The Last Ship is an American action-drama television series, based on the 1988 novel of the same name by William Brinkley. In May 2013, the cable network TNT placed a 10-episode order for the series. The series premiered on June 22, 2014, at 9:00 p.m. EDT.
On July 18, 2014, The Last Ship was renewed for a 13-episode second season. The second season started airing on June 21, 2015. On August 11, 2015, The Last Ship was renewed for a 13-episode third season, stated to premiere June 12, 2016. The season 3 premiere was postponed following the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting because the episode also included a mass shooting in a nightclub. On July 31, 2016, The Last Ship was renewed for a 10-episode fourth season, slated to premiere during mid-2017. On September 8, 2016, TNT renewed the series for a 10-episode fifth season, which will be filmed immediately after season four filming, and will premiere in mid-2018.
After global viral pandemic wipes out over 80% of the world's population, the crew (consisting of 218 people) of a lone unaffected U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, the fictional USS Nathan James (DDG-151), must try to find a cure, stop the virus, and save humanity.
Main
Eric Dane as Captain Tom Chandler. A family man, Chandler has a wife, Darien (Tracy Middendorf), who died of the virus just before he found her; he was able to vaccinate his two children, Ashley and Sam, and his father, Jed. He also has a brother and a sister, and his wife's sister was one of the first reported casualties. In the season 2 finale, the Nathan James is put in drydock and Chandler is appointed to be the Chief of Naval Operations by President Michener and promoted from the rank of commander to captain. Whilst Slattery was a P.O.W he acted as the ship's captain. He resigned from the Navy in the season 3 finale.Rhona Mitra as Dr. Rachel Scott, a paleomicrobiologist who creates the cure for the virus. Her death from the shooting in the season 2 finale is confirmed in the season 3 premiere when Kara, now Captain Chandler's aide, hands him his rations book and he opens it to find Dr. Scott's portrait on one of the stamps. (season 1-2)Adam Baldwin as Captain Mike Slattery, the former executive officer of the Nathan James. Originally from Chicago, he previously served as a homicide detective with the Chicago Police Department. Slattery's son was killed by the virus, and as of Season 3, the rest of his family is still MIA. At the start of season 3, he is promoted to captain and becomes commanding officer of the Nathan James. Was captured by pirates as a P.O.W. He has now been rescued.Charles Parnell as Command Master Chief Petty Officer Russell "Russ" Jeter, the ship's senior enlisted sailor, who also acts as its unofficial chaplain. Was captured by pirates as a P.O.W. He has now been rescued.Sam Spruell as Quincy Tophet, a paleomicrobiologist. A mole for the Russians after they hold his family captive, he is shot in the season 1 finale and allows himself to die rather than reveal the location of the cure to Amy Granderson's men. (season 1; guest star season 2)Travis Van Winkle as Lieutenant Daniel Joshua "Danny" Green, leader of the Naval Mountain Warfare Special Forces Unit aboard the Nathan James. In the season 2 finale, Danny proposes to Kara, having gotten the ring and her mother's blessing while they were in Norfolk, and the two officially become engaged. Before the start of Season 3, both he and Kara marry and Kara gives birth to their son, Frankie.Marissa Neitling as Deputy Chief of Staff Kara Green (née Foster), a former commander and a former Combat Information Center Officer. She becomes a tactical action officer (TAO) following the death of LCDR Barker. In the season 2 finale, Danny proposes to Kara, and the two become engaged. Before the start of Season 3, both she and Danny marry and she (now ashore) gives birth to their son, Frankie. At the beginning of season 3, it is revealed that she no longer serves on the Nathan James. She now works in Saint-Louis as Deputy Chief of Staff.Christina Elmore as Lieutenant Alisha Granderson, an Officer of the Deck, also the acting XO while CDR Garnett was a P.O.W.John Pyper-Ferguson as Ken "Tex" Nolan, a private security/military contractor and former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who joins the crew at Guantanamo Bay. In the season 2 finale, he tracks down his daughter, but learns that his ex-wife was killed by looters. In the third-season finale Tex is killed, stopping Allison Shaw. (recurring season 1 & 3; starring season 2)Jocko Sims as Lieutenant Carlton Burk, head of the Nathan James VBSS teams. He is Lt. Cameron Burk's brother (recurring season 1; starring season 2–present)Kevin Michael Martin as Gunner's Mate Second Class (previously Seaman) Eric Miller, a member of the ship's VBSS teams. Was captured by pirates as a P.O.W. He has now been rescued. (recurring season 1–2, starring season 3).Bren Foster as Chief Petty Officer Wolf "Wolf-Man" Taylor, a