S02.E01: Unreal City / S02.E02: Fight the Ship

[HalcyonDays]

Unreal City Episode synopsis: In the season 2 premiere, after the horrifying revelations and reversals of fortune in Baltimore, Chandler and his fractured team join forces with an underground resistance in an attempt to defeat Amy Granderson. With doses of the cure running low, Rachel tries to do some good for the sick while remaining a prisoner at Avocet. Meanwhile, Slattery and the crew of Nathan James are in a race against time to save an injured Dr. Tophet and regain control of their ship.

 

Fight the Ship Episode synopsis: After the horrifying revelations and reversals of fortune in Baltimore, Chandler and his fractured team join forces with an underground resistance in an attempt to defeat Amy Granderson. With doses of the cure running low, Rachel tries to do some good for the sick while remaining a prisoner at Avocet. Meanwhile, Slattery and the crew of Nathan James are in a race against time to save an injured Dr. Tophet and regain control of their ship. Episode synopsis:

 

[HalcyonDays]

Just a reminder guys - tonight's season 2 premiere is actually two episodes back to back, starting at 9:00 pm!! Yes!

[Frost]

Apocalypses sure do breed a lot of megalomaniacs, don't they?  As soon as one falls, another pops right up.  Poor Lt Granderson.  Ashamed to go back to her ship because her mother was an evil mastermind.

 

I've never thought of myself as particularly blood thirsty, but the second I first saw the axe hanging on the wall I was hoping it would end up embedded in fat cop's head.  I guess his chest will have to do!   The villains are pretty much 100% douche bag aren't they?  There's an occasional exception, like the nurse who helped Lt Foster, but jeez, even the Avocet teacher was mustache twirlingly evil - or she would be if she could grow a mustache.

[Mikita]

I loved it! Non stop all the way through. A shame about Quincy and Titus Welliver's characters. Glad to see Amy Granderson go, as well as that douchey doctor that wanted the stem cells from Kara's baby.

 

The switching back and forth between all of the different stories worked well. My favorite was the taking back of The Nathan James. What a way to come back!

[bluebonnet]

Two hours of non-stop action.  Almost left me out of breath.  Hope they didn't waste too much of their budget on the season's opening. 

 

I should have read a summary before going into the premier because I forgot so much of what already happened.  Kept asking "who's that?  what are they doing?  what's going on?  where are the russians?"  

 

This show is so silly but I just eat it up.  I find myself even loving that the antagonists are so evil and that our protagonists are so cheer-worthy.  Hardly any grey, but it still works somehow.  I definitely whooped when the Nathaniel James crew won.  

[xaxat]

This show is so strange. The direction is top notch. Great action scenes. The writing is OK. But the plot is really not good. Burning people for energy?

 

Hopefully they can clean it up this season. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

With Granderson dead and Titus Welliver's character dead, who's the big bad going to be now ?

 

Chandler's son seemed to get better REALLY quickly once a threat appeared at the door.

 

I'm glad Tex decided to stick his nose into what was going on at Avocet.

 

Burning people for energy?

 

That was weird -- human bodies are not the best source of fuel.  Even weirder -- Chandler's team stopped the off-loading of bodies into the furnaces and the smoke stopped pouring out of the smoke stacks, yet somehow power continued to be generated until Green shot the control panel. How exactly ?

[HalcyonDays]

Damn, humans suck, don't they?? The moment an apocalypse hits, we've got assholes burning dead bodies and dictators running wild. Not that I expect anything better from humanity but still...

 

Honestly - very entertaining and interesting. Problem is that I have to reaquaint myself with some of the characters and their names. Loved Lt Granderson standing her ground and going against her mother - c'mon, that takes guts and is a very hard thing to do. The dude with the long hair, talking to the kid about what happened - I like him.

 

This episode was a good exposure to how - let's face it, say's me the cynic  - how a lot of humanity would react to a situation like this. The conveyor belts hauling the bodies in the power plant - very powerful I have to say. Overall, well done.

 

Though seriously?? You kill off Titus Welliver?? So wrong, just so wrong. Same with Alfre Woodard  - damn, they could have really milked the story of her being in control of Baltimore, and how to deal with fighting to get that control. It seemed fast and easy, but at the same time, non-military I bet gets complacent very quickly, so it's not surprising.

 

Still - so glad this show is back!

[thuganomics85]

Credit where credit it due: for two hours, it went by pretty fast.  This show might be shallow on a lot of levels, but at least I never find myself bored with it.

