S01.E10: No Place Like Home

[iMonrey]

I'm afraid next season will prove that this should have been a one-season miniseries. I agree with TV Anonymous - once it moves into a post-apocalyptic land story, it's turning into something that's already been done to death. The thing this show really had going for it was the Navy ship. No, it was never all that realistic, but it was fairly unique, not something you see all the time. But when you start getting into South American drug lords and warlords and a post-apocalyptic world, we've already seen it. I'm not sure there's much more story to tell here that hasn't been told dozens of times before at least. Sure, they can drag this out indefinitely if they want to, but I don't think they should. 

 

There are apparently some people who are immune to the disease, besides Bertrise. Maybe Titus Welliver and his crew are immune. Seems like other scientists besides Dr. Scott would have figured out the cure the same way she did. 

 

Also, if this disease is "air borne," how close do you have to be to people to get it? The police officers at the dock were told they didn't need their masks because the crew of the Nathan James wasn't infected, but then as they drove off through the city there were sick people all over the place. Surely their germs are everywhere even if they aren't physically present. 

 

Bottom line, by this point, there should already be only immune people left alive if it's that contagious and fast acting. 

[North of Eden]

Not to cheer death but YAY the captain and Dr Scott can finally tap that huge chemistry and hook up. I hope ole Tec doesn't return to interfere. Also love Olympia as TERMINUS of a sort. Great finale...shows sucess well earned.

[Bishop]

I know why he did it, and I don't blame him, but I still found it kind of...I don't know...rude...for Chandler to pull out three syringes (and he had four so there's an extra in his bag), and inoculate his family right there in the middle of a giant room full of infected/dying people.

 

I'm not loving the Rachel/Chandler ship. Granted, it hasn't actually launched, but killing off his wife was definitely phase one.  I like Tex and Tex likes Rachel.

Having the 'heroic' doctor and the 'heroic' captain fall for each other feels a little trite to me. 

 

I don't blame Chandler for saving his family.  He didn't make a big show about it, and I don't think anyone, except his family, was even paying attention.  As for Rachel/Chandler, those two have the most chemistry.  I like Tex too, but I don't think he has the same chemistry with Rachel that Chandler has with her and vice versa.  It doesn't bother me at all if it's trite or predictable.  I'm all about the chemistry.  If there's chemistry, than it makes sense to go with that couple.  Also, the writers pretty much telegraphed the pairings because Tex has already kissed Rachel and proclaimed his feelings, yet she let him walk away.  In contrast, Chandler and Rachel have never kissed.  Yeah, the whole message passing was a kiss technically, but it was not a romantic moment. There was a roomful of armed Russians and Chandler was handcuffed and exhausted (I'm not sure they ever gave him any water).  Chandler and Rachel never even mentioned it afterwards.  In addition, Chandler has made no move towards Rachel nor indicated he is interested, while he has encouraged Tex.  So right there, I can see the writing on the wall.  Chandler and Rachel make more sense to me.  They are similar in personality but different at the same time.

 

 

I think the Alfre character sent Chandler into a trap.  She had someone get to his dad (and kids), give the radio to some homeless person (isn't everybody homeless now),  then told the cops to shoot the navy guys, which is almost what happened, except the navy guys (as opposed to the navy guys on the navy ship) were too fast for the cops.

I don't think she sent him into a trap.  I think Granderson thought she could control Chandler and his ship.  It's why she asked her daughter what type of man Chandler was - was he a man who can take orders, no questions asked, or was he a man who thinks for himself.  The latter is not a good thing in Granderson's book.  She allowed Chandler to go get his family when she thought they were at the tire station, and so she sent her people with him.  They would have received the cure, Chandler would have been grateful, and maybe she could keep him on her side.  That plan went to hell when Chandler's family went to Olympia and Chandler wanted to go after them.  The LAST thing Granderson wants Chandler to see is what she is doing at Olympia, and Chandler and his men would have figured it out pretty quickly.  So she had to prevent Chandler from going to Olympia.  Once the shooting happened, and Granderson go the word over the phone, she realized that maybe her secret was out.  I am anxious to see what happens now.  I think also that Olympia murdered Chandler's wife.  So in essence, Granderson murdered his wife.

