The Terminal List compared with Reacher
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The gist
The Terminal List season 2 premiered October 21 and ranks #3 on Prime Video, just ahead of Reacher at #4.
Both adapt military book series, but Reacher's four-season head start and renewals set the bar.
Background
The Terminal List stars Chris Pratt as former Navy SEAL commander James Reece and draws on Jack Carr's James Reece book series; Reacher stars Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher and adapts Lee Child's novels. Both follow a physically strapping protagonist who uses military experience to subdue his enemies, and both first premiered in 2022. The Terminal List's first season drew mediocre reviews (a 40% Rotten Tomatoes score) and the show returned after more than four years off the air, while Reacher has aired four full seasons and is filming a fifth. The comparison is trending because the two shows now sit side by side in Prime Video's rankings.
How it unfolded
- Jun 30, 2022The Terminal List premieres on Prime Video.
- 2025The Terminal List: Dark Wolf spin-off is released, with Pratt in a supporting role and Taylor Kitsch as the titular character.
- Sep 2026The Reacher spin-off Neagley premieres to excellent reviews and strong viewership.
- Oct 21, 2026The Terminal List season 2 premieres on Prime Video, more than four years after its July 2022 debut.
- Oct 22, 2026The Terminal List sits at #3 on Prime Video, just edging out Reacher at #4; both lag behind Neagley and Carrie.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- ScreenRant calls Reacher the clear winner and Prime Video's biggest original, with each season performing as well as or better than the last.
- Support
- MovieWeb's Jake Dee calls The Terminal List the most explosive military action-thriller on TV, saying its hardcore military detail makes Reacher look silly by comparison.
- Expert
- MovieWeb credits former Navy SEAL co-producer and technical adviser Jared Shaw with making The Terminal List far more accurate and realistic than Reacher.
- Public
- A Facebook commenter on Collider's post said there is no comparison between the two and Terminal List far exceeds Reacher, though they also like Reacher.
- Caution
- A Rotten Tomatoes user review called Reacher season 4 beyond ridiculous, with horrible writing and a seemingly reduced production budget.
Still unverified
ScreenRant says it remains to be seen whether The Terminal List's early success will earn a full-fledged renewal; Collider says it will become clear in a few days whether the lengthy off-season has affected its viewership.