Col_Irving_Lambert t1_j5z8tsi wrote on January 26, 2023 at 4:29 PM

Reply to comment by Chataboutgames in Why is Jack Ryan S3 so terrible? by khroshan

See that’s the thing. Ryan isn’t supposed to even be a badass vet of any form. In fact I’m struggling to think of how many times his character even “touches” a gun in the entire book series. Maybe 3 times? (Red Rabbit, Red October, Patriot Games).

Chataboutgames t1_j5z96yz wrote on January 26, 2023 at 4:31 PM

Am I misremembering? I thought in the OG stories he was also a military veteran. Although IIRC it's Red October where he famously never touches a firearm, he does in other stories.

But again the tone is "more than just a pencil pusher," not "motherfucking terminator"

orangemaroon25 t1_j5zolri wrote on January 26, 2023 at 6:07 PM

He is a veteran, but he injured his back in a helicopter crash in training and never actually put his boots on the ground in combat. So he's more than a pencil pusher because he is in fact a Marine, and a young version like Krasinski is playing might still be in shape enough for like, the scene in S1 when he's at the camp that gets attacked. I'd believe him picking up a weapon and returning fire there. Or the opening or (book version) climax of Patriot Games.

He can handle a weapon and take care of himself if the situation calls for it, but that's not his role.

Col_Irving_Lambert t1_j5z9noz wrote on January 26, 2023 at 4:34 PM

You may be right, I might be confusing the October movie and book together. And he is still a vet and had a helicopter crash that messed his back up (just different wars due to time).

That bad back he still had issues with until season 1 was over. Guess he found those Jack Bauer level painkillers.

Also what happened to his damn wife!

Chataboutgames t1_j5z9wtp wrote on January 26, 2023 at 4:36 PM

Remember, his back is exactly as bad and Greer's heart is exactly as bad as the plot requires it to be at that exact moment

orangemaroon25 t1_j5znun3 wrote on January 26, 2023 at 6:02 PM

And in Patriot Games it's made very clear that he's old and retired and it's only his hero instinct reacting that led him to do anything there. He only survived that because of his surprise rush and because one of the attackers was an 18 year old kid who'd never actually been in a fight before.

I don't think I've read Red Rabbit and I've only seen the movie of Red October, and that a long time ago.