‘The Terminal List’ Ending, Explained: Does Reece Manage To Finish His Kill List?
The Terminal List lands on Amazon Prime Video to satisfy the audience’s need for some good military thrillers. The limited series stars Chris Pratt, Taylor Kitsch, and Constance Wu. It tells the story of a Navy SEAL commander that, after being the sole survivor in a failed mission, focus his all life on discovering and punishing those who were responsible. The series is exceptionally well-made and delivers great action sequences alongside great characters, and a singular nuanced performance by Chris Pratt.
The show is based on the novel by the same name, written by Jack Carr. The writer has translated his experience of being a soldier in the pages of the book, and they also manage to jump to the episodes in the show. More than any other recent show, Terminal List really puts into perspective what it means to be a soldier. The risks of the job and the toll that is paid by those who are willing to risk their lives in the services of their country.
The following paragraphs include spoilers for all eight episodes of the season. Read at your own risk.
Does Reece Manage To Finish His Kill List?
What begins with Reece’s platoon being sent by intel, which basically puts them in the middle of an ambush where they are all killed. Ends up as a huge conspiracy where the guilty partners belong not only to the military but also to the main branches of the US government. The show makes it clear that the ambush was set up as a way to clean up after a terrible experiment took place. Sadly, the lives of the soldiers involved were not taken into consideration.
Katie has managed to find her way to be in the company of Secretary Hartley. Hartley confesses that she didn’t know that the experiment, which involved using an experimental drug on soldiers, would end up giving them brain tumors. Reece’s scrambled and lost memories are the result of this experiment. Hartley says that she didn’t know, and this is why she started an investigation of the generals involved immediately.
Hartley makes her case, by saying that the only thing she wanted was to help people recover from PTSD and other mental trauma. She explains how her father used to be happy until he went to war. Katie is not very convinced about it, but decides to stay and give the story a new spin where Hartley can save face. Hartley knows that Reece is coming for her, and she has hired private soldiers to defend her home. Katie points out that this is not something someone innocent does.
However, while writing the new spin on the story, Katie finds some contradictions in the Secretary’s story, and she goes to her office to confront her. In a very cool scene, Katie pushes the secretary to the point where she confesses that she indeed knew about the risks of the drug, and decided to keep with the mission that would kill the man even after that. Instead of aborting the mission, she allowed the men to die.
Hartley makes a big speech where she talks about sacrifice, about how people like her and Reece would risk their lives in an instant if they were asked to. Katie points out very effectively that Reece and his men were not asked the question. Instead, they were deceived and manipulated. At that moment, Reece makes his move and attacks Hartley’s home.
Who Dies At The End Of The Terminal List?
Reece and Ben arrive at Hartley’s, and they dispatch the hired soldier very efficiently. Ben supports as a sniper while Reece gets inside. He needs to kill Hartley personally. However, when Reece arrives, Katie intercedes. He reveals to Reece that Hartley never took the money, the false intel didn’t come from her, and there is still someone else out there that needs to be punished. Reece says it doesn’t matter, she ignited the fire in the first place. Before anything can happen, Hartley takes her own life, as she sees there is no way out.
The military arrives, and Tony finds Reece as he is about to leave. Tony leaves him be and reports he hasn’t seen Reece in the vicinity. The time passes, three weeks to be precise, and Katie’s story has been published, and the parliament is trying to make amends. Katie sends one final clue to Reece. The money from Oberon Analytics is moving through a bank in Peru.
That is the final clue Reece needed to see that Ben was the traitor all along. He confronts Ben back in his boat and Ben confesses. Saying he only did it because he thought the tumors would kill them, and thus he wanted them to go out fighting, instead of laying on a bed. Reece kills Ben, finishing his kill list.
In the end, Reece finally manages to let his family go after doing Justice, and he finally remembers that memory that has been avoiding him all this time. Reece sails into the sunset with his family in his heart.
