This week’s episode of the The Last Ship is a big one! We learn about some information about the worldwide pandemic origins! Meanwhile, in the present, there is a stranded girl potentially immune to the virus that Chandler and his men set out to rescue. The Russians are not too far behind though. Will Dr. Scott get the breakthrough she needs? Check out Josh’s recap on SOS and see! Let’s get started on The Last Ship recap!
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Episode Recap of The Last Ship, Season 1 Episode 7: SOS
This episode of The Last Ship begins with a flashback. Sorenson is speaking to a colleague about testing the virus by inserting a human gene into the virus before it was widespread. Sorenson says he already performed the experiment on himself, and the professor leaves him quickly, calling him mad. Sorenson’s girlfriend, meanwhile, comes to visit Sorenson, who seems to be coming down with an illness, and meanwhile has a trans-Europe trip planned, stopping in every big city on her way. I wonder why this is significant…?
Back in the present, the Russian admiral asks Sorenson where Dr. Scott would be. Sorenson thinks Central America, but is not too sure beyond that. Back on the Nathan James, Scott tells Chandler about the human gene that she has discovered.
Cossetti, meanwhile, recovers from his near-mutiny, as much of the crew isn’t happy with him.
In the Comms area, the team is going through radio signals, and a woman is pleading for help from a Jamaican boat. Everyone has died on the boat except her. Dr. Scott presumes she could be immune, and very helpful to the virus vaccine. Chandler decides it is time to rescue her. Chandler radios to her, acting as a fishing boat. Bertrise, the woman on the boat, provides Chandler with her location.
The Russians hear the transmission, and decide to head to the woman’s location as well.
Chandler gets a team together, including Cossetti, Tex, and a few others. Chandler and the team went without beacons so they would not be intercepted by the Russians. They spot the boat, and after some searching, locate the stranded woman.
Shortly after rescuing her, the Russians show up. Chandler has one boat bring Bertrise back to the James while he and his men play decoy. Chandler and Tex are able to take out the men on their tail, but their boat is severely damaged, forcing the two to abandon ship.
On the James, Slattery has Quincy listen into the Russian conversations. Meanwhile, the chopper on the James has begun searching the seas for Chandler.
In the ocean, Chandler radios to James–telling them to cease all rescue operations. Chandler tells Tex he is worried that Russians would follow their rescue efforts back to the James. Chandler’s plan is to try to swim to a reef that is Northeast of them.
The other men and Bertrise return to the James. The crew tries to find a way to figure out how to locate Chandler, but are unable to come up with a viable option. The Russians also heard Chandler’s transmission, and send out a UAV to locate Chandler. Luckily, Slattery is able to intercept the drone with a missile. Chandler is not happy about the destruction of the drone–because it shows that his men will do anything to rescue him, which the Russian Admiral also picks up on.
The chopper continues to search for them while Dr. Scott begins running her tests on Bertrise. Scott’s test finish up, and finds out that Bertrise is indeed immune. Chandler and Tex continue their journey to the reef, not making any visible progress. Running out of a fuel, Slattery has to decide whether the chopper should search the reef Chandler and Tex were heading to or wait to refuel.
Night falls, and Chandler and Tex rest and converse. The big truth comes out–Tex is from Reno, not Texas at all.
Aboard the James, Quincy says that the Russians think that Chandler and Tex drowned. Slattery decides to make one more short pass after the chopper refuels. The Russians continue to search as well. The American chopper reports seeing an object in the ocean. Suddenly, light appears above Chandler and Tex–a chopper. Harnesses are lowered to Chandler and Tex and they are hoisted up. Unfortunately, there is some bad news. The chopper is Russian and the object that the US chopper spotted was debris in the ocean. The Russians take Chandler captive–and the episode ends.
Josh’s Thoughts: The Last Ship, Season 1 Episode 7: SOS
Dr. Scott has made some real progress to the cure this episode. I am curious to know if the show will be having the cure achieved so soon into it. Considering Scott has already begun using Bertrise’s blood in producing a cure, it doesn’t seem like it will be too far away.
It was a big sacrifice for Chandler to make, and after a long journey of ups and downs, he has been captured by the Russians. No doubt, the Russian admiral will attempt to bargain for Dr. Scott and/or the research she has made. The big question is how Slattery will respond. America has always been against negotiating with terrorists, and Captain Chandler would not want a deal to be done, but like the Russians realize, Slattery and the crew of the Nathan James would do anything for their Captain.
One big thing to note, is Cossetti. A couple episodes ago, he was the man trying to incite the protesting, and wanting to abandon the Navy. This episode we see that he has been “black sheeped” by much of the crew. I am pretty certain that him joining Lt. Green’s team is going to set him up as a martyr. I thought he might die this episode, but I have a feeling, within the next few, he will be making a mortal sacrifice.
And finally, we see how the virus became widespread. Conveniently, the man who decides to perform some dangerous experiments with the virus happens to be immune, happens to infect his girlfriend, who just so happens to be making a multi-stop trip across Europe. Talk about the perfect storm! I actually wish the story was more involved than that, and that we would see different pockets of the virus popping up. This would allow viewers to witness different regions falling to the virus and how they dealt with it.
Regardless of my complaining, I am really enjoying this show. I can’t wait to see how Chandler and his men handle the Russian situation. Mainly because I have no idea what the Americans will do to keep the cure in their hands and rescue Chandler and Tex at the same time. I am really looking forward to next week!
Violet’s Thoughts on Season 1 Episode 8 of The Last Ship: SOS
Yay, we got to get off the ship and begin the episode with a flashback — thank God! (Did I mention that I prefer not to be stuck on the ship all that time? Oh I have mentioned that? Okay.) This is one part of virus spreading shows/movies that I enjoy the most: seeing the source of the virus, and how it spread. It seems that Sorenson is the source, and that he spread it to his girlfriend, who unknowingly spread it all around Europe. Convenient. Hopefully this isn’t the only explanation we get.
Not only did we get to get off the ship in the flashback, but we also got to leave the Nathan James to go on a rescue mission — to another boat. Well, at least it was a change of scenery. Josh and I actually debated whether the Russians were trying to trick the Americans again, but I thought it would be too elaborate for them to fake being this Jamaican girl over the course of a few weeks. But the Russians did end up becoming involved anyway. I thought it was a little far fetched that they would even care about checking out the situation, but I guess they’re that desperate to get Dr. Scott that they’ll chase down any lead? Also, why would Sorenson know where Scott would go? Apparently the Russians are psychic and expect everyone else to be too!
My biggest complaint about the episode is that they took no precautions when bringing Bertrise aboard. What if she was not in fact immune? Or what if she was like Sorenson, and was immune, but contagious? They take all these precautions, but were very irresponsible in this respect. Everyone on that ship easily could have caught the virus. It really frustrated me.
However, I did actually enjoy this episode. There was a lot of action, and for the first time, when it got to the end of the episode, I didn’t want it to end. Neat little switcheroo they pulled on us that I did not see coming. I thought it was going to be just another happy ending. I had no idea that the Russians even had a chopper. Nice job. Definitely looking forward to the next episode.
Scenes from The Last Ship, Season 1 Episode 8: Two Sailors Walk into a Bar
Here are scenes from the next episode of The Last Ship, titled Two Sailors Walk into a Bar:
