The Last Ship Review - Sharp, Suspenseful, Dramatic Military Thriller

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Category: Streaming, Cable

Published on Sunday, 02 September 2018 18:23

Written by Janet Walker

The Last Ship, airing on TNT Networks, returns this fall with Admiral Tom Chandler leading in what appears to be a time of peace after the pandemic of flu and famine, took its toll on friends and family.

For those who are dedicated followers of the past four seasons, and have followed the U.S.S. Nathan James crew and tactical support teams through the pandemics and are waiting for the newest episodes, expect a deeply patriotic season with heroes, battles, shocking surprises and even tears.

The Last Ship has always captured my attention, although not enough to pull me from my routine and into the suspenseful world that chronicled the only survivors of an unexplainable flu virus that killed the majority of the global population and the race to find a cure.

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Recently, I’ve been pulled back into the lives of the U.S.S. Nathan James crew, family, friends and allies and enemies and honestly, now that it is available for streaming, I’m hooked and, like a good book, I couldn’t stop streaming the episodes and will re-stream.

As all plot points and spoilers are embargoed until after air date what follows is an overview of what can be expected. Season Five begins with Admiral Tom  Chandler, played by Eric Dane, now considered a national hero, his heroic efforts in saving the crew and securing an antidote and making it back to Mayport, Florida has the world knowing his name.

With limited catch-up new audiences can jump right in and feel up to speed.

The Last Ship opens with a victory. The past seems to be actually over. The pandemics under control, the flu has been dormant. The red plague, the famine that seemed to come from the earth itself, killing nearly all crops and rendering even the most fruitful soil impotent has been countered.

With these two plagues under control, the world is slowly returning to a pre-pandemic world order with flare ups with military dictators rising, as they always do during seasons of advantage and try to exercise dominion and rule over all men.

Now, three years after overcoming those challenging days, looking out over Mayport from Southern Command Center at the fleet, a small but mighty group of military who, by luck, God, kismet, chance, happenstance, destiny or whatever higher power one subscribes, is fully manned with dedicated men and women from every branch.

Hosting a public Fleet Week, the ships are docked with family and friends attending on board celebrations. By the end of the first episode the season is set and we are also devoted to those at Fleet Command and the course of action they deem necessary.

Lt. Alisha Granderson, played by Christina Elmore who is deeply in love with her girlfriend Cali, played by Emanuela Postacchini, becomes convinced of a deception. Ensign Swain, played by Troy Doherty, a Navel Officer’s candidate who has a keen sense of the next wave of global attacks. We also meet in Season Five Gustavo Barros, played by Maurice Compte, Conchita Barros, played by Cindy Luna and Hector Martinez, played by Rigo Sanchez.

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Promoted for his service Chandler is also a Navel professor, an assignment he loathes, and yet it gives him insight into the mind of the Navy’s next group of strategists.

Eric Dane returns as Admiral Tom Chandler The Last Ship also stars Adam Baldwin as Admiral Mike  Slattery, April Parker Jones as General Anita DuFine, Bridget Regan as Sasha Cooper, Charles Parnell as CMC Jeter, Travis Van Winkle as Lt. Danny Green, Marissa Neitling as Commander Kara Green, Jocko Sims as Lt. Carlton Burk, Bren Foster as SCPO Wolf Taylor, Kevin Michael Martin as Miller, Ben Cho as CPO Carl Nishioka, Michael Curran-Dorsano as Gator, and Steven Culp as President Joshua  Reiss.

The Fleet Command Center set is stunning, a massive war room that would make the military proud. With the highest attention to detail, the computers that face the cameras have coordinates, maps and all props that present an authentic military command center. 

The Last Ship is based on William Brinkley’s novel and the series has followed the Navy destroyer U.S.S.  Nathan James as its captain, Tom Chandler,  and crew navigate life following a global catastrophe that nearly kills off the world’s population.

The series is produced by Turner’s Studio T in association with Platinum Dunes, whose partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form serve as executive producers. Co-creators Hank Steinberg and Steven Kane also serve as executive producers, along with director Paul Holahan.

Season Five begins September 9, at 9 p.m. Check local listings for the TNT station.