I put off watching the final episode ‘One Perfect Day’ for as long as I could. I hate seeing good Australian drama ending well before its time. I felt the show had plenty more to give, but for many reasons the Nine Network saw things differently. We must, however, thank them for 5 years and 68 episodes of Australian drama that will now take its place next to other top series like ‘Water Rats’ and ‘Blue Heelers’.

But, on with the show…

As the terrorism storyline has been left unresolved, we know it must take centre stage this episode. Our heroes are back to routine boardings, but the one they’re about to make is anything but routine.

On the surface, the first target of the day looks like a ghost ship so the boarding team quickly takes control. Below decks, however, is where the real mystery begins.

Kate finds a geiger counter. When she turns it on, it immediately starts beeping. Kate and Swain follow the direction of the increasingly urgent electronic noises and soon find two men with radiation burns.

When Kate talks to the dying men they confess that they had two passengers with very heavy suitcases.

The hunt is on, and as you would expect, Madelaine and Jim are back. Jim brings with him a proposal for Kate, something that is bound to change their future. This scene between Kate and Jim is really quite sweet and manages to avoid the extreme TV cliches. Lisa and Ditch work efficiently to bring to life the romance of two very pragmatic characters.

Meanwhile, Madelaine is still acting suspiciously, shutting out most of the crew. Her behaviour is starting to gnaw at Dutchy, especially when he attempts to wave the white flag for his earlier mistakes. Madelaine is not very forgiving; indeed she seems to revel in making Dutchy squirm.

Madelaine and Jim explain to Mike and Kate that autopsies of the men discovered traces of caesium in their bodies – an element that creates deadly radioactivity.

With Hammersely hot on the heels of the terrorists, they come across a boat carrying large quantities of semtex explosives. They know that semtex + caesium = a dirty bomb. The question is, who or what is the target?

The action is this episode continues to escalate until the final explosive end that brings devastation to the whole Hammersley team.

The cast is clearly giving it their all, for this one final time! Ian, Lisa, Ditch, Matt and Conrad are all notable, with Lisa’s performance reminiscent of what we saw during ‘In Too Deep’.

The final scenes of ‘One Perfect Day’ are exceptionally moving. There is not a huge amount of dialogue; our skilled cast don’t need words to convey their emotions. We see heartbreak and humanity mixed with professionalism and pride. The atmosphere created is one of peaceful resignation more than destructive loss; of pain but not anger. The mood makes us reflect on the fragility of life and the honourable way that people can act when faced with impossible choices. ‘One Perfect Day’ is about bravery and courage that need not involve physical strength; it’s about utilitarianism achieved through self-sacrifice; it’s about fatalism but not pessimism. I was very moved and thought the calmness/peace overflowing in the final scenes created a fitting, yet ironic, end to an action series. These closing moments are sure to stay with Sea Patrol fans for a long, long time.

The visual structure and editing both helped to enhance these emotion-charged scenes in ‘One Perfect Day’. In fact, I can’t really fault the episode at all. The tone and pace are perfect The balance between action and drama, as well as between the professional and personal, is very fitting for the final episode. This has always been a strong point of the series but the equilibrium demonstrated here is better than ever.

Hal and Di promised that we’d see a resolution and they have delivered. Despite the fact that the end of the series was announced after this season had been written, most fans should feel satisfied by the level of closure this episode brings. As the series has been nearing its end, I was honestly a little doubtful that many things could be resolved satisfactorily but I have been very pleasantly surprised.

So that’s it. 68 episodes. Like all TV series, we’ve seen highs and lows. We’ve witnessed babies born, crew members perish, romance blossom and some amazing vistas of Far North Queensland.

Although it’s impossible to single out a favourite episode from the entire series, ‘One Perfect Day’ is certainly a front-runner. For me, ‘In Too Deep’, ‘Irukandji’ and ‘Dutch Courage’ are also up there.

I want to thank Hal and Di for their extraordinary support. Not just support of these reviews – which have been the highlight for so many fans – but also for providing so many unique insights and opportunities that fans don’t normally get. To have made themselves so available to a website, even while in the midst of shooting the series, is remarkably generous and most sincerely appreciated.

