The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Finale

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for The Terminal List: Dark Wolf episode 7.

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf episode 7, “The Wolf You Feed,” takes a deep dive into the soul of Ben Edwards and thrillingly updates his backstory with a fantastic appearance by Chris Pratt’s James Reece. Even though Ben still remains an enigma by the time the credits roll, the motivations behind and inner workings of this “simple man” are made clearer.

While some aspects of the middle episodes of Dark Wolf veered into the conventional spy thriller side of things, the series fell right back into place once Pratt graced the screen in the finale, making his first appearance since the Dark Wolf premiere.

While Dark Wolf is very much Ben’s story, and was originated due to Pratt’s busy schedule, there’s really nothing like seeing Pratt and Taylor Kitsch share the screen again, which was one of the biggest draws of the original series.

With Haverford heading to a lifetime behind bars for his war crimes and treachery, the Dark Wolf finale also sets up an intriguing second season by having Ben recruited for the CIA’s Ground Branch, which consists of the most elite covert operatives in U.S. Intelligence.

Dark Wolf Saves The Best For Last With A Series-High Season 1 Finale

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf season 1 ended at an all-time high with a finale that has it all – great action sequences, a tense villain showdown, and several full-circle story payoffs. Ben creates a trap to ignite a one-man army showdown so that Tal can access evidence of Haverford’s treason. This nearly takes his life, until Reece and half of Alpha Platoon show up.

The gunfight sequence with Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage” playing in the background is wildly entertaining and a pitch-perfect song choice given what’s happening onscreen and the larger themes of the franchise. It’s one of several excellent soundtrack decisions that enhance the entire series.

Every single moment between Ben and Reece is amplified in Dark Wolf, given what’s to come. While it would have been more compelling to see more of their interactions, Ben is able to hold his own as the series protagonist. It’s a truly unique viewing experience watching Ben, a likable person, an admirable idealist, and a skilled marksman who can’t escape his own darkness.

Dark Wolf finally figures out what to do with Liam Hemsworth Landry after making him an insufferable creep throughout most of the season. On the other hand, Tom Hopper’s Raife just fades into obscurity after trying to take Haverford down through proper channels at Langley, which left his story a bit unresolved. Meanwhile, Dar Salim’s Mo proves to be the biggest underdog hero in Dark Wolf, avenging Eliza’s death with a retaliatory car bomb.

For a minute there, I thought Haverford’s rationalizations for trying to make Iran nuclear against the best wishes of his country might have struck a chord in Ben. Their final scene had the potential for a Star Wars-esque turn, like Palpatine luring Anakin to the dark side.

Fortunately, Ben’s screws were tight enough to see through Haverford’s trickery, who’s still scarred from America’s senseless role in Vietnam some 40 years later, and the 1983 Marine barracks bombing. Haverford apparently wanted to start a nuclear war between the U.S. and Iran with the misguided intention of saving more lives in the aftermath. He tries to equate himself with Ben as being a rogue freedom fighter, but nothing he says can be trusted.

Dark Wolf Makes Ben’s Ultimate Betrayal Of Reece Much More Tragic

Although we still don’t get too much additional insight into why Ben betrayed Reece in The Terminal List, the Dark Wolf season 1 finale sheds more light on Ben’s psyche and the ideologies that led him to that decision. Ben meeting a man like Haverford may eventually have long-term events unforeseen at this time.

The knowledge that Reece and several members of Alpha actually went out of their way to save Ben’s life makes the ultimate betrayal more tragic, especially because Ben sold out his comrades for hush money. You would think that Reece and Boozer standing over Ben’s wounded body would eternally cement all this loyalty that Ben preached about, but it did not.

Ben’s proclamations about brotherhood and blood in the Dark Wolf season 1 finale demonstrate his biggest internal conflict – his desire to belong within the honorable squadron he was once a part of, but no longer being seen as fit to do so by his superiors.

Ben losing his bird in the series premiere was the inciting incident that would eventually lead to his downfall. There’s still much more to explore with his character, as the gap between who he is at the end of Dark Wolf season 1 and who he becomes in The Terminal List is still quite large.

Raife’s concerns about the fire raging inside Ben prove to be true and will likely continue to mark his character well into a likely season 2. Ben reuniting with Dasher, who wants him to join the CIA’s Ground Branch in season 2, should set the foundation for The Terminal List: Dark Wolf to be another great action franchise for Amazon Prime Video.