When it comes to shows about war, they often now focus on the dark realities of it. That’s especially the case for The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, which is a prequel series to the 2022 Chris Pratt series The Terminal List.
In the original series, we met Taylor Kitsch’s Bed Edwards, and it was clear that he had been through a lot over the years. Now it’s time to see what that “a lot” is in Dark Wolf. We head back to his time in Iraq, getting some of the darker elements that soldiers and SEALs went through, as missions became personal.
The first three episodes are now out, and you’re sure to want to binge-watch them, especially if you were a fan of the original series or if you’re a fan of Jack Carr’s novels. The question is whether you should watch the episodes with the kids around.
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf age rating: Explaining the TV-MA rating
It shouldn’t be all that surprising to find out that The Terminal List: Dark Wolf has a TV-MA age rating set. This is indicative of the heavy material featured throughout. This is certainly a show that earns that TV-MA age rating, but I would say that some of the older teens out there could potentially benefit from it as it avoids glorifying war.
Sex & nudity: In the first three episodes, there hasn’t been anything in the way of sex or nudity. The series puts the focus on the missions at hand, whether it’s in the middle of the Iraqi desert or somewhere in Europe.
However, this could change. After all, a lot of these shows need some sort of romantic element to the tale, and there are already signs of a couple of characters that could end up hooking up.
Violence & gore: From the start of the series, there’s violence. It all opens with a prisoner exchange that goes as wrong as you would expect when it comes to exchanging with ISIS terrorists. However, it’s the end of the first episode that really indicates the type of violence that you’re going to see. People shoot first and ask questions later, as their emotions take over.
After that, each episode has scenes with violence. There are both gunfights and hand-to-hand fights, and yes, we see the aftermath of a lot of characters, including bloody leg wounds from being shot.
Language: There is no escaping the F-bomb throughout The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, just like with the original series. These are Navy SEALs, and we all know that they don’t care about the language they use.
The word I haven’t heard used is the C-word, and I don’t think this series will. While it is popular in British dramas, this remains an American one despite being set in Europe and the Middle East, so I suspect that the F-bomb is going to be the worst of the terms.
Alcohol & drugs: The second episode makes it clear that we won’t escape either. There’s a scene in a club in Frankfurt, where multiple characters are drinking alcohol. One of the characters slips a drug into a drink of another, as a way to paralyze them, although things don’t work out quite as planned.
There’s sure to be more of this to come. However, most of the age rating comes from the violence throughout.
Overall verdict: Who is The Terminal List: Dark Wolf appropriate for?
This is most definitely not for younger children. The level of violence is going to be scary and intense, and it also brings up a lot of questions about war.
It’s actually important to answer some of these questions, though, especially for older teens. With that in mind, I’d say that this could work for those 16 and older, especially if they’re already watching war movies and shows or they’re considering joining the military. They need to know the rules of engagement and what they’re getting into. However, I would say overall that this is made for adults, so it’s best to watch when the kids aren’t around.
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf airs on Wednesdays on Prime Video.