Love him or hate him, Chris Pratt is one of the biggest actors in Hollywood currently, having been part of some massive franchises. He essentially led the Guardians of the Galaxy series as Peter Quill, a trilogy that earned almost $2.5 billion while being part of the wider MCU.

Likewise, he starred in three Jurassic World movies as well as The Super Mario Bros. Movie and its 2026 sequel, earning him several more multi-billion-dollar franchises. However, his Prime Video TV series has been much more divisive, as despite winning over audiences, The Terminal List didn’t impress many critics.

The action series sees Pratt star as James Reece, a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy SEALs whose platoon is ambushed during a secret mission, leading to a much wider conspiracy. Forced to protect his loved ones from sinister enemies while trying to recover his memories, Reece faces an uphill battle to expose the truth.

Although there are certainly better action thrillers out there than The Terminal List, audiences seemed to love the show, with it earning high ratings and charting in Prime Video’s top 10 list upon release. However, critics were far less kind to Pratt’s series, making it one of his most divisive projects to date.

Now, The Terminal List is returning after a 4-year wait, with season 2 officially premiering on October 21. This gives it an opportunity to cement itself as a favorite with the platform’s audience, while also offering a chance to redeem itself among critics, making this impending release one to keep an eye on.

Why Critics & Audiences Were So Divided On The Terminal List Season 1

It isn’t uncommon for critics and viewers to be misaligned with modern TV shows, but the stark contrast in The Terminal List‘s reviews tell quite the story. Based on Rotten Tomatoes reviews, audiences absolutely loved The Terminal List, as evidenced by the 94% score, yet just 42% of critics seemed to enjoy the first season.

The exact reason why comes down to differing expectations. One of the biggest complaints among experts was the pacing, as the story felt stretched across eight episodes, yet this wasn’t enough time to properly develop characters. Additionally, some critics felt like the show simply didn’t give its audience enough credit.

According to Empire, the characters were either morally good or morally bad with practically no in-between. Likewise, the publication didn’t believe there was a challenge to work out anything plot-wise, with each clue James pieced together or memory he unlocked being explicitly shown, rather than the viewers connecting the dots themselves.

On the flip side, casual viewers just want to be entertained, and The Terminal List achieved that with a strong cast delivering good performances. The action was gripping enough to keep fans coming back for each episode, and there was plenty of praise online for conveying a serious story that tackles PTSD in a meaningful, detailed way.

With The Terminal List season 2 changing genres slightly, it will be interesting to see whether that appeals more to critics, viewers, or both. Regardless, the pre-existing fan base will likely go into the next installment seeking more thrills and entering with an open mind, whereas critics will inevitably be more skeptical, just as they were with season 1.

What To Expect From The Terminal List Season 2

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It has been four years since The Terminal List debuted, and while we did at least get a prequel series last year, The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, the show is bound to look extremely different this time around. After finishing his hit list in season 1 and getting revenge, Reece is officially a wanted fugitive and has fled from the US.

Fortunately, based on the trailers alongside the novel season 2 is based on, we already know where his story will go next, as the protagonist is heading to Mozambique, and it won’t take him long to be dragged back into action. In exchange for a pardon, the CIA wants Reece to help stop a series of terror attacks, setting up an eventful season.

Rather than being a tale about revenge like season 1, the next chapter is essentially a global spy thriller, albeit with the same high-octane action the first season made fans familiar with. Plenty of new characters will become an essential part of the plot, alongside a few familiar faces for those who watched season 1 and Dark Wolf.

While the previous outing offered a much more personal narrative, the stakes feel much higher this time around, suggesting The Terminal List season 2 could be one of 2026’s best action series. Despite starting in Mozambique, large parts of the story will take place across Europe, providing different environments and set pieces compared to the first season.

Therefore, there’s a lot to look forward to when The Terminal List returns, and those who enjoyed the Prime Video hit the first time around are almost certainly in for a treat with season 2. Whether it can win critics over with its more global story, though, remains to be seen.

Source: Empire

Release Date

June 30, 2022

Network

Prime Video

Showrunner

David DiGilio

Directors

Fred Toye, Sylvain White, Antoine Fuqua, Ellen Kuras, M.J. Bassett

Writers

​Chris Pratt2, David DiGilio

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  Jeanne Tripplehorn

  Secretary Hartley