Last Resort (TV Series) Captain (2012) User Reviews

Last Resort Captian

[dalydj-918-255175 · 28 September 2012]

Last Resort the new ABC drama about the lives of many people who work for the USA in a sub and take orders from them, party and have a good time. These good times are stopped when Captian Marcus Chaplin refuses an order he is demoted and then his second in command is put in charge but also refuses causing the Americans to fire at this submarine. Then when the US government say to the public that it was the Pakistan who fired the missile maybe causing a world wide war. When the crew survive and set up camp on fictional island Sainte Marina and tell the government not to fire at them they become a sovereign nation with some deadly weapons still in their hands. The crew have survived but the Army covers up some things by telling the population that they had died. Andre Braugher playing Marcus is another great role for this actor, the end of the episode gives the character a monologue to the American army informing them that they will fight back if America try's to get in their way. Scott Speedman playing XO Sam Kendal is an interesting part as he has a wife at home that he may never see again, but the performance from Speedman is OK but nothing really to talk about. The rest of the cast is fine but this show to me is all about the production values directed very well with this first episode by Martin Campbell. I did like the pilot but I'm worried where it will go on especially since show may get boring staying in one place for too long.

EPISODE GRADE: B (MVP: Andre Braugher)

Red October with Chicks anchored in Lost island

[peoplecart · 6/10 · 1 October 2012]

The plot for the series is quickly laid out with decent production value in the first episode. There is a bit of time spent on establishing characters, but it gets down to business promptly - which is great.

The Captain, Braugher in his usual powerful and solemn performance mode, decides to disobey a suspicious order to nuke Pakistan. In retaliation, the sub is bombed and a stand-off is reached once the Captain detonates a nuke off the coast of Baltimore. It's unclear yet if rogue elements of the US government are responsible or if this is official policy. It appears Braugher is going to use his position as a platform to negotiate with world powers - for what is still unclear.

The show also establishes the islanders (living in the Lost-like island where the sub is docked) will have a part to play. We've got the British techno geek, the sexy Korean-ish barmaid, the comic relief kid, the really evil and cunning local gangsta and the emotional foreign geek girl.

Some annoyances:

* The opening credits hadn't yet finished that we were shown a female officer harassment review meeting, followed by criticism of the Admiral's daughter in her presence by two seamen who are then harshly punished. I understand they have to establish women are part of the crew, but why all this feminist claptrap? Are they also going to show the weekly harassment review for male crew? Of course, no such thing exists... not even in TV fiction. Maybe these are female military recruitment subliminal ads, which gives the producers access to free military hardware from the Pentagon (search for Operation Hollywood).

* We get the usual reverence of the military with their fancy costumes (ehmm uniforms) and usually-drone-like obedience to authority. There's nothing glamorous about the military: it is just a collection of people paid to kill (usually without question). Nothing more, nothing less. And it doesn't matter how many times one wraps it up into the flag with patriotic music whilst shouting "This is a direct order SIR" / "Do you acknowledge my authority SIR?"

Predictions:

1/ The barmaid will fall for one of the marines 2/ The Admiral's daughter wants a piece of the hunky second-in-command Speedman 3/ T1000 will mount a rebellion 4/ Braugher will not use his platform to bring about a voluntaryist society. I jest! 5/ Only a few rogue elements of the US gov are responsible for the nuclear cabal. At no point will the nature of statism and its military will be put into question 6/ The Barbie-like military contractor Reeser in Washington will work with the imprisoned Admiral to save the day 7/ The series will run out of steam if it hasn't got something up its sleeve