The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Episodes 1, 2 & 3 recap - Hastings and Edwards must go on a deadly mission

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf dropped its first 3 episodes of season 1 on August 27, 2025, and has already left the fans biting their nails. The show is the prequel to the original show, The Terminal List, based on Jack Carr's novel. It tracks down Ben Edwards' transformation from a Navy SEAL to a CIA paramilitary operator and ultimately a man whose betrayal will shape the original series.

The first 3 episodes build the film world and characters perfectly while jumping 3 months into the future when Edwards is already in the Iraqi special forces training. The turning point comes when he loses his friend to a suicide bombing and ends up compromising a crucial CIA plan out of rage. He, along with Hastings, faces humiliation and is offered another mission whose success can change their fates.

Here is the complete recap of the first 3 episodes of The Terminal List:Dark Wolf

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Here is what happened in The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Season 1 episode 1

In episode 1 of The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, the show takes a leap of three months and showcases Edwards' training with Iraqi Special Forces near Mosul. During this, he reconnects with Amiri, who has been re-enlisted despite losing one leg. He warns him to focus on family but fails, as Amiri is obsessed with reclaiming Al-Jabouri.

Amiri receives a prosthetic leg but turns into a suicide bomber with his fake leg rigged with explosives. He detonates it at the base, killing many, including his wife, Marwa, while his children go missing. This leads towards the climax of the episode, with Edward learning that Hamid and Danawi were behind the bombing. However, when he tries to go behind them, he is blocked by the CIA, as Hamid has been a valuable asset to them.

On the other hand, Hastings suggests that they should visit Mosul and expose Hamid as a CIA asset to the ISIS leader so that they kill him instead. But while the team is on this mission, Edwards encounters Amiri's daughter Zaynab in Hamid's house and loses his temper. Overburdened by guilt of not being able to save Amiri, he outright kills Hamid without following the plan. The operation is now compromised. Edwards rescues Zaynab, and the episode ends here.

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Here is what happened in The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Season 1 episode 2

Episode 2 of The Terminal List: Dark Wolf shows the aftermath of Hamid's killing, with Edwards and Hastings getting dishonourably discharged. In the airport, they meet Jed Haverford, the CIA spymaster, who reveals that he provided the cover-up to the CIA for killing Hamid. He offered these two a mission to help capture Massoud Danawi. They accept and are sent to Vienna, teaming up with Mossad agents Tal Varon and Eliza Perash.

The team attempts to intercept a meeting between Danawi and Artem Golubev at a club in Krems, Austria. The plan was to drug Danawi. This leads to the climax, when the plan backfires, leading to a shootout and chase. However, the fight ends up in their favour with Edwards and Hastings finally cornering Danawi and Hastings eventually killing him.

Haverford confirms they have Danawi’s phone, suggesting the mission is still a success regardless of Danawi’s fate.

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Here is what happened in The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Season 1 episode 3

In episode 3 of The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, the stakes heighten further. The episode first shows Edwards and Hastings training in the forests near their new base. Cyrus and Vahid Rahimi attended the Nuclear Stability Agreement of Iran. Cyrus is optimistic, while Vahid is worried about the outcome after Danawi's death. They privately discussed the larger fate of Iran.

Meanwhile, Haveford has reunited with the team in Vinna, while Edwards gets to know that Zaynab and Afran are now safe. Edwards proposes a plan. Danawi was supposed to deliver $5 million from Golubev to Professor Molnar in Budapest. The plan is to send Farooq as Danawi, since Molnar has never met him. The others provide backup.

When Farooq reaches Budapest, he is reached out to by another new contact to meet him. This puts Farooq in doubt, who then investigates and finds out it is Danawi's daughter who knows about her death. Farooq spares her life but tells Ish, his team member, that he has killed her. This sets up a future revenge plot in The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.

While meeting with Molnar, Farooq is tested with several questions. He passed the test thanks to Haverford feeding him intel. They got to know that the $5 million is a down payment for a nuclear bomb prototype Iran is building. Farooq then accepts the total price of $50 million and rushes out of the cafe with the concept of proof of the deal.

A third party enters the location, leading to a firefight and chase. Amidst this, Ish chases an assailant into the subway but ends up being killed. Edwards ignores Hastings' warning and boards the train alone. He further kills the assailant and takes a photo of the body for Haverford to identify.

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Catch The Terminal List: Dark Wolf only on Prime Video.