TNT's The Last Ship - Episode 5.07 "Somos la Sangre"
Pinned down after days of fighting, Vulture team must find their way into a secretive enemy camp.
In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of TNT's The Last Ship.
"Somos la Sangre" was written by Hiram Martinez and directed by Peter Weller
This hour doesn't feature Tavo at all. And yet, he doesn't have to physically appear for his influence to still be felt around the world. There are so many people who are willing to fight and die for the dictator. The majority of the action is centered around one battlefield in Cuba where the Colombian forces are simply trying to keep the Americans from learning the purpose from within the facility. If the walls were to be breeched, then their plans for how to disrupt the country from within again would be completely destroyed. This hour thrives on the surprise of the big twists. The Navy can't breech Camp X until the command center in Florida is hijacked. That requires the audience to be patient with all of the cutaways to what is going on with Kelly and how she is so easily manipulated. She believes she's doing a great service to Tavo. In reality, she is just expendable. She just has to create the distraction worthy enough to get paramedics called to this government facility - as if the site would only have one medical professional present to check out and treat her injuries. That makes it seem so easy to infiltrate this building. And yes, the idea that the Colombians have the blueprints of this building and can perfectly recreate it proves just how powerful they are. However, the show still values action sequences with lots of gunplay over the idea of a network of traitors within the United States that can strike at a moment's notice. You would think the government would take even more precautions now because of the disaster that occurred at the start of the season. But that's not what has occurred. So now, there is a new attack on American soil by the enemy. The Navy will still stand strong with the Nathan James and Cuban allies. But all of this continues to prove that Tavo is the most dangerous enemy that the characters have ever faced. He isn't a villain defined by the end of the world. He didn't rise up because of the virus or the famine. Instead, he thrived on an ideological principle. Sure, as the season has gone on, he has lost his beliefs somewhat and become more like a one-note dictator. But he is still a terrifying threat because it seems like the Nathan James may not win in this battle. They are suffering heavy losses unlike ever before. They lost so many brave soldiers at the start of the season. Alisha was killed because her girlfriend was working for the enemy. And now, their command center is under attack. Miller loses his legs during a confrontation with a tank to save his friends who would otherwise be dead. He lands in the infirmary as a hero. It just comes as a severe loss for them. Plus, there is still the mystery of the monster ship that is the sole weapon in the Colombian fleet. It still seems to vanish without a trace. They can launch a stealth attack without the Americans being able to get any warning ahead of time. Here, Chandler only knows the missile is inbound because he can hear it. It still leads to plenty of devastation. And so, it may not matter that the Americans win this battle. They take over the base. But it is essentially pointless because the attack is already underway back home.