member of the Royal Australian Navy CDT 3 (Special Forces) attached to the U.S. Navy Special Warfare Joint Operations Training Program (recurring season 2, starring season 3). He is a skilled martial artist. He appears to be in a relationship with Valerie in "The Scott Effect".Bridget Regan as Sasha Cooper, a former Navy Intelligence Officer now operating under diplomatic cover in China for the newly reformed U.S. government. (season 3)LaMonica Garrett as Lieutenant Cameron Burk, the brother of Lt. Carlton Burk and the new Tactical Actions Officer of the USS Nathan James. Behind the Captain and XO, Lt. Burk is third in the chain of command on the ship. (season 3)Fay Masterson as Lieutenant Commander Andrea Garnett, Chief Engineer of the Nathan James. She is third in the chain of command on the ship, behind the Captain and XO. At the beginning of season 3, she is promoted to full Commander and is Captain Slattery's replacement as Executive Officer of the Nathan James. Was captured by pirates as a P.O.W. She has now been rescued.Jamison Haase as Lieutenant Commander Barker, a Tactical Action Officer (TAO) for the Nathan James. He is killed by Maryland State Police during the retaking of the Nathan James.Michael Curran-Dorsano as Lieutenant Juan "Gator" Mejia, Navigator of the Nathan James.Inbar Lavi as Lieutenant Ravit "Ravi" Bivas, a member of the Israeli Defense Forces attached to the U.S. Navy Special Warfare Joint Operations Training Program. She is killed during a raid against the Valkyrie oil rig.Andy T. Tran as Lieutenant (junior grade) Andy Chung, Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA). He is killed during a raid against the Valkyrie oil rig.Chris Sheffield as Lieutenant (junior grade) (formerly Ensign) Will Mason, a Communications Officer for the Nathan James; he is made Sonar Officer after his predecessor is killed during the siege of the Nathan James, and is forced to learn on the job as the ship tracks a rogue former Royal Navy submarine. He is promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade). He is confirmed Killed In Action at the start of S03E04.Chris Marrs as Senior Chief Petty Officer Lynn, an Engineer on Nathan James. He is killed during a raid against the Valkyrie oil rig.Maximiliano Hernández as Chief Hospital corpsman "Doc" Rios, the independent duty corpsman for the Nathan James. In Season 3, he is promoted to Ensign in the US Navy Medical Corps and made Chief Medical Officer of the Nathan James. Was captured by pirates as a P.O.W. He has now been rescued.Ben Cho as Fire Controlman First Class Carl Nishioka, a member of the ship's Combat Information Center. In Season 3, he is promoted to Chief Petty Officer.Amen Igbinosun as Culinary Specialist Second Class Bernie "Bacon" Cowley, a member of the ship's galley. He previously served a tour of duty at Camp David attached to the Presidential Food Service, but transferred to the Nathan James because he needs time at sea to qualify for a promotion.Ness Bautista as Petty Officer Second Class Javier Cruz, the second-in-command of the Nathan James VBSS teams, subordinate to LT Burke. In Season 3, he is promoted to Petty Officer First Class. He is killed during the rescue for the missing crew members.Tommy Savas as Petty Officer Third Class Cossetti, a member of the ship's VBSS teams. He was killed in action rescuing CDR Chandler and Tex Nolan from the Russian vessel.Paul James as Gas Turbine System Technician Third Class O'Connor. He is a member of the ship's engineering team. In Season 3, he was transferred to the USS Shackleton and then later to the USS Hayward. He rejoined the Nathan James after the Hayward was critically damaged. He was promoted to Petty Officer First Class.Felisha Cooper as Petty Officer Third Class Maya Gibson, she is the only person killed during the voluntary human trials. CDR Chandler nominates her for the Navy Cross.Andrew Arrabito as Berchem, a member of the ship's VBSS teams. Killed by the Russians in S01E03.David Paul Olsen as Smith, a member of the ship's VBSS teams. Killed by the Russians in S01E03.Adam Irigoyen as Ray Diaz, a 17-year-old kid from Florida who was the leader of a group of teenagers surviving on their own in the Everglades. He was rescued by the Nathan James in "Uneasy Lies the Head". In Season 3, it is revealed that he had successfully enlisted in the Navy (having been denied a position on the ship earlier for his age) and is now a Seaman Apprentice assigned to work under GM2 Eric Miller. Was captured by pirates as a P.O.W. He has now been rescued.Michaela McManus as Lieutenant Jackie Makena, originally cast to be a member of the ship's Combat Information Center. Although the character never appeared on-screen, her name can be seen on an officer's coffee mug in S02E04.Hope Olaide Wilson as Bertrise, a young Jamaican woman rescued by the Nathan James who has a genetic immunity to the virus.Tracy Middendorf as Darien Chandler, Tom's wife who is seen in flashbacks and in the present. She and the family