I will give ABC the benefit of the doubt as I have seen many canceled series never receive any closure. I’m glad the network gave “Last Resort” writers a chance to end the series, the best way they can. It’s an acceptable conclusion and so for anyone wanting a military drama that will be different than anything you have seen on television, a drama that is full of excitement and intrigue, then “Last Resort: The Complete Series” is a military drama worth watching!
DVD TITLE: Last Resort: The Complete Series
SERIES DATE: 2012-2013
DURATION: 13 Episodes (558 Minutes)
DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Surround Sound, Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions, Subtitles: English SDH, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, Thai
COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
RATED: Not Rated
RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2013
Directed by Michael Offer
Written by Karl Gajdusek, Shawn Ryan, Nick Antosca, Ned Vizzini, Ron Fitzgerald, Patrick Massett, David Wiener, John Zinman, Eileen Myers, Julie Siege
Produced by Jean Higginis
Co-Produced: Nicolas Bradle
Executive Producer: Karl Gajdusek, Marney Hochman, Shawn Ryan, Kevin Hooks
Co-Executive Producer: Ron Fitzgerald, Patrick Massett, John Zinman
Consulting Producer: Eileen Myers
Supervising Producer: Julie Siege
Music by Robert Duncan
Cinematography by Krishna Rao
Edited by Amy M. Fleming, Erik Presant, Justin Krohn
Casting by Rebecca Mangieri, Wendy Wiedman
Production Design by James H. Spencer
Art Direction by Gary Baugh
Set Decoration by Brenda Meyers-Ballard
Costume Design by Laura Goldsmith
Starring:
Andre Braugher as Captain Marcus Chapman
Scott Speedman as XO Sam Kendal
Daisy Betts as Lieutenant Grace Shepard
Camille De Pazzis as Sophie Girard
Dichen Lachman as Tani Tumrenjack
Daniel Lissing as James King
Sahr Ngaujah as Julian Serrat
Autumn Reeser as Christine Kendal
Robert Patrick as Master Chief Joseph Prosser
Jessica Camacho as Pilar Cortez
Michael Ng as Cameron Pitts
David Rees Snell as Barry Hopper
Daniel Bess as Lt. Chris Cahill
Jay Karnes as Secretary of Defense William Curry
Will Rothhaar as Josh Brannan
Jay Hernandez as Paul Wells
Darri Ingolfsson as Robert Michell
Bruce Davison as Admiral Arthur Shepard
Omid Abtahi as nigel
Michael Gaston as Barton Sinclair
Michael King as Kevin Hawkes
Chin Han as Zheng Li
From creators Shawn Ryan (“The Shield”, “Welcome to Hollywood”, “The Unit”) and Karl Gajdusek (“Oblivion”, “Trespass”) comes “Last Resort”, an American military drama which aired on ABC from September 2012 to January 2013.
The series would star Andre Braugher (“Homicide: Life on the Street”, “The Mist”, “City of Angels”), Scott Speedman (“Underworld” films, “Felicity”), Australian actress Daisy Betts (“Shutter”, “Caught Inside”, “Persons Unknown”), French actress Camille De Pazzis (“Le Premier Jour: Du Reste De Ta Vie”, Quand j’etais chanteur”), Dichen Lachman (“Dollhouse”, “Neighbours”, “Aquamarine”), Daniel Lissing (“Crownies”), Sahr Ngaujah (“The Signal”, “Stomp the Yard”), Autumn Reeser (“The Girl Next Door”, “The O.C.”, “No Ordinary Family”), Jessy Schram (“Unstoppable”, “American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile”) and Robert Patrick (“Terminator 2”, “The Unit”, “Walk the Line”).
While the premiere of “Last Resort” brought in over 9 million viewers, due to drop in viewership, ABC decided not to take on a full season but did air the 13 episodes that were created, including a season finale which would give fans closure.
