- Captain Marcus Chaplin is commander of the USS Colorado, a ballistic missile submarine. He has a good crew and all are quite good at their jobs. They receive an order to launch two missiles - the target is Pakistan - but they've received the order over a low security radio band and when he requests confirmation, Chaplin is relieved of command. His XO Sam Kendal also requests confirmation and soon after, the Colorado is fired upon - by a U.S. destroyer. Chaplin realizes they are in very deep and heads to a nearby island for safety. The locals aren't too keen with the navy's arrival and Chaplin has to send a message to Washington - one they will clearly understand to mean they and the Colorado are to be left alone.—garykmcd
- "Last Resort" - Pilot - Sept. 27, 2012
A small raft carries several soldiers, one of whom is wounded, as it speeds across a vast expanse of ocean. One of the soldiers is trying to raise whoever is supposed to be meeting them at the rendezvous point and no one is answering.
Underneath the raft, bubbles form and a huge submarine comes up under them and the soldiers, who are Navy Seals, are told to get in post-haste because they're in hostile territory.
In the command center of the sub Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) asks for some possible escape routes, which is good since apparently a Pakistani frigate is turning on their position.
The sub dives once again.
The captain and his excecutive office (XO) Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) go for a walk and Chaplin leaves Lt. Grace Shepard in charge noting that she can relax since they're not actually at war and just to let the Pakistani frigate know how incredibly dead they'd be if we were.
The Chief of the Boat (COB) Joseph Prosser (Robert Patrick) hands the Seals off to the XO and Chaplin. The SEAL leader thanks them for the pick up. Chaplin says they'll be in range of choppers to take the wounded guy in soon. The XO wants to know why the Pakistani frigate came after them. The SEAL is mum. He goes to one of his other SEALS and asks "what the hell happened back there?"
The XO catches up with two female sailors --Reynolds and Cortez-- to do a mandatory weekly "sensitivity" check to make sure they haven't been harassed. The women crack up at this but report they haven't had any problems. (We learn it's 1400 hours and it's day 56 of their tour.)
Elsewhere two male sailors are discussing the vagaries of beatboxing while fixing some mechanical issue. One who looks white is telling one who looks black about how he understands hip-hop better than he does. The XO wanders by and the black one asks if he can shoot the white one in the head. XO says "permission granted."
Two other sailors are complaining about Chaplin giving Shepard, a woman, command of the boat when he left the bridge. She overhears them. She bumps into Kendal and tells him Chaplin wants to see him in his quarters.
Kendal goes to Prosser and tattles that the sailors were busting Shepard's balls. Prosser says he'll take care of it.
Kendal then goes to see Chaplin who's looking at pictures of his son who is a soldier, in the desert. Kendal says he must be proud. Chaplin says his son is jealous of him being surrounded by water.
Kendal asks Chaplin about the "Eisenhower group" changing course. Chaplin says Washington is falling apart. He flicks on a small TV in his quarters to show Kendal news reports of a looming impeachment of the president and that four generals have resigned in protest of the president's "reckless" policies.
As he pours them a drink, Chaplin makes an analogy to Reagan firing the air traffic controllers in the '80s as a way of making the Russians believe he was crazy and capable of anything, including launching nukes. They toast to "being 500 feet under and half a world away from it all." Chaplin pulls a picture out of Kendal's pocket of a pretty blond. Chaplin tells Kendal he's recommended him for a high up desk job on the mainland and tells him to go home to his wife and start a family. He says that whatever debt Kendal thinks he owes Chaplin he has paid 100 times over.
Prosser tells Shepard that Lawrence and Stern will be pulling latrine duty for a week for disrespecting her and that it's not about her being a woman. She calmly puts him in his place and tells him that it's two weeks latrine duty and he should be addressing her by her rank or ma'am not her first name.