were holed up in the family cabin and infected with the virus. She dies from the virus before Chandler can save her.Grace Kaufman as Ashley Chandler, Tom's daughter who is seen in flashbacks and in the present. She and the family were holed up in the family cabin and infected with the virus. She is later injected with the vaccine by her father, and now resides in the vaccinated city of Norfolk.Aidan Sussman as Sam Chandler, Tom's son who is seen in flashbacks and in the present. He and the family were holed up in the family cabin and infected with the virus. He is later injected with the vaccine by his father, and now resides in the vaccinated city of Norfolk.Bill Smitrovich as Jed Chandler, Tom Chandler's Army veteran father who is seen in flashbacks and in the present. He and the family were holed up in the family cabin and infected with the virus. He is later injected with the vaccine by his son, and now resides in the vaccinated city of Norfolk. In "Safe Zone", CDR Chandler mentions that his father is 68 years old and that he has a heart condition. In S03E10, he helps Kara Green bring her family to safety. In "Don't Look Back" he is revealed to have been murdered by Allison Shaw's men.Alfre Woodard as Amy Granderson, the vice-chair of the U.S. President's Defense Policy Board. She is the highest-ranking member of the White House known to be alive at the end of Season 1, and is LTJG Alisha Granderson's mother. She is revealed to be killing the people infected with the virus and burning their bodies to power the city of Baltimore, intent that only the "proper" people survive to aid humanity. She and her rogue Maryland State Police bodyguards, as well as her council are vaccinated before that knowledge is known to the Nathan James crew. Maryland State Troopers capture the Nathan James and hold Slattery and the crew hostage, killing a couple of crew and leaving Quincy with a life-threatening injury. She chooses to kill herself rather than surrender to Chandler after his crew manages to retake the ship.The real-life United States Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, cameoed as himself in "It's Not a Rumor", issuing orders to the crew of the Nathan James via a recorded message; by the time the ship received the orders, Secretary Mabus had succumbed to the "Red Flu" virus.Mark Moses as President of the United States Jeffrey "Jeff" Michener, the former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Immune to the "Red Flu" virus, Michener is the sole surviving member of the Cabinet of the United States and Presidential Line of Succession which makes him the next President. In the season 2 finale, "A More Perfect Union", Michener is formally sworn in as President by a surviving judge in St. Louis, Missouri, which he names the new capital of the United States. One of his first inaugural acts as President is to issue pardons to the Immunes who were swept up in the Ramsey brothers' campaign, as well as to Dr. Scott, who intentionally killed Niels Sørensen in order to create a contagious cure; he also appointed CDR Chandler as Chief of Naval Operations while the Nathan James is in drydock. He supposedly commits suicide after revealing to America that he had brought his infected son to a safe zone and that he was the one who spread the virus in the south, but two episodes later in "Paradise", it is revealed that he was murdered as part of a coup order by Allison Shaw.Jade Chynoweth as Kathleen Nolan, Tex's daughter. She was reunited with her father in "A More Perfect Union".Brían F. O'Byrne as Sean Ramsey, the leader of the Immunes and commander of the former Royal Navy Astute-class submarine HMS Achilles. Presumably dead after HMS Achilles sank with him aboard.Nick Court as Ned Ramsey, the brother of Sean Ramsey and second-in-command of the Immunes.Tania Raymonde as Valerie Raymond, she created the Valkyrie network. In Season 3 she is KIA when her plane blows up in mid-air.Ravil Isyanov as Admiral Konstantin Nikolayevich Ruskov, the Commanding Officer of the RFS Vyerni, the Russian vessel that is attempting to obtain Dr. Scott and the vaccine from the Nathan James. He died when the Nathan James sunk his ship.Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Niels Sørensen, aka "Patient Zero", the glory-seeking Norwegian scientist who unknowingly took advantage of his immunity by testing the virus on himself which made him a carrier and creates the current pandemic version of the virus in his effort to find the cure. Formerly a captive of Ruskov, then working with Sean Ramsey and the Immunes, even trying deliberately to infect others. He died on board the Nathan James after his immunity is removed by Dr. Scott and he is killed by the virus.Titus Welliver as Thorwald, a mysterious local warlord fighting underground. He is revealed to be an ex-Baltimore Police Department detective fighting against the rogue government led by Amy Granderson, who is vaccinating select people and killing everyone else with a toxic dose which they claim