The big problem with post-apocalyptic TV shows is that they are either about a rage tag bunch of survivors striving to rebuild society in small town or a rag tag bunch of survivors roaming the wastelands in search of a society that has been rebuild. When The Last Ship debuted on TNT, it changed the formula. It was able to do both at once. The rag tag bunch of survivors were able to live in one place and roam the wasteland. How can that be? Turns out the rag tag consists of the crew of the USS Nathan James. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer immediately found itself at the center of a virus that wiped out 95% of the world’s population. Even though there’s been a cure, The Last Ship: The Complete Fourth Season shows there’s been a nasty twist and new foes on the global landscape.
Admiral Tom Chandler (Eric Dane) has split the boat and is living in Greece. He thinks it’ll be a simple life at the fishing village until he realizes how as society struggles to get a good footing, there’s organized crime taking over the fishing industry. Things are even worse as the virus has adapted. Since the crew of the USS Nathan Jones came up with a cure for the virus in humans, the virus is now infecting agriculture. Corn and wheat are turning red. People are starving as crops fail. People are getting desperate. The crew of the USS Nathan Jones are back on the case as they get involved in virus resilient seeds that were stolen from a seed bank. The crew track down the thief, but he doesn’t have all the seeds. Before they can trigger their sting operation, someone else arrives and ruins the mission. Things get uglier later when the same spoilers attack the nearby military base to get the seed thief. The race is on to find the missing seeds and a way to keep the virus off the crops.
This is the penultimate season of The Last Ship as the upcoming fifth will wrap up the voyage. The show plays like a great action-adventure beach novel with the tension amped up. The show keeps the shoot outs and attack at a level that it feels like you’re watching a film instead of a TV show. This is not a show that holds back on the big moments for special episodes. You’re never sure when bullets and missiles will tear up a set, boat or cast member. This 10 episode season sets up the upcoming resolution.
The video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The transfer brings out the foreign locations like Greece as the boat cruises the Mediterranean Sea. The audio is 2.0 DTS-HD MA. The sound levels transport you into the tranquility of the well kept gardens. The episodes are subtitled.
Inside the Last Ship breaks down the season 4 highlights, the “Med” sea, villains, Tom Chandler and Nostos.
Warner Home Video presents The Last Ship: The Complete Fourth Season. Starring: Eric Dane, Rhona Mitra and Charles Parnell. Boxset Contents: 10 episodes on 3 DVDs. Rated: Unrated. Released: June 5, 2018.
