Recap: THE LAST SHIP – Minefield

[photos courtesy TNT]

Episode 305: “Minefield”
Written by Mark Malone
Directed by Peter Weller

Mines! Good grief, they are everywhere! The USS Nathan James find themselves trapped in a minefield and Chandler (Eric Dane) sends down divers to investigate each mine to see if they can be disarmed. I immediately scout the divers, and Wolf (Bren Foster) is wearing a wet suit. Seriously, is there anything this dude can’t do? Now, as I continue to scope out the other divers, I begin to get a “Star Trek red shirt feeling”. Who are these guys suiting up? Yeah, something bad is going to happen and you, random diver, are going to die. Yes, I was right, and I can’t tell you his name, because I don’t remember who he was, but the crew is devastated and Chandler orders all the divers out of the water (Ya think?).

President Michener (Mark Moses) is dealing with his own vampirates … er … um, problems … reporters and politicians. Reporters question him about why he kept all this Asia stuff a secret and his region leaders want him to rescind his policies of rationing or “the people may riot and we won’t be able to control them.” Oh really? Nice support there, guys. I waited for Michener to give it to them and he did! Basically told them, :NO! Go home and control your region’s people or I will with the use of the military.” YES! It was a good scene for the POTUS. Now, whether threatening martial law is a good thing, I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out.

Takehaya’s (Hiroyuki Sanada) pregnant wife has malaria. Yup, he’s married, she’s pregnant, and she’s sick with the red flu and malaria. She’s also there in one of those dirty shacks in the jungle. Of course; where else would she be? Takehaya asks Slattery (Adam Baldwin) to come and bring his doctor, Rios (Maximiliano Hernandez).We see a softer side to Takehaya as he comforts his wife. We also see the anger in his eyes as he makes promises to his wife about their family’s future. Slattery also realizes that if this woman dies, they are in for it. Yup, I couldn’t agree more.

Chandler and Co. come up with a plan to clear a path for the USS Nathan James to get through the minefield. It’s a crazy plan. Jesse (Dichen Lachman), Gator (Michael Curran-Dorsano), Sasha (Bridget Regan), and Green (Travis Van Winkle) are in the helicopter dragging a rope attached to … something metal, detonating mines, while Wolf and Cruz (Ness Bautista) are on a small craft doing the same thing, catching and detonating the mines the helicopter didn’t as the USS Nathan James follows behind. Now, I’m on the edge of my seat as the process is happening and it seems to be going all too well. I was right again. Here comes a torpedo. And who goes straight for it to intercept? You can guess. Yes, Wolf and Cruz! Straight for it in hopes of keeping it from detonating all the mines and blowing everyone up. They succeed! I answer my own question; there is nothing this guy can’t do!

They give us a scare when Cruz and Wolf aren’t immediately found, but they are found and all is well. The USS Nathan James is out of the minefield and is headed even closer to Takehaya. Sasha and Chandler share a kiss this episode. I don’t know how I feel about that: I knew it was coming, but I don’t know if it was timed correctly. It looked … awkward.  Another thing that looked awkward was the scene right before Wolf and Cruz intercept the torpedo. It didn’t look real. Work on that CGI, guys. I hear smudging the edges helps. If I’m wrong, I apologize.

Kara Green (Marissa Neitling) reports to the POTUS the good news and POTUS toasts with Allison (Elisabeth Rohm), his cabinet member. Now, I don’t like this Allison lady. She doesn’t say much, and she makes odd faces. She had a very odd face as she toasted with the president. I think SHE leaked the news to Jacob (Devon Gummersall), the reporter, about Takehaya , the hostage situation, and Chandler taking command of the USS Nathan James. I guess we’ll find out soon enough as we edge even closer to Chandler vs. Takehaya. The previews for next week show Chandler in one of the shacks!

What did you think about this week’s episode? Share your comments below!

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