The Origins of Loyalty and Betrayal Explored

Read Time:5 Minute, 53 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf
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Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 7 x 45m episodes
Director(s): Frederick E.O. Toye (pilot), various
Writer(s): Jack Carr, David DiGilio, Max Adams, Jared Shaw
Cast: Taylor Kitsch, Chris Pratt, Tom Hopper, Luke Hemsworth, Robert Wisdom, Dar Salim, Rona-Lee Shimon, Shiraz Tzarfati, Jared Shaw, Riley Keough, Jai Courtney
Where to Watch: available streaming August 27, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: Every prequel runs the risk of telling a story we already know the ending to, but THE TERMINAL LIST: DARK WOLF manages to sidestep that trap by focusing not on what happens but on how it happens. Set before the events of the Chris Pratt-led hit series, this new Prime Video chapter follows Taylor Kitsch’s Ben Edwards through his transformation from Navy SEAL to CIA operative. The result is an espionage thriller that combines high-octane action with a sobering examination of the toll of compromise, loyalty, and ambition.

The series makes its intentions clear from the opening episode. This isn’t a clean-cut hero’s journey; it’s about a man pulled deeper into the murky waters of covert operations, where morality bends under pressure and trust is a currency too easily spent. Ben Edwards, once defined by discipline and brotherhood, finds himself increasingly consumed by choices that blur the line between necessity and betrayal. The season positions him as a figure wrestling with two sides of himself—the title’s “wolves,” battling for dominance. That central tension lends the series a psychological weight absent from many action thrillers.

Kitsch proves to be the show’s anchor. His performance grounds the series in human struggle rather than spectacle, giving Ben a mix of competence and gnawing doubt. It’s his show through and through, though Chris Pratt’s return as James Reece provides connective tissue for fans of the original series. Pratt appears sparingly, but his presence looms, reminding viewers of where these roads ultimately lead. Their shared scenes have an unspoken weight, layering future tragedy with past camaraderie.

The expanded ensemble brings freshness to the prequel. Tom Hopper as Raife Hastings injects a commanding presence, while Luke Hemsworth’s Jules Landry and Rona-Lee Shimon’s Eliza Perash expand the series’ global scope. Robert Wisdom delivers gravitas as Jed Haverford, the kind of role that feels built to challenge Edwards’ loyalties. Supporting players, such as Jared Shaw (doubling as an executive producer and former SEAL), Shiraz Tzarfati, and Dar Salim, add to the authenticity, fleshing out the world with a mix of operatives and adversaries. Even smaller appearances from Riley Keough, Jai Courtney, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Constance Wu help to broaden the series into something bigger than one man’s journey.

Authenticity is a cornerstone here. With veterans on board as writers, advisors, and performers, the series maintains the same commitment to realism that defined the original. Firefights feel tactically grounded rather than overblown. The operations, equipment, and dialogue reflect the lived-in experiences of people who have walked these paths. More importantly, the series refuses to glorify every mission. Success often comes at devastating costs, whether to those caught in the crossfire or to the operatives themselves. This refusal to simplify gives DARK WOLF an edge—it’s a show that respects the complexity of modern warfare.

Thematically, the prequel excels in exploring the gray areas. Unlike many military dramas that lean heavily into clarity, DARK WOLF leans into doubt. Edwards is not corrupted in a single moment but worn down by accumulation—the justifications that make sense in the moment, the betrayals that feel necessary, the compromises that seem small but pile up until the man who started the journey barely recognizes himself. That incremental slide makes for compelling television, even if it isn’t always comfortable.

Visually, the production spares little expense. Shot across multiple international locations, the show has a scope that underscores its espionage ambitions. From tight, claustrophobic safehouses to expansive battlefields, the cinematography adapts to mood and tone rather than leaning on spectacle. Action scenes are sharp and kinetic but never lose sight of character; each firefight feels like a reflection of internal conflict as much as an external threat.

At seven episodes, DARK WOLF occasionally drags in its midsection, layering in subplots that don’t always deepen the central arc. Certain episodes become bogged down in exposition, introducing characters and factions that may matter later, but slow the momentum in the moment. That said, when the series locks in on Edwards’ internal conflict, it crackles. The finale delivers a payoff that ties the season’s themes together without resorting to a neat resolution, leaving the door open for future entries in this universe.

For fans of THE TERMINAL LIST, this series delivers what’s expected: action, tactical precision, and a respect for the realities of service. But it also reaches further, aiming to be more than just a prequel checklist. By exploring the moral implications of transitioning from soldier to something else, it enriches not just Ben Edwards’ character but the entire mythology of the franchise. It’s a series about the price of living in the shadows, about the allure of power and the weight of guilt, about the human soul caught between loyalty and survival.

In the end, THE TERMINAL LIST: DARK WOLF stands as both a continuation and a deepening of the story universe. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it refines it with precision, realism, and emotional gravity. Taylor Kitsch finally gets the spotlight he deserves, carrying a story that refuses to sugarcoat the road to becoming a “dark wolf.” It’s not a series about clear victories, but about the battles within—the ones that never truly end.

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[photo courtesy of PRIME VIDEO]

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