Admittedly, this isn't really the usual type of show that I immediately gravitate towards to and I only got episodes to watch because I felt it was something my husband
Marvin might enjoy viewing. But about halfway through the first hamper of clothes I was ironing and some three episodes in, I knew I was going to see it through until the end.
Knowing
TNT and how they produce their
action-oriented titles like
Leverage, I appreciated how
The Last Ship didn't overreach in their attempts to create exciting physical sequences. You can only do so much with your TV budget, especially when you're not showing on a major network or cable channel. I had to point out that particular hurdle because it highlights how the show actually found ways to make itself compelling for viewers without having to rely on high octane action scenes.
The Last Ship is ultimately a show about human beings and how they cope when faced with the news or reality of a crumbling world. Without any reliable news about their home country, much less their families, the crew of USS Nathan James are suddenly left with little hope or directions to follow. Fears for their loved ones and for their own safety as they travel to different parts of the world surface in the ten-episode freshman season run of the series. Of course, when there's a showing of human weakness, there's a chance to highlight strengths as well. The captain of the titular ship is well played by Eric Dane, who portrays Commander Chandler as a brave and dependable man. He's exactly the type of captain you would want in the end of days, and with his second in command
Mike Slattery (Adam Baldwin), Master Chief
Hugh Jeter (
Charles Parnell) and Marines unit leader
Danny Green (
Travis van Winkle) supporting him, you want to be on the USS Nathan James in case the proverbial worst case scenario hits the fan. Rhona Mitra's character Dr. Scott carries her own burden of trying to find a cure for a disease that has rid the world of many of its population, initially facing negativity from the crew after it is revealed that she and Quincy knew all along about what's happening to the rest of the world. Added to all that is her eventual role as guide for the ship's next destinations, as the USS Nathan James is tasked to help her find all the necessary components required to create a vaccine before they attempt to voyage home. And with the eventual addition of private contractor
Tex (
John Pyper-Ferguson) and his breath of fresh well-timed comedic air, and a bevy of rather despicable villainous individuals from around the world, the series would provide a well-rounded cast of characters that made
The Last Ship a definite
must-watch.
It's to be expected that
The Last Ship will continuously showcase hardships on every front, whether in the form of actually formulating the vaccine, fending off attempts by other groups to steal knowledge from them, or in encountering and being unable to help the very people they are trying to save. It was interesting to watch as Chandler and his crew not just be faced with problems relating to Dr. Scott's experiments, but also in handling the very tired and very scared naval soldiers under their command. Issues like limited resources, faulty ship hardware and crew paranoia are showcased, highlighting that the crew's internal struggles are as important as the issue of a deadly virus.
I will agree with some critics that
The Last Ship isn't entirely an original premise, nor is it original in all of its storytelling. But it does feature a great balance of many successful elements that make it worthy of your summer TV viewing.
And with the series's first season ending on a rather less than clear note on the status of the USS Nathan James and its crew, much less the rest of the human population, it should be interesting to see where
The Last Ship would eventually take us next season. At least I know that I won't be needing the excuse to entertain myself while ironing as the reason to watch it.
Happy viewing!!
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