Spoiler Alert: This article’s discussion of the new season of “The Terminal List” references major plot points from the first season for context. If you haven’t seen the first season yet, bookmark this page and come back after you watch it!
Ben Edwards is killed at the end of the first season of “The Terminal List.” That might have been the end of Edwards, played by Taylor Kitsch (“Lone Survivor”); however, “The Terminal List” book series author and former Navy SEAL Jack Carr thought he deserved a backstory.
That is how “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf” came to fruition. The prequel series is filled with high-stakes action and suspense as it takes viewers on Edwards’ journey from Navy SEAL to CIA paramilitary operator. Amazon Prime Video will stream three episodes of “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf” on Wednesday, with a new episode streaming weekly until the season finale Sept. 24.
Here are five things to know about “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.”
1. The ‘Terminal List’ Series Deepened Pratt’s Connection with Veterans
During his 20-plus years as an actor, Pratt has played several memorable roles. Besides appearing in three “Jurassic World” movies, he also was in the 2012 movie “Zero Dark Thirty,” about the quest to hunt down Osama bin Laden, as well as the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie franchise.
Pratt has come a long way from playing Andy Dwyer on “Parks and Recreation.”
None of his previous roles, though, has put Pratt — expected to appear in two episodes of “Dark Wolf” — in closer contact with military veterans than his portrayal of James Reece. Now he serves as an executive producer on “Dark Wolf.”
Related: ‘Terminal List’ Prequel Series ‘Dark Wolf’ Delves into the Darker Side of Warfare
Pratt, who said five of the seven “Dark Wolf” episodes are co-written by veterans, cherishes a prop from the first season of “The Terminal List” — a wooden United States flag that doubles as a challenge coin holder. Each stripe on the flag includes spots where coins can be placed.
“My flag is completely covered in challenge coins,” Pratt told Military.com. “I can’t tell you the number of [veterans] who have come up to me and asked to talk. … [They are] giving me thanks, which is wild because if anyone in that interaction deserves gratitude, it’s the person handing me the challenge coin who put their butt on the line defending my freedom.”
2. You Can Expect Some New Favorites in ‘Dark Wolf’
As with any prequel series, the audience will be introduced to some new characters. “Dark Wolf” is no different.
Rona-Lee Shimon (“Fauda”) enters “The Terminal List” universe as Eliza Perash, a former Israeli Mossad agent who partners with the CIA. Tom Hopper (“Game of Thrones”) comes aboard as Raife Hastings, a hulking Navy SEAL from Zimbabwe, and Dar Salim (“The Covenant”) portrays Mo Farooq, an Iraqi Special Forces commander formerly trained by the CIA.
3. Kitsch’s Portrayal of Ben Edwards Inspired Carr to Create ‘Dark Wolf”
Kitsch’s portrayal in “The Terminal List” motivated Carr to flesh out the Ben Edwards character. The depth that Kitsch brought to the screen in Season 1 made his betrayal — Edwards’ involvement in a conspiracy undermined his close friend Reece’s platoon and resulted in his killing — “much more personal and visceral for the audience,” Carr told Military.com.
Carr wanted to explore how Edwards arrived at such a dark place in “The Terminal List.” That exploration included Edwards’ service with Reece as SEALs and how he could betray him.
“Dark Wolf” is not based on any of the five “Terminal List” books that Carr has written so far. Interestingly enough, the sixth, “Cry Havoc,” scheduled for release in October, also relies on a prequel format and focuses on Reece’s father, Tom.
“It’s so interesting because you know how it ends up, but you don’t know how he got there,” Carr said of Edwards in “Dark Wolf.”
“Edwards is seen as a good-hearted guy, a good soul, and like everyone, he has things he is struggling with,” said SEAL veteran Jared Shaw, who portrays Ernest “Boozer” Vickers and is a credited writer, technical adviser and executive producer on the series. “… What happened? What went wrong with such a good dude? How did he immerse [himself] in the dark side and make that decision?”
4. Pratt Was Carr’s First Choice to Play James Reece
Pratt might never have portrayed Reece if not for a chance occurrence in 2017, when Shaw handed him a copy of the first “Terminal List” book a year before it was available publicly.
Knowing he wanted to write military thrillers once he retired from the service, Carr read books by authors he admired, including Tom Clancy (“The Hunt for Red October”), Nelson DeMille (“The General’s Daughter”) and Clive Cussler (“Sahara”), and became a student of film and television. When he began writing the first “Terminal List” book, it was not long before he knew who he wanted to play James Reece.
“After that first sentence, it was very natural for me to choose the person who’s going to play this character,” Carr said.
Related: How Jack Carr’s Time as a Navy SEAL Permeates ‘The Terminal List’ Universe
Carr and Shaw have served together, and their paths crossed occasionally. Years later, the two reconnected after Carr wrote “The Terminal List.” Shaw read the book and was impressed.
“Do you mind if I give this book to a buddy of mine, Chris Pratt?” Shaw asked Carr.
Carr couldn’t believe it and agreed to let Pratt read it. Shaw was still in the SEALs when he first met Pratt while serving as a military technical adviser on “Zero Dark Thirty.”
“Pratt and I just hit it off,” Shaw said. “We were both country boys. The next weekend, we were catching lobsters together. He came back down to [Naval Amphibious Base] Coronado [in California].”
5. Shaw Brought His Former Master Chief to the ‘Dark Wolf’ Premiere
In all likelihood, Shaw wouldn’t have become a success in the entertainment industry if it were not for Harold Underdown. That name doesn’t resonate with the public, but to Shaw, Underdown — his master chief in the Navy SEALs — means everything.
“Master Chief Harold Underdown saved my career not once, but twice,” Shaw told Military.com. “He took a risk on me as I got kicked out of Iraq the first time I was there, and he brought me back. I got in trouble again months later, and he put his neck on the line again to keep me in.”
Shaw and Underdown eventually lost track of each other, but reconnected recently when Shaw invited Underdown to attend the “Dark Wolf” premiere as his personal guest. They even took a picture together on the red carpet, the least Shaw could do for a man who, he said, doesn’t get enough credit.
“My whole life would have been different without him,” Shaw said.
Watch Military.com’s full interview with Chris Pratt, Jack Carr, showrunner David DiGilio and Jared Shaw below.
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