Recap: THE LAST SHIP – Legacy

[All photos courtesy TNT]

 

 

Episode 311 “Legacy”
Written by Hiram Martinez
Directed by Paul Holahan

It made my stomach turn more than once watching this episode. I love America. Yeah, we aren’t perfect, but I still love this country and watching the foundation of our country fall to pieces is just not fun. One of the reasons I watch this show is because my dad was in the Navy, and I’m sure he and anyone who served this country with pride and honor had a tough time with this episode. With that said, I begin the recap.

My hunch from last week was correct; Kara (Marissa Neitling) called Tex (John Pyper-Ferguson). Oh, Tex, your ten episode absence has been almost unbearable. I missed your swagger, that know-it-all attitude, and you’re just tough! Turns out Tex had been working for that bitc…er region leader from Texas, Roberta Price (Lucy Butler). Tex found out what the region leaders were up to so we see Tex for the first time in ten episodes getting the crap beat out of him by Roberta’s goons.

Now, I don’t like Roberta, she’s in on this whole “destroy America” plan, but I did like it when she told off Allison. Apparently, Roberta doesn’t like that Kara got away. Now, back to Tex’s beating. He manages to take Roberta’s brooch off her suit in a small scuffle with her. I had to giggle to myself; Texas women are often portrayed with big hair and the big brooch. As a Texas woman, I have to say, I left my big hair in the 80s and my grandmother’s brooches are in my jewelry box, so there!

Using the brooch, he’s able to escape and meet with Kara and Jacob (Devon Gummerall). They know they need to stop Allison’s (Elisabeth Rohm) plans. Kara knows she has to get in contact with Chandler (Eric Dane), but she just doesn’t know how. This alliance with Tex and Jacob is very important because they need to work together to try to figure out how to get the country back on track. Allison has strong armed POTUS Oliver (John Cothran) yet again into making an announcement that’s going to affect the entire country.

Now on the USS Nathan James, they’ve decided to go to Japan. Takehaya (Hiroyuki Sanada) has told Chandler that Peng (Fernando Chien) is going to destroy any existence of Japan and they’ve got to go to the heart of Japan, the place where their archives are stored. The Vulture Team gets there and sure enough, Peng and his goons are already there. He’s already busying himself destroying Japanese artifacts. Takehaya goes with the Vulture Team, and at first I thought it was fitting that it would be Chandler that comes face-to-face with Peng. Once it came down to it and Takehaya was face-to-face with Peng, guns drawn, I thought; Yes, this is it, the showdown that should happen and it’s wonderful!

Peng is finally defeated when Takehaya takes an ancient sword and shoves it into Peng’s abdomen. Peng is finally about to die. Chandler gets to interrogate him one more time as he’s dying and Peng basically says what Chandler already knows… He’s got bigger problems than Peng and he’s totally right. Takehaya was injured in the battle with Peng and he decides to stay in Japan. Even though he was the nemesis when the season began, as he was walking off into the archives library I knew I was going to miss him. That character was just powerful. Farewell, Takehaya.

Back on board the ship, Meylan (Emerson Brooks) finally understands what Chandler is trying to accomplish. Chandler might be crazy in his ways but craziness has already happened. 90% of the population was killed by a virus. There was almost genocide. There’s a coup happening back home. You have to fight crazy with crazy sometimes. Meylan is a stong, honorable man. This alliance with Chandler is important to save the country.

Kara knows that Jacob has to get to the White House for POTUS’ press conference. Jacob is aggressive enough to possibly get anybody in the audience to question what is going on. They make their way back to the White House and Dennis (Drew Fonteiro) is there in his awesomeness, with all that hair that I love, and with all the press passes that they need to get into the press conference.

The president begins to tell the country about the indefinite suspension of the Constitution, and it’s so sad because you can feel that Oliver simply cannot get the words out, he just can’t! Jacob saves him by just questioning him and reminds Oliver this isn’t him! Jacob continues yelling, reminding Oliver of his mayoral days of St. Louis, when the virus came, etc. Oliver remembers and he just can’t get the words out and he calls out to Jacob that he does remember and he’s stronger than this! I have tears in my eyes at this point because it’s so wonderful; maybe they can stop Allison. There’s commotion and Jacob is taken into custody, but Kara and Tex managed to get the president and secure him. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to get Jacob. Jacob is taken by security and later shot. Even though this guy was a royal class jerk, his goal was always to seek out the truth. Now this is a country that if you do that, you’re shot.

Allison finally hits the airwaves with the regional leaders behind her and she tells the country that they will suspend the use of the Constitution, they will suspend the government indefinitely, and they blame Oliver and Cara for the death of President Michener (Mark Moses). Chandler and Co. are on the USS Nathan James watching this coverage. They come to the realization that they are a Navy without a country. It’s heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. Chandler tells the crew they are going home and Meylan’s quick nod in agreement was a welcomed assurance they are going to fix this.

Yes, get all your asses home now…and don’t forget your Wolf!!!

What did you think of this episode? Share your comments below!

 

The Last Ship airs Sunday nights at 9/8c on TNT.