The Last Ship - Phase Six - Advance Preview

When it comes to summer series, I have been eagerly anticipating “The Last Ship” on TNT. I thought the cast looked exciting and the promos have been packed with action. Plus, the possibilities of a Navy team on board a destroyer and the apocalyptic premise of the show held potential. So I was excited to receive an advance copy of the pilot episode, which is set to air this Sunday. Here’s a rundown of what you can expect from the show and my thoughts on the pilot.

Series Premise

The title of the pilot, “Phase Six,” refers to the level of the virus that is taking over the world. It is a fast-moving, mutating virus that kills victims within two days. The entire plot of the series revolves around this disease and trying to eliminate it. Scientist Rachel Scott (Rhona Mitra) is working to fight it, while the crew of a Navy destroyer at first knows nothing about it. Because of their position at sea during the outbreak with no communication, the crew is oblivious to what is happening around the world. But once they learn about it, their mission on the ship changes dramatically.

Main Characters

The series stars Eric Dane (“Grey’s Anatomy”) as Tom Chandler, the captain of the ship. He is a decisive leader who cares about the crew under his command. Mitra (“Strike Back,” “Boston Legal”) plays the strong-willed paleomicrobiologist who is fervently searching for a cure. And Adam Baldwin (“Chuck,” “Firefly”) is Mike Slattery, the ship’s second in command who doesn’t always agree with his captain. Supporting cast members include Travis Van Winkle (“Hart of Dixie”) and Marissa Neitling (“Leverage”) as sailors who are secretly dating.

Details of Episode

Scott and her scientist partner board the USS Nathan James as a way of reaching the Arctic, where they are collecting samples of the virus. But the captain doesn’t know this. He is given a cover story for why the duo is on board. When he finds out the truth, he is furious. Not only has Scott lied to him, but she put his entire crew in danger because the Russians are after her. The scene where she is attacked is full of high-energy action with helicopters, missiles, snowmobiles and guns. Watch for explosions both on land and sea. After she survives, she has to come clean about her real work. This is when the captain and crew learn about the virus and how deadly it’s become. With spotty communication, many crew members don’t know if their families are safe. In the end, the captain must make a decision whether to return home or stay on the ship.

Impressions of the Episode & Series
Unfortunately the pilot deeply disappointed. The quality of the filming is wonderful – it really does look like a movie – but the writing was shallow and that in turn left the acting surprisingly stale. Eric Dane, whom I liked so much in “Grey’s Anatomy,” left me dissatisfied on this canvas. Many of his lines were corny and for the most part his scenes did not produce the intended impact. Baldwin, who wasn’t given much to do, also felt melodramatic at times (though one of his scenes with Dane was a highlight – see below). And while Mitra's overall performance was adequate, her most poignant scene fell strangely flat. I recognize, though, that most of the acting downfalls were heavily tied to the superficial writing.

The action itself surpassed my expectations, but that ended up being a bad thing. The entire episode was bursting with so much action and so many energetic scenes that the pacing felt frenzied. The episode contained too many “go-go-go” moments and not enough down time to get to know the characters. I certainly hope this is just a flaw of the pilot and the characters are developed as we move forward because it was tough to connect to them. With a military setting like this where many people are giving and obeying orders, the writers need to find a way to showcase the characters’ motivations and tap into their fears and vulnerabilities more. Otherwise they risk becoming boring.

On the positive side, I thought two scenes were standouts. The first I can’t really describe without giving too much away. The second was a scene between Slattery and the captain where Slattery questions the captain’s decision about returning home. To me, the scene and performances went deeper than the others. You got a sense for the significance of the decision and all of the feelings behind it. So that was nice to see. And watch for an unexpected twist at the end of the episode. Despite the show’s downfalls, the twist actually left me eager for episode two.

Also, I must say, watching the Navy destroyer glide through the ocean was amazing. I couldn’t get enough of seeing that impressive ship in the water. Views where the entire crew gathered on the front or back of the destroyer left me breathless, especially when they panned out to show the scope of the setting. Visually, the scenes were spectacular, from sea or land. From the Egyptian pyramids to the Arctic, the locations were fun to watch.

Overall, even with my disappointments, I’m going to continue watching to see if the characters develop and if the writing and acting improves. They haven’t lost me yet but I’m hoping for a lot more.

"The Last Ship" debuts Sunday at 9/8c on TNT.

Let me know in the comments below if you plan to watch and if you have any predictions for the show.

Read a SpoilerTV interview with Rhona Mitra and Adam Baldwin here.

About the Author - Tonya Papanikolas

Tonya Papanikolas is a freelance journalist who loves covering entertainment and television. She spent more than 10 years as a broadcast news anchor and reporter. Now she does everything from hosting to writing. She especially loves writing TV articles and reviews for SpoilerTV.