We watched the first 3 eps. My memory is terrible, but my husband's is terrific, so it was interesting to compare notes. The political stuff is... odd, but sadly realistic for the world we live in now. I'll keep watching.
Spoilers Y The Last Man
- Thread starter Skipper
- Start date
Sure it's realistic...but is it necessary for this particular story?
Like I said, I'll stick with it for now, but I'm very skeptical about that element.
Like I said, I'll stick with it for now, but I'm very skeptical about that element.
Well 3 episodes in and so far so good. There's a very quiet, bleak stillness about the way it's being shot and directed that feels about right. The monkey looks good too.
It's been ages since I read the comic so my memory isn't clear (I'm totally blanking on whether or not the sister was in the comic or if that's a new addition) but I'm pretty sure there was a fair amount of politics in there too, it's just the politics now have changed to the point where if anything they're even more relevant to the story, which was mostly written in the shadow of 9/11.
Given the world we live in today, it would have been ridiculous to try and step around the issues in question. Besides, the comic was never just some adventure road movies style romp about a guy and his monkey (plus the two women fighting tooth ad nail to keep his dumb arse alive) walking through a post apocalyptic wasteland. That's just the framing.
It's been ages since I read the comic so my memory isn't clear (I'm totally blanking on whether or not the sister was in the comic or if that's a new addition) but I'm pretty sure there was a fair amount of politics in there too, it's just the politics now have changed to the point where if anything they're even more relevant to the story, which was mostly written in the shadow of 9/11.
Last edited:
Hero was in the comic and played a major role throughout (often separately) but her best friend, Sam, is a new and welcomed addition to the story.
I get that it would be strange not to focus on some of the politics, but I really have no interest in it, especially the partisan bickering. I love Amber Tamblyn but I cannot stand Kim, who is an obvious visage of Meghan McCain, and I am not looking forward to the proper introduction of Regina, who seems to be the very worst aspect of the fringe Right in our world. Zero interest in this crap.
I get that it would be strange not to focus on some of the politics, but I really have no interest in it, especially the partisan bickering. I love Amber Tamblyn but I cannot stand Kim, who is an obvious visage of Meghan McCain, and I am not looking forward to the proper introduction of Regina, who seems to be the very worst aspect of the fringe Right in our world. Zero interest in this crap.
By the way, what is the male/female ratio in the two American parties right now? I'm not sure the Republican Party currently has enough women to continue functioning after a gendercide ...
Well, it's not just senators and congresswomen but also aides, advisors, servicemembers, ambassadors, and whoever else is around (although Nora failed to be there due to lack of access). After all, they're lead by the former president's daughter who never held public office.
She seems to have a touch of Ivanka Trump as well, being a close advisor of her father.
Is Regina the Vice President? That's the only position in the line of succession higher than Speaker.
It's a little unclear, because while technically the Speaker of the House is higher in the line of succession than (I think) HUD Secretary, Jennifer Brown was not the Speaker when President Campbell and the rest of his Cabinet died, so I think legally Regina Oliver would indeed have immediately succeeded Campbell as president, with Brown remaining Speaker as (presumably) the seniormost surviving member of the House.
...Are they still in the midst of these technicalities after literally the greatest catastrophe since the extinction of the dinosaurs hit the planet?
I think you're underestimating how slavishly some Americans follow the Constitution.
I'm also speaking in a hypothetical where Oliver wasn't presumed dead and was immediately confirmed to be alive. If that had been the case she would have become president and returned to the US as quickly as possible. With the way things are, legally Oliver probably should take over as president, but Brown is clearly the better choice for the job and she's already been doing it for months by this point.
Yeah, but only a touch. Her personality is 100% Meghan McCain.
...and this is precisely the problem. I just don't care about any of this in regards to this story. Y: The Last Man wasn't about this kind of thing at all.
You're not wrong, but it's just a subplot to give characters outside of Yorick's group and Hero something to do. I don't see it as a problem. The show is telling this story with a wider scope than the comic did. Doesn't mean Yorick's story isn't still going to be the main focus.
Thankfully I’ve avoided any prolonged exposure to Meghan McCain.
That's fair. I just don't find it necessary. Maybe the stabilizing of the US government is necessary, but the direct reflection of the horror show that is today's partisan politics is not something I want to watch on this show.
Ten out of ten doctors agree that everyone should avoid prolong exposure to Meghan McCain.
I'm reading a few interviews and thought this was interesting. From showrunner Eliza Clark:
FYI, per the Congressional Research Service:
Approximately 51.1 percent of the US population is female.
The “Y: The Last Man” graphic novels were first published in 2002, and in the almost two decades since then, the discussions around gender have evolved greatly, which led to these adjustments. However, Clark noted that many other elements, including gender equality, have not evolved that much in the time between the initial publication and her production.
“Basically what I learned is that our entire economy runs on trucks. So, if you’re living in a city, you know when to go to a grocery store that grocery store needs two deliveries a day to be stocked for the amount of people who are shopping [at] it, and they don’t have storage. I think 5% of truck drivers are women,” Clark said. “And so, this is definitely a world that has been decimated because cisgender men make up the vast majority of most industries, including our own. And so, I think in that way the world does look pretty similar to the book.”
“Basically what I learned is that our entire economy runs on trucks. So, if you’re living in a city, you know when to go to a grocery store that grocery store needs two deliveries a day to be stocked for the amount of people who are shopping [at] it, and they don’t have storage. I think 5% of truck drivers are women,” Clark said. “And so, this is definitely a world that has been decimated because cisgender men make up the vast majority of most industries, including our own. And so, I think in that way the world does look pretty similar to the book.”
FYI, per the Congressional Research Service:
One hundred forty-seven women Members (27.2% of the total membership) serve in the 117th Congress, 16 more than at the beginning of the 116th Congress. One hundred twenty-three women, including 3 Delegates as well as the Resident Commissioner, serve in the House and 24 in the Senate. Of the 123 women in the House, 90 are Democrats, including 2 of the Delegates, and 33 are Republicans, including 1 Delegate as well as the Resident Commissioner. Of the 24 women in the Senate, 16 are Democrats and 8 are Republicans.
Approximately 51.1 percent of the US population is female.
That's the thing though, as I think I said a few pages back, at it's core this is a disaster story, and disaster stories invariably focus on how said disasters affect people on the micro and macro scales. So yeah, if an entire gender drops dead world-wide it's kinda hard NOT to include these things in the discussion.
I wouldn't worry too much though, things seem to be moving at a fairly high clip, so I can't see it getting too bogged down in the political subplots.
Last edited:
Normally, I'd agree except Amber Tamblyn is a cast member but not Diana Bang who plays one of the most important characters of the comic series. That worries me.
I know I keep harping on this, especially with only three episodes out so far, but that demonstrates how much of a bad taste it left in my mouth while reminding me of Designated Survivor's missteps.