The Terminal List Season 2 Review: Chris Pratt Returns in a Gripping Spy Thriller
Four years is a long time to wait for a second season, and I will admit I was a little nervous about whether “The Terminal List” could pick up where it left off. After watching all eight episodes of Season 2, I can say: it can, and it does so with more confidence than I expected. Chris Pratt is back as former Navy SEAL James Reece, this time in a story that leaves the pure revenge plot of Season 1 behind and turns into an international espionage thriller. It starts slowly, but once it gets going, I did not want to stop.
Season 2 premiered on Prime Video on October 21, 2026, with all eight episodes available at once (we covered the release in our news article on the Season 2 arrival). It is based on “True Believer,” the second novel in Jack Carr’s Terminal List series, and showrunner David DiGilio returns. Here’s my full breakdown across our five categories (2 points maximum each).
Table of Contents
What Is The Terminal List Season 2 About?
Without spoiling anything: Season 2 follows James Reece after the devastating events of Season 1. He is trying to find a new purpose, and a string of terrorist attacks pulls him back into a world of intelligence work, covert operations, and dangerous alliances. Constance Wu returns as journalist Katie Buranek, and the story spreads across several characters and plotlines on different sides of the same conflict, including new faces such as Tom Hopper as Raife Hastings and Gabriel Luna as CIA Ground Branch officer Freddy Strain.
If you have not seen Season 1, I would watch it first. The new season builds directly on what Reece went through, and you will get a lot more out of it.
The Terminal List Season 2 Story – 1.5/2
Good Points: A Slow Burn That Pays Off
Multiple Plotlines, One Net
What I liked most is that the story is not only about Reece anymore. Several characters follow their own threads, and the show lets them slowly converge. That gives the season a much wider scope than the first one, and it keeps you guessing how the pieces fit together.
Tension That Keeps Building
Once the season finds its rhythm, the tension builds very well. Scenes are given time to breathe, and when the action finally arrives, it feels earned instead of thrown at you. The second half had me glued to the screen.
The Slow Start
This is where I take points off. The first stretch of the season is drawn out, and it takes a while to set up all the players. Nothing about it is bad, but I caught myself wishing it would get to the point sooner. The season more than makes up for it later, but it keeps the story at 1.5 out of 2 for me.
The Terminal List Season 2 Cast – 2/2
Special Praise: An Ensemble That Feels Like a Team
The team in a scene from The Terminal List Season 2 (Picture Source: The Terminal List / Prime Video)
Chris Pratt as a Changed Reece
Pratt carries the show again, and Reece is no longer just a man driven by revenge. Author Jack Carr describes the second novel as a story of “violent redemption” and says Reece “had to learn to live again,” and Pratt sells that shift while staying dangerous when the situation demands it.
New Faces, Real Chemistry
Tom Hopper as Raife Hastings and Gabriel Luna as Freddy Strain are strong additions, and Dar Salim, Olga Kurylenko, Costa Ronin, and Luke Hemsworth round out a deep cast. What stood out to me is how convincing the teamwork between the operators is: the way they communicate, cover each other, and move as a unit looks like people who have trained together for years. That is where the cast earns its full 2 points.
The Terminal List Season 2 World – 2/2
Good Points: Authenticity You Can Feel
Movement and Weapon Handling
For me, this is the biggest strength of the show. The way the characters move through rooms, handle their weapons, and work as a team looks very authentic. It is not just show for the camera; it looks like people who know what they are doing. That is no accident: Jack Carr is a former Navy SEAL officer, and Jared Shaw, another Navy SEAL veteran, works as actor, writer, producer, and technical adviser on the franchise. Shaw jokes about adding a little “Hollywood hot sauce” for the sake of storytelling and to protect sensitive tactics, but the foundation is real.
