The Last Ship is based on a novel of the same name by William Brinkley, which followed a Navy ship that returns from maneuvers in the Arctic to find a virus has infected about 80% of the world's population. On the show, the crew is led by Commander Chandler (Eric Dane, Grey's Anatomy), and while trying to find a cure for the virus they also seek to learn what happened to their families.
Strike Back). Later seasons would deal with the world trying to rebuild itself post-disaster, which is naturally a complex task.
The first episode of The Last Ship - called "Phase Six" - was directed by Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines) and did a great job laying out the stakes. The setup finds the crew of USS Nathan James heading to the Arctic, accompanied by Dr. Scott and her assistant Quincy, who are supposedly tagging along to study birds. Cut to four months later and the ship is targeted by Russian forces and Chandler learns the truth. Scott is really looking for a cure to a virus that has spread around the world like wildfire while the ship was in the Arctic.
The former President and Vice President died of the virus, and the crew can't their families to find out if they're safe. The Last Ship season 1 episode 1 doesn't skimp on setpieces either, with a nuclear explosion causing the USS Nathan James' electronics to shut down, though they reset the ship to fix this. They also board a cruise liner to raid food and other supplies, which is littered with bodies. A crew member also kills himself when he becomes exposed to the virus.
The Last Ship season 1 episode 1 "Phase Six" finds Scott realizing the virus spread so quickly because it was tampered with. Scott and Chandler, whose relationship is a little fraught, decide to stay on the sea and make a vaccine on the ship instead of heading for land. Chandler also learns his wife and children are safe, and the episode ends with the reveal Quincy is a Russian mole. All in all, The Last Ship's opening episode was a solid beginning and laid the groundwork for the show that followed.