It’s been more than three years since we last saw John Krasinski in the globetrotting spy drama Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan on Prime Video, and now he’s back with the exciting addition of Betty Gabriel as CIA Rome Station Chief Elizabeth Wright and Nina Hoss as Czech President Alena Kovac for Season 3.
Now working in Rome, it’s back to business for Ryan. He gives a presentation about the “Sokol Project,” which he explains is a plan to restore the Soviet Empire, a plan that was thought to be shut down more than 50 years ago. However, as things unfold, the unthinkable happens as Ryan works to confirm this nuclear weapons program, he faces a Red Notice (wrongfully accused of treason) and the only thing he can do is try to solve who is trying to frame him and why. But in the spy world anyone can be your enemy, even your closest confident.
Trying to piece together what’s happening alongside fellow CIA Officer James Greer (Wendell Pierce) and retired CIA Officer Mike November (Michael Kelly), he’s also trying to avoid the wrath of his boss Elizabeth Wright (Betty Gabriel).
With only eight episodes, season 3 feels like the show never left us for those three years; moving at breakneck speed, it’s filled with plot twists and just as thrilling as always. While you try to solve the mystery, you can’t help but be in awe of its female leads, Betty Gabriel (Get Out) and Nina Hoss (Tár). Gone are side characters; these women are well-crafted, accomplished women who are integral to its story, who can handle the pressure of their political and operational systems.
In celebration of the new season, The Koalition spoke to actress Betty Gabriel to learn more about season 3, the cunning nature of Elizabeth Wright. Is she a friend or could she be Jack Ryan’s biggest foe? Is there another side to Jack Ryan he’s hiding?
While not much is known about Elizabeth Wright at first, she strongly holds onto the belief of never liking people who play the hero because they tend to think more of their actions than their repercussions. But as the mysterious events surrounding Jack Ryan’s possible framing, her ideology starts to shift.
“She definitely does have a change in perspective and how she thinks things can be accomplished. She’s really forced into a space of having to bend the rules, having to not be so forthcoming with her higher ups and that is not something she’s used to doing. She plays things by the book and that’s how she’s gotten to where she’s gotten, because she does everything. She follows everything to a “T,” so seeing Jack not do that, she’s like, ‘Oh okay, I have to improvise. Now I have to keep things secret. That is, I think, an evolution for her. But they also they find they need each other, so there’s a real sort of collaboration surprise, a collaboration that I like to see with a character.”
Already suspicious of the CIA leader – it’s something Greer taught him – Jack isn’t convinced Elizabeth is on his side, even if she promises that if he turns himself in, everything will be done by the book. However, could she be hiding a secret? If not, could her strict rule of doing everything buy the book actually create a blind spot with the real villain hiding in plain sight?
“She’s definitely having things happen around her but she’s also pretty on it and she’s having people tracked. She knows better than to just blindly trust people. While she does follow things by the book, she also just knows how to make sure she’s got eyes everywhere. I think her blind spots someone’s in that space looking out for her and giving her the information, the intelligence that she needs.”
Jack Ryan season 3 is now streaming on Prime Video. To learn more about Betty Gabriel check out our interview in the video above.
