noah beck

Israel's prime minister awakens from an apocalyptic nightmare to discover that reality is far scarier: there are only days left to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

But history will be decided by 35 Israelis manning the Dolphin, a nuclear-armed submarine that can vaporize most of the Middle East in a few hours.

Naval command urgently calls the Dolphin back to shore.

The captain, Daniel Zion, is haunted by a fatal accident on his watch, and the foreboding thought that this may be his last hours with his wife and daughter.

Daniel also learns that the head of the submarine force has recommended to the navy chief that Daniel's deputy, Yisrael, replace him as captain.

The tension between the captain and his deputy only intensifies, with Yisrael's marital problems aggravating his mood.

At the family gathering ("A Picnic Before Doomsday"), we meet some of the Dolphin's crewmembers.

The submariners reflect the complexity of the Israeli society they defend:
-Ambesa: an Ethiopian-Israeli who is in charge of the submarine's communication systems
-Bao: a Vietnamese-Israeli whose parents received political asylum from Israel in 1977, who must keep his homosexuality secret from the crew
-Zvi: an exceptionally talented young man who quietly manages his traumatic past
-Jacob: an Indian-Israeli in love with a French student
-Eitan: a Persian-Israeli Jew who is traditionally religious and awkwardly aware that he still has cousins in Tehran
-Boutros: the first Arab-Christian to serve in Israel's submarine force
-Samir: a Druze Arabic speaker who serves as the chief engineer

As different as these characters are, they must find enough unity to operate a submarine with over 4,000 switches and valves, costing nearly a billion dollars.

The nuclear-armed Dolphin submarine is the most powerful machine in the Israeli military. Its crewmembers will have to operate the vessel in enemy waters that will test their nerves.

The TV pilot is based on Part I of the military thriller "The Last Israelis."