The Last Ship Review: Lazaretto (Season 4 Episode 8)
The Nostos is even more powerful than we could have realized.
The Last Ship Season 4 Episode 8, “Lazaretto,” delivers a twist that we couldn’t have imagined — but that we probably should have. It also gives a chance for Vulture team to shine when they go undercover as fighters who are being controlled by Vellek.
Let’s talk about Vulture team first. While Sasha and Azima are on standby, the guys manage to infiltrate a group of fighters — and they fit in easily, of course.
It’s more difficult than they think, though, because these men aren’t doing any fighting. It’s quite the opposite — they’ve all been drugged and essentially no longer have free will.
That means the members of our team have to suppress any feelings of rage or any will to fight back when they’re provoked, and they’re definitely provoked.
It’s always enjoyable to watch this team work together, and this episode is the perfect example of why. They communicate with each other so well and they have each other’s backs at all costs. Plus, they’re all just generally good at what they do.
Even Master Chief gets a chance to show off his combat skills, but not without injury. I’m more worried about him now than I was before. Coughing up blood is a bad sign, and there have been enough clues at this point to suggest he’s in real trouble.
Wolf especially has to show willpower when one of the guards singles him out, so it’s that much more satisfying when he’s finally able to fight back. Even with the amount of action, though, there’s a balance.
We aren’t just watching a bunch of fight scenes — we’re watching strategy, and that’s what makes it so interesting.
While inside the prison, the guys figure out how Vellek is keeping all of these men under control. Yes, it starts with an injection, but from there? The drug is in the food they eat.
Vellek’s plan is horrifying. It’s been about controlling the food all along. With the food he’s able to grow, people will have to either eat what they are given and lose their free will, or else they’ll starve.
Fletcher, meanwhile, is figuring everything out on his end, and makes a bold attempt to contact the Nathan James. He gets through, tells them what he knows and where they’re heading, and gets in an apology to Sasha.
Unfortunately, his appeal to Giorgio, who catches him, simply isn’t good enough. Giorgio may have a strained relationship with his father, but it’s not enough for him to turn his back. In fact, killing Fletcher is perhaps exactly what Giorgio needs to get back in favor with him.
That’s more complicated than it seemed at first, though. The appearance of Christos was certainly jarring from the start, and there’s a reason for that. He’s not actually there.
When Slattery experienced seeing his family while under the influence of the Nostos tea, he commented on how real it all seemed. More than that, he desperately wanted to be able to go back and see them again.
That’s what Vellek has been doing on a regular basis. With the tea, he’s able to be with his son who has passed away.
No wonder Giorgio can never live up to him. He isn’t real.
With that, our villains become even more complex. Giorgio had already given us a reason to begin to sympathize with him, and now that’s the case on an even deeper level — despite the fact that he kills Fletcher with such ease. And while it’s harder to sympathize with the mad scientist, there’s a new level of dimension to Velleck as well.
It’s just too bad that kind of dimension isn’t something we see with characters who have been on the show since the first season. Fleshing out the villains is something The Last Ship does incredibly well, but I continue to want more for the members of the crew too.
What did you think of this episode of The Last Ship? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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The Last Ship airs Sundays at 9/8c on TNT.
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.