Apple TV has cemented itself as one of the platforms with some of the best, somewhat underrated shows. However, not all hit the mark, and its Justified replacement series, The Last Frontier, failed to make a splash.
In the midst of several award-winning productions like Severance, The Studio, and Slow Horses, which boast stellar reviews above 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, the latest release seems disappointing. The Last Frontier debuted with a 57% rating from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes, which has since dropped. The Last Frontier has also failed to attract enough viewers, being nowhere near the top of the charts following its Oct. 10 debut, FlixPatrol indicates.
In the U.S., The Last Frontier debuted in sixth place on Oct. 10, and the highest it’s gotten was the second place between Oct. 12 to Oct. 14. Since then, it has dropped to third and eventually, fourth place. The current reigning top-charter is Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s The Morning Show. Ahead of The Last Frontier are also Slow Horses and Loot.
Worldwide, the show has managed to score the third spot, just behind Slow Horses and The Morning Show. Following its debut, the show managed to score 68 No. 1s across multiple territories where Apple TV is available, and continued to hold on to the first spot in 20 territories.
The thriller drama series stars Jason Clark as Frank Remnick, a U.S. Marshal from the outskirts of Fairbanks, Alaska, who must protect his town as he investigates a plane crash that led to multiple prisoners running free. The Blacklist’s Jon Bokenkamp created the show alongside Richard D’Ovidio, and also stars Dominic Cooper, Haley Bennett, Simone Kessell, Tait Blum, Dallas Goldtooth, and Alfre Woodard.
The Last Frontier Divided the Critics and Audiences
Image via Apple TV+
The show debuted with a two-episode premiere on Oct. 10, and it didn’t impress the critics. After its disappointing 57% debut score, the rating has since dropped to a 41% rating out of 17 reviews. Among the positive reviews, Loud and Clear Reviews’ Keeley Brooks noted “The Last Frontier is a very well-written series full of thrilling action and emotional depth, standing out as the underdog hit series of the year,” with Decider John Serba praising the “good start.”
However, among the negative reviews, Variety‘s Alison Herman explained that The Last Frontier “is at its most enjoyable when it embraces its network TV roots, pitting a generically gruff family man against a veritable zombie horde of escaped criminals at a one-per-episode pace, like any good procedural.” However, the review highlights the show doesn’t do that, and it gets stuck in a “cumbersome espionage plot that lacks the regional specificity or rapid clip of the primary story.”
The audience gave The Last Frontier a positive score, but barely. The thriller series features a 67% rating out of fewer than 50 ratings, which are based on the two-episode premiere. It’s likely the score will fluctuate further as more reviews come in.
The Last Frontier releases new episodes every Friday until its Dec. 5 season finale.
Release Date
October 10, 2025
Network
Apple TV+
Directors
Sam Hargrave