After a four-year hiatus, The Terminal List is finally back for its long-awaited second season, and wastes no time getting us back up to speed with James Reece (Chris Pratt) after the explosive and government-shaking end to season one.
With the new season now streaming in its entirety, we recently caught up with season two stars Gabriel Luna ("Freddy Strain"), Tom Hopper ("Raife Hastings") & Dar Salim ("Mohammed "Mo" Farooq") to break down some of what to expect in the coming season, as they walk us through their respective character arcs and some of the early twists and turns
Plus, they also talk to me about the intensive training they underwent to get battle ready to shoot the new season, how The Terminal List: Dark Wolf weighs on the new season, and developing a brotherhood with Pratt and each other.
The season two cast features Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy; Jurassic World), Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy; Black Sails), Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians; Fresh Off the Boat), Dar Salim (The Covenant; Game of Thrones), Luke Hemsworth (Westworld; Thor: Love and Thunder), Gabriel Luna (The Last of Us; Terminator: Dark Fate), Costa Ronin (The Americans; Homeland), Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace; Black Widow), Yul Vazquez (The Outsider; Severance), Martin Sensmeier (The Magnificent Seven; Yellowstone), Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy; 24), and Shiraz Tzarfati (The Terminal List; The Terminal List: Dark Wolf).
The Terminal List season two is now streaming, exclusively on Prime Video!
Watch our full interview below and/or keep scrolling to read the full transcription. Plus, remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more exclusive content!
ROHAN: Dar, Mo is a wanted man when the season picks up. What is his mindset, and where is he at after the roughly 7-10 year time jump between Dark Wolf and Season 2?
DAR: Yeah, around seven years I think is the timeline in the universe. As you say, he's in a dark place. He's just been grinding, working, getting deeper and deeper into it. You can kind of mirror him to James Reece—he's a man who's lost everything, lost his family. It's a survival thing to dedicate your life to doing the work. As the story unfolds, you can imagine what it means to a guy like him when you find out that you've been betrayed and the things that unfold. He's as determined as ever, but the core of him is still Mo that you know from Dark Wolf. He's loyal, capable, and he will get the job done.
ROHAN: Gabriel, you're joining the show working closely with Chris Pratt's character, James Reece. What was it like forming that dynamic, and where is Freddy coming from compared to the other guys who have a different history with him?
GABRIEL: Well, I was able to bring a lot of our personal relationship into it, which is a great benefit. In the show, it evolves from testing the waters, each of us not really knowing if the person standing in front of you is the same person you knew all those years ago—especially as Reece's reputation is one of the globe's most wanted people. But we also know what he's capable of and what the requirements of the mission are, and how well-suited he is to those requirements. I have to come in with an open mind and hope that whatever remains of him can be salvaged. I think Freddy is one of the true believers that Reece is still the man he's always been, and not what he's being depicted as. That's where it starts, and Freddy is ready to prove it on a day-to-day basis—proving he can be trusted and proving that he in fact does trust Reece. That relationship flourishes from there.
ROHAN: Tom, Raife is a character built on loyalty and trust, but he obviously has a bad taste in his mouth after what happened with Ben. What is his dynamic with James when he comes calling this season, and does he still have that loyalty after seven years?
TOM: 100%. If anything, Raife is holding so much guilt that he wasn't there for Reece over this recent period where he lost his family and went through the events of Season 1. When Raife gets the call or figures out that they're dealing with the same situation and that it's all linked, the first thing he thinks about is how he can protect Reece in this scenario. It's also a time for him to have a redemption for himself and to make sure that he's there this time, not letting him deal with this on his own. He's going to be there and have his back.
ROHAN: This is a very physical show with intricate action sequences. What kind of preparation went into that? Is there a boot camp that helps build chemistry between you all while mastering these high-intensity sequences?
TOM: It's a bit of both. From a technical aspect, we have such incredible teachers with Jared Shaw and Ray Mendoza, and we're surrounded by SEALs on set as part of the production team. It's not so much a boot camp situation, but before every season we spend weeks doing technical training with those guys and making sure everything is tuned in. Back in the UK, I don't get a lot of time to get on these assault rifles, so when I get back on the ground with Jared or go shooting with Jack Carr when I'm over in the US, it's about the time off camera. We need to approach it like someone in that profession would and keep those skills well-tuned. For the show itself, they're willing to give us as much time as we need, so we're very lucky in that respect.
GABRIEL: Very lucky, yes. Going into this, I accessed resources I had from training with Jerron Butler, Jack Nevils, and people I've worked with before. Time on the gun is important, and accumulating those repetitions beforehand. But when we got there, on a day-to-day basis when we're shooting these scenes, we dial it in within a millimeter of its life to make sure everything feels clean. You're moving at a true pace; no one is running blindly into a firefight. Every step, every round, everything you do is a choice and very deliberate. That is what they teach us and what we try to depict. Jared Shaw, Ray, Max, Mike, and everyone helping us are always available on set for us to get extra reps in under the supervision of the armorer so we look good doing it.
From the best-selling novels of the same name, The Terminal List centers on Navy SEAL Commander “James Reece” (Chris Pratt) as he battles unknown conspiratorial forces seeking to upend the world order. This season comes from Jack Carr's second novel, True Believer, where he puts “James Reece” on a journey of violent redemption, finding a new purpose after finishing his list. The psychological revenge thriller of Season One opens up into a globe-trotting espionage thriller taking Reece across the Indian Ocean, Southern and Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Joined by returning fan favorites like “Raife Hastings” (Tom Hopper), “Katie Buranek” (Constance Wu), “Mohammed Farooq” (Dar Salim), “Jules Landry” (Luke Hemsworth) and newcomers like “Freddy Strain” (Gabriel Luna), Reece will uncover a conspiracy that reaches from Moscow to Langley and ties into his own family's history.
Season Two also features an expanded international cast including Costa Ronin, Olga Kurylenko, Yul Vazquez, Martin Sensmeier, Arnold Vosloo, Jeremy Bobb, Shiraz Tzarfati, and more.
Building on the standard set in Season One, authenticity remains a core pillar of The Terminal List. Executive Producer and former Navy SEAL Jared Shaw and Executive Producer and former Army Ranger Max Adams oversee the action and authenticity work, joined by military veterans contributing as writers, actors, on-set technical advisors, and directors — including former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza (Warfare). The series continues its commitment to portraying the mindset, brotherhood, and moral complexity of Special Operations with respect and realism.