JACK RYAN: Season 1: Black 22
An intense spy thriller overwhelmed by excessive mature content.
Should You Watch It?
“Black 22” is an extremely intense episode with great jeopardy and high stakes. It follows Jack and Greer as they work with French authorities, a drone pilot burdened by guilt over his air strikes, and a woman trying to escape her husband with her two daughters. The episode also includes positive discussions about morality and doing what’s right.
But the content is excessive. A completely unnecessary scene depicts a drunk married woman having sex with a man while her husband watches. The scene adds nothing to the story, though it is easily skippable. Strong violence, foul language, drunkenness, gambling, nudity, and an attempted rape add further concerns.
Because the Family Content rating is −3, this episode is not recommended, despite its suspense and moral themes. The practical answer is simple: skip it.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESJack and Greer work with French authorities to find the brother of Suleiman, a suspect connected to a deadly suicide bombing. In Nevada, military drone pilot Victor struggles with guilt over the air strikes he carries out in the Middle East. In Yemen, Suleiman’s wife decides she must flee with her two daughters.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is a good, gripping episode with serious content problems. The episode is a nail-biter, with great jeopardy and high stakes for its characters. Its discussions about morality and doing what’s right add substance to the tension.
The main weakness is an unnecessary sexual scene involving a drunk married woman, another man, and her watching husband. It adds nothing to the story and makes an otherwise good episode excessive. The scene is easily skippable.
The Worldview
The episode presents a strong moral and patriotic worldview centered on defending innocent lives from attacks and making a difference inside corrupt institutions. Victor’s guilt over carrying out drone strikes also raises questions about responsibility, conscience, and the human cost of violence.
The episode contains strong false Islamic content. A Muslim character prays over a dead Islamic terrorist and says, “May God forgive you,” and some scenes take place in mosques. These elements shape the episode’s religious framework and should be considered alongside its moral themes.
The story’s concern with doing what is right aligns with Scripture’s call to pursue justice and humility: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
<strong>
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
</strong> Strong moral, patriotic worldview about defending innocent lives against attacks and making a difference in corrupt institutions from the inside, with strong false Islamic content, including a Muslim character prays over a dead Islamic terrorist and says, “May God forgive you,” and some scenes in mosques; <strong>
Foul Language
</strong> Twelve obscenities (including multiple “f” words), and three strong profanities; <strong>
Violence
</strong> Strong violence, the aftermath of a suicide bombing is shown with dead bodies pulled out on gurneys and injured people, a shootout results in multiple people dead, men are killed from drone strikes, a man is punched several times; <strong>
Sex
</strong> Depicted sex when a drunk married woman comes onto a man and has relations with him while her husband watches, the scene is short and bizarre, and a man attempts to rape a woman, but she gets away; <strong>
Nudity
</strong> Upper female nudity in the sex scene, upper male nudity; <strong>
Alcohol Use
</strong> Drinking and drunkenness; <strong>
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
</strong> No smoking or drug use; and, <strong>
Miscellaneous Immorality
</strong> Muslim man has his wife trapped and distraught man goes gambling.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The episode raises questions about guilt after violence. How should a person respond when conscience reveals that something is wrong?
Psalm 51:10–12 · 2 Corinthians 7:10The story focuses on defending innocent lives. What does Scripture require from people who have power to protect others?
Proverbs 31:8–9 · Micah 6:8The episode depicts people making destructive choices while drunk or gambling. Why does wisdom Scripture warn us against allowing desires to control us?
Proverbs 20:1 · 1 Corinthians 6:12The episode includes religious claims that should be tested against God’s Word. How can Christians examine spiritual ideas carefully?
Acts 17:11 · 1 John 4:1The Final Word
“Black 22” is suspenseful and morally serious in places, but its excessive content overwhelms its strengths. Because of the strong violence, profanity, sexual immorality, nudity, and other concerns, our answer is SKIP IT. For better options, see.
