The Last Frontier review: Apple TV+ has its best thriller yet
SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for The Last Frontier Season 1, Episode 1.
The Last Frontier is a chess match of chilling proportions between two of Hollywood’s most underrated actors. The Apple TV+ show is one-part action series, one-part brooding drama, but it rests squarely on the intense performances of Jason Clarke and Dominic Cooper—two powerful stars evenly matched. Viewers won’t be able to look away from them.
The series is co-created by Jon Bokenkamp and Richard D’Ovidio, the former of whom also created the NBC hit The Blacklist. There are some similarities between The Last Frontier and The Blacklist that become apparent: the premise involves tracking down a number of nasty villains. Cooper’s character Havlock is an enigmatic bad guy who might also be the key to a greater good. The CIA are involved, in the person of disgraced agent Sidney Scofield (played by Cyrano‘s Haley Bennett in her television debut). But Bokenkamp and D’Ovidio are hitting all those familiar notes for a specific reason: they’re creating an almost claustrophobic thriller.
Audiences may not be surprised by the big twist at the end of Episode 1, simply because TV viewers are now trained to expect a fourth-act shock or cliffhanger. What makes The Last Frontier work are the performances, as well as the way Bokenkamp and D’Ovidio find opportunities to elevate the risk their characters face. Viewers have seen thrillers in remote locations, but this one takes full advantage of that word, honing in on the limited resources available and tampering with the power. It’s not just that Clarke’s character U.S. Marshal Frank Remnick is in the proverbial middle of nowhere; it’s that he has so little to work with. That creates a feeling of genuine desperation that runs through the first two episodes and propels the show forward.
Remnick is another hero with a tragic past on his shoulders, but Clarke makes that work effortlessly. His work here is reminiscent of his force of nature performance in The Chicago Code, only more well-adjusted and in a more isolated environment. The latter is important because it adds another layer to the character; he’s kept off-balance and is forced to keep growing. Yet Clarke is such a presence that he sells Remnick’s determination without a word. The Last Frontier doesn’t even need the speech about how this isn’t Remnick’s fight; viewers know that he is that immovable object simply by how Clarke carries himself. (It’s intriguing that The Last Frontier drops just days before Clarke stars as Alex Murdaugh in Murdaugh: Death in the Family. These two roles could not be any more different, and the fact that he carries them both off speaks to how talented of an actor he is.)
But Clarke’s power makes him the perfect foil for Cooper, who is the unstoppable force. He’s excellent playing characters who aren’t what they appear to be in one way or another. The Preacher star plays Havlock’s introduction perfectly; his interaction with Remnick has just enough ego in it to feel like something is off. His character comes to life through little tells and changes in tone. That gives The Last Frontier credibility, because Remnick and company don’t look stupid for not being able to deduce his identity sooner. But once the mask is off, Cooper resists the urge to lean into his villainy. Havlock’s speech to Frank is both unsettling and sincere; viewers believe him when he says that he trusts Frank. Cooper’s gamesmanship versus Clarke’s straightforward force is a heady combination. They’re two equally intense actors who approach the work in exactly opposite ways.
Elsewhere, Bennett has the most to work with early on as Sidney’s troubled backstory is spelled out, but she’s more vulnerable than imposing, despite some snarky dialogue. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; it simply takes longer for her character to catch on with the audience. Emmy Award winner Alfre Woodard is in her element as Sidney’s boss Bradford, who looks down her nose at Remnick (and even Sidney) from the safety of a CIA conference room. Woodard will always command an audience’s attention, and she’s the reason Bradford is watchable. Terra Nova alum Simone Kessell has the least developed role as Frank’s loyal wife Sarah, but this is a show where the writers seem to be playing toward each actor’s specific strengths.
Plot-wise, The Last Frontier doesn’t overdo its violence, despite being packed with a plane crash and an ambush sequence early on. The suspense and the fear come from Bokenkamp, D’Ovidio and Episode 2 writer Melissa Glenn keeping their playing field small, with directors Sam Hargrave and John Curran (who previously directed Clarke in Chappaquiddick) reinforcing that by making important scenes feel small, too. At times, the show is like watching caged animals, as powerful actors find themselves limited by what their characters can do or how much they can move. The viewer is watching the back and forth that takes place between Remnick and Havlock, Remnick and Sidney, and Sidney and Havlock, and waiting for the moments when they’ll explode.
The flaws in the opening episodes are limited. Like many current TV shows, The Last Frontier relies on needle drops of popular music to set a few scenes, and the music doesn’t add a lot here. The subplot of Remnick’s teenage son slipping out of school might remind some viewers of the misadventures of Kim Bauer from 24. But this show has done what seems near impossible these days: create a pretty unique viewing experience. Jon Bokenkamp might be once again playing in grey areas, but he, D’Ovidio and their creative team cast exactly the right stars to fit within a very specific environment in order to generate strong reactions from the viewers. This is a show that makes it impossible to sit still—and the weekly drop for it is absolutely perfect, keeping everyone anxiously on the edge of their seats.
The Last Frontier streams Fridays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Apple TV+. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Apple TV+.
Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.
