Recap: THE LAST SHIP – Dog Day

[photos courtesy TNT]

Episode 306: “Dog Day”
Written by Jill Blankenship and Onalee Hunter Hughes
Directed by Michael Nankin

The USS Nathan James is edging closer and closer to finding the hostage crew, and that’s where we begin this episode. The search is on, and they are looking hard for their crew. Takehaya (Hiroyuki Sanada) is aware that they are on their way, and orders his people and the hostage crew to begin to pack up to leave.

This episode had me on the edge of my seat, but never gave me time to catch my breath! I was often asking myself, “That’s it?” This show never fails to give me the emotional ‘warm fuzzies’ I usually get with powerful confrontations and actor interactions, but with this episode I was left wanting a little bit more. Spoilers are coming and I’m going to be a little bit all over the place for this one, but this episode was like that, so … it is what it is.

I was very pleased to see Garnett (Fay Masterson) play a major role in the recovery of the hostage crew. While Stattery (Adam Baldwin) distracts Toshiro (Eidan Hanzei) with “Who did you use to be before plague?” chit chat, Garnett runs to signal the USS Nathan James their whereabouts. Takehaya notices her absence and finds Garnett, who manages to make it back to camp, with his wife. Now, by Garnett’s begging, Kyoko (Ayako Fujitana) tells her husband that Garnett was helping her. The relief on Garnett’s face was brief, too brief for me. Why would Kyoko help her? I would have liked to have seen maybe a small moment with Garnett and Kyoko, but I don’t get that. It’s on to the next scene.

The crew of the USS Nathan James hears the signal and they assemble a team to head to the island. Chandler (Eric Dane) surveys his team; it’s another brief emotional moment, too brief. I quickly survey the team, too. Yup, there’s one unknown crew member. He’s not going to make it. He doesn’t. I realize that this is what the writers were trying to convey with Chandler’s look to his team. Which one will he lose today in this on-going mission?

Takehaya discovers Garnett’s signal and he immediately changes his plans. Toshiro is left with Kyoko, Miller (Kevin Michael Martin) who is Kyoko’s blood type, and Rios (Maximiliano Hernandez) in a tunnel under a shack, while the others move through the jungle. Chandler and his team show up moments too late. They don’t see the hostages, but Chandler sees the gruesome place they were held.

In St. Louis, POTUS Michener (Mark Moses) has moments of strength and weakness. I think he finally muzzles Jacob (Devon Gummersall) and then later he worries that Chandler will not be able to get the hostages out and begins to prepare two speeches. Allison (Elisabeth Rohm) comforts him with a kiss on the hand. What? Where did that come from? Um, okay.

Chandler and Co. are hot on the trail of the hostages on the move. They begin to be picked off by a sniper and the unknown crew member (remember him?) dies first. Sasha (Bridget Regan) discovers the captors are using tunnels to move around the island. Diaz (Adam Irigoyen) manages to break free and runs toward Chandler and Co. and brings them back to the hostage crew. The scene is full of action, but again, very brief action. Wolf (Bren Foster) even manages to pull a machete out to fight a guy, but the fight ends too quickly for me. Wolf’s opponent is dead soon. But, the most emotional kill had to go to Green (Travis Van Winkle). He drowns a guy in muddy water and the look on Green’s face while he’s doing it, is just plain scary. That scene probably lasted too long. Burk (Jocko Sims) and Jesse (Dichen Lachman) show up in their helicopter to help clear the area when the CSS show up. Yes, after all that the CSS show up and they start shooting and I’m like, okay, “Who is the real enemy here?” Takehaya does manage to break away.

The reunion of Chandler and Slattery was too brief. They shared a simple all-knowing look, but were quickly upstaged by the death of Cruz (Ness Bautista). Yes, in all this, Cruz was shot in the neck and dies. The crew seems upset, but not really upset enough? There seemed not enough time in this episode to react to what was happening in the episode. Chandler and Stattery have not shared screen time all season and their reunion wasn’t enough for me. I did like how the writers comforted us with their usual banter. In the midst of gunfire, Chandler shouts, “You picked a hell of a vacation spot!” which Slattery replies, “Rooms ain’t much. Food’s top notch!” Okay, THAT was funny.

Now, the second most emotional kill goes to Doc Rios. He stabs Toshiro in the neck with medical scissors and definitely looks shocked that he had it in himself to do it! Way to go, Rios! Miller manages to run out only to be caught by Takehaya. So finally, Chandler vs. Takehaya! Here they are, face to face, guns drawn … and very little dialogue. Rios comes with Kyoko and it is Kyoko who is able to get her husband to stand down. Takehaya puts his hands up, then uses one arm to embrace his wife (extremely touching scene) and Chandler immediately puts his gun down. That’s it. I believe this is where we are supposed to believe that Takehaya is not the real enemy. He’s a victim in this plague. The real enemy is still out there.

The episode ends with the emotion that was so badly needed during the episode. The hostage crew is nursed as Jesse, Wolf, and Slattery mourn the loss of crew members. With Takehaya in custody, we know there is still so much to find out. Maybe I’ll get the dialogue I sorely missed between Chandler and Takehaya.

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

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