The Last Ship Review: Warriors (Season 5 Episode 5)
War changes a person, and it’s certainly had an effect on Tom Chandler and the rest of our crew.
The Last Ship Season 5 Episode 5, “Warriors,” switches between timelines to show the Nathan James crew in the thick of their fight as well as giving a glimpse of their personal lives at home.
For Chandler, the darkness he’s been fighting over the past several seasons is something he continues to battle with, and his children have picked up on. He’s tried to leave the Navy on more than one occasion. He had plans to retire and stay home with his children, but when he was needed, his own family encouraged him to return.
Then he left again, this time going off the map and taking his children to Greece, but fate brought him back to his ship once again.
Now, after retiring and even seeing his own face as a museum exhibit, he’s back in the middle of it all. Part of it is loyalty, but there’s more to it. He doesn’t quite know what to do with himself when he’s not a part of that ship.
Ashley gives him hell for it — he’s been an absent father for a long time now, and there’s blame for him not being there when their mother died. But she also understands it on some level, and she always has.
It’s nice to see this deep dive into his character and the relationship that’s formed with Sasha as well. She’s also part of his home life now.
What’s odd, is that the jumping between timelines feels almost like it’s trying too hard, especially as it cuts back and forth to Tom and Ashley fighting. The music doesn’t fit with the rest of the series, and while I appreciate the artistic intent here, it feels too much like an entirely different show.
It’s actually pretty uncomfortable to watch.
The intent is good, though. I’m always much more interested in these characters and the effects of everything they’ve gone through more than the actual battles they face, and this is a chance to see that.
We see it with Kara and Danny, too. It’s something I wish we could see more of because war is taking a heavy toll on their family. It doesn’t mean they won’t get through it — but there’s difficulty there, and Danny has hardened since we first met him.
What’s addressed far too little is the death of Alisha Granderson. While it’s mentioned a couple of times, it doesn’t have nearly the effect you’d think it would. That’s a pattern on this show, however.
It moves too quickly to spend enough time on those moments. Even with Dr. Scott’s death early in the series, it didn’t feel like enough time was devoted to it, and that’s certainly the case here, which is a disappointment.
The good news is that a close call on this episode is just that — a close call, and not another casualty. Thank goodness Burk can survive a bullet to the neck!
Other thoughts:
- Wolf and Azima are such an adorable power couple. I love the two of them together.
- Speaking of romance, something is brewing for Miller! And I don’t mean his love for the little mouse (which is also really sweet).
- We also get a chance to see Burk’s brother (LaMonica Garrett) on this episode, which is a really nice surprise.
What did you think of this episode of The Last Ship? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Reviewer Rating:
User Rating:
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.
4 comments
I thought the bouncing back and forth between time lines was really well done. Different for the show, which emphasized the important point they were trying to make in this episode, that it wasn’t just Chandler searching for peace but the entire crew and how the war and their time on the Nathan James has affected their lives. I loved seeing the scenes with Miller and the others at that Southern estate and then bouncing to the same characters on their mission in Jamaica. And Green (Danny) is definitely having some issues being back, but seeing him in his element when the bounced back to the mission was the stark contrast they were trying to highlight. It’s almost as if he’s taken on a bit of Chandler’s search for peace. Will either of them ever feel at peace at home? I’m not sure yet, but I see more hope for Chandler than Danny Green unfortunately.
While I too love seeing Sasha and Tom together domestically, I feel like that was a huge fast forward in the relationship, something television shows usually don’t do with the “will they/won’t they” characters. The audience prefers seeing the couple they’re “shipping” (pun intended here) together and progressing through a relationship. However, they did hint at Sasha’s involvement with Tom’s kids in an earlier episode this season.
Frankly this season is the least impressive and hence the ratings. Everything feels forced. Tom looks tired, everything is repeated, Sasha is not the same charismatic warrior of season 3. Everything is moving too fast, like the directors themselves want to conclude the series in a frenzy. To be honest I didn’t think there would be a season 5. It would have been best to leave our heroes be and end the series at season 4.
Very bizarre episode. No continuity with the storytelling of the rest of the series, left me disconnected with the characters especially with the hard rock music…
Where did Chandler’s go?
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