After some more of the terrorism storyline and a dodgy island, it’s refreshing to see the boarding party back to work. Episode 11, ‘The Morning After’, opens with our heroes boarding a suspected FFV. In the past, foreign fishermen have often seemed to just give up when they come face-to-face with the RAN. Here, they fight back with more vigour than we’ve seen in the past – and why wouldn’t they? They’ve got a lot to lose!

This episode reflects exactly what they’ve got to lose. Charge feels sorry for the master of the vessel, Karno, who tells him he will be killed if they take his boat. 2Dads shrugs it off with a ‘you do the crime, you do the time’ attitude. After Karno attempts to commit suicide, Charge stops him and in the process cops flack from Mike. Charge again wears his heart on his sleeve as he pleads Karno’s case; Mike is dismissive. That is, until a familiar name crops up.

Back in Samjung port, Karno is handed over to the local police to testify against the man who runs all the local FFV’s.

Samjung port means time for R&R for the crew. Mike and Kate again try to snatch a quiet word with each other – not easy with the crew partying around them! In a scene vaguely reminiscent of the beach stroll scene from Series 4, Mike and Kate walk and talk, except this time the location is the back streets of a coastal town. The subject of Maxine and Ryan is at hand.

Things look good for RO and Dutchy who leave with women in toe. The surprise pick-up for the night is left to Charge. With a night of heavy drinking, drama dictates that the night will not end well for some. In the morning, 2Dads finds himself back in his cabin with a sombrero and Charge wakes up in a lady’s bed – with a ring on his finger!

Things go from bad to worse for Charge after he receives a call from Karno who has just been released from police custody.

Although the first part of this episode isn’t action heavy, the arrival of Jim Roth brings plenty of action with it – including some action between Jim and Kate.

Some of the guest performers’ accents are a bit over-stressed, however our crew’s performance is top notch. Their seamless execution of comical moments adds to the episode.

To be honest, on first viewing the episode didn’t grab me as much as Episodes 9 and 10, perhaps because I was expecting the same level of action we’ve witnessed recently. On second viewing, however, I felt more at ease with the story and pace.

Ditch Davey has his acting groove back and the scenes between Lisa and him work well. It’s also good to see Kate involved in some of the heavy action, on both land and sea.

Despite relying on a fair bit of coincidence in the core story, the twists and turns in this episode will hold your interest. There is an action-heavy ending, plus a nice moment between Charge and 2Dads to look forward to in the final minutes.

With only two episodes remaining, make sure you enjoy the show while you can!

Episode 9, ‘Dead Sea’, seems to be where the action from the last few episodes has been hiding. We launch straight into a night time covert operation on an unidentified Pacific island: an undercover agent; the typhoon fired; big explosions; serious gunfight. And so the pace for this dramatic episode is set!

ASIO spook Madelaine Cruise (Renai Caruso) is in charge of the clandestine operation which is being coordinated from HMAS Hammersley. When Agent Smith, the only surviving member of the covert team, struggles to make it to the waiting RHIB, Swain risks his own life to get Smith to safety.

Back on board ship, Swain tends to Agent Smith. The intelligence that Smith gathered is quickly passed on to ASIO HQ by Madelaine.

Tension between Dutchy and Madelaine is still very evident in this episode, but it isn’t overplayed.

When Hammersley docks at the local port, a government representative boards the ship, and the corrupt local government orders Hammersley to leave the island. Apparently the Aussies have overstepped the mark by fighting on a neighbour’s doorstep.

As Hammersley sails back home, Agent Smith’s behaviour degenerates. He had appeared okay when rescued, but there are now questions about his mental health. Madelaine writes off Smith’s strangeness as ‘stress’. But when Smith goes on a desperate search for beer in the middle of the night, his behaviour seriously unnerves Bird and, particularly, Ryan.

Agent Smith soon turns up dead. It looks like an accident; Swain isn’t so sure. Suspicion soon falls on the crew and an Agatha Christie-esque murder investigation ensues, with Swain at the helm.

