Sam Chandler is Tom Chandler 's prematurely born son.
Events of The Last Ship[]
Season 1[]
When Tom got his orders to deploy, Sam, Ashley and their mom each give him deployment gifts. Sam's gift to Tom is a handmade photo frame with a picture of Sam and Tom together at a Bears championship baseball game. Sam tells Tom to keep it next to his bed and Tom says he loves it. (“We'll Get There”)
Sam accompanies his mom and Ashley to say good bye to Tom before he leaves on his four month mission. When the Red Flu pandemic broke out, Darien took Sam and Ashley to their grandfather's cabin where they survived. When Darien makes a video message to the Nathan James, Sam they all love him after Darien is done telling Tom what happened in his absence. (“Phase Six”)
When Jed returns from hunting, Sam runs past him to help her mom put groceries she scavenged away and, to his delight, finds a box of Pop Tarts, which Darien stress are only to be eaten as breakfast. The next day, Darien hands Sam a glass of water and cleans his face while he is drawing a picture of the Nathan James, unaware that Darien is infected. (“Trials”)
After all of them are infected, Sam stands over Darien begging her not to fall asleep as his grandfather Jed desperately radios anyone for help. When no one responds Jed takes Sam, Ashley and Darien into his car and drives to Olympia, desperate to find a cure. On the way he witnesses Jed ram passed a checkpoint run by people trying to stop them. They eventually arrive at Olympia but Darien dies of the Red Flu and the people working there take her body. Sam is lying down when Ashley sees their dad and Tom gives them the cure while Jed tells Tom about Darien. Sam then escapes Olympia with his family after learning Olympia kills people and burns the bodies at a coal plant to power the city. (“No Place Like Home”)
Season 2[]
After Tom and Burk commandeer a van, Sam and his family get in and Tom drives them away from Olympia to meet more of Tom's men. Tom leaves Russ Jeter behind to protect Sam, Jed and Ashley while Tom, Burk, and Green head to the power plant to hurt Amy Granderson, the leader letting everything at Olympia happen. Sam begs Tom to leave them, fearing he might die like mom before Ashley calms him down and Sam hugs him before he leaves, telling him he loves him. After Jeter finds a vacant house, Sam enters with everyone else. While waiting for her father to come back Sam tries to eat some soup but begins to get sick when he starts puking. Sam lays down on a couch nursing a fever with Ashley and Jed taking care of him while Jeter leaves the house looking for meds. Ashley tries to call Tom but Jed stops her and stops her from leaving for help, reassuring her that Jeter will come through for them, but Ashley says she'll only wait 20 minutes. (“Unreal City”)
Jeter eventually returns with some meds for Sam and while Ashley watches the streets and notices an Avocet van arriving and warns everyone. Sam evacuates the house after Jed and Jeter kill the men in the van with his family. When Lt. Green radios that he is being pursued by enemy forces, Sam goes with Jed and Ashley while Jeter goes to help Green. When Tom's forces force Amy's forces to surrender, Sam, Jed and Ashley are escorted onto the ship and enter Tom's office. Tom says they will all stay in his cabin until they head back to Norfolk. (“Fight the Ship”)
Sam then stands with Ashley and Jed as planes leave from Norfolk to deliver the cure across the country. Sam fishes while his grandfather supervises him, Ashley, and Ava Tophet. Jed, Sam, and Ashley then go into their old home to gather supplies. While there he listens to Tom explain how the ship isn't safe for them and Sam assumes Tom is leaving them. He and the others are however surprised when Tom says he has decided to leave the Nathan James to take care of them in their home, as part of the promise he made to them. Jed later manages to convince Tom to go back to the Nathan James and Sam hugs him goodbye. (“It's Not a Rumor”)
When Sam and Ashley hear a missile hit close to them they call Tom asking about the missile attacks. Tom tells them there are people who want to stop their mission and tells them he maybe gone longer then he thought. They wonder if they are safe and Tom responds by saying they are safe as Jed comes to talk to Tom. (“Achilles”)
Season 3[]
When Kara calls Jed to take her mom and son into hiding, Sam and Ashley go with them. (“Scuttle”)
Sam andAshley are kidnapped by Allison Shaw's forces and he is held at gunpoint by an agent while Shaw negotiates a prisoner exchane with Sam's dad: him for his kids. As a result, Tom boards Shaw’s plane to get his kids back with Tex and Kara accompanying him. When Shaw signals them Sam rushes to hug his father alongside Ashley. Kara escorts them off the plane when Ashley turns around asking about Tom and he just says to go which she does. (“Don't Look Back”)
Season 4[]
After Tom resigned from the US Navy after murdering Shaw, Sam and Ashley are seen living with Tom to Greece to escape the violence. After a family friend named Alex is killed, Sam and Ashley are left in the care of Alex's family while Tom goes in search of justice for Alex. (“In Medias Res”)
Season 5[]
When Tom returns home to the US after getting justice for Alex and returning to active service, Sam and Ashley return with him and live with him after he retires from the US Navy. Sam moves out three years after returning home to live with Ashley in St. Louis due to Tom's distant behavior. (“Casus Belli”)
Three months after Sam moves out, he returns home to have a family dinner with Tom, Ashley, and their stepmother, Sasha Cooper. When Ashley gets into a fight with Tom, Sam tells her to stop acting like a bitch as they are only home for a little while Ashley retorts that she is honest unlike Sam, who told his classmates his last name was Jerome, shocking Tom. When the fight starts to escalate, Sam tries to leave and eat his dinner in his room but Tom orders him to sit back down but Sam leaves anyway as the fight continues. Sam comes down and sees Ashley and Tom screaming at each other and only observes in silence as it gets worse. Both Sam and Ashley leave to go back to St. Louis a few days later after they all make up with each other. Sasha tells Sam they will visit for the 4th of July and Sam is excited, saying there is a fireworks show they need to see. (“Warriors”)