WASHINGTON – If you think your commute’s bad, you don’t know jack.
Jack Ryan that is.
The action hero at the center of the new Amazon Prime series takes viewers through a monumental montage – past the U.S. Capitol, Jefferson Memorial, and even past the Lincoln Memorial on a Potomac workout.
But the route the fictional CIA analyst takes from the Key Bridge boathouse to the agency’s Langley headquarters makes no sense.
It also takes forever to get there.
And, the route in the pilot episode will leave anyone drenched with sweat. Regardless of the time, day, or month one might attempt the trip.
Ryan bikes to his Virginia office from Georgetown.
By way of the Tidal Basin.
By way of Penn Quarter.
And he somehow ends up in Langley, still with awesome hair. And no sweat.
It’s clearly a sequence to set the scene for Ryan’s life in Washington. But it clearly enraged local viewers, and even produced a reality check piece in the Washington Post.
A fan posted a Google map on the social media site Reddit, showing the absurdity of the trip. The individual also timed out the journey to approximately one hour and 44 minutes by bike.
I tried the route today. It did not go well.
I was schvitzing by the time he got to K Street. And, like Ryan, I was almost hit by a car.
The views of our city though, are wonderful – even with a heat index approaching 100 degrees.
But everywhere I went, from bike to boat rental, the reaction I received was the same:
“I love Jack Ryan!” the conversation begins. “But that commute makes no sense. And why are you doing it?”
I was trying it for the sake of argument. It was a test of endurance, and in truth, our news managers thought it would be fun for me to sweat like never before and document the adventure for our 5 p.m. broadcast.
I did – and it was a journey worth taking.
But fatigue stopped me before I crossed back over the river to Langley. My deadline was also getting close. I take no chances.
So, I didn’t finish the route.
This is where I challenge actor John Krasinski, who stars in the title role. John, let me show you how frustrating this trip is, that clever editing makes so easy.
Jim from “The Office” wouldn’t turn down a challenge.
Let’s see if you can row to Memorial Bridge and back, bike past Great Falls and make it to the CIA – again – with great hair.
At the risk of arguing with Robert Frost, sometimes the road less traveled is perhaps better in theory, or at least, in fiction.
And that, makes all the difference.