And now “Last Resort: The Complete Series” will be released on DVD courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
“Last Resort” revolves around the crew of the U.S. Navy Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, the USS Colorado. The crew led by Commanding Officer Marcus Chaplin (portrayed by Andre Braugher) and Lt. Commander Sam Kendal (portrayed by Scott Speedman) pick up a U.S. Navy SEAL team off Pakistan’s coast.
While everything is going perfectly fine inside the USS Colorado, Lt. Grace Shepard (portrayed by Daisy Betts) receives an encoded message to launch nuclear ballistic missiles at Pakistan.
But because a nuclear missiles on a country would kill millions and the fact the message came from a channel that would only be used only if the White House was destroyed, as Chaplin checks on American news, there is no mention of any problems in the United States. So, Chaplin asks for confirmation from the U.S. government of why the order did not come in proper channels.
Unfortunately, some of Chaplin’s crew such as Commander Master Chief Petty Officer Joseph Prosser (portrayed by Robert Patrick) and others question their Commanding Officer for not following direct orders to launch the nuclear missiles.
Immediately, the Deputy Secretary of Defense William Curry dismisses Captain Marcus Chaplin for refusing to follow orders and Lt. Commander Sam Kendal is made acting captain. But before they launch the nuclear missiles, Kendal also requests the order to come in through proper channels. Because of his refusal, an American tomohawk shot by the USS Illinois is sent to destroy the USS Colorado.
While the USS Colorado is hit and there are a few casualties, the crew try to question why they were fired upon. Meanwhile at the island of Sainte Marina, NATO is observing the tomohawk missile and seeing American government reporting it as missile attack by Pakistan. In retaliation, the U.S. shoots two nuclear missiles on Pakistan.
As America reports that the USS Colorado has been sunk by Pakistan, the USS Colorado rises underwater and the crew take over the Sainte Marina. When they find out from NATO’s Sophie Girard (portrayed by Camille De Pazzis) that it was the USS Illinois that attacked them, both Speedman and Chaplin are shocked. To make things even worse, the government using other channels to communicate with other members of the crew try to get them to eliminate both Speedman and Chaplin.
Knowing that their duty is to protect their crew and serve the United States, they record a video featuring Chaplin about how their intention is to protect the crew of the USS Colorado but because America tried to kill them, any country that tries to get near the perimeter near the island will be treated as the enemy. And because there are 17 nuclear missiles, they will be used against any aggressor.
So, as the USS Colorado makes Sainte Marina their main base, they must deal with the island natives who are not happy with the crew being on their island, they must deal with other countries trying to gain possession of the submarine (for its nuclear missiles) but also crew who are receiving messages from the government to eliminate Speedman and Chaplin for treason. As the crew of the USS Colorado are also treated as criminals, Speedman and Chaplin must also deal with descending morale.
Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Sam Kendal’s wife Christine (portrayed by Jessy Schram) is being used by the government to get to Sam, meanwhile Kylie Sinclair (portrayed by Autumn Reeser) is trying to get information about the Perseus technology that is on the USS Colorado, a technology that she and her family built. She knows from her govt. sources that the USS Illinois shot the Tomohawks and the USS Colorado and the USS government is involved. But because of her knowledge, the U.S. government is watching closely over her, and worried she may be causing problems.
With these growing problems, what will happen to the crew of USS Colorado? And will they prove their innocence.
The characters of “Last Resort” include:
Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) – The USS Colorado’s Commanding Officer. A respectable commanding officer who is secretly dealing with the death of his son, a soldier who recently died in Afghanistan.
Lt. Commander Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) – The second-in-command who is married to Christine Kendal and took a four month volunteer submarine duty. During a secret mission, several of his men were killed and vowed t never leave his soldiers behind.
Lt. Grace Shepard (Daisy Betts) – The third-in-command, Lt. Grace Shepard is the daughter of an admiral and everyone thinks she got where she is due to nepotism. But the truth is Lt. Shepard is great at her job.
