Andre Braugher Interview: What Happens When Patriots Clash...

Andre Braugher steers the ship on Last Resort.

As Captain Marcus Chaplain, the veteran actor leads a crew of renegade U.S. servicemen, holed up on an island, fighting both the locals and their very own government.

What can we expect going forward? How does Braugher view certain relationships on the show? Read on for excerpts from a recent Q&A the actor conducted with journalists...

How tough is it for Chaplin to enter into negotiations with the government?
I think it’s what Chaplin wants. He has a crew of sailors, very few of which truly understand what happened on the con and what the ramifications of being considered treasonous or renegades or mutineers of some kind. And so he wants to give his crew an opportunity to surrender the ship and not be held accountable for what Marcus and Sam did in terms of firing a missile on the United States.

How much more tense will the situation get between Chaplin and Prosser as the season goes on?
This is what happens when patriots clash. We’re both very passionate about what it is that we’re doing and we’re both supremely concerned about the health and welfare of our crew… I would have to say that Chaplin needs Prosser very much not only because he exercises discipline over the crew, but because he is a touchstone for the crew. If the chief of the boat thinks that it’s right, then the guys have a tendency to fall in line.

What do you like most about Chaplin?
I like the fact that he’s thinking ahead. It’s the strategic part of Chaplin that’s fascinating to me. The fact that the next step may seem the next right one… but when you think several steps out further it turns out to be a misstep.

How do you view the relationship between Chaplin and Sam?
It’s a mentor relationship, it’s a father/son relationship and it’s a relationship with two men that admire each other and want the best for each other. So that’s what we’re working on a character level and that’s what we’re working on an actor level. It seems like a good thing and I’m looking forward to exploring the relationship for as long as we go this year and then hopefully next year after that.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.