Prime Video's seismic prequel series could reinvigorate a whole franchise

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf hoves into view

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf
(Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

When Amazon Prime Video released The Terminal List a few years ago in 2022, the reception didn't necessarily suggest that the Chris Pratt-led show would get a follow-up. It didn't land all that well, but Amazon clearly still has plans for the franchise, since it just unveiled a prequel series that could reignite things.

Dark Wolf will rewind matters to just before the events of the original series, taking a closer look at Taylor Kitsch's character Ben Edwards, who played a prominent role in the original. It looks set to explore how he went from a clean-cut soldier to a covert operative willing to bend the rules to a dangerous extent.

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf - Teaser | Prime Video - YouTube The Terminal List: Dark Wolf - Teaser | Prime Video - YouTube
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From the glimpses we get in that first teaser, he's going to see things go wrong in a wartime scenario, and quite possibly commit major crimes of his own – all as a prelude to the work that he commits to before The Terminal List's events. Whether we'll see much of Chris Pratt's character is unclear.

On IMDb, he's listed as appearing in two episodes of this new season, and he crops up in the trailer a few times, although some of those are flashbacks. Then again, since he didn't necessarily set the world alight the first time around, maybe the show doesn't need him in a major role. Kitsch was great as a troubled character in the second season of True Detective, too, so has some pedigree.

This is an interesting move for Prime Video, too, since it underlines the streaming platform's search for franchises that it can mine. It's trying to establish the world of Citadel as one of these, with somewhat limited success, and The Terminal List is clearly intended to stand as another.

A series every three years might be a little too infrequent for that to work, though, so a lot will ride on how much interest Dark Wolf can capture when it starts streaming. That beginning is still a few weeks away, though – the show will drop on 27 August. If you're a fan of action thrillers and want some shoot-outs dropped in with the mystery, though, it could be a great option.

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Max Freeman-Mills
Staff Writer, Tech

Max is T3's Staff Writer for the Tech section – with years of experience reporting on tech and entertainment. He's also a gaming expert, both with the games themselves and in testing accessories and consoles, having previously flexed that expertise at Pocket-lint as a features editor.

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