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The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Series Recap & Review - Episode 102: The Audition

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"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools." - Martin Luther King Jr


I’ve heard series like this referred to as “dad shows.” Prime Video’s Reacher, FX’s Sons of Anarchy, The Shield, and Justified. All “dad shows.” The characteristics often consist of action, violence, crime, and justice. Vengeance is a big theme in these kinds of series as well. They often satiate an internal desire for heroism at any cost, especially at the defiance of authority. The main character is usually an anti-hero or rather a morally conflicted hero willing to bend and or break what they hold to be true if it means their foes fall as a result. 


In Reacher the titular character is a walking wall of justice using everything from his fisticuffs to firearms and explosives. He is an incorruptible force, singularly focused on bringing his enemies to justice, whether that’s in handcuffs or in a body bag is entirely up to them. He is a nearly indestructible giant who either has the upper hand or has the means to get there. Always. And of course all the ladies want him. This is vicarious viewership at its most emphatic.


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Prime Video’s The Terminal List is a Navy SEAL fueled thriller brimming with action, military tactics, weaponry, murder, betrayal, and perhaps most alluring, vengeance. Chris Pratt plays James Reece, a broken but still highly efficient and extremely deadly SEAL determined to uncover a conspiracy that began with the betrayal of his unit and ended with his own wife and daughter murdered. And to add insult to injury, no one believes it’s really happening. He’s just suffering from loss and possible PTSD. Reece knows better and anyone, everyone, involved will meet their maker at the hands of the frogman with nothing to lose. 


At his side every step of the way is CIA operative, Ben Edwards. Loyal as they come, Ben will go to any length to help his friend fight some very real demons. But before he became CIA, he was of course a frogman just like Reece. Dark Wolf is the journey Ben goes on leading him from the rigid, team oriented SEALs to a more wild west, a no holds barred approach to fighting the enemy. The only problem is in this world, everyone begins to look like the enemy making it nearly impossible to trust anyone. This is Ben’s story before the events of Reece’s revenge odyssey. 


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The Terminal List: Dark Wolf premieres on Prime Video, Wednesday, August 27, 2025 with three new episodes. A new episode will then premiere every subsequent Wednesday until the September 24th season finale. 




Episode 102 - The Audition


No technical spoilers, however each recap addresses what happens in each episode. If you don't want to be spoiled, watch the coinciding episode first and then come back to my recap and review.


Despite an initial effort to conceal what really happened, the truth comes out and Edwards must face the consequences. Him and another brother unfortunately. The price of his actions? He and another officer are no longer SEALs, stripped of their Tridents. Stripped of their souls. 


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On their journey home, Edwards and Hastings meet a mysterious man who seems to know everything about them. Including why their Tridents were taken. Clearly a CIA spook, his offer is all too enticing for Edwards to ignore. The offer? A chance to right the wrongs once wrapped in red tape, free of rules and begging to be taken out with aggression. The payoff? Edwards gets back with the Teams and Hastings gets his honorable discharge reinstated. 


The mission: Take out a known terrorist. He is believed to be the man that provided Amiri's ulterior motivations. 


Still featuring tactical engagement, this is the beginning of Edwards experiencing a more espionage tinged world with spies and uncertainties at every turn. This is also when we meet some of his new team. Tal Varon, a young Israeli Mossad cyber and forgery expert. Eliza Perash, at this point in the story we don’t know much beyond her name. She is definitely capable and intelligent. 


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This is the first glimpse into Edwards and Hastings’ new reality where information isn’t always complete but the mission generally moves forward despite not all pieces of the puzzle being accounted for. It’s not comfortable for them but they adapt quickly. This is only the beginning of things to come. 


Out of 10

Story: 8/ Acting: 8.5/ Directing: 8/ Visuals: 8

OVERALL: 8/10


Overall thoughts on Episode 102: The Audition

This is the dress rehearsal episode. This is Edwards and Hastings dipping their feet in entirely new waters and while not completely at home as they were with the Teams, they know their trust in one another will get them through. This is when military tactics meet espionage with spies, special silenced weaponry, listening devices, knockout drugs, and expensive James Bond attire for when things require a little finesse. It’s an exciting episode but mostly an establishment of characters, their purpose, and an idea of what’s coming next for this newly formed team of “orphaned” spies. It promises a large body count considering who their first target is.


Season 1 Trailer:


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