The Last Ship - could've been worse

[Overmind One]

Okay, episode four watched.

Overall not bad. Definitely a departure from what they were doing as the lack of maintenance (due to lack of a functioning support vessel/yard and spare parts) caught up with them big time. Most of what they showed was fairly realistic (like using stills on every liquid they could to try to distill some more drinking water). The bit with sails is okay conceptually but I think they would need more of them to get any speed (granted they only said 4 knots and the hull of a Burke is VERY streamlined underwater) and conceptually if they can make the screw turn enough they would be able to get a little power from that turbine as its power generation ability comes as a side effect of its turning.

They still kept the interpersonal stuff well under control, and the group prayer on the ship is far from uncommon in the Navy - I participated in a couple myself when we REALLY needed something to go our way.

On the other side, the pacing was a bit slower than we've gotten used to and this episode was definitely not Science Fiction - if anything it was sort of a survival drama. Acting was still very much up to par and the characters are both consistent in how they act and are developing over the course of the show.

I have not seen it yet. Im downloading it now. Regarding prayer on ships, this is also not at all uncommon for every branch in every aspect of the military including Boot Camp. During my military enlistment, I identified as Christian and participated in prayers and services (the alternative was polishing brass or sweeping up the barracks). I'm a little concerned by the mention of sails. I need to watch the episode before commenting further.

 

[Joelist]

Parasails would be a better description - they needed to move the ship and with all three generators out they had no way to generate power outside of turning one of the turbines. They waited for a weather front and used the modern version of line throwing guns to get parachutes up into the wind to give them some pull. The idea is sound but to me they needed more of them - they lofted three and I was thinking six would be more like it.

 

[Overmind One]

Parasails would be a better description - they needed to move the ship and with all three generators out they had no way to generate power outside of turning one of the turbines. They waited for a weather front and used the modern version of line throwing guns to get parachutes up into the wind to give them some pull. The idea is sound but to me they needed more of them - they lofted three and I was thinking six would be more like it.

I am eyerolling only seconds into this episode. Then, we get on the ship and I am still eyerolling. This episode is so much different than the first two that I had to actually look up the writer to make sure it was not one of the regular creators. This one was written by somebody named Quinton Peeples. Obviously, the focus in this one was interpersonal and emotional. So far, not liking it. But I am not even 5 minutes in, so...back to it!

 

[Joelist]

Eyerolling because they actually had a tiny bit of backstory for the captain? They need to describe the characters especially in an ongoing series. We dislike excessive interpersonal/emotional but there is also going to the other extreme - too little of it and the characters stop being believable as human beings.

 

[YJ02]

I don't get my information from Hollywood.

I know full well about the MTOE and about policy. I was just being more general while you provided the specifics. Thanks for that.

It is still interesting that the Army is following the Marines and ditching the Beretta.

I am guessing that if one dug, then one might find that the Marine "lead" was inspired by Pentagon vision for streamlining costs and standardization across the 4 branches--Just a guess though

 

[YJ02]

I am eyerolling only seconds into this episode. Then, we get on the ship and I am still eyerolling. This episode is so much different than the first two that I had to actually look up the writer to make sure it was not one of the regular creators. This one was written by somebody named Quinton Peeples. Obviously, the focus in this one was interpersonal and emotional. So far, not liking it. But I am not even 5 minutes in, so...back to it!

It was a bit diff., but since I dvr it I FF past family time

Not to bring up BSG, but--this episode reminded me of both episodes "33" and "Water"--just saying it was familiar

The deal with the XO having been a former Homicide Detective in Chicago? Not buying it. How long does it take to be one in a big city? I am guessing maybe 10 yrs? So he went to college (or did they say he went to Annapolis--that would really muddle things up), then became a cop, then went into the Navy through an off the street OCS program (which do exist)? If so, he would have been too old for that OCS option. The guy is now an O5-same rank as the Cpt-a Commander. (both of them are wearing silver leaves). That is about a 15yr progression from O1 to O5 in any service--especially if one was an OCS officer

Or maybe he made up the story to intimidate Mr. cry baby virologist even more?

 

[Overmind One]

Eyerolling because they actually had a tiny bit of backstory for the captain? They need to describe the characters especially in an ongoing series. We dislike excessive interpersonal/emotional but there is also going to the other extreme - too little of it and the characters stop being believable as human beings.

Okay, I watched the episode and it was actually very good after all. It was well balanced by the issue with the water and the solution they had. It dealt with faith on it's most basic level, and I so understand and believe in faith, only not in a religious fashion.

