THE LAST SHIP Season 3 - spoilers, reviews, discussions and junk...

[The Wormhole]

Shit, I forgot about the Olympics! Ever since learning they were skipping this week I was racking my brain trying to figure out what made this week so special they wouldn't show a new episode. Oh well, just goes to show how much attention I pay to the real world.

 

[Admiral2]

The biggest news about this year's Olympics is how bad the conditions in Rio are. Nobody's really talking about the actual games.

Which I don't mind. I'm partial to the Winter games myself.

 

[Tom]

So, six months after the cure the Navy only has operational 3 ships? I'm guessing they have many ships at various navy docks, but no the manpower to operate them. Would be good to get a Carrier operational as soon as they can. I also wonder about the other arms of the military like the Army, Marines, Air Force and even the Coast Guard. Have seen no mention of them, only the Navy. Do we have any idea how much of the U.S. population was lost between the virus, riots and civil unrest?

 

[The Wormhole]

I also wonder about the other arms of the military like the Army, Marines, Air Force and even the Coast Guard.

Didn't we see a Marine Honor Guard standing outside the new President's car when he arrived at the "White House" this week? Also, I seem to recall seeing some Army personnel around St Louis back in the premiere.

At the very least, there appears to be no one of significant rank from the other military branches given that in addition to being CNO, Chandler is also said to be the "effective head of the entire US military."

 

[Admiral2]

Building up ground forces will take considerably longer than manning small surface ships, because the numbers needed are a function of population and it's all volunteer. It's probably safe to say that whatever soldiers and Marines survived the plague are just "it" for now.

 

[The Wormhole]

I imagine new recruits are probably being trained, especially given enough time has gone by for Ray Diaz to enlist, go through basic, and get assigned to the crew of the Nathan James. Granted, staffing a Navy ship is important for cure dissemination, meaning Navy enlistment might be prioritized. Also, being the protégé of the CNO/effective head of the military probably helped Ray along.

 

[sojourner]

So, six months after the cure the Navy only has operational 3 ships? I'm guessing they have many ships at various navy docks, but no the manpower to operate them. Would be good to get a Carrier operational as soon as they can. I also wonder about the other arms of the military like the Army, Marines, Air Force and even the Coast Guard. Have seen no mention of them, only the Navy. Do we have any idea how much of the U.S. population was lost between the virus, riots and civil unrest?

I believe at one point they said only 1 or 2 in 10 survived the plague itself.

As President Rosalynd said on nuBSG, "We need to be making babies".

 

[Admiral2]

As President Rosalynd said on nuBSG, "We need to be making babies".

Yep! Ain't no better way to put that...

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I believe at one point they said only 1 or 2 in 10 survived the plague itself.

As President Rosalynd said on nuBSG, "We need to be making babies".

Leaves the US with Canada population levels, might not be the worst thing.

 

[Gaith]

Well, I haven't seen the Comic-Con trailer, so no spoilers please, but looks as though they're really going all in with making China the Big Bad. As I said upthread, that's a rare and gutsy move for such a notable production - no way would it fly in the big-budget movie world.

Just saw in several trades that Last Ship has been renewed for Season 4!
* Cue the Flag waving and fighter jet fly-over montage*

I only just now learned this you! Huzzah!

it seems the characters in St Louis are calling Kara "Commander Greene" which would mean she is still in the Navy. If that's the case, why hasn't she been wearing a uniform this season?

Yeah, I don't remember her being called that recently either. I'm no expert on these matters, but maybe she was taken off active duty because of her baby and political position, which could make her either a drilling reservist or a member of the inactive reserves. Either way, addressing her by her rank, particularly in the workplace setting, would be both accurate and respectful of her accomplishments, even if she wasn't an active duty officer in her day job. Again, not an expert, just a guess.

I imagine new recruits are probably being trained, especially given enough time has gone by for Ray Diaz to enlist, go through basic, and get assigned to the crew of the Nathan James.

