As we begin to see a fuller picture of Ben Edwards’ (Taylor Kitsch) life in The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, it’s easy to forget about where his story eventually ends in The Terminal List. But considering the way that Ben has been betrayed by his country and now other operatives that he believed he could trust, it seems a bit strange that he would then be able to go behind the back of some of his best friends and do the same. So, why did Ben sell out Chris Pratt‘s James Reece and get involved with the conspiracy that killed his family in the original show? Well, it’s complicated.
‘Dark Wolf’ Adds Additional Complexity to Ben Edwards’ Betrayal
If anything, Dark Wolf has given us a remarkably deeper and overall different look at Ben Edwards than what we know of him from The Terminal List. Here, he’s more than just a capable operator; he’s a man of principle who fights for those who cannot stand up to terror themselves. We see him saving the lives of Iraqi Security Forces operators, caring deeply about their families, and being pushed into leadership roles by Reece, who is always trying to spur his friend to greatness. Seeing this side of him is part of what makes Dark Wolf such a thrilling watch. But the betrayal that Ben experienced at the hands of supposed allies in “The Sound of Guns,” not to mention his removal from the SEALs for taking down a terrorist and rescuing children, has pushed Ben into further shades of gray than he was previously willing to accept. It’s Ben and Raife Hastings’ (Tom Hopper) time working with Jed Haverford (Robert Wisdom) that makes Ben challenge his former way of operating, seemingly planting an “ends justify the means” mentality within him.
All of this comes to a head in The Terminal List Season 1 finale, “Reclamation.” Here, Reece confronts Ben about Oberon Analytics, the drug company that tested RD-4895 on their SEAL unit, ultimately resulting in the team developing brain tumors. As Ben explains, when he first got involved, he was told that Reece, Ernest “Boozer” Vickers (Jared Shaw), and the others were already as good as dead given their condition. Because they had already taken the drug, there was no saving them — the tumors were inoperable and would be fatal. Upon explaining this to Reece in the Season 1 finale, Ben admits that he thought it was best to let them die with dignity and honor by feeding them intel that would get the whole unit killed in a blaze of glory. “So, did you do it for us, or did you do it for $20 million?” Reece finally asks him, to which Ben replies, “Maybe both.” It’s clear that there’s more to this betrayal than meets the eye.
Although Ben makes it abundantly clear that he had nothing to do with what happened to Reece’s family, he still considers himself at least partially guilty of their murder. After all, had Reece not survived and made it back home to ask questions about their questionable intel, an assassin would never have been hired to take his family out (resulting in that memorable axe sequence from the original series). Either to atone for his own sins or help his SEAL brother get revenge, Ben aided Reece in taking down the conspiracy, knowing that eventually his mistakes would catch up with him.
It seems that everything Ben went through in Dark Wolf leading up to The Terminal List pushed the former SEAL to a darker place, a place where he was willing to cross lines that he never would have been before. Although one might question whether a man like Ben Edwards, who had been betrayed by so many, would then go around and betray one of the only friends who never left his side, we can see how working in the field of espionage would muddle one’s moral code — especially if you believe you’re helping those you ultimately hurt.
Could Ben Edwards Actually Be Alive in ‘Terminal List’ Season 2?
At the end of The Terminal List, Reece seemingly shoots Ben in the head, finally crossing the last name off the list of those responsible for the deaths of his family and unit. It’s a hard moment to process, especially after Ben’s remorse is so clear. But because the camera cuts away from the interior of the boat to only show the exterior, many have theorized that Dark Wolf is only the beginning of more Ben Edwards adventures. In addition to the fact that Terminal List author Jack Carr is hoping for more seasons of the prequel, some might believe that Reece left Ben alive at the end. While it’s clear in the book that Reece kills Ben Edwards (a character who, in the novel, is far more villainous than the Taylor Kitsch version on streaming), the series leaves his final moments up to the imagination. Perhaps Dark Wolf’s success will change his fate, giving Ben the chance to be that hero again?
We know from the fact that Raife Hastings will be involved in The Terminal List‘s second season, True Believer, that Dark Wolf plays an important part in the future of the franchise, so it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch that Ben could’ve survived. While Reece wasn’t exactly merciful to most of those responsible for killing his family, it’s certainly possible that when it came to shooting a man he would’ve previously given his life for, he couldn’t have pulled the trigger. Although things between Ben and Reece would be forever estranged, a redemption arc for the character after stooping so low would be quite a riveting way to continue Dark Wolf beyond just being a prequel. Of course, we want to better understand how Ben could betray his friends, and that’s one thing the prequel series is slowly unpacking. If there’s potential for the story to go even further, that would be quite the shift.
While Ben Edwards’ exact reasons for betraying James Reece remain somewhat mysterious, we can see how a combination of his own personal history as a government agent and corporate greed factored into it. Although the Ben we meet in Dark Wolf is fiercely loyal to anyone who he considers a member of his team (well, except maybe Luke Hemsworth‘s Jules Landry, and rightfully so), the two-faced Judas from The Terminal List appears to be a different man entirely. As Ben Edwards’ story continues to unravel, we can better see how a man of stark courage and honor could eventually give way to deception and murder, especially the longer he remains in the world of international espionage and cloak-and-dagger warfare.
The Terminal List is available for streaming on Prime Video.
The Terminal List
- Release Date
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July 1, 2022
- Network
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Amazon Prime Video
- Showrunner
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David DiGilio
