Note. This review contains heavy spoilers on the TV show “Last Resort”!
On January 24 in the U.S.A. where it was aired on ABC, the TV show “Last Resort” ended with the 13 episodes of its first and only season.
“Last Resort” followed the story of the crew of the Ohio-class submarine USS Colorado. Following a mission where the submarine has picked up a team of Navy SEALs off the coast of Pakistan, Captain Marcus Chaplin receives the order to launch their nuclear missiles against Pakistan.
The order is received via a secondary channel to be used only in the case Washington D.C. has been destroyed so Captain Chaplin asks for confirmation through the normal channels. At that point, Chaplin is relieved from command by the Deputy Secretary of Defense and Lieutenant Commander Sam Kendal is ordered to take command and execute the order to attack.
When also Kendal asks for confirmation of the order through the normal channels, the submarine USS Colorado is declared outlaw, another American submarine attacks and at the same time nuclear missiles are launched against Pakistan. The Colorado escapes the attack thanks to a new cloaking system and docks to the island of Sainte Marina, where the crew take control of the local NATO radar installation.
Captain Chaplin launches a nuclear missile off the coast of Washington D.C. as a warning to others not to try any more attacks to the submarine Colorado but it’s only a short-term solution. His purpose is to prove the illegality of the orders to bring back his crew with their honor intact.
“Last Resort” cast consists of:
- Andre Braugher as Marcus Chaplin
- Scott Speedman (photo ©Justin Hoch) as Sam Kendal
- Daisy Betts as Grace Shepard
- Camille De Pazzis as Sophie Girard
- Dichen Lachman as Tani Tumrenjack
- Daniel Lissing as James King
- Sahr Ngaujah as Julian Serrat
- Autumn Reeser (photo ©David Shankbone) as Kylie Sinclair
- Jessy Schram as Christine Kendal
- Robert Patrick as Joseph Prosser
Started with a good audience and good reviews for the pilot episode, “Last Resort” rapidly lost pace and spectators. After less than two months, ABC announced that the series wouldn’t have had even a full season and would have just the 13 episodes produced.
The pilot episode was indeed promising, though the launch of nuclear missiles on Pakistan seemed really far-fetched because if that really happened the international repercussions would be enormous. As a dramatic element in a series such as “Last Resort”, with conspiracies that have international ramifications, could make sense, too bad that in later episodes the plot slowly sank, so to speak.
The conspiracies in a TV show must be planned with consistency and without too many distractions so as to maintain the tension in the audience. Obviously, at the beginning there are mysteries but they have to provide some element that gradually reveal them and figure out who are at least some of the bad guys. “Last Resort” is insufficient from this point of view.
In “Last Resort” the subplot directly concerning the conspiracy and the one about the crew of the submarine Colorado provided cues in abundance to develop a good show. I think it was a mistake to extend from the beginning the part of the story on the Sainte Marina island to its civilian population with its problems, especially with mayor Julian Serrat, who is a sort of local little dictator.
In the end, the part of the story that takes place in Washington focused on Kylie Sinclair and her attempt to understand what’s behind the events of the submarine Colorado was a bit sacrificed and we understand very little of the conspiracy. We understand that at least part of the U.S.A. government is involved but for example don’t know whether the President was really a part or if of he was manipulated.
Captain Chaplin is a mirror of the plot development problems. At first he tries to get along with Serrat, then collides with him but leaves him in power and this causes new problems; he has to face possible mutiny and one day he impose strict discipline but then seems to wait passively for the situation developments. Of course, he’s in a very complex situation where it’s really difficult to plan his actions but also in his relationship with the Chinese who offer help he always seems to be simply reacting to events.
The writers seem to have tried to attract more female audience by inserting some romantic elements. This is mainly a subplot concerning Christine, Sam Kendal’s wife, but in the end it was almost useless. A hint of triangle which included Sophie was created but it would’ve been better if they had waited a few more episodes. Another romantic element is the relationship that develops between James King, one of the Navy SEALs, and Tani, a local girl. I must say that the romantic side is irrelevant to me so maybe I’m too harsh in considering it useless.
“Last Resort” was aired in the U.S.A. in the same time slot as “The Big Bang Theory”, one of the most popular programs currently on air, and some episodes even against NFL football games. The competition was very tough and that’s why I think that at the beginning they should’ve developed very strongly only the basic elements of the story, especially the subplot directly concerning the conspiracy, to create an adequate audience base. Only at that point they could’ve expanded the story, possibly in the second season.
Probably the controversial nature of the story didn’t help. It implicates at least part of the U.S.A. government in a nuclear attack against another nation under false pretense. Again, a better development of this part of the story in my opinion might have created the right tension needed to keep the audience.
The series finale somehow gives a conclusion to the story, even though it was impossible to resolve everything in such a short time. The conclusion was, however, quite rushed because there were several subplots still open but at least some of them had a closure. This is more than what happens with many TV shows that are canceled leaving the whole story “hanging”, instead “Last Resort” really ends with a bang.
Overall, I think “Last Resort” wasn’t a bad show but it had the problem of being developed in a fragmented way, with too many subplots that started from the beginning. Therefore, there’s then the regret for a potential that hasn’t been adequately developed.