 

 This idea would have worked better a little later on, when Alfre Woodward's people have the cure and can discriminate in whom they give it to.

 

 I'm not a Navy person, but it seems like they are viewing this as a dangerous port (they haven't even dropped anchor?) In those circumstances, wouldn't there be guards posted at key locations?

I think burning the bodies made sense now rather than later on because there were few resources.  Waiting until Granderson had the cure could have taken months, while sick people continued to consume resources.  By killing them, she used them AS a resource and prevent the sick from consuming any more food, medical supplies, etc.

 

As for there being no guards at the port, I look at things differently.  Chandler and his people were at sea for months, and they had no idea what had happened back home, but they had hope that things were at least manageable.  I don't think they ever expected to find what they did.  That being said, they DID enter the port very cautiously, but after meeting a key member of the President's team, seeing cops, and being treated warmly, they made an erroneous assumption that these people were the ones in charge and keeping order.  I do think that there was probably a guard posted on the Nathan James, but that guard allowed Granderson's people on board without question because they assumed they were the "good guys."  Once on board, Granderson's people had the element of surprise.  Now, do I think Slattery and his team on the bridge couldn't take out one lone gunman?  Yeah, that was stupid, but I guess they needed to set up the season finale.  So I'll let it slide.  Other than that, I thought the rest was really good.

 

I'm afraid next season will prove that this should have been a one-season miniseries. I agree with TV Anonymous - once it moves into a post-apocalyptic land story, it's turning into something that's already been done to death. The thing this show really had going for it was the Navy ship. 

 

Bottom line, by this point, there should already be only immune people left alive if it's that contagious and fast acting. 

I agree that POST-apocalyptic shows have been done to death, but this is CURRENT apocalyptic conditions.  So there is a chance to really turn the tide.  With the Walking Dead and Falling Skies and Revolution and all the rest, it's far more devastating in terms of how long it's been going on and how overwhelming the devastation is throughout the world.  With the Last Ship, the infrastructures are still there, many key people are still alive.  Billions have died in the pandemic but billions (or millions) still survive.  The world still has time to rebuild and reform.  I think the Last Ship is different in that they can still make a difference that turns the tide of what's happening on the show.  That one ship CAN change the world by bringing the cure to all different nations and getting the countries to rebuild.  That's much harder on the Walking Dead, Falling Skies, Revolution, etc.  Also, there's only so much entertainment you can get from the deck of a navy ship.  The stories have to be bigger and more engaging, and I don't think TNT will have access to the navy's ship all season long.

 

As for only the immune being alive at this point, I don't agree.  I believe that Rachel had told her boyfriend to head north to colder climates in order to slow the spread of the virus.  That may be what's happening around the world too.  It's only been a few months, I believe.  People in warmer climates were far more vulnerable to the virus spreading quickly.

 

*******

 

After rewatching the episode again, I noticed a few additional things:

 

1.  Danny and Jeter were not on the Nathan James either.  When Chandler went to get the cure to his family, Jeter, Danny, and two other navy guys were with them.  When the shooting started at the tire store, and they killed Granderson's people, Chandler told Danny to get back to the Nathan James and warn Slattery what was happening.  So Danny and a wounded Jeter was heading to the dock to warn Slattery.  So they may arrive and see their shipmates being hurded into vans and away from the Nathan James.  It still allows Danny and Jeter to get on the ship.  

 

2.  So the following are still free and moving around:  Chandler, Tex, Danny, Jeter, and at least one other other navy crew member.  Throw in that Chandler's father, Jed, is a former army guy, and I bet he'll prove valuable too in getting back the ship.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Bishop

[Haleth]

Wouldn't a ship of that size have hundreds of crewmen? Surely a handful of cops/national guardsmen (?) are not going to be able to take it anywhere. After infiltrating a Russian ship full of trained military personnel and only incurring one casualty, taking back their own ship should be cake.