The investigation into the mysterious death doesn’t slow the pace. Even Ms Cruise gets in on the action by leading a covert operation with the Hammersley boarding party!

Although Madelaine remains icy and continues to cause tension on board, she is more likeable this episode than I’ve found her in the past. She is disturbingly calm under pressure and under fire. Is it just a coincidence that it was also Episode 9 last year that marked a positive change in lots of fans’ feelings towards Dutchy?

Caruso has been perfectly competent in her role so far this series. There has been nothing in her performance that I’d regard as outstanding, but nothing that stands out as really bad either. Early in this episode Caruso didn’t particularly grab me, but later when she takes the lead in some action scenes, she really drew me in. Some of her lines, however, are a little awkward and unfortunately this detracts from her overall performance.

Caruso is well supported by the crew around her, especially Conrad (Dutchy) and Matt (Swain). Teamwork takes centre stage in this episode (though not in a preachy way!). Each crew member is on the ball and they work together efficiently.

Some of the guest stars’ dialogue is a bit off key at times, but it is believable enough to keep the viewer enthralled in the story.

Even with the increase in action and a mystery sub-plot, the episode is not so jam-packed that it sacrifices humour or some lighter moments.

Although the critics probably won’t like this story and say it’s something better left to a high budget American series, for me this episode simply works. And ‘Sea Patrol’ is one of the only Australian dramas that could pull it off.

The action, drama, tension, acting, editing and storytelling are all top notch and these elements remain at the high standard we now accept as the norm.

I’m an action junkie and this is one of the main reasons I watch ‘Sea Patrol’. So in this respect, ‘Dead Sea’ is a highlight for me – and if it is any indication of what’s ahead as we approach the home-stretch of Series 5, we should expect an engrossing and explosive end!

Episode 7, ‘Black Flights’, starts off as a normal day aboard Hammersley. Our crew finds a young man named Leigh on a drifting boat. He is trying to fix mechanical issues caused by a lightning strike. Unable to resolve the problem, Hammersley tows him back to his local port in the small coastal town of Winston.

As contemporaries of Leigh’s, Ryan and Bird hit it off with him from the start and the trio quickly forms a firm friendship. Mike orders some R&R for the crew whilst anchored near Winston. As usual, 2Dads is up to no good and sniffs out a poker game happening just outside of town. One thing leads to another and 2Dads ends up alone in the middle of the bush.

“Sea Patrol” seems to turn a bit “The X Files” here, with a bright light blinding 2Dads as he passes out. After waking up the next morning, still in the bush, 2Dads manages to make his way back to the boat. An unimpressed Kate dresses him down and becomes even more annoyed when he tries to tell her of the ‘UFO’ he saw.

It’s not long before the Hammersley crew starts to unleash UFO pranks around the boat. Even RO partakes in the joking, and this adds to the amusement of the situation. The only person who seems to believe 2Dads’ UFO story is his good buddy Charge. However Charge is having troubles of his own; he has been experiencing chest pains but ignores 2Dads’ advice to consult Swain about it.

When Charge and 2Dads head off to find the source of the mysterious light, they get chased down by men with guns and end up on the trail of a bigger mystery. As is his nature, Charge believes the conspiracy theories; Mike and the rest of the crew aren’t impressed.

The relationship between Ryan, Bird and Leigh takes an unexpected turn and this leads to some interesting developments in Winston.

The acting from Dominic Deutscher (Ryan) and Danielle Horvat (Bird) has really picked up, and they both seem more at ease with their characters. They are also interacting well with the other actors, including the guest artists. An honourable mention must go to Brenton Thwaites as Leigh, who complements Dominic and Danielle’a acting very well.

The relationship between 2Dads and Charge continues to evolve. Nikolai and John are always strongest when given the opportunity to play off each other and ‘Black Flights’ seizes upon this opportunity to deliver really enjoyable drama. It is also nice to take an occasional break from the romantic (or potentially romantic) relationships amongst the crew.

Charge takes command of much of the action later in the episode and Ian Stenlake fans will also be happy to hear that Mike also gets in on some of the action in this episode.

