Entertainment
Forget ‘The Last of Us,’ Netflix’s 5-Part Sci-Fi Apocalypse Thriller Is the Perfect Weekend Binge
The last few years have shown us that audiences love post-apocalyptic television. Between shows like The Last of Us, Fallout, and nearly every new dystopian-themed series Netflix can fit into its algorithm, the end of the world has become a major form of prestige entertainment. However, while a majority of these series have been dark and nihilistic, or emotionally draining in their storytelling, there is another apocalypse-themed series on Netflix that suggests not everyone who enjoys survival stories wants to watch them only in depressing or hopeless ways.
On the air from 2014 to 2018 on TNT and produced by Michael Bay, The Last Ship never received the same level of praise from major award shows that most other major television programs have received on either cable or streaming, but once again, it remains one of the most entertaining action-drama programs in the last decade, and now that there are five seasons available for binge-watching, it’s the type of series that can easily take up an entire weekend.
‘The Last Ship’ Turns a Global Pandemic Into a Military Thriller
The premise wastes no time as a devastating virus wipes out more than 80 percent of the global population, while the crew of the USS Nathan James, a Navy destroyer isolated at sea, unknowingly avoids infection. Once they learn what happened, their mission changes overnight. Suddenly, they aren’t just soldiers. They’re carrying one of the last functioning hopes for humanity.
At the center of the series is Commander Tom Chandler, played by Eric Dane with exactly the amount of square-jawed sincerity the role requires. He’s not an antihero, nor is he secretly corrupt, or waiting for a dramatic heel turn; Chandler is a genuinely competent leader trying to hold the line while the world collapses around him.
The series understands that not every apocalypse story needs to deconstruct morality for ten straight hours. Sometimes it’s enough to watch capable people navigate impossible situations while missiles fly overhead. And there are a lot of missiles flying overhead.
The Action in ‘The Last Ship’ Is Bigger Than Most Streaming Shows
One thing that immediately separates The Last Ship from most modern streaming sci-fi is that it feels massive. The show was filmed aboard real naval vessels, and that authenticity gives the action weight. With helicopter assaults, missile strikes, submarine warfare, and close-quarters combat, the series throws itself into blockbuster territory, surprisingly often for a basic cable drama.
Unlike some Bay productions, the chaos here is usually easy to follow. The naval setting also helps the show stand out from the overcrowded wasteland aesthetic most apocalypse stories default to. Instead of in abandoned malls and on dusty highways, much of the series unfolds at sea, which gives it an entirely different rhythm.
The series also benefits from its structure, as each season introduces a new geopolitical threat, keeping the story from stagnating. One year focuses heavily on the virus itself, the other pivots to global warfare, and later seasons evolve into full-scale military campaigns, involving fractured governments and rising powers vying to seize control in the aftermath of collapse.
‘The Last Ship’ Knows Exactly What Kind of Show It Is
This is a show where naval officers give inspirational speeches before charging into battle, villains occasionally border on cartoonish, and entire countries rise and fall within a season. The series at times asks viewers to suspend disbelief, especially in later seasons when the action becomes increasingly outrageous. It also fully commits to its high-stakes military-thriller identity rather than apologizing for it, which makes even its messier storylines easier to enjoy.
In addition to the numerous explosions, the show develops an emotional attachment to the crew as it approaches its conclusion. Not every character arc is well written, some of the later antagonists lack enough backstory, and some of the character arcs have had a rapid pace at times. Even with this, the finale still provides closure for the audience, something many series have been unable to accomplish throughout their runs.
The Last Ship also has a refreshing, old-fashioned feel compared with other current shows that have relied on grim, bleak apocalyptic storylines. It has a great deal of tension but does not drag the audience down in an oppressive mood; it’s entertaining, and there are several large-scale action set pieces that would encourage an audience to binge-watch multiple episodes. In short, sometimes the right binge-watching experience just needs to keep running.
The Last Ship
- Release Date
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2014 – 2018-00-00
- Network
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TNT
- Directors
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Paul Holahan, Jack Bender, Peter Weller, Michael Katleman, Bill Roe, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Bobby Roth, Brad Turner, Greg Beeman, Jann Turner, Jonathan Mostow, Kenneth Fink, Mario Van Peebles, Michael Nankin, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Tim Matheson, Nelson McCormick, Reza Tabrizi, Anton Cropper, Mairzee Almas
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