 

Not surprised that the Nathaniel James crew won the day, but damn, it was almost too easy.  OK, to be fair, it looked like a few red shirts bit it, but they clearly outclassed the bad guys. Then again, they handed the Russians their asses last season, so they clearly are an elite force.  Or just have a lot of plot armor.  Either one works!

 

I can't believe that despite being most of his screen time stuck in a room watching TV screens, Adam Baldwin still found ways to devour the scenery.  I was loving every minute of it: all the times he snarled the hokey dialogue, his hooting, and especially that one time he just laughs all "Mwaaah!" style, and if it was taken out of context, I would have thought he was the bad guy.  At least they let Slattery kill the fat cop, who was clearly on a power trip.

 

Noticed Sam Spruell was only in the guest cast, so I knew Quincy was a goner.

 

Usually don't care much about Foster or Green, but I enjoyed Foster stabbing the evil doctor in the chest, and Green's little phone conversation to rile up Alfre Woodard's character.

 

Not surprised that Tex is sticking around, since he's the wildcard of the group.  Plus, I'm sure he and Dr. Scott are destined to hook-up.  And then lose, but I still think this show is heading towards a Scott/Chandler endgame, now that his wife is dead-dead.

 

Actually surprised that Chandler's family made it.  When the family and the Master Chief split-up, I thought for sure that something was going to happen, and we'd get a bunch of "How could you abandoned them, Master Chief?!!" drama from Chandler.  Glad that it didn't happen.  And that Master Chief is still alive.

 

I guess it was fun while it lasted, Alfre Woodard and Titus Welliver.  I figured at least one of them was going to stick around.

 

 

With Granderson dead and Titus Welliver's character dead, who's the big bad going to be now ?

judging from the previews, another freaking evil group is going to show up, and this time, they are about creating a master race or some shit, so they don't want the cure to happen, and save the normal humans. Yeah, that's happening.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Way, way, way too much suspension of disbelief required in this one.  Some was pointed out above.  I think my favorite was when XO pulled the primordial cure out of the bulkhead and handed it to the doc, hours after the action had ceased, and informed her that it was crucial the substance be put on ice immediately.  He couldn't, and wouldn't, have made that a personal priority once the ship was secured and it was still dark?   This was a literal laugh out loud moment for me.

 

For me, the biggest WTF moment, though,and it may have been 100% intentional and advancing/evolving the series, was the captain's refusal to return the sailor's salute not once, but twice.  The end of the USN way of things seemed inevitable, but I would have enjoyed seeing more of such awhile longer.

 

So, here we are.  The brave, new, dystopian world.  It's too late to plant new crops in most of the former USA.  From where will food come?  Energy?  The biggest thing, which was alluded to in the preview, is how would the survivors choose to organize?  I see no way other than the good ol' might makes right method.  As we've seen, the trust and community which may have once been a hallmark of the USA, is now gone.  Granderson was not wrong when she spoke of her usefulness in organizing folks and limiting problems.  

 

Oh well.  This whole deal would have worked a whole lot better as a mini-series.  The really hard part starts now.  I don't see how they can retain interest and also payoff the horrors they've outlined.

[FinnishViewer]

 

Though seriously?? You kill off Titus Welliver?? So wrong, just so wrong. Same with Alfre Woodard  - damn, they could have really milked the story of her being in control of Baltimore, and how to deal with fighting to get that control.

I think they couldn't keep both of them due to Titus Welliver headlining the Bosch series from Amazon, and Alfre Woodard with the, now dead, State of Affairs series.

[ttgreif]

Glad to see it coming back, it's been a long wait but it was worth it.

It's a pity we can't have more of Titus as Thorwald, but then again, who knows who's gonna come back from the 'dead'?

Bulletproof vests can be miraculous sometimes, me thinks..

 

Will you please excuse me for the comment on Lonesome Rhodes post -btw hiya there mate, glad to see you again here-but I think military personnel are not supposed to salute ranks or people; they're supposed to salute the insignia or emblem on their caps or uniforms, so thats maybe why the Captain wouldn't salute back.Thats the way it goes on our part of the world at least..(if Greece's still a 'part' of anything..)

As you notice, I'm curious, as you are, to see where is the action going to be directed from now on, now that the 'bad guys' are not around anymore.

 

• Freaking evil group and a master race? Are they going to meet Rick Grimes and Alexandria Safe Zone anytime soon? 
• Burning people for energy? Made me laugh a lot, too..
• Who's gonna be the bad guy? What happened to the Верный and the Russians? And Neil Sorenson?