Sophie Girard (Camille De Pazzis) – Works for NATO and has found herself attracted to XO Sam Kendal. She is also the person that is trying to retain peace between the crew of the USS Colorado and Sainte Marina’s drug runner Julian Serrat.
Tani Tumrenjack (Dichen Lachman) – Lives in Sainte Marina as the owner of the local bar. She becomes close to Navy SEAL James King.
James King (Daniel Lissing) – A Navy SEAL who took part in a mission in Pakistan and something tragic happened, which has not been revealed. He spends his time drinking alcohol, spending time with Tani and sometimes assisting his SEAL’s and the USS Colorado crew.
Julian Serrat (Sahr Ngaujah) – The major drug runner in Sainte Marina, he has kidnapped three crewman from the USS Colorado.
Christine Kendal (Jesse Schram) – The wife of Sam Kendal who is trying to vouch for her husband’s innocence, but the US Government is trying to find a way to get to her to get to her husband.
Master Chief Joseph Prosser (Robert Patrick) – Worked for years with Captain Marcus Chaplin. Dedicated to his duty and always following orders but when Captain Chaplin went against orders to nuke Pakistan, he became the main voice in opposition.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
“Last Resort” is presented in Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 televisions. This is one of the few drama series on television where a lot of the scenes are shot outdoors, to there is good natural lighting and the series does look good on DVD. I didn’t see any major noise or compression artifacts. For the most part, the series looks very good on DVD.
As for audio, the series is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and the series is primarily dialogue and music driven. Dialogue is clear and understandable, while the music and special effects always played a major part for the series and definitely enhances certain scenes. Did notice really good surround sound use for “Last Resort” with surround channels and rear surround channels being used.
The show is presented in English SDH, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish and Thai.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Last Resort: The Complete Series” includes the following special features:
- Making the Pilot – (4:18) A featurette on the making of the pilot.
- Profiles in Courage – (4:39) A featurette on the characters of “Last Resort” with interviews with cast and executive producers.
- Conn Artists – (4:29) The artists and production designer Jim Spencer and set designer Brenda Meyers-Ballard) talk about the conn room inside the submarine and how they design and built it.
- Anatomy of An Episode: Voluntold – (4:50) Behind-the-scenes of the making of the fourth episode “Voluntold” featuring director Stephen DePaul, Jessy Schram, Jay Hernandez, Andre Braugher and more.
- Grace Under Fire – (4:48) Dais Betts (Lt. Grace Shepard) and Robert Patrick (Master chief Joseph Prosser) discuss their characters and the trouble that exist between the two characters.
- The Ties That Bind – (4:58) A featurette about Sam Kendal’s ties with his military obligations and his wife.
- Subvirtual – (4:55) David Altenau of Fuse FX talks about the CG used in “Last Resort”.
- The Buzzard’s Nest – (4:23) A featurette about the bar “The Buzzard’s Nest” ran by Tani Tumrenjack. Interviews with Dichen Lachman, Daniel Lissing, set designer Brenda Meyers-Ballard and Michael Crow (construction coordinator).
- Turning Point – (4:55) Shawn Ryan and Karl Gajdusek (co-creators and executive producers) talk about the episode involving James King and how the USS Colorado was brought into this conspiracy.
- The Mole – (4:39) Co-creator/executive producer Karl Gajdusek and Jessica Camacho discuss the mole on “Last Resort”.
- Serrat’s Lair – (4:49) Producer Jean Higgins, Sahr Ngaujah and other cast members talk about Serrat’s character and his compound.
- I, Kylie – (5:01) Co-creator/executive producer Karl Gajdusek talks about the character of Kulie, interview with Autumn Reeser about her character and more.
- Epilogue – (5:00) The creators and the cast talk about how to end the series.
EXTRAS:
“Last Resort: The Complete Series” comes with a slipcover case.