On the bridge later Chaplin asks Shepard for a report. She informs him that they are currently crossing the equator. At this announcement someone flips on the PA and "La Bamba" by Ritchie Valens comes pouring out and everybody starts smiling and boogieing. Cortez runs over and puts sunglasses on Chaplin. Shepard looks confused. Chaplin asks her if it's her first time crossing the equator on a warship. She smiles. Apparently this is what they do. Kendal enters. Chaplin salutes him.
Suddenly something comes over the communication system that alarms Chaplin and he yells "battle stations!" The party is over. Shepard reports they have been ordered to launch one of their nukes.
Chaplin, Kendal, Shepard, Prosser and another sailor are standing in front of a locked safe and taking out all that stuff that is involved with nuclear launches: codes, keys, numbers, lanyards. Kendal and Chaplin look at the numbers and say they're good. They believe they have "an authenticated fire order" but Shepard is hesitant, and freaked out since it came from the Antartic network which would only happen if D.C. was wiped out in a first strike.
They prepare the missiles for launch. Kendal inserts his key. He and Chaplin eye each other nervously. And then they chew over the Antartic thing. Chaplin orders an antenna put out so they can take a look. When they flip on the monitor, regular TV is on screen. Chaplin wants to talk to command. Prosser, whose obviously going to be the hawk is all "we're cleared to fire" and says if Chaplin communicates he will be disobeying the order. Chaplin says this is noted.
Chaplin calls national command and requests confirmation. He is told that he has an authenticated order and should fire. He says he has no declaration of war and questions why the order came through a secondary channel. Things get tense on the deck. He tells the guy since he's still getting "Hannah Montana" on his TV, D.C. clearly hasn't been wiped out so he's not going to annihilate 4.3 million Pakistanis until he hears directly from someone whose authority he can recognize. And then he hangs up on him.
Back in D.C. a hot chick in a red dress named Kylie is using the description of the U.S.S. Colorado as foreplay with her beau on the way back from a date. She talks about its stats: trident nukes, 150 men, 9 women and 2 female officers, it makes it's own air and power, $4 billion. One small problem it had was the way it had of announcing itself through it's own magnetic signature making it a sitting duck. But she fixed it with some technology called Perseus which she hopes to make a lot of cash on with the help of the senator that her date works for. He says he can't resist her. They are now on the bed and ready to get it on when she gets a text that says "472 Chaplin" and totally freaks her out. She runs off. He is sad.
Things are tense and sweaty back on the deck. Deputy Secretary of Defense William Curry rings up Chaplin. Chaplin recognizes his voice but wonders why the president isn't on the line. Curry doesn't answer but instead relieves him of his command and asks for the XO. Kendal takes the line and is promoted. He is told to fire. He tells Shepard to take Chaplin's key and put it in the computer. She does. Everybody continues to sweat and be tense. Kendal than asks for what Chaplin did, that Curry send the request via the regular channel. Curry says he will and the line goes dead. Suddenly the Navy SEALS are on the con and asking why they're refusing the order. Kendal tells COB to remove the men but they resist. Chaplin tells them they have no authority here. The SEALS pull guns and Chaplin says those are not great on submarines. The SEALS say they never miss. Suddenly they realize that a missile is locked on their position and everyone springs into action for an emergency deep dive. Basically preparation is "hold on!" The sub dives, the missile hits the water and explodes, things go haywire and sparky. Chaplin says to bring the boat up but Shepard says she can't, she needs to reboot. They're taking on water and approaching the bottom. They hit the bottom. The lights go out.
Water is pouring in. The SEALS and Kendal go save their wounded buddy. One of he SEALs dies in the process.
Somewhere on a tropical island. A dude in a red Mercedes drives by a bar and then up to a NATO outpost. Inside a British man is on the phone explaining that he has a missile signature on his screen. A French woman with him confirms it was an American Tomahawk missile. The guy explains that this could start a war. He hangs up. She tells him to scan the area --near India/Pakistan-- for the last hour and give her something she can bring back to NATO command. The Mercedes man Julian arrives and she, Sophie, is happy to see him but says he can't just waltz in like this. He says nothing is ever put behind locked gates that someone won't break into and he produces a jar of Nutella for her as a gift. He says someday she'll give him a gift.
