The con has been over for a day now, and I am showing signs of withdrawl. The excitement of being there amongst the cosplayers, hanging out with friends, and waiting in lines- yes, those can also be full of thrills – has left me wanting to be back there.
One of the most anticipated events that I wanted to see was Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan”. I have watched the movies, and read the books, and have loved all the action that goes along with them. I couldn’t wait for the Amazon Prime Video panel that included “Jack Ryan”. First, though, I had to go through the Jack Ryan Experience, that was located outside the Con. Amazing!! They had a virtual reality sequence that took you through a battle, that ended with jumping out of an airplane and zip-lining down to safety. That was incredible! Next, they had an escape room, which had several people working together to save the mission. It was interactive and you worked with people that you only knew from the line you sat in. Both took the experience to a higher level. It was a great adventure and I really think it was one of the best experiences I have done.
After leaving there, I walked to the panel for Amazon Prime Video. The producer, Carlton Cuse was there to give us all the inside scoop. He spoke about how “Jack Ryan” is a prequel to all of the books and movies. It will be a series that takes a look at where Jack Ryan started, which was in an office, in a cubicle. I was curious as to why, with such a large presence at the Con, the actors were not there to promote it. That is when Mr. Cuse stated that Season 2 has already started filming and that is why they were not there.
The panel was coming to an end, and I have to say that I was disappointed that it wasn’t as large as I thought it would have been. I mean, the outside experience was unbelievable and a lot of time and effort was spent on making it as real as it could be. Then, the panel was like a firework that didn’t go off. That was when the producer made an announcement. As people were getting up to leave, he said it. He introduced the first episode! Not the first few minutes, no. The complete first episode! I was ecstatic and couldn’t contain myself. I was actually jumping up and down in my seat. Once it was over, I was not disappointed. It was full of action and the plot was well paced. It was worth it! John Krasinski was an awesome Jack Ryan! I will definitely be watching this series!