The Last Ship Review: Honor (Season 5 Episode 8)
As we near the end of the series, The Last Ship is pulling out all of the stops.
The Last Ship Season 5 Episode 8, “Honor,” is a near perfect example of what this show does best.
It is artful in its execution and it makes every moment count while once again showcasing the skill and the teamwork of the Navy and the Nathan James crew.
The way this story is told is almost poetic. It’s a bit of a callback to an episode I had trouble with, The Last Ship Season 5 Episode 5, “Warriors.” That episode had a similar style in the way it alternated between scenes, but “Honor” pulls it off in a way that is seamless and allows us to see a more interesting narrative.
We toggle between the team at Camp X and the communication center back home, with Chandler and crew realizing what’s happening — imagining it at every step — as it happens for real. Gustavo’s soldiers are executing a wildly complicated plan that puts the best of the Navy up against a wall, and it doesn’t take long for both sides to realize that what they’re actually after is POTUS.
After Gustavo’s men kill enough soldiers, POTUS finally comes out of his bunker, unwilling to let others die in that moment. What follows shows that power here is about much more than killing. Because the goal isn’t to kill the president — it’s to weaken him in front of his country.
With a bit of foreshadowing, it’s Meylan that they hold at gunpoint next to POTUS, on camera, threatening him if the president doesn’t confess to lying to the American people.
Meylan’s bravery and his willingness to die at that moment is the epitome of the honor the Navy soldiers have. Make no mistake, you can see his fear, but he shoves that fear down and insists to POTUS that he not confess a thing.
It’s hard on him, but POTUS still won’t confess. It’s not until his own life is on the line that he breaks, and that’s a more noticeable power shift than any takeover.
I’d be interested to see the public’s reaction to the broadcast. It’s too bad that’s not something that’s shown.
Even with that power shift, that moment of heartbreak for the president, and the casualties (with more on the way), there’s always hope with these heroes. It’s one of the reasons watching this show is so satisfying, and on this episode, it’s even more satisfying to see an underdog take on the big risks.
Vulture team works out a plan at Camp X — with the replica of the communications center giving them a way to do so. They also have to keep in mind that it won’t be them executing that plan — it will be the newest member of the Navy, Swain, along with Master Chief.
It’s one thing to see Vulture Team pull off plans like this, but to see them model one, communicate it, and then to have someone else execute — it’s incredibly engaging television. Period.
That’s especially true since the plan involves thinking outside the box, using cleaning supplies as weapons to get things started.
You’ve got to feel proud of Swain in these moments, too. He’s been forced to grow and learn at a rapid pace, and he’s done so really well.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Navy’s plan here involves getting POTUS on a helicopter to safety. In making sure that happens, there’s yet another casualty.
RIP Meylan. This one hurts.
He was willing to die for POTUS and for his country earlier in the episode, and now he does just that, taking gunfire in front of the president, which saves him. It’s brutal, bloody, and heartbreaking, especially as POTUS desperately tries to get Meylan to hold on, but with no way of actually helping him.
That bravery, that honor, is what the episode hinges on (hence the title). I am worried about POTUS, though. It’s been interesting to see the show different leadership and what those leaders deal with as they’ve been rebuilding the country and rebuilding the government.
It’s Tom Chandler, though, Gustavo really wants.
Of course, Chandler doesn’t really plan to surrender himself, but he comes close, and he’s more than willing to go it alone in order to be sure POTUS is safe — and to make sure he can take down that ship.
Against Sasha’s advice, he launches the torpedo even though he’s within the blast range of the ship, turning around just in time. It nearly feels… like a suicide mission. But he’s confident enough that he can pull it off, and to no one’s surprise, he does.
Other thoughts:
- Master Chief gets to show off some badass fighting moves in this episode as well, and it’s fantastic.
- We see Miller at the end — he’s recovering and alive, but you can see his sadness. I love that Burk comes to sit and read with him.
- Another casualty on this episode is Kelsey, and interestingly enough, I feel bad for her at that moment. That close up with her tears is powerful.
What did you think of this episode of The Last Ship? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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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.