Courtesy of ABC
There are coups afoot as Last Resort barrels full-steam ahead towards its series finale.
Let’s bitch it out…
Another week, another case of me wondering where this show could if it were given more episodes. As usual the series displays a deft hand at balancing some very intriguing plots, including no less than two (!) coups: one on the island of San Marino and one back in DC.
As usual the DC storyline suffers in comparison, so let’s begin with it. Kylie (Autumn Reeser) has gathered several political pundits to review the helmet cam footage provided by Hopper (David Rees Snell) that proves the government ordered the death of the nuclear inspector in order to engineer the circumstances that led to the strikes in Pakistan. The evidence is damning enough to have one defector shot as the group more or less plans to overthrow the current government (though they’ll do so in a way that respects the office of the presidency – naturally). Look for this storyline to explode in the remaining two episodes.
Back on the island, Chaplin (Andre Braugher) has his hands full: Kendall (Scott Speedman) has gone AWOL in the aftermath of Christine’s (an unseen Jessy Schram) death, the Chinese supply ship bringing supplies to the island is about to be sunk by a US destroyer who knows he won’t fire on Americans and – just to add some extra drama – secret mole Cortez (Jessica Camacho) receives orders to take him out.
The portions concerning the supply ship are interesting, but hardly tense. It’s clear from the get-go that James (Daniel Lissing) and Grace (Daisy Betts) will find a way to reduce the impact of the payload, though it is surprising that Grace disobeys a direct order from Chaplin – even if it is for his own protection. I did like that the US Navy has caught on to Chaplin’s reluctance to fire on them, however – which makes the moment he forcefully confronts Grace and bitches her out all the more powerful. As James not-unkindly questions her earlier, “You had to figure that the shooting was bound to happen sometime.” Much like the DC storyline, it’s safe to say that we’ll see more bloodshed on this front before the series concludes.
Courtesy of ABC
An area that ultimately proves bloodless? The fall-out from Cortez’s stint as the secret launch-key mole. If you had told me earlier in the series that the reveal would be so low-key and without retribution, I would have balked. Instead it feels genuinely emotional and poignant. As much as I’ve wanted to see the traitor punished, I’ve also never truly felt that Cortez would betray Chaplin. Her confession that she didn’t know who to support in a situation that she was told “would never happen” rung completely true to me. Kudos to Braugher and Camacho for really making their scenes together ring true.
Finally we follow Kendall as he goes off the grid and discovers that Prosser (Robert Patrick) and his ever-loyal crew are planning a coup to overthrow Chaplin. The two men have a good old-fashioned muddy throw-down before a more traditional heart to heart, trying to convince each other of Chaplin’s state of mind. Ultimately Kendall says he supports Prosser, though by episode’s end he claims he’s back with Chaplin. I think we’re meant to question his motives, but ultimately I believe he’ll side with Chaplin – just as he has thus far.
At least I hope so. As questionable as some of Chaplin’s actions have been, there’s no question in my mind that he’s sane. If nothing else, the DC portions of Last Resort suggest that he’ll be proven correct in the weeks to come.
Other Observations:
- Everyone’s favourite “love to hate him” island snake, Julian (Sahr Ngaujah) is still running around stirring up sh*t. He wine and dines Sophie (Camille De Pazzis) in what may or may not be a genuine display of affection and tries to worm his way into Chinese representative Zheng’s (Chin Han) pocket with promises of pricey minerals from the island. I’m still not sure how much Julian believes the Americans are only temporary visitors, though he does seem to be doing his damnedest to continue conducting business as usual
- If Julian’s feelings for Sophie are genuine, he’s got to be unhappy by the continued chemistry between the two. Their reconciliation scene near the end of the episode alone nearly spontaneously combusts my TV and that’s only Sophie admitting she doesn’t mind messy
- Amidst the mud fighting and mental-health discussions, Kendall learns of Prosser’s blow torched feet. The tortured man deflects the truth of how he’s coping with the pain (DRUGS), but surely this will come to light in the two remaining episodes, right?
- Finally, no Christine or Tani (criminally misused Dichen Lachman). And, if we’re being honest, the episode is better off without them, no?
Best Lines:
- Prosser (to Kendall): “I’m just a bachelorette looking for my Mr. Right-way-outta here.”
- Grace (to Chaplin when he demands she follow his exact orders): “Believe it or not, I did this for you.” And the award for most improved character on Last Resort goes to…
And then there were two…episodes left, that is. With so little time left, where do you think the series can go? Which of the coups do you think will be successful? Should Cortez have been punished more? Do you think Chaplin will end up having to use a legitimate torpedo against a US destroyer before this is all said and done? Throw your hat into the ring and let us know!
Last Resort airs Thursdays at 8pm EST on ABC