Creating a world where viewers can escape reality requires a delicate balance. Audiences are often ready to suspend disbelief to a remarkable extent if a show is captivating enough to divert attention from its logical flaws. There’s a whole industry focused on precisely tuning the level of absurdity viewers will tolerate, especially when it comes to implausible character actions and bizarre plots (yes, I’m talking about 9-1-1). However, when a series fails to maintain interest, its foolish characters and irrational storylines become exhausting. Enter Apple TV+’s The Last Frontier, a show that seems to compete in ridiculousness with its streaming counterpart Smoke, and takes it up a notch.

Similar to Smoke, The Last Frontier kicks off dramatically. Portrayed by Jason Clarke, U.S. Marshal Frank Remnick is a commanding presence in a quaint Alaskan town—a place where everyone is familiar and you might glimpse Russia on a clear day. Creators Jon Bokenkamp and Richard D’Ovidio paint Remnick as a relic of the Old West, guarding his community against external threats, mumbling philosophies like “Every day is another day stolen from death. I learnt that the hard way.”

Remnick’s family includes his wife, Sarah (a role given to Simone Kessell, who unfortunately fades out in later episodes), and his son, Luke (Tait Blum), who is still haunted by his sister’s death four years prior. The family’s past is marred by gun violence, depicted in a distasteful flashback that plays into urban fears and is manipulatively executed.

The narrative shifts when a plane crashes near the town, reminiscent of Lost but in a frosty setting. The crash, which is impressively staged along with a subsequent shootout, involves a transport of dangerous criminals akin to Con Air: Northern Edition. This disaster scatters numerous felons across the wilderness, providing material for episodic pursuits as Remnick and his team hunt them down. This dual focus—on weekly fugitive captures and the overarching mystery of the plane’s valuable cargo—enriches the plot and introduces notable guest stars like Clifton Collins Jr., Rusty Schwimmer, and Johnny Knoxville.

As Remnick’s team corrals lesser villains, the season’s main plot revolves around the enigmatic Havlock (Dominic Cooper), a high-priority fugitive who might have been the target of the crash, either to be killed or helped to escape. The authorities assign Sidney (Haley Bennett), a federal agent, to work alongside Remnick. Meanwhile, Alfre Woodard and John Slattery play underused intelligence officers, murmuring about the potential disasters if Havlock’s secrets come to light. Despite Havlock’s pivotal role, he disappears for long stretches, weakening his impact on the narrative.

The intrigue surrounding Havlock escalates in the season’s final episodes, challenging the motives of Havlock, Sidney, and even Remnick. The mystery, suitable for a shorter film, is drawn out over ten hours, revealing details about Havlock’s intentions slowly, which only serves to portray him as a less-than-brilliant mastermind with a tediously unfolding plan.

This is the type of narrative inconsistency that goes unnoticed in a successful show. Yet, this series seems to aim for a record in over-explaining, concealing truths, and introducing absurd twists. Each scene seems to push the boundaries of believability even further. While The Last Frontier may not require deep character development—neither did hits like The Blacklist or 9-1-1—there is a threshold for how much manipulation an audience can tolerate before it feels cheap and inconsistent.

The Last Frontier debuts October 10 on Apple TV+