“We will all burn together.” Andre Braugher’s face fills the screen as he utters these words to a captive worldwide audience. His character, a renegade submarine captain who refused his orders to fire nuclear warheads on Pakistan and then was fired on by another American ship, sends his message to a stunned world who believes he has gone A.W.O.L. Informing the American Government that if they breach his 200-mile perimeter around the island his submarine is parked by he will launch nuclear warheads.
His audience isn’t just a fictionalized world; it includes my family gathered around the TV screen all watching intently. Last Resort managed to tear my mother’s eyes away from her solitaire game on her iPod and my dad from his iPad. This show is fantastic.
The new ABC drama Last Resort has my family and millions of viewers hooked on a plot that has similarities to Lost with its island setting and dystopian situation, but with a much different perspective, a military one. Discounting Army Wives there is no show on primetime television that focuses on the military drama quite like Last Resort does.
The refreshingly accurate take on military operations brings a new dramatic dynamic to TV that is missing today. It is less heavy on the relationships and focuses more on the main plot points.
But Last Resort is not without it’s relationship drama. For people like me, the ones who watch shows purely for the character dynamics, the executive officer and his relationship with his a wife back home is the highlight of the show. The few flashback moments they have together are pure gold. The actor who plays the executive officer is a fantastic actor, but there is no doubt that his good looks played a part in his casting. Their relationship will hopefully become a central part of the show.
Last Resort is a must watch. Fast-paced, different and well acted, it is an excellent way to spend a Thursday evening. Early viewership numbers indicate that ABC will renew the show, so there is no need to worry that it will get canceled, so go ahead, get invested. It’s worth your time.
