‘The Terminal List’ – ‘Extinction’ – Review
Navy SEAL James Reece (Chris Pratt) is drawing closer to the truth and the completion of his mission of vengeance in The Terminal List. In Episode Seven, ‘Extinction’, Reece returns to his home of Coronado, California to exact personal revenge on the men of his command who betrayed him. And he’s about to bring the hammer down.
Reece returns to Coronado to bring the hammer down on the people who betrayed him the most. Back within the walls of his family home, fragmented memories surface. Katie plays ball with the FBI in order to finish her story.
James Reece’s (Chris Pratt) mission of revenge has become all-consuming for the former Navy SEAL. Having lost all of the things in his life that matter to him he’s now devoted all of himself to exacting a very personal justice. And the monster is clawing at his soul. Eliminating the names on his ‘terminal list’ one by one, Reece is now ready to take out those leaders he once trusted, and who ultimately betrayed him. And it’s personal. While we’ve seen the action rev up and down in The Terminal List, in ‘Extinction’ Reece’s actions are considerably darker and more terrifing, for he now only sees things in shades of black and white. There are some dark and explosive moments in this episode, and his resolve is frightening as there are now no limits to what he’s willing to do to achieve mission success. And it’s dangerous for everyone around him.
While Reece is continuing in his bloody search for answers, investigative reporter Katie Buranek (Constance Wu), is also searching for the final answers to her questions. From Capstone Industries to Nubellum, WARCOM Command and even the Pentagon, Katie has traced the breadth of this conspiracy, and she’s nearing the truth. And it’s dangerous. Placed under supervision by FBI Agent Tony Layun (JD Pardo), Katie reveals why she is the way she is, and her answers paint a portrait of a woman who will risk everything to fight injustice. With a conspiracy this complex, the truth only matters now, and Katie’s got one final card to play in order to find it.
While there’s a cold edge to the narrative and action of ‘Extinction’, this episode is important for Reece as this antihero finds his way back home. And it’s a place filled with fragile memories and the ghosts of the past. Director Frederick E.O. Toye brings considerable creativity to ‘Extinction’s’ third act as Reece returns home, is confronted by his former life, and comes face-to-face with the truth. Looking back on the life he once held, Reece is able to see every facet of it in a new light, and these moments are revealing. Pratt’s performance in these scenes as Reece are intense and heavy. He’s an absolute wreck from the trauma he’s experienced, and all his memories and emotions, the happy, the sad, the tragic and the violent, all suddenly smash together.
‘Extinction’ is the hardest-hitting episode of The Terminal List to date. It shows the series protagonist stripped to the bone and dealing head-on with the pain of the past and the violence of the present. The question of how far Reece has strafed from his path as a warrior, husband and man of honour in his need for very personal revenge is answered, and it’s a painful one. But as we move into the final chapter of The Terminal List one final question remains, and that’s whether James Reece’s very soul can now be saved.
The Terminal List is currently streaming on Prime Video.
Image: Prime Video