I don't have a problem with the captain bypassing other dying patients. 1) He had just been told his wife was dead and 2) at that point he still believed the ill were receiving treatment.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Haleth

[HalcyonDays]

Wouldn't a ship of that size have hundreds of crewmen? Surely a handful of cops/national guardsmen (?) are not going to be able to take it anywhere. After infiltrating a Russian ship full of trained military personnel and only incurring one casualty, taking back their own ship should be cake.

I don't have a problem with the captain bypassing other dying patients. 1) He had just been told his wife was dead and 2) at that point he still believed the ill were receiving treatment.

 

Yes, there should be more crew, actually. It look like maybe 80 people or so had been herded out of the ship in the final scene.

 

The Last Ship films on the USS Halsey (DDG-97), who has a crew complement of 257 (officers + enlisted) and the USS Dewey (DDG-105) who has 380 officers + enlisted. So yeah, more people should be on the ship.

[Beden]

 

I'm afraid next season will prove that this should have been a one-season miniseries. I agree with TV Anonymous - once it moves into a post-apocalyptic land story, it's turning into something that's already been done to death. The thing this show really had going for it was the Navy ship. No, it was never all that realistic, but it was fairly unique, not something you see all the time. But when you start getting into South American drug lords and warlords and a post-apocalyptic world, we've already seen it. I'm not sure there's much more story to tell here that hasn't been told dozens of times before at least.

I have to agree with this. The show started out with a new and interesting twist on the new, hot end-of-the-world-as we-know it genre but has turned the corner to a show I've seen a dozen times before. I also take issue with the bad guys practically twisting their mustaches and cackling as they go for the dentist's drill ala Marathon Man. And just BTW, if you haven't read Earth Abides by George Stewart, written in 1949, do yourself a favor. It may not be the first apocalypse book, but it's one of the best for my money.

 

 

As for there being no guards at the port, I look at things differently.  Chandler and his people were at sea for months, and they had no idea what had happened back home, but they had hope that things were at least manageable.

I was wondering about this. I have to think that there would be some kind of contact with the rest of the world, even if it's some guy with a ham radio in his garage. There should have been some reports leaking out about the breakdown of society, the military government and some kind of low-down as to what was happening which the ship could pick up.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I was wondering about this. I have to think that there would be some kind of contact with the rest of the world, even if it's some guy with a ham radio in his garage. There should have been some reports leaking out about the breakdown of society, the military government and some kind of low-down as to what was happening which the ship could pick up.

 

They should have been listening to radio chatter for days as they cruised up the East Coast, and had a general consensus beforehand that everything had gone to shit.

 

I'm still curious where they refueled -- Slattery dropped a mid-conversation tidbit when they were deciding where to go to find text monkeys, and someone suggested Puerto Rico, Slattery indicated that was an option but they would have to refuel to get there.  And since they HAD to refuel on the way to Virginia since it's further than Puerto Rico from the Jamaica area, why didn't they pickup any aviation fuel for the helos and the drones along the way ?   NAS Key West would have been an ideal stop -- isolated from the mainland, plus there's also an International Airport nearby, so aviation fuel aplenty.  Not bothering to top up the fuel tanks for those flight resources was a big mistake on Chandler's part.

[Shermie]

As for Rachel/Chandler, those two have the most chemistry.

 

Sorry, all I can think about is Friends. 

[Danny Franks]

So the government is actually evil, and the plucky militia who stand against them are the heroes. While the brave Navy men have been hoodwinked, but will do the right thing and overthrow the corrupt government? Just when you think this series couldn't be any more Michael Bay if it tried, they pull out this card? Yeesh.

 

Anyway, it was obvious as soon as Titus Welliver was revealed as leader of the 'warlords' that they'd ultimately be the good guys. Because all Titus Welliver plays are rugged, cranky, heroic types. Plus, it's an American post-apocalyptic story, of course the government are the bad guys.

 

It's lucky for Captain Squarejaw that his wife shuffled off this mortal coil, isn't it? Now he gets to make the moves on Doctor Whatshername in season 2. How convenient! I'm befuddled at anyone seeing chemistry between those two though, because he's nothing but a red-faced block of wood. He doesn't have chemistry with anything, except maybe the multitude of medals he probably wears on his chest for formal occasions. Speaking of Doctor Whatshername though, what is it with Michael Bay and people applauding? Every little achievement or speech, everyone stops to give a sincere and stirring round of applause, and it's always started aggressively by one person who just admires someone so darn much that they can't help themselves.