 

[Overmind One]

It was a bit diff., but since I dvr it I FF past family time

Not to bring up BSG, but--this episode reminded me of both episodes "33" and "Water"--just saying it was familiar

The deal with the XO having been a former Homicide Detective in Chicago? Not buying it. How long does it take to be one in a big city? I am guessing maybe 10 yrs? So he went to college (or did they say he went to Annapolis--that would really muddle things up), then became a cop, then went into the Navy through an off the street OCS program (which do exist)? If so, he would have been too old for that OCS option. The guy is now an O5-same rank as the Cpt-a Commander. (both of them are wearing silver leaves). That is about a 15yr progression from O1 to O5 in any service--especially if one was an OCS officer

Or maybe he made up the story to intimidate Mr. cry baby virologist even more?

I think the XO was making that story up. I have only heard of ex-military going INTO the cop profession, not the other way around. Almost 100% of all military who are not Air Force get mail from various law enforcement agencies soliciting employment. I sure did. Some even get mail to join the CIA or FBI, like Special Forces and crypto people. Ex military who have security clearance to work at nuclear facilities get offers from civilian nuclear facilities plants. You know how it goes. He had to have made the story up to intimidate the dude.

The episode balanced itself out. But I was really REALLY surprised to see that Michael Bay is the EP! Michael Bay??? This would then be the best work I have ever seen from Michael Bay to date.

 

[Joelist]

He made it up. Obviously he did not go into the Navy after being in the police long enough to make detective.

 

[shavedape]

Question: Is this show going to become a "maintenance crisis of the week" type of drama?

 

[Overmind One]

Question: Is this show going to become a "maintenance crisis of the week" type of drama?

Nah, the show is still VERY much connected to it's premise. The cure for the virus is still the #1 priority. This one is really a good show Ape! It deserves your love. Watch it from the beginning if you have not seen it.

 

[Joelist]

I doubt it Ape. They did need at least one episode here regarding maintenance to keep a semblance of realism as the Nathan James was on a four month deployment before this all happened and has been in continuous ops now for a good long time without the services of a shipyard or a support ship. To just keep on going without something like this occurring would bring up objections akin to Voyager's endless supply of shuttles.

 

[YJ02]

I am a little worried about the scenes for next week. I am hoping we are not going into "Trope-ville" and they do something like take on a bunch of poor, foreign survivors and house them on the ship.

If they do= recent trope, if they don;t and just fix the situation and leave then ST trope

 

[shavedape]

I am a little worried about the scenes for next week. I am hoping we are not going into "Trope-ville" and they do something like take on a bunch of poor, foreign survivors and house them on the ship.

If they do= recent trope, if they don;t and just fix the situation and leave then ST trope

They'll probably defeat the bad guys that are terrorizing the villagers, then they will get people to volunteer to try the vaccine. Either that or they will simply free the villagers and then go off on their merry way again; off to another island or coast that is chock-full of supplies.

 

[Joelist]

Hard to tell - they were looking for simians and these are humans.

 

[shavedape]

Hard to tell - they were looking for simians and these are humans.

They'll probably have to do a human trial due to some crisis and someone will volunteer. It will be tough going for the hour but then they will pull thru. Of course the doc will only be able to synthesize a small amount of the vaccine and then the Russians will attack and all her research will get destroyed and they will have to start over, blah blah blah.

 

[Overmind One]

They'll probably have to do a human trial due to some crisis and someone will volunteer. It will be tough going for the hour but then they will pull thru. Of course the doc will only be able to synthesize a small amount of the vaccine and then the Russians will attack and all her research will get destroyed and they will have to start over, blah blah blah.

They have covered that by the primordial sample which was collected in episode 1. Without that, no vaccine can be made.

 

[Joelist]

They have covered that by the primordial sample which was collected in episode 1. Without that, no vaccine can be made.

Agreed. I am not worried about them engaging in that type of melodrama here. One thing they SHOULD encounter at some point is an immune person and/or an immune person who is a carrier. No virus has literally 100% communicability and 100% lethality.

 

[shavedape]

Agreed. I am not worried about them engaging in that type of melodrama here..

You know I'm gonna pounce the moment they do, right?

 

[YJ02]

They'll probably have to do a human trial due to some crisis and someone will volunteer. It will be tough going for the hour but then they will pull thru. Of course the doc will only be able to synthesize a small amount of the vaccine and then the Russians will attack and all her research will get destroyed and they will have to start over, blah blah blah.

And women, lots of non infected women--mass shipping ahead