 

Cheers everybody enjoy your summer either on vacation or not!

Edited June 22, 2015 by ttgreif

[StatMom]

Some of the over-the-top cheesy hoo-rah type dialogue had me cracking up, but I must admit this episode kept my interest. Eric Dane was at his scenery-chewing finest. The weakest parts for me were the scenes with gramps and the kids. Just what this show needed: a Cural-type kid (but this one's a girl!).

[Artsda]

Really suspenseful, thought it was a great premiere!

[Frost]

I was confused at the end.  The Nathan James is sailing off to Norfolk with a loudspeaker announcement to the citizens of Baltimore that the only government structure - abhorrent as it was - has now been destroyed, you're welcome, and good luck!   Not to mention that the power station is no more.  Are the few policemen that followed Granderson down into the moral abyss (and were too cowardly to actually fight the Nathan James crew and therefore lived) supposed to suddenly be able to fairly and equitably govern the city?   The local freedom fighters are now leaderless as well.  I don't remember a second in command type that's going to take over from Titus Welliver.  It just seems a little cavalier to sail off at this point.  Not that I want the show mired in a 'rebuilding Baltimore' storyline, but still.

[xaxat]

I wonder if, during the off season, the writers decided that whatever they had planned for the Baltimore plot wouldn't work and tried to wrap it up quickly and move on. Because it did seem kind of abrupt. And it seems kind of strange that they signed up Titus Welliver and Alfre Woodard only to get rid of them in the first episode of the new season. I'm glad they got out of Baltimore though. For me, the real star of the show is the Nathan James and the crew as a whole.

 

IRL did Adam Baldwin have a broken foot or something that they had to work around? It was weird the way his action was mostly limited to yelling at monitors.

Edited June 22, 2015 by xaxat

[seacliffsal]

Perfect summer fun!  What an intense and action packed episode.  I am so in for the season!

[Latverian Diplomat]

That was weird -- human bodies are not the best source of fuel.  Even weirder -- Chandler's team stopped the off-loading of bodies into the furnaces and the smoke stopped pouring out of the smoke stacks, yet somehow power continued to be generated until Green shot the control panel. How exactly ?

And they seem to have plenty of fuel for vehicles, but no one thought to have a back up generator at Evil Inc, Headquarters?

 

Heck, many office buildings with significant computer rooms already has that sort of infrastructure in place, you'd just need to tweak it to supply power to the lights and other security stuff instead of the computers they aren't using anymore. I'm assuming serving up webpages is a lower priority during the apocalypse--I could be wrong about that. :-)

[Garnett7]

Bummed that they killed Titus Welliver already. He would've been great to stick around and help sort out the city's mess. Guess TNT didn't want to fork out the dough to keep him.

 

Love Tex. I figured he'd stick around somehow. Loved the Baldwin brother (I suck at remembering names) putting an ax through that douchebag's chest.

 

Burning people for energy was kinda ridiculous, especially since human bodies are mostly water. Not a good "fuel" source.

 

Overall I enjoyed the premiere alot. Only gripe is Chandler's annoying daughter. "I'm giving you 20 minutes!". Really, little girl? And what are you gonna do after 20 minutes? Ride off in your Barbie car? Grandpa should've smacked her down.

[TigerLynx]

I enjoyed it.  I liked all the action, and I loved that everyone was involved.  It wasn't just one guy that saved the day.  Everyone played a part.

 

I loved that Adam Baldwin got to a control room so he could help his men.  He's not just muscle, he has brains to.  I really really loved him axing the fat cop.

 

Kira saving herself from psycho doctor was great.

 

Rebel leader guy talking when he should have been shooting was dumb.

[StatMom]

Rebel leader guy talking when he should have been shooting was dumb.

Yes, this! It was like a Bond villain with all the I'm-going-to-kill-you-now chit chat. Pull the trigger already! Sheesh.

[Frost]

 

I enjoyed it.  I liked all the action, and I loved that everyone was involved.  It wasn't just one guy that saved the day.  Everyone played a part.

I liked this aspect too, although it was awfully convenient that even without communicating, all of the various groups happened to act at the same time!

[ttgreif]

I wonder if, during the off season, the writers decided that whatever they had planned for the Baltimore plot wouldn't work and tried to wrap it up quickly and move on. Because it did seem kind of abrupt. And it seems kind of strange that they signed up Titus Welliver and Alfre Woodard only to get rid of them in the first episode of the new season. 