 

So I guess season 2 will be about the plucky militia and the plucky Navy guys teaming up to retake their ship and take down the corrupt government. To take their damn country back! I wish this show was actually a spoof, because I'd feel so much less guilty for laughing my arse off at it.

[StatMom]

Speaking of Doctor Whatshername though, what is it with Michael Bay and people applauding? Every little achievement or speech, everyone stops to give a sincere and stirring round of applause, and it's always started aggressively by one person who just admires someone so darn much that they can't help themselves.

So true! That first person doing the slow clap (so that it could even sound like a sarcastic clap) was so intrusive and phony-sounding that I had to chuckle. And I'm guessing that was not supposed to be my reaction.

[shapeshifter]

I was watching the clock throughout this episode. Not since giving birth to my first child have I thought so many times: I just want it to be over!

As with others upthread, the physics of using bodies for fuel was a real "That's not how any of this this works!"( esurance commercial) moment for me.

Still, I will likely tune in for at least the first episode of next season to see John Pyper Ferguson and Titus Welliver no doubt have a measuring contest.

If Scott gets pregnant with Chandler's baby, will it be a little wooden robot?

Edited August 31, 2014 by shapeshifter

[Watcher0363]

That reminds me - Alfre Woodward guest-starred on the Baltimore-based Homicide: Life on the Street in 1998, reprising her Dr. Roxanne Turner character from St. Elsewhere.

Do you think Chandler will threaten to put her out of the God business.

[anarchyangel84]

I don't understand why people like Titus Welliver's character. I get we haven't seen him do anything truly evil yet and we've seen the "new" Government do pretty much everything evil. I don't know if ya'll watch "The Walking Dead" but Titus' character reminds me of the Governors character when we first met him. The people he leads think he's a great guy that helps people. He does help his own people- but that could change fast. When he's on the road, away from those people, (with the exception of a few men he trusts) he's a different person. He'll do whatever terrible things he has to do to keep control. That's why he doesn't want the cure. I could be wrong though- that's just what I think.

As far as the show itself, I was a little bored for the first few episodes, I even missed one. After that though, I was hooked and didn't miss another. I'm excited to see how the the hell the people of the Nathan James get out of this one and who will die trying.

[Collinwood]

I don't understand why people like Titus Welliver's character.

 

Speaking only for myself, I like the character because he is being played by Titus Welliver. 

[dangwoodchucks]

Having seen only the first two episodes, I debated whether to take the time to watch all the others sitting on my DVR. I decided just to watch the finale instead and I feel like I didn't really miss much in between. The whole twist with the supposed bad guys turning out to be the good guys reminded me of the revelation in Demolition Man that Edgar Friendly and his people were actually the good guys, and those in charge were the bad guys.

 

I'm sure the plot was altered purely for drama, but I wish they had kept the nuclear war premise from the book.

[tomorrowgirl]

I finally got a chance to watch the season finale today, and I enjoyed it.  Yes, there were predictable moments, such as the Captain's wife dying,  and some implausible happenings, such as letting that cop get command of the ship, but probably 99% of the shows that I watch have predictable, implausible storylines.   Why should this one be any different?  I wouldn't call The Last Ship great, and has its faults like most other shows, but it engaged and entertained me during its run.  I look forward to season two.

[Watcher0363]

You know what would make season two greater than great. If they would model the show after one of my favorite children's tv shows. The great "Ark II". They could rename their ship the Ark II or transfer the crew to a nuclear aircraft carrier named Ark II and travel the world rebuilding societies. Of course they would be rebuilding the world using the Vorlon model, while the Russians are rebuilding the world using the Shadow model. Good stuff I tell you.

Edited September 16, 2014 by Watcher0363

[ottoDbusdriver]

Of course they would be rebuilding the world using the Vorlon model, while the Russians are rebuilding the world using the Shadow model. Good stuff I tell you.

 

With a dash of 'Babylon 5' tossed in for good measure. I like it.