The first season of The Terminal List dropped in 2022 and transported audiences into the middle of the story of James Reece (Chris Pratt), a decorated US Navy SEAL whose last mission went wrong. In his quest to uncover the truth, he lost his family and discovered a conspiracy. Over the course of eight episodes, Reece got answers and some vengeance. But it left off in a dark, yet open-ended place. The question was whether it would continue?
Last year, we got a spin-off series, Dark Wolf, that focused on the origin for Edwards (Taylor Kitsch), a key player in the main series. But now, nearly four years later, we’re getting a second season of the original series that started it all. This one is again based on a book from Carr, and it picks up where we left off in season 1.
The premiere episode, “Romulus S.V.,” is about catching up with Reece and others, as well as setting the stage for what comes next. Let’s dive in. SPOILERS BELOW.
Adrift
To end the first season, Reece discovered that his friend and collaborator Edwards was involved. His name was added to the list, and Reece eliminated him. But it was a moment that left him haunted, especially as he’s on a sailboat out in the middle of the Indian Ocean. As we pick up, it’s been 172 days, nearly six months, and Reece is still out in the middle of the ocean. He’s alone, but thanks in part to his grief, guilt, and brain tumor, he is still seeing Edwards. In fact, he’s still carrying on conversations.
The question is what he will do next. Will the tumor overtake Reece? Much of the speculation back home is that he would be dead. Will Reece ever make landfall? Does he even want to survive? That seems to be the question and something he’s grappling with as we go through the premier episode. He’s having flashbacks to what happened, and he’s thinking about what it all means.
We progress well past six months. We get flashes of Day 217, Day 22, and Day 240. A storm rages, and Reece has to survive while he’s adrift. But, by the end of the episode, he has survived and put himself back together. He gets on a smaller ship and makes landfall in Mozambique. He’s ready to return to the world again.
A new story
The other half of the premiere focuses on Reece’s collaborator, Katie Buranek (Constance Wu). She’s a reporter for Voltstreem, and her work on this story with Reece has made her a figure in the national spotlight. As we catch up, she’s on a talking heads new show. She has to defend her reporting, and she has to defend Reece. He’s a complex figure. Some see him as a hero because of the truths he uncovered. Some see him as a domestic terrorist because of his methods. For her part, Buranek feels conflicted because of how closely she worked with him, but it becomes difficult to constantly defend his actions.
There’s also a new challenge. There’s an offer for Voltstreem. It comes from Vasili Adrenov (Costa Ronin). He’s a wealthy businessman who is Ukrainian, but he’s also Russian. And he’s trying to use his wealth and influence to broker a peace. He wants Buranek to come to his peace summit to cover it. She’s skeptical of him and of him buying her station. But she goes anyway.
It turns out to be a frustrating trip. Adrenov’s handler (Olga Kurylenko) serves as a gatekeeper that keeps him from any interviews. That makes Buranek even more weary, despite whatever success seems to be coming of the negotiations. But finally, he agrees to an interview as he’s traveling by motorcade. The problem is there is a new terror cell, and they quickly target the motorcade.
Adrenov, Buranek, and the key players survive. Adrenov is heroic in the aftermath, which gives Buranek more to chew on. But it’s also a problem because of who is behind the attack—Mo Farooq (Dar Salim), one of Reece’s former teammates.
That leaves the powers that be trying to figure out how to get to Farooq and shut him down. Inevitably that leads to the idea that Reece, could he be found, could be useful. In short, we’re about to get what’s left of the band back together!
I wasn’t sure we were going to get another season of The Terminal List. It’s been a while since the show premiered, and it can be tough for audiences to get back in the flow. So, a quieter premier that is about catching up and setting the stage feels right. This gets you back into the world, catches up with Reece, and gets you ready for what’s to come in a compelling way.
The Terminal List is now streaming on Prime Video.
Add us as a preferred source on Google