The Last Ship Season 2 Episode 11 Review: Valkyrie
Elizabeth Harlow
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The Nathan James may have won this battle, but the war is still on.
Despite tragic losses on The Last Ship Season 2 Episode 11, our heroes are more determined than ever to defeat Sean Ramsey and his cult. But the American people are up against them now, and fighting back with disastrous consequences.
But taking out Ramsey's communication network and finding his secret weapon classify the mission as a success. The crew will need every advantage they can get in the fight against Ramsey.
The crew worked as team to find the source of the signal, highlighting one of the strengths of the show, it's ensemble cast. I'm constantly impressed that characters that would be bit parts on other shows are able to make such an impact. Not only do they play key roles in story telling, but we can connect with them emotionally.
It's hard to balance such a large cast, and the producers could have taken the easy way out by either having fewer featured crew or by just replacing characters outside of the core cast as needed, as is common on so many shows. That commitment to quality pays off in an episode like tonights.
The president seems to have finally settled into his role. Personally, I don't have any doubts about his allegiance at this point. He seemed to be appalled by Ramsey's actions against the flotilla. His speech may have needed a little polish, but if they leave the background music in for the broadcast, it should be effective.
I ask you, during this time of crisis and chaos, to remember who we are as a people. This plague has killed many. But let's not let it divide us any longer. We are still one nation. Join us.
President Michener
It was good to see Chandler and Rachel start to mend fences. Most of their problems boil down to being too much alike. Sometimes self-assurance can over develop into pig headedness. Even with the actual issue resolved, they were both refusing to back down.
They're both critical to the mission, and having them at odds is uncomfortable. Walking out on Rachel they way he did after Foster's exam accomplished nothing. They still have a ways to go to repair their relationship, but after Chandler's brush with death, they both seem to have come around and are starting down the path towards reconciliation.
Dr. Rachel Scott: Stubborn as ever.
CDR Tom Chandler: Says the pot to the kettle.
Not everyone was as lucky as the captain. Chung or the Master Chief may be the greater loss for the crew from a practical perspective, but the crew member I'll miss the most will be Bivas. She might not have been around for very long, but she sure made an impact. I guess we'll never find out where people have sex on the Nathan James.
The deaths of the crew members are regrettable, but they also might be just want the survivors need to fortify themselves for the upcoming battle with Ramsey and his men. Jeter's eulogy was just what was needed, both to galvanize the crew's spirits and to recruit a resourceful new ally.
Today we grieve, but tomorrow we do press on. We continue to answer the call, "Here I am."
CMC Jeter
We might have lost Bivas and the others all too soon, but we were introduced to an intriguing new character in the form of Valerie Reynolds. She has a paranoid conspiracy theorist bent to her, and her counter-culture attitude is sure to make for some frictional encounters on board the ship.
Chandler's reaction to the engineering genius on the oil rig was priceless. He's always so serious, so seeing him lighten up, even for a moment, was great. The rest of the crew could stand to let off some steam like that. It's got to be hell being so dour all the time.
The truth? Well shit. You got it all figured out. But you're forgot the most important part of the conspiracy -- the only way we were able to spread the flu so quickly. The aliens. From planet Batshit Crazy. They were sneezing all over the place.
CDR Tom Chandler
Tex also provided some well timed comic relief (it is pretty much his raison d'etre). I was really surprised at just how quickly the citizens on the beach turned on Danny, Tex, and Miller. They'd been giving those people aid right before. You would think that would have given them at least a second of pause.
I can't believe they shot me in the ass!
Tex
One thing that bothered me tonight was the explanation for not updating the crew's vaccine. Rachel's using the same science as Niels was to make the new cure, but her version loses contagiousness after a week when he was a walking Petri dish for months. It just doesn't make any sense.
It looks like the crew of the Nathan James will look to divide and conquer on The Last Ship Season 2 Episode 12. And for once, the captain won't be the one headed off on dangerous mission off ship. I look forward to both a showdown with the submarine and to Slattery and Rachel to sharing some screen time.
Watch The Last Ship online and, as always, share your thoughts in the comments!
Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.
