Chris Pratt’s hands have been full lately. The actor is fresh off the release of Jurassic World Dominion and is now preparing for the release of Thor: Love and Thunder. While it isn’t his film quintessentially, fans are looking forward to watching him reprise his Guardians of the Galaxy role. In between these two releases, Pratt slipped in on the small screen with the Amazon Prime Video series The Terminal List and it isn’t one of his best works.
In The Terminal List, Pratt essays the role of James Reece, a Navy SEAL who is the lone survivor of a failed mission. Struggling to come to terms with the ambush on the mission, he returns home and finds out that one of his close associates has died in a strange condition. Just as he gets entangled in his mysterious death, another jolt hits him and he loses his family. It is then he unravels a bigger conspiracy in the making.
Fortunately for Reece, he has support from journalist Katie Buranek (Constance Wu) who is trying to help him with his journey. The Terminal List is based on the book of the same name by Jack Carr. Although I have not read the book yet, on paper The Terminal List comes across as an interesting read. Reece and his best friend (played by Taylor Kitsch) show the aftermath of war and the horrors that loom over their heads on a lonely Saturday night, giving viewers a glimpse at how traumatic lives get post-war.
However, Pratt doesn’t easily convey this on the screen. He tries to come across as a serious soldier with a dead-pan face and a difficult mental health condition. While the idea of it comes across in the first two episodes, as the series proceeds, the blank face doesn’t work. Especially when he is performing some serious and slow scenes. The series removes Chris’ charms from the character, leaving limited room for the actor to add his own twist to the role. It is as though anyone could have played the role.
The Terminal List also fails to fully use its supporting characters. Wu balances the scene out with Pratt every time they share the frame but there isn’t any more scope for her to explore. The series’ biggest issue is the writing and editing. The characters who walk in and out as supporting roles lack depth, leaving no room for viewers to invest.
For a thriller, The Terminal List is extremely slow, losing the viewer’s attention soon after an interesting twist is added. To top it off, eight hours for a storyline like this seems too long. The series could be wrapped in five episodes and opened doors for the second season.
Nevertheless, The Terminal List offers an interesting blend of government and military politics. Kudos to Pratt for experimentation.