I'd think it likelier that a few enlistees were given an impromptu basic training aboard the James, not at any other dedicated facility.

 

[The Wormhole]

Either way, addressing her by her rank, particularly in the workplace setting, would be both accurate and respectful of her accomplishments, even if she wasn't an active duty officer in her day job.

Hmm, I didn't consider she could have become a reservist. That certainly works as a suitable theory.

 

[Star Wolf]

Yeah, I don't remember her being called that recently either. I'm no expert on these matters, but maybe she was taken off active duty because of her baby and political position, which could make her either a drilling reservist or a member of the inactive reserves. Either way, addressing her by her rank, particularly in the workplace setting, would be both accurate and respectful of her accomplishments, even if she wasn't an active duty officer in her day job. Again, not an expert, just a guess.

I'd think it likelier that a few enlistees were given an impromptu basic training aboard the James, not at any other dedicated facility.

Only the show never gave any indication of her being recalled to duty. We just had a new episode where Mrs Greene suddenly became Commander Greene as if the show runner just changed course after filming a few episodes.

The traditional naval rank structure does suggest learning on the job as in the days or sail. Seaman Recruit, Seaman Apprentice, Midshipman, etc.

 

[The Wormhole]

We just had a new episode where Mrs Greene suddenly became Commander Greene as if the show runner just changed course after filming a few episodes.

Actually, I've been wondering, were any of the St Louis characters aside from Michener referred to by name? Okay, the douchebag reporter is Jacob Barnes, and Michener's make aide is Alex though I think the last episode was the first one where Elisabeth Rohm was referred to by name on screen, Allison. In fact, looking over IMDB, it seems Alex doesn't even have a last name, Allison does, Shaw.

Also, looking over IMDB reveals the new President has been in Star Trek a few times. He played two different Klingons, one in TNG, another in DS9 and he was a Xindi-Sloth in Enterprise.

 

[Gaith]

Only the show never gave any indication of her being recalled to duty. We just had a new episode where Mrs Greene suddenly became Commander Greene as if the show runner just changed course after filming a few episodes.

Were they calling her Mrs. Greene before, though? I don't remember. Maybe they were just calling her Commander now for the new POTUS' benefit. Or maybe that ep's writer won an argument over it. Either way, it's a small detail...

 

[The Wormhole]

Were they calling her Mrs. Greene before, though? I don't remember. Maybe they were just calling her Commander now for the new POTUS' benefit. Or maybe that ep's writer won an argument over it. Either way, it's a small detail...

When they first introduced the douchebag reporter, he called her "Miss Greene" to which she corrected him saying it was "Mrs. Greene." I don't think any of the other presidential staff have identified her as anything prior to the last episode.

 

[Gaith]

So, six months after the cure the Navy only has operational 3 ships? I'm guessing they have many ships at various navy docks, but no the manpower to operate them. Would be good to get a Carrier operational as soon as they can.

AFAIK, carriers' nuclear reactors have to be expertly maintained at all times, so unless one was properly cared for during the outbreak, which is highly doubtful, the existing carriers are probably permanently off-limits. Now, they could probably get an LHA running, but there's a significant anti-carrier movement in the real-life Navy, with certain experts saying we have plenty of allies with airfields, and carriers are too massive for quick or stealthy operations, and are uniquely vulnerable (they have to travel in strike groups with smaller, armed ships as is) for the amount of resources we pour into them. So no, in terms of the show, getting a carrier operational would be far, far down the Navy's to-do list, particularly as they'd probably have to complete construction of one of the new in-progress ones to do so.

And I believe they've said the Navy has three other ships besides the James patrolling Asia in general, not sure about worldwide. At this point, though, it's probably fair to ask why they haven't all met up, or at the very least made plans to do so. (Besides the show budget, that is.)

When they first introduced the douchebag reporter, he called her "Miss Greene" to which she corrected him saying it was "Mrs. Greene." I don't think any of the other presidential staff have identified her as anything prior to the last episode.