is the vaccine, to be burnt to power up the city of Baltimore, Maryland, and is later killed in the raid on Granderson's headquarters.Alice Coulthard as Kelly Tophet, Quincy's wife who is living in captivity on the Russian vessel. She is later rescued by the Nathan James, and departed the ship at Norfolk, where she and Ava now reside with the Chandler family.Jade Pettyjohn as Ava Tophet, Quincy and Kelly's daughter who is living in captivity on the Russian vessel. She is later rescued by the Nathan James, and departed the ship at Norfolk, where she and her mom now reside with the Chandler family.Elisabeth Röhm as Allison Shaw, the Chief of Staff to President Michener. She, with the cooperation of the regional leaders, strips President Oliver of his powers and takes control of the federal government in S03E09. She is killed by Chandler in "Don't Look Back" after Tex dies stopping her.Nestor Serrano as Alex Rivera, the United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs under President Michener. He was killed by order of Allison Shaw in S03E09.Hiroyuki Sanada as Takehaya, a former Japanese Navy officer and legendary pirate captain in post-plague Asia, who is affected by Peng's poison that neutralizes the effect of the cure. After Peng is defeated, he stays in Japan to die on his own soil.Fernando Chien as President Peng, the new and formidable leader of post-plague ravaged China who plots to gain control of Asia. He is killed by Takehaya, while he was destroying the Japanese National Archives.Devon Gummersall as Jacob Barnes, a journalist. He was killed by order of Allison Shaw in S03E11.Stephen Oyoung as Lau Hu, the Chinese Minister of State Security. Killed by Wolf in S03E08.Dichen Lachman as Jesse, an off-the-grid helicopter pilot who is a former acquaintance of Sasha Cooper. She leaves the Nathan James after Peng was defeated and they head back to America.Ayako Fujitani as Kyoko, the wife of Takehaya.Drew Fonteiro as Dennis, a computer and communications technician in the White House.Eidan Hanzei as Toshiro, a Japanese pirate and Takehaya's second-in-command. Killed by Doc Rios when the captured crew members were rescued.John Cothran as Howard Oliver, the former Mayor of Saint Louis, who first appears in the Season 3 episode "Sea Change". He was the Vice President under Michener, who had not appeared in prior episodes, and becomes President of the United States after President Michener's apparent suicide in the prior episode.Emerson Brooks as Captain Joseph Meylan, the commanding officer of the USS Hayward, who joins the Nathan James after his ship was severely damaged by the Chinese. He briefly takes command of the Nathan James in S03E10 after he is ordered by the St.Louis White House to place Captain Chandler under arrest and relieve Captain Slattery of his command of the ship. He loses his command at the end of the episode after a team of Nathan James sailors led by Slattery gain access to the ship's armory and sequester sailors aligned with Meylan, including Meylan himself.Al Coronel as Manuel Castillo, the regional leader of the Southwest. In S03E12, he is captured by CAPT Chandler and the crew of the Nathan James.Lucy Butler as Roberta Price, the regional leader of the Deep South. She is killed by order of Allison Shaw in the season 3 finale.Dougald Park as Albert Wilson, the regional leader of the Midwest.Eddie Driscoll as Randall Croft, the regional leader of the East Coast.H. Richard Greene as Senator William Beatty, the regional leader of the Pacific Northwest. Eventually, he no longer wants to continue with the complot of overthrowing the federal government and he is killed by order of Allison Shaw in S03E09.Development and production
In July 2012, TNT ordered a pilot episode for a potential series based on William Brinkley' novel The Last Ship (1988). Hank Steinberg and Steven Kane wrote the pilot script, and Jonathan Mostow directed the pilot. It was filmed at a number of locations across San Diego including aboard the USS Halsey (DDG-97) and the USS Dewey (DDG-105), which stands in for the show's fictional USS Nathan James (DDG-151), and the USS Iowa museum ship located in San Pedro.
The series is produced by Channel Road Productions and Platinum Dunes, with Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, Andrew Form, Steinberg, and Kane. Steinberg and Kane serve as executive producers and day-to-day showrunners.
As of October 2015 the season has a Metacritic score of 60 out of 100 based on 22 critic reviews for a rating of "generally favorable". Rotten Tomatoes gives the show 64%, with an average rating of 6/10 based on 28 reviews, as of October 2015. The website consensus states: "Movie-sized action sequences and a pretty cast provide smooth sailing for The Last Ship, though it's not anything that hasn't been seen before."
In July 2015, Entertainment Weekly's Ray Rahman said of the second season, "The story is getting more interesting as we get an on-the-ground sense of how the pandemic-ravaged US has fared."
