It’s been over a decade. Yet, people are still scouring streaming services and forums looking for The Last Resort Season 2. Honestly, it’s one of those "what if" scenarios that keeps TV nerds up at night. You remember the premise: a US nuclear submarine, the USS Colorado, gets a suspicious order to fire nukes at Pakistan. They refuse. Suddenly, they’re declared enemies of the state, hunted by their own country, and forced to take over an island with a NATO listening station. It was high-stakes, cinematic, and expensive.
Maybe too expensive.
If you’re looking for a release date, I’ve got to be the bearer of bad news. There isn't one. There never was. ABC pulled the plug on the ambitious military drama created by Shawn Ryan and Karl Gajdusek back in 2012 before the first season even finished airing. But the story of why it died—and what could have happened if it lived—is actually more interesting than a simple "low ratings" explanation.
The Brutal Truth About The Last Resort Season 2 Cancellation
TV is a numbers game. It's boring, but true. When Last Resort premiered, it had a massive budget. We're talking about a pilot that felt like a $20 million feature film. They built a massive submarine set, filmed on location in Hawaii, and employed a cast led by the powerhouse Andre Braugher. When you spend that kind of money, you need Grey’s Anatomy numbers. You need a massive, loyal audience that shows up every Thursday night.
The show started strong. Over 9 million people tuned in for the pilot. But by the time episode seven or eight rolled around, the audience had dipped significantly. ABC saw the writing on the wall. They gave the creators enough lead time to turn the season one finale into a series finale, but they didn't give them a second year.
It’s a bummer.
Shawn Ryan, the mastermind behind The Shield, is known for tight, gritty storytelling. He didn't want to leave fans hanging. Because the network was transparent about the cancellation early on, the writers were able to scramble. They took plot points originally intended for The Last Resort Season 2 and crammed them into the final few episodes. That’s why the ending feels so breathless, almost like someone hit the fast-forward button on a political thriller.
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What Would Have Happened Next?
If the show had been renewed, the scope was planned to expand way beyond Sainte Marina. Gajdusek and Ryan have hinted in various interviews over the years that the "island vs. the world" dynamic was only the beginning.
Basically, the second season would have leaned harder into the domestic resistance. Remember Scott Speedman’s character, Sam Kendal? His wife, Christine, was becoming a central figure in the underground movement back in D.C. Season 2 would have likely mirrored the tension on the submarine with a full-blown political revolution at home. We were supposed to see the cracks in the US government widen until the crew of the Colorado wasn't just defending themselves—they were being asked to help rebuild a fractured nation.
There was also the Kylie Sinclair angle. Autumn Reeser’s character was the one digging into the "Perseus" conspiracy. The show was building toward a reveal about who actually issued the launch orders and why. In a hypothetical The Last Resort Season 2, this wouldn't have been solved in a quick montage. It would have been a slow-burn espionage plot involving high-level cabinet members and private defense contractors.
The Andre Braugher Factor
We have to talk about Captain Marcus Chaplin. The late, great Andre Braugher brought a level of gravitas to that role that most network TV shows don't deserve. He was the soul of the series. Without him, there is no show.
Braugher played Chaplin not as a rebel, but as a patriot who was heartbroken by his country’s betrayal. It’s rare to see a "mutiny" story where the mutineers are the ones following the law. In a second season, the writers intended to test Chaplin’s morality even further. How long can you occupy a foreign island before you become the very tyrant you're fighting against? That's the kind of nuanced stuff The Last Resort was tackling way before the "Prestige TV" boom fully took over network schedules.
Why a Reboot or Revival is Unlikely
You see it all the time now. Lucifer gets saved by Netflix. The Expanse moves to Amazon. People wonder if The Last Resort Season 2 could happen in the age of streaming.
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Kinda unlikely.
First, the sets are gone. The production costs for a show involving submarines and tropical locations are astronomical. Secondly, the cast has moved on to massive projects. Scott Speedman spent years on Animal Kingdom and Grey's Anatomy. Robert Patrick is everywhere. Most importantly, the loss of Andre Braugher in late 2023 makes a direct continuation impossible. You can't replace Marcus Chaplin.
Also, the finale we got—while rushed—was definitive. (Spoilers ahead if you haven't finished it!)
The USS Colorado was destroyed. Chaplin stayed with his ship. The truth about the conspiracy was leaked to the press. It wasn't the five-year journey the creators envisioned, but it was a closed loop.
The Legacy of a One-Season Wonder
Even though we never got The Last Resort Season 2, the show remains a cult classic for a reason. It didn't treat its audience like idiots. It dealt with complex Rules of Engagement, nuclear brinkmanship, and the psychological toll of isolation.
It also served as a precursor to the "global thriller" genre that is now huge on platforms like Apple TV+ and Prime Video. If Last Resort had launched in 2024 on a streamer instead of 2012 on a broadcast network, it probably would have been a five-season hit. ABC's audience at the time was looking for procedural dramas or soaps. They weren't quite ready for a serialized show about a rogue nuclear submarine and the downfall of the American presidency.
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How to Experience the Story Now
Since a second season isn't coming, how do you scratch that itch?
Honestly, the best way to "finish" the story is to look at the work of the creators. Shawn Ryan’s The Shield offers that same high-pressure moral ambiguity. If you want the specific military-thriller vibe, the original 13 episodes are usually available for purchase on Vudu, Amazon, or Apple. It’s worth a rewatch just to see the craftsmanship that went into the production.
You can also find various "post-mortem" interviews with Karl Gajdusek online where he discusses the roadmap they had in mind. It's the closest thing to a script we’ll ever get.
The reality of the television industry is that great shows die young all the time. Firefly, Terriers, Studio 60. The Last Resort belongs in that "gone too soon" Hall of Fame. It was a show that swung for the fences and hit a triple, but just couldn't make it home because the game got called on account of rain.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch the Finale Again: If you haven't seen it since 2013, go back and watch episode 13, "Controlled Flight Into Terrain." Knowing it was meant to be a series finale changes how you view the pacing.
- Explore Shawn Ryan’s Catalog: If you liked the "tough men in impossible situations" vibe, check out The Unit or S.W.A.T., though they are more procedural than Last Resort.
- Check Out "The 2084" Podcast: Occasionally, TV writers pop up on industry podcasts to talk about their "lost" seasons. Gajdusek has been vocal about his experiences with the show in various writer's room deep dives.
- Physical Media: Since streaming licenses shift constantly, if you really love the show, find a DVD copy. It’s one of those series that could easily vanish from digital storefronts due to licensing issues between Sony Pictures Television and ABC.
The story of the USS Colorado ended on that beach in Hawaii. It wasn't the ending we wanted, but in a world of endless reboots and diluted sequels, there’s something almost poetic about a single, high-intensity season that left us wanting more.