 

Makes me think actually...It really was all like as if the producers thought the show wasn't gonna make it to Season 2, so "let's get two final episodes to close the story'

 

• No cliffhanger from E02 to E03, while we had major cliffhangers around, among episodes, during S01 
• It all ends pretty smooth in E02 (this could actually be the end of the story: "Let's go to Norfolk, so that the crew can reach their families" and "We're home"
• All the good guys made it through (maybe not all of them but...)
• If any fans can take a good look in E03 and they can notice changes in the actors style (hair etc), then we could eventually verify E01-E02 were wrapped up during last season's shooting
• E01&E02 could easily be E11-E12 in Season 1.

 

Just a thought anyway...

Edited June 23, 2015 by ttgreif

[Lonesome Rhodes]

So, you have a bunch of dead and disease-ridden carcasses.  You've got extremely limited manpower to deal with them.  What to do?  Burning is an excellent solution.  It really is.  Yes, they would not have been a good source of energy.  They had to be dealt with very quickly, however.  This was Granderson's version of the trains running on time, eh?

 

This show is most definitely military/Navy porn.  TPTB have spent a ton of time showing vignettes of morale and group building moments, which I've thoroughly enjoyed watching.  The failure to salute was a very conscious choice.  Instead of a prideful hoo-rah moment, like dozens before it, we got a haggard, weak response from the guy who has been assiduous in his projection of confidence and power.  It's at the core of why he is an excellent captain.  If nothing else, he would have, and TPTB would have shown this, saluted the flag at the fantail upon coming aboard.  This is an absolute requirement on any USN vessel.  That he did not was hugely significant.  I sadly take it as meaning he no longer acknowledges the USA as a going concern.  

 

I note that we did see him shaving and presenting himself in a crisp uniform later on.  Was it just the habit of presenting a sharp/clean-shaven face?  Maybe he was just wanting to feel clean?  Or, perhaps it was renewed commitment to run a USN vessel the USN way.  Fingers crossed.  

 

Great to read you again, ttgreif.  I believe the intention of the show was to have them galivanting around the globe, flitting in and out of various locales.  Getting bogged down in dystopian Baltimore (or any other locale) takes away a huge piece of the show, the Nathan James.  Given the major backing they had from TNT, I doubt they expected to have to wrap things up in the first season, or after what we saw as E01 and E02 this season.  I can't wait to see how they explain the reintroduction of the Russian captain!  :)

[Raja]

Not surprised that the Nathaniel James crew won the day, but damn, it was almost too easy.  OK, to be fair, it looked like a few red shirts bit it, but they clearly outclassed the bad guys. Then again, they handed the Russians their asses last season, so they clearly are an elite force.  Or just have a lot of plot armor.  Either one works!

 

I am thinking the other way. With what is said to be a 80% casualty rate even if somehow every cop and soldier around Baltimore survived how was that Special Ops State Trooper force built and kept combat ready?  James' SEAL and civilian contractor had down time to retrain her crew as commandos. Herding along sick and dying people is a whole lot different from what they were able to pull off, save the fat Trooper Lieutenant on Nathaniel James's bridge. I guess I was expecting Falling Skies level of competence from them, and their children were't being hunted by aliens like the 2nd Massachusetts to force an improvement or die

 

I note that we did see him shaving and presenting himself in a crisp uniform later on.  Was it just the habit of presenting a sharp/clean-shaven face?  Maybe he was just wanting to feel clean?  Or, perhaps it was renewed commitment to run a USN vessel the USN way.  Fingers crossed.

 

I think they took into account the  complaints from the pilot episode when the Captain returned a salute uncovered, not wearing a hat or helmet, which is done in the Army and USAF but not the Navy or Marine Corp. So in the second season maybe real life Captain Dye or some other adviser to Hollywood got to the director, he, Captain Chandler acknowledged the salute with a head nod like Naval officers do when uncovered

Edited June 23, 2015 by Raja

[hatchetgirl]

Alfre Woodards wig was ridiculous. End of last season it was fine, this season, it was crooked, sort of sideways, kind of a mess.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Alfre Woodards wig was ridiculous. End of last season it was fine, this season, it was crooked, sort of sideways, kind of a mess.

 

A leftover from 'State of Affairs'  </snark>

[rove4]

I love this show, unashamedly so. Yes, it sometimes requires shutting down the old grey cells but that's what summer is for and this is a perfect summer show. I adore the Nathan James and her honorable crew.

