indifference. After all, America has it all and since we are considered the cream of the crop… we just hold to the belief we are the greatest in all the land and don’t think twice about what anyone says. But we need to have that hard conversation about how America is viewed… because those observations are coming from objective eyes that see the flaws we don’t and ignoring them is what offends and creates enemies and brings forth trouble for our nation.
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But believe it or not, there are some stories trying to have that conversation now, as evidenced by how the series finale of Jack Ryan on Prime Video played out. For ‘Wukong’ and ‘Proof of Concept’ deeply explored two key flaws about America that we are ignorant to, and if we addressed them, we would be seen in a different light, and one of those views was explored by way of Jack’s only encounter with Zeyara Lemos, who lashed out hard in this tale. Mainly because, Jack’s trip to Myanmar resulted in the heroic death of Chao, the destruction of the majority of her detonators and the loss of a high value target… Cathy. Whom Lemos hoped could be used to lure Jack into a trap, and when that faltered, and when Cathy escaped… Lemos truly unleashed her fury and went after our hero and his friends and captured Jack himself.

Wherein she brutally tortured him for information, and in the process, revealed her reason for all of this really. In that, the hoarding of America’s resources, its arrogance and indifference to the world’s plight, motivated the right time to show the world it’s weakness and decadence, and how better to do that than with an attack on its soil? All of which spoke to some real concerns harbored in the world about the USA and its standing and that definitely gives one pause, but of course… doesn’t justify wanton murder. Which is why, Mike and Ding worked in different roles to bring Jack home. Because he would save lives with his sharp mind and thanks to Ding’s incredible training and resourcefulness, he was able to put Lemos down for good and get Jack out of that nightmare facility to bring this to an end… back home in America.

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Louis Ozawa as Chao Fah in Episode 405 of ‘Jack Ryan’ – ‘Wukong’. (Photo Courtesy of Attila Szvacsek/Prime Video.)

Where Greer had finally brought Tuttle into custody but was unable to piece together exactly what Tuttle knew and his role in the delivery of the attack devices. But Jack was able to do that, by offering up a fresh set of eyes and a little pressure on Tuttle. Who finally helped to reveal that these devices were coming in via the border with Mexico, mounted on several Toyota trucks. That led… to a powerhouse finale. Where Jack and his team were forced into a violent and bloody firefight mere inches from the border, to find those devices and disconnect the receiver so they couldn’t do whatever horrible damage they were going to do. Which of course they did, and that brought forth a happy ending really, where Jack was once again the hero and evil was thwarted. But that wasn’t quite the end of this tale. 
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After all, there was mention that this finale explored a pair of reasons that we are seen in a negative light and the finale of this story, put that on display. For in the wake of this near disaster, there were consequences to be had. Ade for instance, who was also involved and tried to plea bargain his way out of accountability, was eventually arrested and brought to bear and Senator Henshaw also endured some heat. Because he signed off on the order to let those vehicles in, because he… was for sale, like so much is in America and that was the lesson at hand. That our greed and our decadence, in Congress, has diminished our standing and allowed for us to be perceived as fat cats who deserve to be brought down a peg and well… those are some powerful messages to find in a story about a genuinely all-American hero that serves as the American James Bond.

Granted, some will read this article and be angry about those statements and leave a spicy comment or shoot over a fiery email and that’s fine. Because the show does hit a nerve, but the show isn’t wrong. We don’t help other nations with our vast resources, and we could do so much with them. And our top levels of government are out of touch and indeed fat and flush with money and ignorance and those things must change. Because people see America as opportunity, as a promise, and reveling in our own majesty denies opportunity and breaks that promise and it’s amazing to see this series point that out, to close out Jack’s journey. In a manner of course, that might lead to more journeys down the line if the creative team wants to revisit them, including perhaps the novels where Jack became involved in government. But for now, his journeys have ended, and they came to a close in a noble and bold manner, and that really is the right way to say farewell to this iconic and inspiring character.

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