Abhiroop Das
Created by Jack Carr and David DiGilio, Prime Video’s ‘The Terminal List: Dark Wolf’ is set seven years prior to the incidents of ‘The Terminal List.’ In the inaugural season, James Reece’s rogue conquest was supported chiefly by his friend, Ben Edwards. This season delves deeper into his life, charting his transition from a Navy SEAL veteran to a CIA field agent. The shift in gears comes with a change in scope, and Ben realizes that the world of intelligence often blurs the lines between good and evil beyond recognition. The protagonist’s often drastic measures are informed by his deep-seated desire to protect his near and dear ones, who transcend boundaries and designations. One of his friends, Daran Amiri, becomes a vessel to explore this thread, with his tumultuous life contributing to many twists and turns in the narrative. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Daran Amiri is an Iraqi Soldier Who Suffers a Cruel Fate
Daran Amiri is introduced to the narrative as a soldier in the Iraqi Security Forces and a core ally of the Navy SEALs as their translator. He is also one of Ben Edward’s closest friends, and they routinely team up to take down terrorist operations. The season begins with Daran in the middle of an intense conflict, and during an exchange of gunfire, he is shot in the leg. While Ben ultimately rescues his friend, Daran still loses a limb, and it is then replaced by a metal leg. Despite his impairment, the soldier refuses to back down and affirms that he will return to service upon healing. However, there is another dimension to his actions, as his service ensures that his family can safely make their way to the United States and hopefully lead a life of comfort. Daran’s sacrifices show his selfless nature, making his ultimate fate even more tragic.
Moments before Daran’s family prepares for their journey to the US, they are ambushed by terrorists, who then force him to make a terrible choice: either sacrifice his family or carry out a suicidal bombing mission within the US base camp. Heartbroken, Daran chooses the latter, and a bomb is subsequently planted inside his artificial leg. Following this, he enters the base camp uninterrupted, but not before making a cryptic phone call to Ben, alerting him of his fate. Even in the face of death and destruction, Daran minimizes the casualties as much as possible, choosing an odd hour to sit in the canteen and further picking a corner spot, limiting the number of deaths caused. Although Ben alerts his superiors of the potential threat, they are too late, and the explosion results in the death of eight individuals, including Daran.
While Daran’s decision is informed by the promise of his family’s safety, Ben is aghast to find out that his friend’s wife and son were killed anyway. Worse, his daughter, Zaynab, has been kidnapped. Refusing to back down, Ben plans a mission to eliminate Hamid Al Jabouri, the terrorist responsible for the blast, but is quickly shut down by his superiors. The realization soon comes to the protagonist that Al Jabouri is a CIA asset, and his cooperation gives him the freedom to pursue a life of terrorism. This reveals the gaping holes in the system, and Ben rightfully calls out the irony of SEAL soldiers training the Iraqi forces, only for the terrorists to send a symbolic message by planting a bomb within. When the time comes, Ben goes out of his way to kill Al Jabouri and ensure that Zaynab is rescued, so as to avenge his friend and bring closure.
Daran Amiri is Essayed by Budding Actor Fady Demian
Despite appearing for a brief amount of time, Daran Amiri leaves his mark on the plot and on Ben’s psyche, and in doing so becomes emblematic of many of the show’s themes. He represents the many courageous souls who lose their lives at war, and also due to powers beyond their control. While Ben and James Reece, as protagonists, manage to combat that system, Daran provides a glimpse into the other end of the perspective. Actor Fady Demian captures this nuance in perfect detail through his rendition of the character. Demian, an up-and-coming actor, has proven his skill prior to ‘The Terminal List: Dark Wolf’ with his work in short films. Some of his other notable works include ‘The New Tenant,’ where he plays Nader, as well as ‘Roses and Red Noses’ and ‘The Shadow of the Sun,’ where he plays Colin the Clown and Eddie Polito, respectively.
Fady Demian’s creative pursuits go beyond acting on screen, as he is also a trained theatre artist. Over the years, he has featured in a number of productions, such as ‘Rocky Relationships,’ ‘Lorena: A Tabloid Epic and Incels & Other Myths.’ He also has experience working behind the scenes, having co-written a short film titled ‘Where it Began,’ where he also essays Mikael Chancellor. Demian’s wide range of performances helped him seamlessly embody the character of Daran Amiri and express his conflicts and how they bounce off the larger cast. His portrayal of the soldier was also sensitive enough to establish a clear context for his actions and flesh out the inner turmoil that went on within.
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