[AlwaysWatching]

Ah, does anybody know the name of the song they played at the very end?  For me, it was the best part of the "let's get the hell out of Baltimore" story fail. Maybe I was just too tired while watching, but I ff'd through at least 60 percent of the show. I just watched it early Wednesday morning. I couldn't get past the burning people for fuel and all those darn lights lit up for miles and miles when they were on the roof.  It seriously felt like they were just wanting to get this situation over and done.  I'm very happy for the people who liked it, though.  I will be tuning in next week to see where they are going.  Maybe two more episodes to see if I want to stick with this one.

[ttgreif]

It was "To the river" by Down Like Silver.

 

;-)

[Texasmom1970]

Thought it was a pretty good two hours. I don't care if burning people to keep the lights on is impossible. I am just glad to have Eric Dane and Adam Baldwin back!

[Hanahope]

Loved the Baldwin brother (I suck at remembering names) putting an ax through that douchebag's chest.

 

Just a nitpik, but Adam Baldwin is not a "Baldwin brother" in terms of Alec, Stephen, William.  Adam isn't related to them at all.

 

I was a bit surprised that Slattery had such a hard time subduing the fat, out of shape, cop. I did love how the cops didn't know about the ship's security/camera system, where they could have kept an eye on everyone much more easily, as Slattery proved. 

 

I too was hoping Titus Welliver's character would survive to run the city so he could be a guest star again in a later episode.

 

Exactly when did either Slattery or the doctor raise their arms up to hide the primordial container in the air duct system? 

 

I think its pretty obvious that they plan to eventually have Dr. Scott and Chandler hook up, now that Chandler's wife is dead.

 

I almost forgot/didn't recognize Tex,  Should have watched a refresher episode.  Thems the problem sometimes with year long hiatus. 

 

Ships engineer officer, Garrett?, was great.

[Garnett7]

 

Just a nitpik, but Adam Baldwin is not a "Baldwin brother" in terms of Alec, Stephen, William.  Adam isn't related to them at all.

Thanks for the correction. I honestly thought he was one of the Baldwin brothers. My bad.

[millennium]

What a tedious, cliche-ridden premiere.   I was ready to switch off after the first half.    Alfre Woodard as the Big Bad?  U.S. Navy vs. Mall Cops?  Sure, whatever.   There was never a credible sense of peril, not even an instant of "maybe the good guys can't win."   Then they killed off the Man in Black, the only truly interesting actor on the screen.    The premise and plot were predictable enough, but worse the whole thing was undermined by recent real life chaos in Baltimore which made the action in this episode resoundingly laughable.  What a dreary prospect for the upcoming season.

[Mmazeo]

Wow absolutely shocked how good that was. Was really skeptical of how they would manage on land. That felt like a fun summer action flick.

[bmoore4026]

Well, I finally got around to watching the season premiere.  I don't expect anything deep on this show, it's just nice summer fluff.

 

Props to the sailor extras for having to wear those zipties.  Could not have been comfortable.  Too bad we didn't see more of them kickass.

 

Shame Alfre Woodard's got killed off.  I had hoped that she would have pulled a magic broom out of nowhere and say "I'll get you, my pretty sailor, and your little crew too!" before flying off and cackling the whole way.

 

Slightly off-topic but I've done two playthroughs of The Witcher III so far (I have a lot of free time) and can't help but think that Eric Dane would make a nice Geralt of Rivia.  Voice might not be right, but I'm sure someone could coach him on it.

[Suzysite]

 

I too was hoping Titus Welliver's character would survive to run the city so he could be a guest star again in a later episode.

As far as I saw, he wasn't dead yet so maybe there's hope.

[ttgreif]

I saw the promos for the next episodes..

• It's Nils/Neil Sorenson/Holgerson or whatever
• the Aussie sub (does the Aussie Navy have nukes aboard their subs??? this one might be interesting)
• the Master Race gang

I think its getting more and more interesting. I just want to see the Verniy arise from the dead some time soon...

Edited June 28, 2015 by Tassos - ttgreif

[SonofaBiscuit]

So happy that it looks like we're leaving Baltimore, as that whole storyline felt a bit too similar to Falling Skies.  I prefer the weekly crises that the Nathan James crew face when at sea.

 

I enjoy Tex and his flirting with Dr. Rhona Mitra, but I can't help but think that we're going to get a Chandler/Dr./Tex love triangle.  Hmm, I'm just remembering that Quincy was killed off, so that frees his widow up to become a love interest at some point down the road.

 

Danny is still very very pretty.  Did they forget about his dog, though?  I'm actually hoping they did since I don't want anything bad to happen to it...I'd just prefer that the show never mention doggie ever again.

