The Terminal List Dark Wolf Review
Director: Frederick E.O. Toye, Liz Friedlander, and Paul Cameron,
Date Created: 2025-08-27 14:34
2
The Terminal List Dark Wolf Review: Directed by Frederick E.O. Toye, Liz Friedlander, and Paul Cameron, the seven-episode prequel series is co-created by The Terminal List novel author Jack Carr and showrunner David DiGilio. This time, instead of following James Reese (Chris Pratt), the story shifts its attention to Ben Edwards, played by Taylor Kitsch. The series also features Tom Hopper, Luke Hemsworth, Jared Shaw, Rona-Lee Shimon and others. The series is about how Ben transforms from a Navy SEAL to a CIA agent and how his decisions turn him into the man the viewers saw first in the first 2022 series.
The Terminal List Dark Wolf Review
When I heard about Prime Video’s The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, I was curious but also somewhat uncertain if this prequel was actually needed. The original show, The Terminal List, was terrible, but Chris Pratt’s James Reese gave it a good emotional centre. In Dark Wolf, the showrunners try to blow out the franchise by exploring Ben Edwards’ backstory. The concept is not terrible in and of itself, but as a viewing experience, I couldn’t help but think if this was a diversion that was not needed. Rather than where Reese’s journey had left us, something that viewers would have been clamouring to explore, the show takes us to a supporting character. That was my first disconnect.
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Series action is highly well-choreographed and intense. The gunfight and the tactical sequences are realistic, and the directors definitely know the way to choreograph the fight sequences. There are some moments where you feel the adrenaline rush, and those are the moments I enjoy about military thrillers. Unfortunately, they are less than average, and what fills the intervals between them is usually slow.
My main problem with the show is the pacing. Too many episodes of too much dialogue that don’t advance the story. Rather than creating tension, too much of the dialogue is filler, and it’s a slog to get invested in it. For a spy thriller, that’s a disappointment. You need to be sitting at the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen, but with this show, the reveals aren’t shocking, and none of the reveals impact anything.
Now, as for the main character, Ben Edwards. Taylor Kitsch is a fine actor, and he performs well, but I wasn’t totally on board with the idea that his story had to be given its own series. Compared to James Reese, Ben is less suave and less interesting. There are moments when Kitsch absolutely kills it, most particularly during the emotionally intense scenes that are all about betrayal and loyalty, but overall, his performance just isn’t the wow factor that a main character absolutely needs to have.
For me, this is where The Terminal List: Dark Wolf is spinning into disappointment. The series is asking us to become invested in a character who was never originally intended to be the keystone of this universe, and it feels like it.
Also Read: Butterfly Ending Explained: Why Did Juno Want to Kill David? What Happened to Eunju Kim in the End?
The one thing that actually works is the theme of brotherhood repeated throughout. The show is about camaraderie among soldiers, the sacrifices they make, and the greys when duty and loyalty don’t agree. These were more effective to me than the spy turns. I felt the emotional connection when the characters spoke of their history and unspoken connection. But though the theme works, the writing at times cannot keep up. It becomes tiresome rather than insightful.
Another big complaint about Prime Video series The Terminal List: Dark Wolf is that it’s not original. The spy-thriller genre is already overpopulated, and for a show to be remembered, it has to either have characters that are impossible to forget, unbelievable action, or groundbreaking storytelling. Sadly, this show does none of those things particularly well. The action, which is good, isn’t consistent. The characters, which are well-relatable, don’t surprise in terms of development. And the storyline is middle of the road, following a formula we’ve all seen.
I also felt that the show doesn’t fully justify its existence as a prequel. Prequels either need to introduce something new that changes our perception of the original, or get us emotionally invested more so in the universe. Dark Wolf doesn’t do either of those here. Instead, it feels like an attempt to continue the franchise because they can without anything to make them need to.
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Review: Summing Up
Overall, my experience of The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Series was disappointing. Yes, it does contain some exciting action sequences as well as brotherhood triumph sequences, but overall, it fails to keep one hooked. The pace is off, the turns in the plot are predictable, and the decision to make the story centre around Ben Edwards is a risk that does not pay off. It’s a watchable but not forgettable prequel. Not that it’s bad, per se, but I’d not be the first one to recommend it.
Also Read: Hostage Review: Gripping Political Thriller That Succeeds in Tension but Fails on Depth
Well, thanks, I think. We were ambivalent about watching it, now maybe episode 1. Since it’s very likely a CIA production, as most Hollywood action flicks seem to be, I’m guessing the villain(s) are either Russian, Persian, Chinese, or Mexican narcos. And the CIA guy will be a noble and courageous soul tormented by the blood he’s forced to shed for freedom and democracy, not actually an amoral, bloodthirsty, sadistic mercenary.
Yep, three minutes in… fighting for Iraq’s freedom against al-Qaeda, ISIS, and assorted evildoers, the same ones we sponsored to chop heads in Syria and topple the “regime”. We’re still fighting for Iraq’s “freedom” 22 years and counting. Another propaganda series. No grácias.