Although “Revolution” has the sexier sci-fi concept, “Last Resort” (7 p.m. Central Thursdays, ABC) is this fall’s new show most worthy of watercooler buzz. It starts off with a gripping 20 minutes that deftly introduces us to the characters and the shocking mystery that all future events will be based on: Why did the United States order the USS Colorado submarine to fire nuclear missiles at Pakistan?
Shows that start off with a bang like this can end up being a pop-culture phenomenon (“Lost”), gradually fall apart (“Terra Nova” — although, despite its flaws, I wish it hadn’t been canceled) or fizzle out quickly (“The Event”). So far, “Last Resort” — produced by Shawn Ryan (who briefly wrote for “Angel”) and Karl Gajdusek (who had a stint on “Dead Like Me”) — seems like a fair bet to reach the heights it has aimed for. There’s a boatload of mystery and intrigue here.
First off, I bought into the submarine setting. It’s less formal than I’m used to from war movies, but it seems believable that officers who work in close quarters would develop a rapport that goes beyond the structure of the Navy. After Capt. Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) calls home to the U.S. to question the seemingly rash nuclear order, square-jawed XO Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) is put in charge. But he also questions the order, and the Colorado itself gets shot at. (Representing the “by-the-book, always follow orders” point of view on the sub is deck officer Joseph Prosser, played by steely “X-Files” veteran Robert Patrick, along with a clamp-jawed bunch of hitchhiking Navy SEALS.)
Although the mainstream media reports the Colorado is sunk by a Pakistani missile, our protagonists know it was the USS Illinois that shot at them. And then Indian missiles launch at Pakistan as the helpless NATO command center looks on. Meanwhile, our hero back home, brilliant military tech designer Kylie Sinclair (Autumn Reeser from “No Ordinary Family”) also knows the U.S. fired on its own sub. We see a whole mess of government officials whose level of knowledge is all over the place — the government-official father of crew member Lieut. Grace Shepard (Daisy Betts) doesn’t know his country was behind it, but meanwhile, a couple of military men ring the doorbell of Kendal’s wife, Christine (Jessy Schram, Young Allison from “Medium,” all grown up), seemingly to report that her husband was killed.
Meanwhile, the deposed Capt. Marcus takes over the Indian Ocean NATO early warning station and the entire island of Saint Marino, which includes a young bartender named Tani (Dichen Lachman, Sierra on “Dollhouse”).
It’s a complicated plot to type out, but “Last Resort’s” first episode is quite easy to follow through all its twists and turns. It is packed with unanswered questions, though, and shows like this boil down to two possibilities: The elements can coalesce into something brilliant, or they can run off the rails. All it takes is one element that doesn’t ring true or isn’t dramatically appealing.
The simple fact that a show with this premise — the U.S. government, or shadow operatives controlling it, purposely starts a war — is on the air suggests that we are living in bizarre times. Most citizens oppose war, yet we’re practically assured of a president for the next four years that supports war, along with most of Congress. The US has the strongest military in the world, yet the government doesn’t seem content to use it only for defensive and intimidation purposes. Against this backdrop, the premise of “Last Resort” isn’t as farfetched as it would have been just a few years ago; it’s a daring show, yet also a show of its time.
Whether it ends up being an important commentary on current foreign policy or a silly conspiracy drama remains to be seen. But after one episode, I’m looking forward to finding out.
What are your thoughts on the first episode of “Last Resort?” Share your comments below.