So, I was ready to give this one up last season because it seemed to be going downhill really fast, particularly due to Phil's overpowering dysfunctional mannerisms towards the rest of the "Tuscon Crew" and their almost equally odd interpersonal behavior. I actually forgot to remove this from the DVR schedule and was surprised to see it back, and even more surprised when I watched it. It went back to the humor related to end-of-the-world antics, opening with Phil & Carol rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue in a B2 Stealth Bomber. Meandering around DC, doing some grocery shopping, accidentally dropping some ordinance out of payload, and finally parking in the White House front lawn. They continue to bimble about the east coast, visiting Carol's Delaware home where we see her brother's futile attempt at keeping the virus out of his bedroom. This intrigued me, because it strongly returned to the mystery about the true nature of the virus. What was it? Where did it come from? Where were all the bodies? How was it possible that it jumped so easily to animal life to snuff it? Plant life seems to have been visually unaffected. They start making their way back west where, through a painful mix-up, Phil accidentally leaves Carol behind at some ubiquitous gas station, which he finds impossible to relocate, as they're apparently as common as 7-11's in the mid-west. Assuming she'll try to get back to Tuscon, he heads out, only to find his former micro-community abandoned. The couches around the fire pit are all torched, his house was also destroyed by fire and there's no sign of anyone from "the Crew". All the houses in the cul-de-sac are dark, and there are no signs of life at all. Love it! The show's B-story focuses on Phil's brother, who is still up in the ISS. His rapidly dwindling population of caterpillar friends (akin to Phil's sports-ball posse) which appear to be scientific experiments are all dying off. He mulls over going back to Earth in an escape pod (does the ISS really have one of those?), but holding back, not knowing if the virus will wipe him out the second he pops the hatch. A reasonable and realistic concern that would give anyone pause in such a situation. You can either guarantee to die slowly in the coldness in space with diminishing on-board resources or you might possibly die quick (or slowly) on Earth with the rest of the population (or not)? I fully suspect he'll try to pop smoke and make planet-fall. In one episode, this show managed to bring back damn near everything (IMO) that I enjoyed about the pilot. The mystery, the simultaneous manic reckless abandon and depression of being alone, the fun and the despair... One of the biggest problems (I thought) from last season was that they introduced too many new characters for the "Last Man on Earth" thing to really be believable. It just turned into any old sitcom while abandoning its initial premise. However, in one master stroke, they solved that problem AND added new intrigue to the show without even breaking a sweat. So, I'm hooked again. Anyone else see it?
I thought it was way better than anything they did after the first two episodes last season. Will Forte has been removed as showrunner. Dan Sterling, who has worked on The Office and Girls, has come in and toned both Phil and Carol down so they're likeable, from what I've seen so far.
Didn't know that about Forte. Whatever they did, it does seem to be working. Update: According to IMDB, two new characters: Alexandra Daddario ... Victoria (1 episode, 2015) Patti Forte ... Patti Miller (1 episode, 2015) All the other characters appear to be gone for good, thankfully, as they aren't listed in any episodes beyond Season 1 so far as I can tell. So... someone named "Victoria" and "Patti Miller", the latter played by Patti Forte, Will Forte's mother and, ergo, assuming her to be playing Phil's & his brother's mother. Is she still alive or perhaps appearing in a flashback scene? Does Phil's brother have a name yet? I'm getting tired of typing "Phil's brother" all the time.
I know this is a sit-com but I could not swallow the "realism" of a complete idiot knowing how to pilot a B-2 stealth bomber
In all fairness, he was just driving it. I like this show, and I liked the "unlikableness" of Phil and Carol. I'm fine with not seeing the Tuscon crew anymore. I'd like to see if they could keep close to the original premise, and not find a new person alive every episode.
Well, that changed last night! Phil has clearly grown as a character, so much so that, in a selfless act to make Carol happy, and after finding a note left behind by their old cohorts, they set out to Malibu, where they apparently all went. Very dissapointed by this turn of events. I was really hoping that the rest of the "Tuscon Crew" was written out of the story, or at least hints of their fate held off until later in the season. Now we're back to the old schtick, and Carol is going to try to convince them, somehow, to welcome Phil back into the fold by pretending he's dead, initially. Oy!
Looks like it. So much for the mystery. They're all sitting there on a Malibu beach without a care in the world, drinking beer and clearly all doing well...except for Will Farrell, of course! So yeah, based on that scene, and the note he found, I'm thinking they just torched the place because it was Phil's and it was fun to do. Never mind the fact that it was in super-dry Tuscon and now that there are no firefighters left, they could have quite easily set the entire southwest on fire with that stunt, including Malibu. Morons. Is it me or did the initial episode of each season hold so much promise, only to be written down into a drain only an episode or two later?
The ISS keeps a spare Soyuz capsule docked at the station full time to serve as an emergency escape capsule. During emergency situations such as nearby debris, the crew will enter the capsule in case the station is struck and looses air pressure.
I think I cracked where this one is going. It all started with Phil, the 'last man on Earth' but then we learned he wasn't, other men still exist so we're not yet at that point. The long term goal of this story is..., Spoiler: my theory which man will overcome the others to claim that Title. Place your bets. Which asshole will become the new Adam?
Plenty of birth control left in the country. You might not want go though child birth with no doctors around. Really everyone should be spending their time at a medical school learning as much as they can.
And lets be honest. The women are old. Young for people, but old as dirt for preggos. Melissa Shart? Shart? I don't remember discussing this in depth!? Shart!? HA! (I am 12.) Okies, Cleopatra (Erica) is 28, that's well inside the window for getting knocked up without trying, not dying during evacuation, and the chiild living healthily... But did Phil just dump the only young one because Carol is hotter than Erica, or because he's got a baby on his mind and Erica's womb doesn't seem to be cutting the mustard?
He really should have pointed that gun at his foot, cause, that's kind of what he was doing in that scene. I remember thinking, when he was lying there, speaking remorsefully about his actions towards the others, and with them being talked to by Carol, that maybe there was a glimmer of hope and then...that... Whew! That boy really is damaged. That's a very nice-looking stockade they built there. The water scene...
That's good to hear. I caught only one episode of this and found Phil highly unsympathetic. Well, most of the characters are highly selfish and opportunistic. I guess that's the whole idea for the show but everyone going about life thinking how they can exploit or use people is really depressing after a while.
Gave this show another try and it hasn't gotten any better, just dump the rest of the cast other then Phil and Carol, they are AWFUL.