Plot: Follows Frank Remnick, the lone U.S. marshal in charge of the quiet, rugged barrens of Alaska. Remnick’s jurisdiction is turned upside down when a prison transport plane crashes in the remote wilderness, setting free dozens of violent inmates. Tasked with protecting the town he’s vowed to keep safe, he begins to suspect the crash wasn’t an accident, but the first step of a well-crafted plan with far-reaching and devastating implications.
Review: There is a saying that every story has already been told. The repetitive nature of stories stems from the limited combinations of archetypes, plots, characters, and settings that we encounter before we come across something we have already seen. As someone who watches television and film for a living, I can say that it often takes a lot of time, but the quality of the cast and creative talent can transform something that could be clichéd or formulaic into a strong work of entertainment. The new series, The Last Frontier, is a familiar mix of good guys, bad guys, and plot elements combined into a setting we have seen before, but presented in a way that makes for an entertaining watch. With Jason Clarke, Haley Bennett, and Dominic Cooper anchoring the series and the propulsive opening episode directed by Extraction helmer Sam Hargrave, The Last Frontier is one of the most entertaining and thrilling series of the year.
The Last Frontier opens with an action-packed premiere that sets the tone for the series to follow. A prisoner transport jet carrying a group of criminals picks up a master criminal named Havlock, who appears to orchestrate a crash to facilitate his escape from custody. Landing in the remote wilderness of Alaska, the crash falls under the purview of Frank Remnick (Jason Clarke), a U.S. Marshal who is preparing to move into the next phase of his life with his wife, Sarah (Simone Kessell). As he investigates the crash, he is met by Sidney Scofield, who knows the danger that Havlock represents. Sent by Jack Bradford (Alfre Woodard) on behalf of the CIA, Scofield teams up with Remnick to find Havlock as well as the dozens of escaped convicts now roaming the Alaskan wilderness. With criminals played by a range of familiar faces, including Johnny Knoxville, Clifton Collins Jr, Rusty Schwimmer, Gus Birney, and more, Frank has his hands full. At the same time, Sidney is focused solely on recapturing Havlock.
Spread across ten episodes, The Last Frontier opens fast and violent and does not slow down. Each hour-long chapter is packed with developments and twists, with each episode closing with a cliffhanger that leads into the next entry. The give-and-take between Frank and Havlock comes into play early in the series, but evolves as we learn more about the master criminal’s true motivations for escaping. There is an interesting cat-and-mouse component to the Frank Remnick and Havlock relationship that is further complicated by Sidney Scofield, who is stuck between them. It helps that both Jason Clarke and Haley Bennett have worked together before in 2020’s The Devil All The Time. Here, as begrudging partners hunting down the most dangerous opponent they could face, they have ample time to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The dual narratives, which unfold through each episode as the characters try to find multiple, unique criminals while also hunting Havlock, keep the story moving from beginning to end.
Simone Kessell, Dominic Cooper, Dallas Goldtooth, and Tait Blum are all solid players in the supporting cast. The Last Frontier evokes the hallmarks of procedural and mystery television series, yet it boasts the scale of a feature film. There is a significant amount of backstory provided for all the characters, notably Frank Remnick and his family, which informs the decisions made by everyone throughout the series. There are still some ridiculous character choices that may have you slapping your forehead at how silly they are, but those are minor complaints compared to the fun this series presents overall. Jason Clarke is a solid protagonist, having established a career of playing a range of bad guys and unlikable characters. Clarke has always been a solid lead, and I appreciate his performance here as a father carrying the burden of a past secret. Clarke works well with everyone in the cast, especially Simone Kessell, who plays a realistic spouse to a career law enforcement officer. Placing this series in the most remote part of the United States enhances the isolation and uniqueness of the story, thereby overcoming any clichéd elements.
Showrunners Jon Bokenkamp and Richard D’Ovidio wrote the first episode and the finale, with Melissa Glenn, Albert Kim, Kelli Johnson, Glenn Kessler, Akela Cooper, and Ryan Cruise contributing to the remaining eight episodes. Bogenkamp and D’Ovidio have worked together previously on The Blacklist and The Blacklist: Redemption, as well as the 2013 film The Call. The duo has a solid grasp of complex crime stories blended with action that comes through in the dual narratives at play in The Last Frontier. Directing duties are helmed by Sam Hargrave, who directs the first and third episodes, with John Curran directing four episodes, Jessica Lowrey directing two, and Dennie Gordon directing two. Hargrave is best known for directing the Chris Hemsworth Netflix movies Extraction and Extraction 2, which are two of the most technically impressive action movies of the last twenty years. While the action is not non-stop in The Last Frontier, the first episode features a fight sequence and the third episode includes an intense helicopter set-piece, which are highlights of the entire series. Every episode balances significant action with character drama, making The Last Frontier an exciting watch.
The Last Frontier is a welcome first season of what should be an ongoing series. Nothing may be sure when a show costs as much as they do these days, but Apple’s deep pockets could have us returning to the wilds of Alaska for additional thrill rides led by Jason Clarke, Haley Bennett, and Dominic Cooper. There are definitely moments in this series that stretch credulity, but they are done in the service of a fun story that hits the right notes. I would have liked Sam Hargrave to direct more episodes and inject the same caliber of action that we see in the premiere episode, but I am happy with what we got. The Last Frontier manages to take a part of the world many of us have never visited and makes it seem simultaneously foreign and familiar. This is a fun show that is well worth tuning in to week after week.
The Last Frontier premieres with two episodes on October 10th on Apple TV+.