Back on the sub Kendal and Chaplin debrief: boat's damaged, there are casualties, they don't know who shot at them or will again. He says the man best equipped to help the boat is in his room chilling to Mozart. Kendal says he needs Chaplin's help. Chaplin says they have a captain: Kendal. It seems like he's trying to buck him up but it also doesn't seem very helpful.
One SEAL looks at his dead SEAL friend.
The boats rotors come to life as Kendal takes the con. Shepard says the crew is wondering what happens next. Kendal gets on the PA and says they boat is back in working order, they lost 12 people but there's no time to mourn. The officers will explain their actions to the proper authorities at the proper time but until then he wants to get somewhere safe so they can all see their families again. They find out that it was a U.S. ship that fired on them, the Illinois. COB says it's because they ignored the order. Kendal said they questioned, not ignored and you don't fire on your own people for that. COB thinks they should surface with a white flag. Kendal worries that flag will be a target and they're getting out of Dodge. COB is disgusted that their plan is to run. Kendal dismisses him and tells him to go make his rounds. He says the stupid will be punished. Kendal asks if COB acknowledges his authority. He does. Chaplin reappears and wants the boat to change position. The sailor won't do it since he was relieved of duty. Kendal tells COB to remove the sailor. He does. Kendal salutes Chaplin and reinstates his authority saying they all know it's wrong. He says "Captain has the con" and Shepard repeats it. Chaplin hands Shepard a plotted course and says he's found their oasis. He tells Kendal he gave a nice speech.
We check in with Sam's wife. She's on the phone saying that Sam will be underwater for another two months and she's wondering why she's taking business classes when she's afraid to start a business. A knock comes at the door and she hangs up saying her friend has arrived but it's two men from the Navy. She, of course, thinks her husband has died.
As does everyone else now that the news has broken that the Colorado has been sunk by a Pakistani warship and all souls aboard presumed dead.
Kylie is incensed. She tracks down Admiral Arthur Shepard and castigates him for sinking his own submarine and that to buy her silence he has to put Perseus on other boats. He is grieving his daughter Grace who was on the sub and he tells Kylie to get out of his face. She shows him the "472 Chaplin" text message and explains she got it right before the Colorado was sunk: decoded it means that Chaplin was relieved of his command. He is taken aback, she realizes he didn't know.
Back on the Colorado Kendal takes a deep breath in a hallway and flashes back to telling his wife he'd only be gone for four months and saying a tearful goodbye.
Shepard tracks him down and asks again what they should be doing. He tells her to say nothing and show the crew how to be strong. She tells him she would've turned the key if he had told her to, she thanks him for not making her do it.
Sophie, the French NATO woman is luxuriating in her Nutella. And suddenly they see two things: the fautly news report that Pakistan fired on the Colorado and then two U.S. missiles heading for, and eventually landing in, Pakistan. She and her Brit friend watch helplessly, she cries.
The Colorado picks up the nukes hitting Pakistan. The COB says the fight has started and it's not to late to get in it. Marcus says it's time to "grab some sunlight." The sub surface, bumping a fishing boat in the process and everyone on the island watches as the sub surfaces and then the sailors swarm the village weapons drawn. James, the head SEAL, asks the hot female bartender of the local village watering hole the Buzzard's Nest if he can dump the body bag containing his friend in her freezer. He gives her $1,000 to just start a tab.
The sailors swarm the NATO station they look at their computers and realize they can use them. Sophie says she doesn't know who they think they are but this station belongs to NATO. Chaplin enters and tells her she is wrong, this station and the sub parked outside all belong to him now.
Admiral Shepard gets a call in his office, it is Chaplin who puts Grace on. He is so relieved she is alive. She says he always told her "honor before all" so when he learns what happens she hopes he's proud. Chaplin gets back on the horn and explains. Shepard tells him the White House said it was Pakistanis and that we are now at war, before Shepard can reply further armed soldiers enter and hang up the phone.