Although I’ve previously talked about improvements with the shooting and editing in Series 5, they are even more evident in this episode. For instance, the most simplistic ‘establishing beach shot’ seems to be done with greater effect than in the past.

This episode displays a good balance of action and mystery. Whilst some of the story seems a tad predictable at first, the eventuating twists and turns make it very interesting and I consider it to be one of the stronger episodes to date.

It’s sad to note that the double episode seen in most states this week marks the halfway point of the final series. I’m confident that the second half of the series will continue to strengthen “Sea Patrol’s” place in Australian drama history and see the series go out on a high.

Episode 5, ‘Dead Zone’, is a return to mystery for the series. We open with a psycho reminiscent of a young Hannibal Lecter. This ‘monster’ tries to take a chunk out of Kate’s ear, apparently his preferred delicacy. He’s been terrorising the locals on Stokes Island.

Hammersley has been tasked to transfer the ‘Stokes Island monster’ to the mainland for psychiatric assessment and treatment. I was expecting him to break loose and the episode turn into ‘Red Sky Morning’ Mark II on board Hammersley. While that is a storyline I would love to see, the narrative at hand quickly takes a dramatic and unfortunate turn when Swain finds the prisoner dead.

Back at Navcom Maxine ‘Knocker’ White is fuming. She doesn’t want to see Navy ‘death in custody’ headlines and orders Hammersley back to Stokes Island for a goodwill visit. Mike stays back after this stern interaction, completely changes the atmosphere and asks Maxine out for a drink. He has something he needs to discuss…

Dutchy runs into ASIO spook, Madelaine Cruise (Renai Caruso) – He wants to know why she thinks he is a ‘security risk’. The scene here is quite humorous, and Conrad does a good job of keeping their exchange flowing and interesting despite the one-sidedness of the ‘conversation’. Renai plays the silent type well, ensuring that the scene does not belong to Conrad alone.

Mike and Maxine meet up for a drink, where Mike lets her know about the bone marrow results. Maxine expresses surprise as she tells Mike there is no way he can be Ryan’s father. It is refreshing to see Tammy more involved this season and it is enjoyable to see her out of Navcom and in civvies. I also think the ‘paternity’ storyline is being handled with greater respect, tact and care than most people are crediting it with. The way it is unfolding, the ‘soap’ label, I believe, is unwarranted. Viewers, however, will make up their own minds.

In a Mission Impossible-esque scene between Dutchy and RO, Dutchy asks RO to hack into ASIO’s computers to find out what they have on him, and learn a bit more about Ms Cruise. Kristian is in fine form as usual, and he and Conrad seem a bit like the new odd couple. Following on from this is a pretty funny and perfectly-timed scene between Mike, 2Dads, Ryan and Charge. It is a credit to the director (Steve Mann) and the actors that casual scenes like this just gel; that magic moment when everyone is on top of their game and the team work is so evident.

Back on the island, Kate and Swain are tasked with delivering medical supplies to the local GP, Dr John Wallace (played by Australian Idol judge Mark Holden – more than a ‘personality’, he is a legitimate actor). Holden’s transformation into a struggling, burnt-out GP is convincing. There are a few questionable moments of acting, but these pass quickly and on the whole Holden takes admirable command of a role that could easily be overplayed.

A sick girl and the medical reasons behind the ‘Stokes Island Monster’s’ death seem to point to something fishy going on. Dr John Wallace tells Kate of his water contamination theory, but Kate – having dismissed him as a drunk – is suspicious of his motives. A large fishing vessel might just point to the truth.

Kate is committed to the plight of the island. The mystery takes some unusual twists and turns, with explosions, and attacks on RHIBS along the way. The action in this episode really picks up from Episodes 3 and 4 up and the mystery is engaging. As we’ve become accustomed to lately, there is a revelation in the closing moments.

The acting is smooth, enabling the episode to achieve a good pace, and this results in a densely-packed 43 minutes. The guest acting is again at a high level – watch out for the perfectly subdued performance of Meganne West as one very sick little girl. Fans will enjoy the dynamics and quality of ‘Dead Zone’. It has all the ingredients that make for a deftly-balanced episode: humour, emotion and action!