The Terminal List S2 Episode 7 Review: Every Bullet Has Its Destiny

Episode 7 of The Terminal List Season 2, “Every Bullet Has Its Destiny,” finds James Reece and Freddy Strain in Odessa, as the operation involving the peace conference begins. It’s a quick, focused affair that gets straight to the point.

This is primarily a Reece and Freddy episode, with Raife Hastings and his group taking something of a backseat, and Mo Farooq not really featured at all. Usually I’d miss those characters, given how much I’ve enjoyed Raife this season, but the tighter focus on Odessa actually serves the episode well.

And to continue the sniper theme that was teased in last week’s “Rats in a Maze” after the events of the previous episode, we get a sniper battle!

The threat comes from an incredibly well-hidden position on a ship miles away, immediately raising the stakes for Reece, Freddy and those trying to protect the peace conference. It’s a fantastic sequence too, after watching the season so far show us what Freddy is capable of with a sniper rifle.

As ever, though, it’s the tactical elements involving Reece that really gets me fired up for this episode.

We get some fantastic sequences in the catacombs and later in a hotel as Reece takes out enemies in tight corridors. I’ve said it repeatedly in these reviews, but it’s always impressive to watch Chris Pratt handling a weapon with such skill in The Terminal List.

There are positions and movements that feel slightly off if you’re unfamiliar with them, but that’s part of what lends this action sequences that extra authenticity; there’s so much technical skill involved in the way Reece handles his gun, scanning a room before moving from cover to cover and getting the drop on his enemies.

Episode 7 has no real interest in slowing down. As ever, the operation in Odessa keeps the plot moving forwards, with the season cashing in on all the setup work it’s done across the first half of its run.

There are some really hard-hitting developments during the operation that I’m not going to spoil for you here. With the finale still to come, there are certain moments in “Every Bullet Has Its Destiny” that are best seen without prior knowledge.

What I can say is that the closing moments of the episode open up another gigantic can of worms.

We’ve known for a while that whatever Reece has stumbled into runs considerably deeper than a few rogue operatives, but Episode 7 begins to tie the conspiracy at the heart of the series to Reece’s family history. That’s an intriguing development following on from the previous episode, which began to give us more information about his mother and father.

It increasingly feels as though Reece hasn’t simply stumbled into a conspiracy. There may be a reason why this particular one keeps finding its way back to him.

By the time the credits roll, we have a ridiculous number of questions to ask going into the finale. What happens with the remaining sniper? Will those responsible for the events in Odessa get what’s coming to them? How deep does this conspiracy run? After spending almost the entire season following separate stories, will we finally get to see Reece and Raife take on enemies side-by-side?

I bloody hope so.

“Every Bullet Has Its Destiny” is a strong penultimate episode that strips away some of the season’s subplots and focuses in on Reece, Freddy and the operation in Odessa. It’s a fast, tactical affair that doesn’t waste time on filler.

Now there’s just the one episode left, and there’s a hell of a lot I want answers to.

Check out more from The Terminal List at Action Reloaded