When it comes to prime-time dramas, one can hope to watch and see something unique and different.
While “Last Resort” may not have lasted several seasons long, the fact is that co-creator and executive producers Shawn Ryan and Karl Gajdusek took on a story that is farfetched but yet, gave us this alternate reality of “what if?”.
Corruption in American government, corruption within the military, plot twists and turns where you don’t know who are protagonists or antagonists, “Last Resort” turned out to be exciting and enjoyable.
Who can imagine the United States turning on one of their own in the military to take a blame of a nuclear attack on another country? Who can imagine the Commanding Officer of shooting a nuclear missile near the White House? Who can imagine how far a corrupt government would go?
Yes, this is nothing new. We have seen similar situations in dramas such as “24”, we have seen betrayal of military members in films such as “Platoon”, but what makes “Last Resort” so interesting is that it has never been done before. A submarine carrying nuclear missiles and its crew landing in an island and literally taking it over. An island where a drug runner has ruled hand over fist, a crew that is torn by its duty for the military without asking questions and a crew that is moralistic and would not nuke any country without a reason through proper channels.
Throw in a cast of people who have their positives and negatives and you wonder how they will change, if they do change, throughout the series.
Captain Marcus Chaplin, the honorable Captain who honors his country but also protects his submarine and its crew. XO Sam Kendal, a man with honor but also a man who has been trying to find himself and possibly giving up too much of himself to the military, rather than to his wife. Lt. Grace Shepard, the admiral’s daughter but a woman who wants to prove that she got her position because of her skills and experience, not due to nepotism.
Throw in characters such as the Navy SEAL James King, who he and his men are hiding the truth of what their mission was before being picked up by the USS Colorado. Sophie Girard of NATO who has her obligations to her work but finds herself falling for XO Sam Kendal.
Meanwhile at home, Kylie Sinclair tries to expose the truth about the government’s lies, about a corrupt president and depending on Christine Kendal, wife of Sam, to bring out the truth of what happened to the US Colorado.
And so many other characters that impact a storyline, similar to a series like “LOST”, which may have many characters but yet, are utilized when the storyline is needed.
There are so many things that could have gone wrong with “Last Resort” but the writing and the characters kept you coming back for more. With that being said, it also comes down to one with an open mind, to accept things that may be farfetched or crazy.
I can see some being turned off by how the series portrays a corrupt United States government. How some may be turned off by military taking things into their own hands.  And perhaps the many characters and episode after episode of uncertainty. Who is good? Who is bad? Will this crew member turn on you? Or will the drug runners or the island natives end your life?
It’s not a simple series nor is the storyline simple…it features a complex conspiracy that tends to manifest until the final episode which the writers had to create closure and for the most part, they did.
The series also has solid talent. Andre Braugher does a magnificent job of playing Captain Marcus Chaplin and to see how his character evolves from beginning to end. For Scott Speedman, it’s good to see him play a role outside of “The Underworld” half Lycan/half vampire character or the problematic character on “Felicity” that he had previously been known for.
Also, to see Autumn Reeser in another solid role, much different from the role that she was known for on “The O.C.”. And it’s great to see international talents such as Australian actress Daisy Betts as Lt. Grace Shepard and French actress Camille De Pazzis as Sophie Girard.
As for the DVD, “Last Resort: The Complete Series” features good picture quality on DVD with a good amount of shots done outdoors. Also, a soundtrack that utilizes the surround channels quite frequently. And there are also a good number of special features included on each of the three DVD’s.
Overall, I will give ABC the benefit of the doubt as I have seen many canceled series never receive any closure. I’m glad the network gave “Last Resort” writers a chance to end the series, the best way they can. It’s an acceptable conclusion and so for anyone wanting a military drama that will be different than anything you have seen on television, a drama that is full of excitement and intrigue, then “Last Resort: The Complete Series” is a military drama worth watching!
Recommended!