A sniper team in position in The Terminal List Season 2 (Picture Source: The Terminal List / Prime Video)
A Global Playground
The story takes us through several countries, and the settings feel convincing. According to production reports, Season 2 filmed in Morocco, with Marrakesh, Casablanca, and Tangier standing in for Syria, Eastern Europe, and Greece, plus additional shooting in South Africa and Toronto. Whatever the trick behind it, the locations give the espionage story a real sense of scale.
Music Score and Effects – 1.5/2
Action That Looks and Sounds Right
The action scenes are grounded. Combined with the believable weapon handling and the way the team moves, the set pieces feel physical and dangerous, and the tension in the build-up is just as good as the action itself.
Constance Wu as Katie Buranek at the shooting range in The Terminal List Season 2 (Picture Source: The Terminal List / Prime Video)
The Score
Ruth Barrett composes the music for all eight episodes. Her score supports the tension well and never gets in the way of the action, but it stays more in the background than it stands out. That is why I hold back half a point here.
Originality – 1.5/2
How It Stands Apart / Uniqueness
“The Terminal List” lives in a well-known genre: ex-military operator, conspiracies, terror plots, and covert operations. I will not pretend that you have never seen those ingredients before. What I like is that Season 2 does not simply repeat Season 1. Moving from a personal revenge story to a wider espionage plot, with a hero who has to learn to live again, gives the series a new direction, and the focus on authentic teamwork sets it apart from many louder action shows.
It is a very solid, well-executed take on a familiar formula rather than something completely new, which is why it gets 1.5 out of 2.
What’s Next After The Terminal List Season 2?
As of this writing, Amazon has not officially renewed “The Terminal List” for a Season 3. Chris Pratt has said the team has ideas and wants to continue, and Jack Carr and David DiGilio have hinted that “Savage Son,” the third novel in the series, would be the next book to adapt if the show continues. The prequel series “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf” premiered in 2025, so there is plenty of material around this universe.
In other words: a Season 3 looks likely creatively, but nothing is confirmed. I will update this review as soon as there is official news.
Gamersuniverse Score:
8.5 out of 10 stars⭐
| Category | Points | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Story | 1.5/2 | Starts slowly, but builds tension very well across several storylines. |
| Cast | 2/2 | A strong ensemble whose teamwork feels completely real. |
| World | 2/2 | Movement, weapon handling, and team tactics feel very authentic. |
| Music Score and Effects | 1.5/2 | Grounded, clear action; the score supports more than it stands out. |
| Originality | 1.5/2 | A well-executed take on a familiar genre with a fresh new direction. |
| Total | 8.5/10 | A slow start, then a very strong, authentic thriller. |
The Terminal List Season 2 takes a little while to get going, but then it catches up very well. The tension builds steadily, the story spreads across several characters and plotlines without losing the thread, and the authenticity of the movement, the weapon handling, and the teamwork is the best part of the show.
If you liked Season 1 and want a more mature, wider thriller with a hero who has changed, this is an easy recommendation. With a little more speed in the first episodes it would have been even higher.
Score Summary
- Story: 1.5/2
- Cast: 2/2
- World: 2/2
- Music Score and Effects: 1.5/2
- Originality: 1.5/2
Total: 8.5/10
Who Is The Terminal List Season 2 For?
- Fans of Season 1 who want to see how James Reece’s story continues.
- Military thriller fans who care about realistic movement, weapon handling, and teamwork.
- Espionage fans who like several plotlines slowly coming together.
- Maybe skip it if you need a fast start or have not seen Season 1: the first episodes take their time and the story builds on the first season.
Did the slow start bother you as well, or did you stay hooked from the first episode? Let us know in the comments.
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The Terminal List Season 2
Summary
The Terminal List Season 2 starts slowly, then builds into a tense espionage thriller with several storylines and a strong ensemble. The movement, weapon handling and teamwork look very authentic, and the season earns 8.5 out of 10 from us.
Pictures: Official press stills from The Terminal List / Prime Video.
My experience with this series was different because I only watched the first installment.