Phil Miller’s back, and Abraham Lincoln and Ben Franklin are excited enough to make out!
By Eric Goldman
Full spoilers for The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 premiere follow.
The Last Man on Earth returned with a strong season premiere that seemed to suggest that any fear of this show turning into a routine TV comedy were out the window. Last season found Phil gaining an ever-increasing group of people around him, to the point where it was possible of conceiving the series gradually becoming a typical show about a guy and his group of friends and neighbors, with an atypical, post-apocalyptic setting. But “Is There Anybody Out There?” threw that out the window, with Phil and Carol’s journey away from Tucson, established in the Season 1 finale, continuing – and then taking a tragic turn when they became separated from each other.
Of course, tragedy is present in the very premise of the series, and this episode proved the show wouldn’t shy away from touching upon that when needed. The visit back to Carol’s old home included a notable moment where she explained she’d filled her bedroom with tributes she made to all the friends and family she had who died in the virus that killed off (most of) humanity. The Last Man on Earth is a comedy, but it’s one rooted in a horrifying scenario, when realistically examined, and it was nice to see this nod to the sadness all the characters clearly are not verbalizing on a constant basis.
In the midst of this, we got more great comic beats from the total freedom/no rules situation Phil’s been in since the start, as he and Carol casually drove (thankfully, they didn’t try and fly it) a stealth bomber around town and then took over the White House, doing whatever the hell they wanted with what was inside.
Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Gallery
The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Photos
The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Photos
The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Photos
The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Photos
The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Photos
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The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Photos
The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Photos
The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Photos
The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Photos
The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Photos
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The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Photos
Will Forte stars as Phil Miller on The Last Man on Earth
Kristen Schaal stars as Carol Pilbasian on The Last Man on Earth
January Jones stars as Melissa Shart on The Last Man on Earth
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We also spent several scenes with Phil’s brother, Mike (Jason Sudeikis), who we learned is very much like his brother – except he’s turned to speaking to worms, not balls, as a sounding board. Obviously, it’s a big “Well, that’s a coincidence!” move to have Mike being one of the survivors, but it works within the heightened and odd feel of Last Man on Earth. And Mike’s fears that no one is left alive on Earth (well, we know he’s wrong on that), that he might not be able to successfully use the descent module back to Earth and that even if he did make it back, he could succumb to the virus, are all understandable.
There was a lot of discussion during Season 1 about just how unlikeable Phil got, with many saying it soured them on the show completely. I hope some may reconsider that though, following Phil’s own epiphany about his actions at the end of Season 1. No, he’s not suddenly perfect and he and Carol still have some petty fights, but it’s clear he’s trying now – as Carol said, it meant something that he even offered to go back and take care of that bomb he accidentally dropped!
The final sequence of the premiere was pretty damn bleak, as Phil discovered the cul-de-sac was abandoned and his own home burnt up, while Carol sat alone waiting for Phil to come for her and Mike said goodbye to another of his worm companions – all three characters at a very low, sad point, underlined by the music.
Yep, this is a comedy! I can see this being a big turn off for a mainstream audience, but I love just how far they’re going here with pushing the boundaries of a what you’d see in a half hour network sitcom.
