The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Rises

Intense and gripping!

Deceptive and shocking!

Scary and pacy!

A tight and crisp prequel that can't be any better.

Inducted into covert operations after being ripped off from his dedicated brotherhood of Navy Seals on grounds of disciplinary actions, Benjamin 'Ben' Edwards, gradually discovers the intricately dark yet strategically concealed side of international intelligence. Working apparently surreptitiously to protect his nation in a joint effort with another espionage agency, the collaboration gets a jolt when a carefully planned operation goes haywire. Tasked with intercepting and countering threats that have the potential to destabilize the world order in terms of nuclear power, retaliations are felt a bit too immediate as well as improbably fast! Inflicting damages to the team not only in terms of casualties, but their morals are also shaken with a sense of distrust clouding the minds of Ben and several members of the unit that are left breathing. With enemies striking hard and fast and those trusted appearing to switch allegiance, the motive and the path chosen suddenly become a bit less simple than what that was promised at the start.

Will Ben be able to trace the truth out of the web of lies and deceit? Will he be able to keep the mind steady in the world where trust gives way to cause that proves dangerously personal? Can he avenge the lives that are lost or will the revelations be shaping him anew?

The viewers of the primary series might take a rough guess but might brace themselves for a twist as well, as though the series means to reveal the character of Ben but the better part of unraveling him is left for the audience to ruminate². This keeps the show enthralling and I must say that I liked the intensity that remains consistent and the gripping thrill that I personally feel, surpasses the primary immensely.

The boldly rebellious demeanour of Taylor Kitsch fascinatingly contrasted with the grimly deceptive looks of Robert Wisdom that elevated the thrill of the drama to greater heights with a solid support from Tom Hopper with his impeccable portraiture of the ruthlessly disciplined fighter.

Based on characters created by Jack Carr, this origin story, is therefore, recommended as a thrilling, if not impressively engrossing watch.

Beware of The Terminal List: The Blood of the Brotherhood

If you manage to bear the 1^st 2 episodes, which are actually a bit boring, you will be all set for a thrill ride of vengeance and violence. Added to this is the sleuthing of the justice seekers that keeps the thrill suspenseful while inherently being chillingly fascinating. When the powerful betrays the brave, then terror strikes the deceivers. Based on the book having the same title in the book series by Jack Carr, the narrative starts with a horrifying ambush of almost the entire brotherhood of a battalion of Navy SEALs, led to their doom by false Intelligence, leaving only the fortunates standing. James Reece, the surviving commander of the troop returns home, traumatised. But his ordeal was yet to be over as he starts losing memory and faces sudden assassination attempts. A conflicting scenario presents with one of the other surviving members getting killed at a time when Reece remembers him to be present elsewhere. If that was not all, Reece loses his loved ones, assassinated right at their home.

Thus begins the journey of vengeance with Reece starting on a mission of searching and killing the perpetrators of these heinous incidents. Sinister revelations await that steadily unfurls the chilling motive behind the killings and the twisted villains responsible for the criminal activities. But as Reece tries hammering in the justice his own way, law retaliates. A cat and mouse chase ensues with Reece being hunted by the force of law, backed by specialists in armed combat. Thus the modern day John Rambo aka James Reece (interestingly, both having initials J R) starts on a mission of his own of drawing out the last of the evil bloods, while escaping the enforcers of law that prevents the same. Support comes in the form of Katie Buranek, the determined journalist, set on the mission to unearth the truth behind the doom of the brotherhood and helps unmask secrets, both scary and unabashedly cruel. CIA operative and former SEAL teammate, Ben Edwards chips in with vital intelligence and apparently assists the mission by stalking the targets with precision and preying on them with stealth and surprise.

Chris Pratt stars as James Reece, trying to play the naive soldier turned focused mercenary earnestly yet falling short of the requirement at times. But compensating classically by their acting, Constance Wu as Katie Buranek surely tops the chart and Taylor Kitsch as Ben Edwards follows closely by playing the consistently stubborn and religiously careful yet precariously casual support characters respectively.

A truly entertaining series with 8 part opening season, as created by David Digilio, will surely thrill the audience right till the last in the list of vengeance lasts.