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In the end, the humans avoid their Cylon oppressors, which is a better fate than the crew of USS Bedford received. Of course, a full third of those same humans later prove to be Cylons so the only true comparison would be if a lot of sailors on the Bedford were Russian sleeper agents. The point is that the grinding nature of watery encapsulation creates magnificent storytelling options. Trapping underwater in a submersible, a sailor’s fate is inextricably tethered to that of their ship. Last Resort glorifies these thematic elements.

I should note that I plan to break from convention in this particular outing of Crashing Pilots. Rather than examining the pilot for Last Resort exclusively then evaluating the proceeding episodes midway through the season, this will be an all-in-one piece. The reason for this is simple. After only four episodes, I am already aware of the strengths and weaknesses of this show. Barring something unforeseen (and I will provide an update if such a story surprise occurs), I have a feel for the entirety of Last Resort.

The closing dialogue of Last Resort includes the following statement. “Test us and we will all burn together. You’ve been warned.” As far as intimidating quotes go, the Last Resort pilot is world class.

The premise that leads to this statement is terrifying. A captain in control of 16 nuclear missiles fails (or passes?) a test. Rather than perform his assigned duty and aim a weapon of mass destruction at a populated area, the naval officer requests further details. His decision violates the first law of military service: never question an order.

The fallout is dramatic. The crew members of the USS Colorado switch from dancing to La Bamba, happily wearing shades in the dark to becoming enemies of the state. The details are straightforward. The crew’s brief celebration is interrupted when they receive a coded message from Antarctica, a secondary, less secure network on their system. The command includes an authorized launch code and firing clearance.

The Colorado has television access. As Captain Marcus Chaplin states, the fact that Hannah Montana is still airing rather than an emergency broadcast signal causes questions about the authenticity of the order. With millions of lives at stake, both the captain and his commanding officer, the XO, decide to break procedure and investigate further. When the captain requests authentication through the primary network and from a voice he knows, an equally strange response is given. The Deputy Secretary of Defense, William Curry, calls. Once Chaplin acknowledges recognition of the man’s voice, Curry relieves the captain of his command and demands that the XO honor the firing sequence.

Given that Emmy Award winning actor Andre Braugher portrays the captain while Underworld’s Scott Speedman is the XO, everyone knows that Braugher’s character will reclaim power quickly, which he does. In the interim, the new and temporary captain of the USS Colorado, Sam Kendal, prepares to fire and inserts the launch key. Before turning and thereby starting a nuclear war, Kendal requests the same verification via the regular channel. The caller immediately hangs up, which must be an odd Prince Albert in a can prank call for a nuclear submarine. Kendal defers to his captain’s wisdom and experience at this point.

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