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 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?
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.
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.
