Chris Pratt finally gets to play the character he’s been dying to play his entire career. As soon as the actor shook off hisParks & Recreationreputation—in which Pratt had his breakthrough role as the goofy and lovable Andy Dwyer—he grew increasingly conservative. He has sparked controversy by attending a church that still upholds homophobic practices (which even garnered a response from Elliot Page), being photographed out-and-about in his Revolutionary War-era “Don’t Tread on Me” shirt (a motif that has been co-opted by pro-gun and far-right groups), and his refusal to participate in voting initiatives with his predominately-progressive costars from the MCU andParks and Recreation. All of this sparked a meme-like response in 2020 when he was voted “Hollywood’s Worst Chris” by the internet masses, but fear not, his political ambiguity allows him to remain unproblematic-enough that his male costars jumped at the first opportunity to defend him.
Now what does this have to do withThe Terminal List? This upcoming Prime Video series, starring and executive produced by Pratt, toes a similar line. It is a psychological thriller that is justdark enough to be interesting and contains just enough twists to be engaging, but in the end, it leaves its viewers unamused by Pratt’s James Reece: a vengeful soldier who drinks, curses, and fights a lot, and is created by a guy whose Father’s Day gift guide includes 13 guns and a U.S. flag cutting board.
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Based on the ongoing book series by Jack Carr,The Terminal Listfollows James and his return home after his Navy SEAL platoon is ambushed during a covert mission. While dealing with his PTSD and the troublesome debriefing process, he discovers that his family and friends are in danger. This is where the show falls victim to its predictable nature despite its all-star cast and creative team who should’ve delivered more.
The series is executive produced by Pratt, his producing partner Jon Schumacher,Antoine Fuqua fromThe EqualizerandTraining Day, writer Daniel Shattuck, novelist Carr, and showrunner David DiGilio who also serves as a writer, and features a cast that includes Constance Wu as fearless journalist Katie Buranek, Taylor Kitsch as James' military pal Ben Edwards, and Riley Keough as James' wife Lauren Reece, yet their skills are underutilized as they are given thankless roles while the show diverts all attention to Pratt.
As one of the few survivors of the ambush, James grows untrusting of his superiors and the U.S. Government and refuses to hide it. He questions everyone around him while becoming an unreliable narrator due to his PTSD-filled dream sequences, making viewers wonder if he’s as much of a good guy as he seems. This illusion is too-quickly shattered when the show introduces a villainous antagonist in the third episode and all doubt of James is erased because to do anything else with his story would be to go against its targeted audience and their perceptions of the military and government forces.
In addition toThe Terminal List’s lukewarm tale and performances, the show’ssupersized formatsets it up for failure (as it does many other shows). Everything about the series is bloated and slow-moving. Its non-stop action is portrayed expertly in the first episode through James' paranoia trip but eventually boils down to sniper shots and lots of running. The premiere sits at the 70-minute mark and the following episodes hardly manage to fall under the hour mark. There’s not enough mystery to keep its audience from nodding off after three or four episodes. The show boasts military and pharmaceutical conspiracies but leaves viewers with nobody but the “good guy with a gun” to trust—all of which the creators make obvious within the first half of the series.
The Terminal Listfalls in the category of “had high potential” television shows. It offers a storyline and characters that are hardly explored with enough caution, social awareness, and expertise to do justice—and this series had a writers team comprised of individuals with military experience. So, why does it have no new tricks up its sleeve?
Perhaps it was these deeply personal connections that failed the series because the heart is there, it’s just barely beating. The series is dull and too-serious, and drones on for eight, longwinded episodes that offers nothing but Pratt’s sad face to look at. Despite the actor’s star power, the show lacks in charisma and is destined to leave viewers begging for anything more than fan service. While fine-enough, the show can’t help to pose the question, “Why did this need to be made?”
The Terminal Listwill premiere July 1 on Prime Video.
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The Terminal List
The Terminal List is an action-thriller television series based on the novel that follows James Reece, a Navy SEAL whose mission saw his entire platoon ambushed. When he returns home, he tries to figure out what happened, but his memories are out of order and, in some cases, incorrect. However, it isn’t long before Reece finds evidence of something that calls the entire mission into question, and he must figure out who is behind the ambush to protect the people he loves in his life before they are put in the crossfire.
