The Terminal List Prequel Can Copy A Perfect Villain Trick

The Terminal List has received the green light from Amazon for its prequel series, and it should plan to copy this perfect villain trick.

The upcoming prequel to The Terminal List can copy a perfect villain trick to set up its premise. The Terminal List is an Amazon Prime Video original starring Chris Pratt as Navy SEAL James Reece. The Terminal List season 1 follows Reece as he tries to unravel the mystery of his family’s death and clear his own name in the process.

The Terminal List season 2 was recently greenlit by Amazon, along with a new prequel series. The prequel is said to follow The Terminal List season 1 antagonist, Ben Edwards, played by Taylor Kitsch. It is likely that Pratt will appear in one way or another in the prequel series, however, the focus will be Edwards as he devolves into the man that will eventually have a hand in the killing of Reece’s team.

Related: The Terminal List Cast & Character Guide

The Terminal List Prequel Is The Perfect Villain Backstory Set Up

The Terminal List‘s hero will not be the star of the show’s prequel because following Edwards instead provides a clever way to include a backstory for the villain. This allows The Terminal List’s prequel series to build sympathy for Edwards and deepen his character. In addition, it allows the audience to build a more intimate connection with Edwards, giving it a reason to care about both sides of the conflict. Villains become more meaningful when something has turned them into a villain, and even more so when the audience can see what that thing was.

This makes the villain or antagonist more of a tragic figure because the audience knows about the trauma or conflict that made them villainous. It can be fascinating to watch a character make the descent into villainy. Just look at Joker. This method could add to The Terminal List‘s ending because of how revealing it can be for an audience to see when a budding villain’s actions become unforgivable. It allows people to see how much they can look past for a character they like and helps people find the moral line they are unwilling to cross.

The Terminal List Prequel Can Make Season 1 Even More Tragic

The strategy Amazon is taking toward The Terminal List‘s prequel will likely make season 1 even more tragic. Making Edwards into a character that people have a reason to care about, only to throw him down the path of suffering and villainy will make him a personally tragic character. It could also make his final encounter with Reece even more tragic and add meaning to The Terminal List season 2.

If The Terminal List‘s prequel builds on the relationship between Reece and Edwards, it will make Reece’s killing of Edwards at the end of The Terminal List season 1 much more tragic. Setting up a strong friendship between Pratt’s Reece and Kitsch’s Edwards would make their eventual rivalry particularly jarring. However, it would be a great way to add depth to both characters and help set up The Terminal List season 2.

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