Julian confronts James at the Buzzard's Nest. Julian was the main dude/gangster running things on the island, which is called Sainte Marie, and he wants to know what the Navy's intentions are since there are certains "terms" he demands. James bascially tells Julian to get bent and that his time running this bananna republic is over. He then explains how he could easily take out all of Julian's thugs standing around. Julian is disgusted but retreats for now snarking about American confidence. Tani watches this all unfold uneasily. James just wants to get hammered and mourn his dead friend.
Jessy Kendal's phone rings, she is surrounded by government officials. When the answering machine picks up Sam's voice comes over and she picks it up. He begs her to please believe in him no matter what they say. The officials hang up Jessy's phone just as the lights go out in the NATO station.
Sam and Sophie go to investigate and find a sailor ratting them out. When Sam draws on them, another sailor, the one who was carping about a woman being in charge, draws on Sam. Sam drops his gun. When it seems like he will fire, he is shot dead by Grace Kendal. The COB arrives and wonders what the hell Grace just did.
The power returns and they discover two B-1 bombers closing in on their position. Chaplin orders everyone back to the Colorado. Everyone but Cortez and Granite are accounted for. Chaplin says they're not leaving any crew behind and he won't dive since hiding in the ocean won't stop whosever after them from bombing this town and all the people in it. He decides to go for a long shot, to "change the game": he fires a missile at Washington and tells the power that be that he won't use the self-destruct if the bombers aren't turned back within two minutes.
The town watches the missile launch, at the bar James says "that's not good."
The bombers don't turn and Chaplin says this is it and it's been an honor serving with them. They figure they're dead. They're about to destroy the missile they sent when suddenly the bombers turn back. Kendal wants to stop the missile but Chaplin says no. He calls Washington back and says they went past his deadline. Kendal practically orders Chaplin to destroy the missile. Chaplin says if they don't make good on their threats they'll all be dead in a week. He asks Kendal if he's ever done anything that wasn't in the best interest of this boat, this crew or their nation. The missile detonates 200 miles east offshore where it shouldn't cause too much damage. Chaplin thinks they got everyone's attention.
We cut to Marcus in the NATO station filming a speech to send home. He explains what happened. He then declares a 200 mile no-man's-land perimeter around the island and himself in charge. He says they love their country and would gladly die for what it represents but they do not recognize or obey a government that tries to murder it's own and if anyone tries to get at them he will bring to bear the nuclear weaponry at his disposal on the Colorado, he gives them his word: "Test us and we will all burn together. You've been warned." Kendal, referring back to the Ronald Reagan analogy, says Chaplin's move was just crazy enough to make the powers that be realize they're serious.
During his speech we get a montage: Jessy Kendall being interrogated at home; Grace Shepard looking at the sailor she shot and the COB calling her "you little bitch Grace" and Grace retorting "it's' 'you little bitch lieutenant!'"; She then overhears the wounded SEAL saying to another "the intel is wrong! We killed the wrong people!" The SEAL quickly closes the curtain on his friend; Admiral Shepard coming to Kylie's house; Julian opening the back door of the van which contains Cortez and Granite, bound and roughed up; in the bar, a now drunk James looking at the news footage of the bombs destruction in Pakistan and tearfully saying to himself "that was my fault." Tani embraces him.
Later, Kendal, Shepard, and Chaplin stand on top of the NATO station and look down at the marina in which the Colorado sits. Chaplin hands Kendal the picture of his wife he was looking at earlier. It is all battered but some other sailors found it. Chaplin wonders what happened to the country they grew up in. He says they can do better, right here, from scratch. Ruh-ro. Kendal points out that everything they did was to get their names cleared so they could go back home. Chaplin muses that maybe this is home now. Kendal and Shepard exchange wary glances.
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What is the broadcast (satellite or terrestrial TV) release date of Captain (2012) in Brazil?
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