Andrew Thorwald is a former Baltimore PD detective and the leader of the Baltimore Resistance, also known as the Warlords, to combat Amy Granderson's new world order.
Motion Book[]
After the Red Flu pandemic hits, Thorwald gathers together a group of national guardsmen, state troopers, and local cops to help maintain order. When Acting Secretary of Defense Amy Granderson arrives in Baltimore to help maintain the safe zone there, Thorwald introduces himself and shows her to the lab they are setting up. He explains that doctors and nurses from Johns Hopkins and Sinai are setting up a lab. While Thorwald states that his plan of holding out is the only plan he's got, Granderson states that it is a start.
While maintaining order in a shelter with state trooper Pete Norris and Mike, they encounter a group of potentially infected civilians trying to force their way in. During the struggle, Mike's hazmat mask falls off and Thorwald is forced to take him into custody. The national guard eventually deserts Baltimore and when Thorwald reports this to Granderson, he states he is losing to many of his men and more people keep coming. Granderson tells him she has a responsibility that needs to be carried out and Avocet will be the key to creating a vaccine. To that end she has more doctors transported to Avocet to prepare for this and chose this place because of the coal plant nearby. She then says they will invite people in instead of turning them away. After Granderson speaks with Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jeffrey Michener, Granderson tells Thorwald and Dr. Hamada that they are the government from now on.
Months pass as Thorwald helps run Avocet and starts butting heads with Norris. Norris starts taking a pragmatic view of the situation while Thorwald holds out hope that a cure will be found. While heading out after a shift guarding the rooftop with Norris, Thorwald overhears Granderson and Dr. Hamada discussing "Olympia" and Thorwald asks them what is going on. Dr. Hamada says it is the name of a serum they are developing and Thorwald leaves, his suspicions aroused. Thorwald meets with one of his cop friends, Sanchez, to find out what it is. Sanchez remembers that is the name of the stadium along the water and Thorwald remembers seeing a team of medical techs leaving every morning with some state troopers. Thorwald then forms a plan to find out where they are going tomorrow. To this end he has two of the tech busted for drug possession where Sanchez processes them, while Thorwald steals their uniforms and sneaks into Olympia. There he sees doctors killing the sick, collecting their bodies, and transporting them to the coal plant to be burned for fuel.
Thorwald confronts Granderson about this, who tells him he needs to accept this is for the best or leave. Thorwald says he understands and leaves, but a minute later he gathers his cop friends, including Jimmy and Sanchez, and forms a plan to overthrow Granderson by kidnapping Dr. Hamada and her other scientists running Olympia as bargaining chips. But when they try and execute his plan, Norris and his state troopers ambush him where he reveals that he knew about Olympia from the beginning. Thorwald says Granderson trusts him because he is weak minded muscle and she needs people like him until she needs more fuel. Thorwald then states he'll never surrender and both sides open fire, killing officers on both sides, some scientists, and mortally wounding Sanchez. Thorwald shoots Norris in the chest, but he survives thanks to a bullet proof vest. Thorwald decides to retreat with his friends, but Jimmy stays because he has a wife and daughter in Avocet and Thorwald warns him that the next time he sees him he won't go easy on him. Thorwald and his men manage to escape but Sanchez dies of his wounds. A few weeks later, Thorwald has recruited more people and sets up check points to stop people from heading to Olympia.
Events of The Last Ship[]
Season 1[]
While scouting the perimeter Thorwald finds an infected woman and warns her to stay back. She continues to approach begging him for help to get to Olympia, while Thorwald tries to tell her Olympia can't help her. She ignores his advice and continues to approach Thorwald, begging him to take her there and Thorwald shoots her, killing her. Thorwald hears a noise in an electronics store and asks if anyone is in there but no one responds. Thorwald tells his number two, McGregor, to tighten the perimeter to keep people out and marks the store as infected. (“Trials”)
Thorwald later appears at a checkpoint with McGregor stopping an old man from getting through with his family. When the old man blows through the checkpoint, Thorwald tells his man to stand down. McGregor then reports to Thorwald that they intercepted a transmission saying the Nathan James will be docking soon and Granderson's people will be there to greet them. Thorwald decides to intercept them and to launch an ambush. They set up in an old building where McGregor mounts a sniper rifle and observe the meeting. They are both surprised when Granderson arrives in person to greet them and Thorwald orders McGregor to kill her. McGregor can't get a good angle on her so Thorwald orders him to use his contacts on the inside to gather info on why they are here. When McGregor tells Thorwald they have the cure, Thorwald realizes they have to take her lab now, or Granderson will move and they will lose control. They head into the underground city they've established for the healthy citizens rejected from Avocet and begin preparations while looking after their people. (“No Place Like Home”)
Season 2[]
While Thorwald is planning the strike their man on the inside of the plant arrives ahead of schedule, Thorwald asks whats wrong. When more people arrive behind him, Thorwald and his men raise their guns at them but his inside man tells them they are on their side. He explains that they took out the men at the power plant and they all introduce themselves. While initially distrustful of each other, they agree to work together to take down Granderson and Thorwald orders his men to stand down. Thorwald asks Chandler if they have the cure and he says he does, the doctor who can make it and lab she needs is being held at Avocet. Thorwald tells them they are planning to attack Avocet, but Chandler suggests drawing her forces from Avocet and the Nathan James to the power plant first, weakening their positions to create openings. Thorwald likes the idea, but suggests using the underground tunnels instead of a direct assault, Chandler agrees. On the way, Thorwald gives them a brief history of what happened in Baltimore while they were away and introduces them to the people in the city who didn't make the cut for Avocet. When they are under Avocet, Thorwald tells them that he won't interrupt their plans, but all he wants is Granderson dead. (“Unreal City”)
When Thorwald's men are almost done setting the explosives to make the entrance to Avocet, they send the signal to Lt. Green to cut the power. Thorwald then tells his men to move now and they blow a hole and infiltrate Avocet. Chandler suggests that Thorwald lead the attack on the East while Chandler takes the West as they move up to Granderson's command center. Thorwald agrees and tells Chandler to stay safe while assigning McGregor to Chandler's team. Thorwald battles Granderson's men while advancing on her position and eventually runs into Jimmy. Thorwald tries to get Jimmy to join him again, but Jimmy refuses and Thorwald kills him as he raises his gun. Thorwald heads up the stairs, passing numerous civilians trying to escape the building. Thorwald eventually finds Granderson and they exchange greetings and Thorwald says he plans to kill her. Granderson tells him they didn't have to be enemies but Thorwald says they did and Granderson signals Crawford to kill him and Thorwald is shot once in the chest. Chandler finds Thorwald on the floor, who manages to tell Chandler that Granderson is heading toward the roof to escape and dies a minute later. (“Fight the Ship”)
Legacy[]
His actions enabled many people looking for false hope at Olympia to survive and built a community of 487 people willing to hold onto their morals in this apocalyptic world. While his initial attempt to take Avocet failed he gathered enough strength and people to plan another attack and saved numerous lives in the process. His sacrifice enabled Granderson's final defeat and for the cure to spread across the globe.