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'Last Resort': Is the premiere worth watching?

Is 'Last Resort' an intriguing, action-filled premiere or too heavy for weekly viewing?

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Courtesy of ABC
'Last Resort' stars Andre Braugher (second from right) and Scott Speedman (third from left).

Premieres: Thursdays September 27 at 8 p.m. on ABC (Global in Canada).

In A Nutshell: When the captain of a submarine opts to question unconventional orders rather than fire nuclear weapons on Pakistan, a chain of events is set in motion that leads to a standoff between the ship’s crew, their country of origin and the natives of an exotic island.

Names You’ll Know: Andre Braugher (HOMICIDE) brings an air of gravitas (tinged with just a soupcon of crazy) as the renegade captain, Marcus, and Scott Speedman (who will forever be Ben to FELICITY fans like us!) plays First Officer, Sam.

What They Say: Creator/Executive Producer Shawn Ryan (THE SHIELD, TERRIERS) calls RESORT a “big budget, very huge, monstrous-scope show.” He adds that it is “not a show about war but… a show about people in a time of crisis. So in the same way that Casablanca and Gone With the Wind… were personal character stories about people in the middle of crisis, that’s what we’re hoping to do in a weekly series.”

What Others Say: James Poniewozik of Time.com wrote of the first episode, “This is how a pilot should work.”

What We Say: This may be the bravest, most intriguing, thought-provoking show of the fall season. The action kicks off fast and furious… which is both a good and bad thing as we’re introduced to a literal boatload of characters and their issues in no time. And yet the second Braugher begins bucking the system, you’ll be fully invested as the tension ratchets higher and higher. If there’s a phrase to describe this show, it’s unrelentingly macho… which is rather refreshing. If there’s a concern, it’s with regard to the time slot. Will viewers really tune in for such heavy material at 8 p.m. on a Thursday night?

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