Edited June 27, 2015 by SonofaBiscuit

[shapeshifter]

Does anyone know the name of the actor in the previews for #3?  Always plays a baddie - maybe Australian?  Looks very familiar...

Do you mean Irish actor Brian O'Byrne? He was pretty much a goodie on Prime Suspect, IIRC, but he's also pretty bad on Aquarius.

[Haleth]

There was a lot I had forgotten but it gradually came back. What happened to the young girl they found on the raft who provided the cure? Did they drop her off somewhere?

Have to admit I was hoping the Chandler boy would die. Along with his sister. Ugh. I hate bad kid actors.

As for what I love, Adam Baldwin can do no wrong. All the action on the ship was fun in a summer, popcorn way.

Sorry that Titus Welliver is gone but he's too big an actor to play second fiddle to Eric Dane.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

So...remember how intricate all the ship's systems are?   All the electronic circuitry being inter-related?  Guess what got all shot up in this ep.  Crew was killed, including system specialists.  

 

Now, what are the chances that we will notice almost no disfunction in/of the systems?  It's a mortal lock.

[Dowel Jones]

Rebel leader guy talking when he should have been shooting was dumb

 

.I will defer to Eli Wallach in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in that regard.  "If you're going to shoot, shoot.  Don't talk".

 

I'm glad Tex still has his snark on.  "Hello, Commodore."  Also, I had to laugh when street kid yells at him "The next one goes through your head".  Kid, you might want to rethink that strategy.

 

I had a more diabolical end for Sheriff Junior Nazi.  I wanted him injected with the virus and unceremoniously dropped off at the dock with the appropraite announcement over the radio.    But that's just me.

[Enero]

Last season, this show wasn't the best thing on TV but for the most part it was entertaining. These first couple of episodes not so much. I didn't care about the Commander's family drama which ultimately turned out to be much ado about nothing.

I did not believe for one second that Alfre Woodard's character would go out like that. She would've found a way to keep fighting to get back control. If not in that moment at some future point she would've continued to be a thorn in the Commander's side. Her choice to end things the way she did didn't ring true to the character IMO.

The one thing I did enjoy about the episodes is the crew taking the ship back.

I'll probably watch the next couple of episodes but don't know how long I'll stick with the show. I think the original premise of the show was kind of interesting and fun - a virus wipes out most of the world and this crew of people on a Navy ship are trying to find a cure for the virus while trying to find a safe place to dock and eventually return home. They've found a cure,docked, lost the ship and got it back. The main character was even reunited with his family. I'm not sure how fun and entertaining the show will continue to be now that the premise appears to be changing.

[TV Anonymous]

For me, the biggest WTF moment, though,and it may have been 100% intentional and advancing/evolving the series, was the captain's refusal to return the sailor's salute not once, but twice.  The end of the USN way of things seemed inevitable, but I would have enjoyed seeing more of such awhile longer.

 

If I think about the same scene you do, the CO was without his cover when the Sailors saluted him. It is a US Navy tradition not to salute when uncovered, except in a joint environment. So I think CDR Chandler was in the right not to return salute when uncovered.

[Raja]

If I think about the same scene you do, the CO was without his cover when the Sailors saluted him. It is a US Navy tradition not to salute when uncovered, except in a joint environment. So I think CDR Chandler was in the right not to return salute when uncovered.

And folks in the know reacted after the first season premiere when the Captain did salute uncovered on a few message boards.

[iMonrey]

 

I wonder if, during the off season, the writers decided that whatever they had planned for the Baltimore plot wouldn't work and tried to wrap it up quickly and move on. Because it did seem kind of abrupt.

 

Chandler did say they would stick around to "clean up" Baltimore before heading off to Norfolk, so maybe they aren't done with Baltimore yet. But I agree what they set up at the end of the first season did seem to wrap up very quickly. I was skeptical the premise of this show could be stretched beyond one season, and the whole Baltimore thing seemed like an attempt to change the premise and move away from the ship. If they're backing away from a land-based story and moving back to the ship that would probably be better but again, I don't know how long the premise can last.

 

I thought all the action sequences were terrific and the whole thing really held my attention, but again, I worry they might have spent all their budget on the first two episodes to get people hooked and the rest will drag. I also didn't understand what happened to Chandler's son and how he was suddenly well again. I think something got lost on the editing room floor.

[OSM Mom]

The Master Chief got Chandlers son some antibiotics from a pharmacy. But he did look really perky quickly. But kids do that. Go from I'm dying to I feel great really fast.