The Terminal List: Dark Wolf episode 5 ending explained: Why did Edwards team up with Eliza?

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, a relentless prequel to The Terminal List, dives deep into the shadowed past of Ben Edwards, a Navy SEAL turned CIA operative. Created by Jack Carr and David DiGilio, this Amazon Prime Video series stars Taylor Kitsch as Edwards, with Luke Hemsworth, Tom Hopper, and Natalie Martinez delivering powerhouse performances. 

Set five years before the original series, it follows Edwards’ plunge into the CIA’s morally ambiguous world as he hunts a global conspiracy tied to nuclear bearings and a shadowy figure known as the Shepherd. 

Episode 5, "E & E," hits with a seismic twist: after Mossad agent Eliza Perash shoots Edwards in his bulletproof vest to steal the Molnar's bearings, he survives and chooses to ally with her. Why partner with a traitor? Edwards’ decision hinges on her critical intel about the Shepherd and their shared enemies, forging a tense, distrustful alliance driven by the urgent need to thwart a catastrophic plot. 

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf episode 5 ending explained: The cost of loyalty is a deadly ambush

Episode 5 opens with Edwards, battered but alive, tracking Eliza to Zurich after her betrayal. Confronting her at gunpoint, he’s met with her claim that she didn’t orchestrate the ambush that derailed their mission. Eliza points to the Shepherd, a mysterious figure who may be manipulating CIA spymaster Jed Haverford, as the true enemy. Edwards, ever the pragmatist, recognises her intel as a key to unravelling the conspiracy threatening global stability. Their alliance is no brotherhood—it’s a calculated pact, brittle with suspicion, as they navigate a world where betrayal is currency.

In Zurich, Edwards and Eliza face a ferocious attack by Farsi-speaking agents, forcing them to fight as one. Eliza’s quick reflexes save Edwards’ life, proving her immediate loyalty despite her earlier treachery. She confesses her Mossad orders were to eliminate the team, but sparing Edwards reveals her inner conflict—a flicker of conscience in a ruthless game. A fleeting moment of connection, underscored by classic rock and gallows humour, hints at mutual respect.

But the climax serves a devastating blow: a car bomb placed by unknown bikers destroys Eliza just as their partnership begins. Edwards escapes, but the explosion and the sinister chime of church bells exacerbate his PTSD, torturing him with Eliza Perash's demise and the persistent threat of ramping conspiracy. The bikers' role - possibly as allies to the Shepherd or just a rogue group - raises chilling questions about who is in charge and multiplies the mystery of Edwards moving ahead alone.

Edwards' decision to partner with Eliza violates his own fraying ethical framework. Edwards' history - taking down a CIA asset, which is why he was dishonourably discharged - is a trilogy to her disloyalty. Their partnership is a dark reflection of Edwards' own compromises. Eliza's death - possibly orchestrated by the Shepherd or Haverford's partners - enforces the grim reality of the series; in espionage, who you are allied with is no less fragile than it is expensive.

The impact of the car bomb on Edwards, who is clearly shaken, highlights his disintegration, while church bells sound the toll of his choices. This moment sets up the descent into his own tragic fate in The Terminal List, where loyalty and morality are sacrificed to survive. The ending leaves the viewer questioning whether trust in Eliza is a glimmer of humanity or a misstep in a world with no trustworthy inhabitants.

Where to watch The Terminal List: Dark Wolf

Season 1 of The Terminal List: Dark Wolf  episode 5 is on Amazon Prime Video, with new episodes dropping weekly until the finale on September 24, 2025

Stay tuned for more such updates!