‘The Terminal List’ – ‘Detachment’ – Review

Navy SEAL James Reece (Chris Pratt) is on the hunt and this heroic figure is growing darker by the minute as he zeroes in on the targets of his ‘terminal list’ and makes to deliver justice at centre mass. This is exactly where he finds himself in Episode Four of The Terminal List, ‘Detachment’, and this episode is a no-holds-barred gunfight as Reece delivers his own brand of justice with absolute extreme prejudice.

With the help of his closest friends, Reece travels to Mexico to locate the triggerman who killed his family. Katie continues her research from a remote location. Steve Horn takes steps to preserve Capstone’s deals, and the San Diego FBI Fugitive Task Force led by Tony Layun enters the fray in pursuit for rogue SEAL James Reece.

Episode Four of The Terminal List, ‘Detachment’ finds Navy SEAL James Reece flying south of the border to Mexico to undertake a very personal mission of revenge. Here he re-groups with trusted allies Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch), Liz Riley (Tyner Rushing) and Marco Del Toro (Marco Rodríguez), as he works to track down the trigger men responsible for the hell that was inflicted on him. And things are about to get messy, for revenge is a dish best served cold. Where ‘Consolidation’ had more of a thriller-horror aspect to its action and narrative, ‘Detachment’ is more of a direct full-on mission-style narrative, similar in action to the likes of Sicario and Black Hawk Down. This is Reece going down range, and he’s ready for war.

Director Frederick E.O. Toye continues to build off of the momentum that we’ve seen from previous episodes, and Episode Four, ‘Detachment’ is the most visceral yet. The combat is brutal and delivered with one hell of an edge, as we get to see Reece go in with full tactical superiority, and Pratt is every part the shadow warrior as he takes his time with the batch of sicarios who did him wrong. Fans of Jack Carr’s novels will be very pleased in how this scene is realised, and one of the most brutal parts of the original novel is brought to life in shocking detail. Pratt brings out the treasured Winkler Tomahawks in this moment, and his actions on behalf of his personal need for vengeance are certainly not for the squeamish. This is a moment from the original narrative that came to symbolise just how intense The Terminal List, and Jack Carr’s writing could get, and Toye doesn’t shy away from any of the visceral action in this scene, and it’s damn gnarly to witness.

This scene is the culmination of Reece’s recent journey into that of a living monster. With his world crashing in around him, he has nothing left to live for and it’s with this all-consuming force and hatred that Pratt delivers to his performance in this episode. With this action we see Pratt’s Reece truly move from soldier to outright monster and with his actions in ‘Detachment’, he can never go back to the civilised man he once was. He’s now a beast, a savage, a creature who only lives for the hunt, and his war in The Terminal List is by no means over yet.

Alongside Reece’s grittiest actions in his search for vengeance, audiences are also introduced to a brand new critical character to The Terminal List, whose presence has massive implications for the series moving forward. Mayans MC star JD Pardo steps into the world of The Terminal List as FBI Special Agent Tony Layun, an expert fugitive hunter and tracker who is tasked to bring in James Reece. And he’s ready for this mission. Intelligent, focused and clever, Layun offers a change of direction for Pardo, who has made his bones on Mayans MC as the thoughtful yet intimidating EZ Reyes, and here as Layun he jumps right into the fray. Pardo brings his same burning intensity to the screen and while Reece might be his intended prey, it’s investigative journalist Katie Brunekt (Constance Wu) that he sets his sight on first.

Of all the episodes to date with The Terminal List, ‘Detachment’ is the most visceral and intense yet, and fans of Jack Carr’s work will be very happy with how these moments from the novel have been translated to the screen. This is television with the chain taken off, and it’s only going to get more frenzied moving forward.

The Terminal List is currently streaming on Prime Video.

Image: Prime Video