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Last thoughts on ‘Last Resort’

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“Last Resort,” the good series with an awful name that evoked images of a “Weekend with Bernie”-style 1980s comedy, started off strong. The amazing Andre Braugher led a very good cast in the story of the Colorado, a U.S. Navy nuclear sub that goes renegade after its captain, Marcus Chaplin (Braugher) refuses to nuke Pakistan. The U.S. government reacts badly, to say the least, and makes the Colorado a target and Chaplin is named public enemy number one.

It turns out that something is rotten in Washington, and Chaplin, executive officer Sam (Scott Speedman) and crew hole up on an Indian Ocean island. They’re quickly isolated by a U.S. blockade, set upon by mutineers led by the chief of boat (Robert Patrick, we love you) alternately battle and canoodle with islanders and dally with the Chinese, who offer aid to score points on the global stage.

But after a strong start, the show seemed to grow more and more complicated and shed viewers who probably couldn’t keep up. I watched every episode and I found myself lost at times among all the characters and double-crosses and triple-crosses.

The 13th and what turned out to be final episode, “Controlled Flight Into Terrain,” had been written before producer Shawn Ryan found out the show had been canceled. Ryan took the time to retool the episode, however, jamming in resolutions for the characters and the central plot of the series and bringing the plot to a close.

In a single hour, we saw the resolution of the mutiny, the return of an old enemy from the crew, the climax of the Washington intrigue that served as the backdrop for the show and a homecoming for some of the members of the crew of the Colorado.

“Last Resort” probably bit off more than it could chew, not unlike “Lost” before it. But I can’t fault Ryan and the show for being too ambitious. Viewers didn’t turn out, however. So the boat was permanently beached.

‘Last Resort’ canceled

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No real surprise here, but ABC today canceled “Last Resort,” the serial drama about a nuclear sub and its crew – led by captain Andre Braugher – who go on the run after their defiance of orders puts them in crosshairs.

“Last Resort had some strikes against it from its first episode:

The name was awful. Really, why in the world would you call a show about the mutinous crew of a nuclear submarine, taking refuge on an Indian Ocean island after being targeted for extermination by a U.S. government conspiracy, “Last Resort.” It sounds like the subtitle to a sequel to “Weekend at Bernie’s.”

It aired at 8 p.m. Thursdays. I know there are only so many timeslots, but why would ABC air an hour-long serial drama at 8 p.m., and opposite “Big Bang Theory,” a hit comedy that would appeal to the same audience as “Last Resort?”

Its mythology and storyline were probably too complicated for many viewers. We had the government conspiracy, the various players on the island, the conflict among the crew, the intrigue involving the D.C.-based defense contractor … Too much going on for viewers who prefer “investigators investigate crimes” for their hourlong TV fare.

I enjoyed “Last Resort” but didn’t lose my heart to it. I’ve been disappointed by the cancelations of too many series, including most of the hour-long dramas introduced in recent years – “Threshold,” “Flash Forward,” “Alcatraz,” etc – to capitalize on the success of “Lost.”

Apparently producer Shawn Ryan says the first 13 episodes will be completed and there will be some kind of resolution. I’ll be checking them out.