Throughout the next month, we'll be taking a second look at select new fall shows to see how critics' opinions are evolving. View all Second Look reviews here.
Drama | Thursdays at 8p 
Last Resort
| Critics |
Users |
| 74 |
8.0 |
| based on 3 eps. |
69 votes |
| Consensus After 4 Episodes |
 Steady |
| ...good on the sub, less so on land |
How it's doing: Not well. Some industry experts are certain that the series will be canceled at some point this year, with the only mystery revolving around when that might happen. The show's ratings declined each of its first three weeks on the air (before ticking up slightly in week 4), it is getting a smaller boost from DVR viewing than most other shows, and it is consistently trailing its competitors on Fox and CBS (though it does beat NBC's poor-performing Thursday comedies).
About that Metascore: Critics got a chance to view three full episodes prior to the start of the season, and while they loved the pilot, many expressed some reservations about the subsequent hours (particularly the second episode), which led to skepticism about the show's long-term prospects. The result was a lower Metascore than would have been assigned to the premiere alone. Still, Last Resort is the second-highest-scoring new network show of the fall season so far, trailing only Nashville.
Episode by episode
Below, we sample comments from critics and recappers after both early and recent episodes of Last Resort. When possible, we have used symbols to provide a rough snapshot of week-to-week changes in quality according to each critic:
IMPROVING: Indicates the critic has noted a general improvement in quality
STEADY: Indicates that episode quality has remained steady (which could be good news or bad)
DECLINING: Indicates a general decline in quality in that episode
| A.V. Club / Scott Von Doviak |
Episode 1
"The premise is far-fetched, of course, but certainly less so than a magical island with a smoke monster on it. For now, there's enough intrigue to keep me hooked, although I can't imagine what Last Resort would be about in, say, its third season, if it's lucky enough to last that long." [Grade: B+]
Episode 2
"Here's hoping that, as the writers grow more confident in their material, they can leave the CliffsNotes behind." [Grade: B-]
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Episode 3
"The sustainability of the premise remains questionable, but this week's action/suspense sequences were well-executed." [Grade: B]
Episode 4
"Despite the nagging flaws (I'm already kind of done with Mayor Julian as a viable villain), I still think Last Resort is a pretty decent thriller with a handful of intriguing elements and a rock-solid lead performance." [Grade: B+]
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| HItFix / Alan Sepinwall |
Episodes 1-3
"The 'Last Resort' pilot episode is far and away the best I watched for this fall season. There are some bumps in the next two episodes, but also some very promising signs that, coupled with the talent involved, has me wanting to believe there is a great series here" [Grade: B+]
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Episode 4
"Four episodes in, 'Last Resort' continues to do well when it's dealing with conflicts involving the crew of the Colorado, but is much sketchier when it leaves the sub."
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| IGN / Eric Goldman |
Episode 1
"Last Resort has such a tense, 'How will this be resolved?!' scenario, it's hard not to also wonder, 'How do you sustain this for several years?', if it finds its deserving success. But the pilot feels so confident and powerful, I'm more curious than concerned when it comes to answering that second question." [Grade: 9.5/10]
Episode 2
"While not as intense as the pilot (and really, we can't expect it to be on a weekly basis), the second episode of Last Resort was solid, continuing the tension implicit in this scenario and adding new players to the mix." [Grade: 8.0]
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Episode 3
"Tani's 'My mom got sick and I'm stuck with my dad who I don't get along with' storyline sticks out like a distracting sore thumb among the intrigue and tension of Last Resort. I hope she can somehow be better integrated as time goes on. " [Grade: 8.3]
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| io9 / Charlie Jane Anders |
Episode 1
"Last Resort reminded us of early Battlestar Galactica, in a good way. ... I'm aware this is a divisive show thus far — people either love it or hate it, with no middle ground. Personally, I mostly loved it."
Episode 2
"I'm still enjoying the heck out of Last Resort. ... So far, this show is still feeling pretty fun and interesting."
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Episode 3
"I'm beginning to wonder if Last Resort is just an idea that would work for a movie, but not so much as a weekly TV show."
Episode 4
"Last Resort seems to work really well when it's asking questions about the legitimacy of power and authority, the same sort that Game of Thrones often asks. (The show works less well, notably, whenever it veers into trying to make us care about the characters on the island, whose story always feels peripheral to the real story. Serrat, Nutella Girl, Sierra... I just don't care about any of them.)"
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| ShowBuzzDaily / Mitch Salem |
Episode 1
"So this much is evident about Last Resort: you won't be bored."
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Episode 2
"It's still far from clear how Last Resort intends to extend itself beyond mini-series length into a continuing story. ... Last Resort was entertaining tonight, even gripping, but what is it?"
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| Sound on Sight / Deepayan Sengupta |
Episode 1
"Overall, this is a fantastic pilot with lots of promise for what's to come."
Episode 2
"Thankfully, it manages to craft a second episode full of suspense and interesting character moments, fleshing out the emotional stakes of the events and, by extension, making them more tangible."
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Episode 3
"Overall, this is another fantastic episode of a show that came out of the gate guns blazing, and hasn't shown any indications of slowing down."
Episode 4
"Another gripping episode."
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| TV Equals / Luke Gelineau |
Episode 1
"Wow. I thought this show would be good, but I honestly wasn't expecting the pilot to be that good!"
Episode 2
"Last Resort had the best pilot of any new show this fall, but "Blue on Blue" was just about as good of a follow up as could be expected."
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Episode 3
"My biggest concern with this show has always been how difficult it would be to sustain on a week-to-week basis, as the premise has always struck me as being better suited to a miniseries or movie, but so far it's managed to stay engaging every week."
Episode 4
"Yet another great episode."
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| TV Fanatic / Christine Orlando |
Episode 1
"Last Resort is better than any action movie I saw this summer. The pilot has already ratcheted up the tension to a fevered pitch and I will definitely be tuning in to find out what comes next." [Grade: 4.7/5]
Episode 2
"There was tension and suspense on multiple fronts and it solidified why I can't wait to keep tuning into Last Resort each week." [Grade: 4.4]
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Episode 3
"As I found myself holding my breath for much of 'Eight Bells,' I couldn't help but think this ABC drama just gets better and better with each episode." [Grade: 4.6]
Episode 4
"Overall, the scenes on the sub or of the crew on the island were where Last Resort was strongest. The show had me completely enthralled when I was watching the Captain, the COB and the rest of the crew trying to maintain order and persevere through circumstances no one could have foreseen. It's on the mainland that my attention started to wane." [Grade: 4.5]
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What do you think?
What do you think of Last Resort? Is it getting any better or worse as the season progresses? Are you sticking with it?