Quite, well, there we go. If she's not currently on active duty, and her White House job is considered a civilian posting, she wouldn't ask a reporter to call her by her rank.

 

[Admiral2]

AFAIK, carriers' nuclear reactors have to be expertly maintained at all times, so unless one was properly cared for during the outbreak, which is highly doubtful, the existing carriers are probably permanently off-limits.

Well, there's the reactors, and the whole "You need five thousand people and sixty planes to make the thing useful" deal...

Now, they could probably get an LHA running, but there's a significant anti-carrier movement in the real-life Navy, with certain experts saying we have plenty of allies with airfields, and carriers are too massive for quick or stealthy operations, and are uniquely vulnerable (they have to travel in strike groups with smaller, armed ships as is) for the amount of resources we pour into them.

Those aren't actually new arguments. People of various stripes have been leveling similar criticisms at carriers for ages, all the way back to when the Air Force got the USS United States killed. Yet we've been building United States-like carriers ever since, and aren't stopping, for a couple of reasons:

- Landlocked airfields we need someone else's permission to use will never be better than US-owned airfields we can put wherever we please in international waters.

-Eliminating nuclear carriers won't actually reduce the need for the numbers of smaller ships. In fact, you need more of the smaller ships (and the attendant support ships and facilities) just to make up for the capabilities you lose by getting rid of the carriers.

I'm sure there are those in the Navy who would argue for getting rid of carriers. I'm sure they'll be listened to just until a medium-range tactical craft is needed somewhere farther from an airfield than it is from the beach.

So no, in terms of the show, getting a carrier operational would be far, far down the Navy's to-do list, particularly as they'd probably have to complete construction of one of the new in-progress ones to do so.

Agreed.

And I believe they've said the Navy has three other ships besides the James patrolling Asia in general, not sure about worldwide. At this point, though, it's probably fair to ask why they haven't all met up, or at the very least made plans to do so. (Besides the show budget, that is.)

Given how few ships are available, it might be more important for those ships to stay on station than to rendezvous for any but the most dire of reasons.

 

[The Wormhole]

I'm actually surprised the other US Navy ships which are now in operation have made it this far in the season. When we first learned of them, I figured they wouldn't be around past the third of fourth episode, that they were the sacrificial lambs to prove the Chinese mean business. Like when DS9 introduced the Dominion by having the Jem'Hadar take down a Galaxy class ship in their first episode.

 

[The Wormhole]

Shit, this was an eventful episode. It had everything, ground combat, some intense naval combat, political agendas being advanced, all kinds of shit going down. I notice Peng has now set himself up on one of the Chinese ships at sea. I wonder if we'll eventually get a showdown between his flagship and the Nathan James?

I guess I wasn't too far off in my above post regarding the other ships being the "sacrificial lambs." Mind you, I didn't think it would take well over half way through the season, but there we are. Cool to see O'Connor back, apparently he's been serving on one of the other ships. Well, technically both, since he only had a transfer a week earlier.

The St Louis storyline really heated up with Allison making her move to take effective control of the government, leaving President Oliver as little more than a puppet. And am I interpreting things correctly, or did she not admit to killing Michener? And what about this supposed mole in the "White House" that's leaking intel to the Chinese? Are we supposed to believe that's Allison/one of her people?

Now Kara's on the run, presumably Allison's going to sell her out as a fugitive to the public, might even blame her for the murders. The Comic Con trailer of course offers a pretty significant hint where Kara's storyline is going, and I sure am looking forward to that, I tell you.

 

[Admiral2]

And now I must rant.

Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers are equipped with the Aegis defense system, The whole point - the POINT I tell you - of this system is to shoot down missiles fired at Aegis equipped ships, at long, medium and close range.

It is criminal that three Aegis equipped destroyers just sat there and let two waves of missiles just fly in before it occurred to somebody "Oh wait...we can shoot those down right?"

I need a facepalm emoji...