Jack Ryan Meets The Last Of Us In Michael Bay’s 56-Episode Sci-Fi Series

If there’s one filmmaker whose career has become synonymous with big-budget theatrical spectacle, it’s Michael Bay. From the mechanized destruction of Transformers to the disaster-movie excess of Armageddon, Michael Bay movies make scale a selling point. Explosions are as frequent as they are enormous, action heroes display almost superhuman levels of grit and courage, and even straightforward missions can escalate into international emergencies. That approach has made him one of Hollywood’s most recognizable filmmakers, with a signature style that audiences can usually identify long before his name appears in the closing credits.

However, while he’s best known for his movies, Michael Bay has considerable experience on the small screen too. His name is attached to a variety of TV shows, although one particular sci-fi series he was an executive producer on deserves considerably more attention. The Last Ship ran for five seasons on TNT between 2014 and 2018, delivering a 56-episode blend of military action and post-apocalyptic survival. It’s a superb and underrated showcase of the creative hallmarks that made Michael Bay a Hollywood household name.

In terms of its plot, The Last Ship centers on a US Navy destroyer’s crew after a devastating pandemic leaves civilization facing extinction on land, turning their vessel into a potential lifeline for humanity. This premise, alongside Michael Bay being an executive producer, already makes the series intriguing. However, its unique genre mix has made it even more worthy of revisiting than ever before thanks to it feeling like a blend of two streaming-era hits that followed it: Prime Video’s Jack Ryan and HBO’s The Last of Us.

At time of writing, The Last Ship is available to stream in its entirety on Netflix.

The Last Ship Treats A Viral Apocalypse Like A Global Espionage Thriller

The Last Ship deserves a more prominent place in discussions of great 2010s TV shows, though just how innovative it was didn’t become apparent until after its 2018 conclusion. Its strongest selling point has only become clear thanks to two shows that arrived after it, Prime Video’s Jack Ryan and HBO’s The Last of Us. The series effortlessly combines the international military intrigue that drives Jack Ryan with the shattered civilization that makes The Last of Us so compelling (although without the fungus-ridden zombies).

It’s easy to see from the premise how The Last Ship has the perfect setup to take the best of both shows and merge them. The show’s titular ship, the USS Nathan James, initially survives a catastrophic viral outbreak thanks to being on a mission in the Arctic when civilization collapses. Captain Tom Chandler (Eric Dane) must then protect virologist Dr. Rachel Scott (Rhona Mitra) as she works toward a cure. It’s a refreshing spin on the pandemic-based apocalypse TV show formula. Survival means keeping a functioning warship supplied, defending scientific research, and deciding which distress calls the crew can afford to answer.

The cure itself becomes a source of geopolitical power as The Last Ship‘s five seasons unfold. Hostile forces with competing visions for rebuilding civilization turn a medical emergency into an international struggle. It’s here that the Jack Ryan similarities take shape, as defending the cure leads to plenty of covert operations and ever-shifting geopolitical allegiances. The links to Jack Ryan run deeper behind the scenes too, as Michael Bay’s production company Platinum Dunes worked on both The Last Ship and Prime Video’s Tom Clancy show.

The result is a distinctive viewing experience. A mission in The Last Ship can shift from a tense naval confrontation to a desperate encounter with civilians trying to survive the apocalyptic wasteland on shore within the space of a single episode. Few subsequent shows have managed to recreate this combination of military espionage thriller and apocalyptic sci-fi.

Michael Bay’s Creative Footprint Is All Over The Last Ship

Alongside its similarities to Jack Ryan and The Last of Us, The Last Ship also has all the appeal of a Michael Bay movie. While only executive producing and not directing, the series takes all the filmmaker’s familiar blockbuster ingredients and works them into a multi-season story.

The action in The Last Ship is frequent and, quite literally, explosive. Naval engagements, armed boarding parties, and dangerous operations ashore make every episode feel distinctly Michael Bay. The focus on the USS Nathan James gives the spectacle a strong military foundation too, which is a staple of Bay’s theatrical work. It’s not only the setting and atmosphere that bear the hallmarks of Michael Bay’s influence, either. It’s in the characters too. Captain Chandler, for example, embodies the kind of commanding action-hero protagonist Michael Bay’s movies routinely include.

What’s more, running for 56 episodes across five seasons means that The Last Ship delivers more of what Michael Bay fans love about his movies than the limited runtime of said movies can ever allow for. For viewers who enjoy Bay’s trademark penchant for explosive action, military hardware, and unapologetically heroic characters, The Last Ship is absolutely essential viewing.

The Last Ship