The premiere of season 2 of The Terminal List was about catching up and setting the stage. This second episode is about deepening the mystery while tackling the problem that is the journey of James Reece (Chris Pratt).
He’s off the boat, but he’s not yet ready to go into action. This second episode is about getting back in fighting shape. The episode, “Warrior in a Garden,” allows Reece to find himself, while the problems around the world become clearer. Let’s dive in. SPOILERS BELOW.
Peace in Mozambique
At the end of the premier, Reece landed in Mozambique. That is his target destination. Raife Hastings (Tom Hopper), his old friend and teammate, has sent him some place safe. That place is a game reserve in Mozambique run by his father, Reed (Arnold Vosloo). It’s a place where Reece is welcomed, given a chance to find himself, and to remain concealed from the forces who are seeking him.
After a shave and a haircut, he begins to look like himself. Working on the reserve and helping with its operations gives him a sense of purpose. He also reunites with Solomon (Aubrey Mmakola), an old friend who works at the preserve with his son (Ricardo Genesis). It’s a place where Reece begins to feel like himself. But he still has struggles.
He is still suffering the effects of his brain tumor. He takes medication to steady himself. But he is also having flashbacks and visions. He shares with Hastings his struggles. He is haunted by the men from his unit. He is dying, and his mind is trying to make peace with it. But it helps that Reece finds a purpose in Mozambique.
Poachers are wreaking havoc with the animals and with Hastings’ operation. But Reece has the skills to help, especially with the preserve having a drone. Reece uses his skills to train the men, including Solomon and his son. Two months later, the operation is running smooth. Reece has found a home. But the peace can’t last.
As he’s out walking the preserve, he finds bodies of elephants. It’s clear poachers are nearby. Then he hears gunfire erupt. He makes it to the scene in time to see Solomon and his son pinned down. Reece goes into action and steps things up when Solomon is wounded. He’s able to kill the poachers and applies emergency aide to Solomon. But his old friend needs a hospital.
Reece rides to the hospital, but Hastings warns that he can’t go inside without blowing his cover. But, when on scene with Solomon fading, Reece decides to do it anyway. He knows he’s been seen, and his cover is blown. But he tells Hastings he’s dying, and he’s tired of hiding. As the episode ends, a helicopter arrives to take him away.
Missing weapons
It’s clear that Reece will be needed. His friend Raife is working back in Washington, D.C. His business is going well, but he realizes a drone he tried to ship to the Ukraine has gone missing. When the same kind of drone shows up in the terror attack from Mo Farooq (Dar Salim), Raife is suspicious.
He reaches out to his contact, Sgt. Major Otakay (Martin Sensmeier), and learns these expedited shipments skip security steps. It makes them ripe for the picking. Despite the Congressional intervention, Raife suggests the shipments should be tracked. That pays off, as another load comes up short just before another attack.
Farooq, despite his desire only to strike back at the U.S. forces he blames for what happened in his country, is being used by the cell leader (Shadi Janho) to be his blunt instrument. That leads to an attack deep in Russia. It’s successful, but it raises questions for Raife.
Raife tries to do the right thing, taking the evidence to a friend in the government. He’s promised answers. Instead, the government clamps down on his legal shipments and imports, shutting his business down. All that raises Raife’s frustrations and seems to point toward another focus on the mission.
This is an interesting progression of the story. We don’t see Buranek, or anything with the storyline in Ukraine. However, there is a suggestion offered here that possible Adrenov isn’t clean. Will that be part of the investigation? That remains to be seen. But we do get some progression for Reece, and he ends in position to be part of the bigger fight moving forward.
The Terminal List is streaming on Prime Video.
Add us as a preferred source on Google