Phil desperately tries to find Carol… and a licky boom-boom down.
By Eric Goldman
Full spoilers for the episode follow.
I’m already very late with this review (and advance warning: with NYCC this coming weekend, next week’s review will likely be late too), so gonna keep this one short!
“The Boo” was another strong episode for Season 2, taking the show into several different arenas in just 22 minutes. The first third again showed just how sad and surprisingly impactful Last Man on Earth Can Be, as Phil desperately tried to find Carol and Carol went from her usual optimistic self to beginning to lose hope he’d ever return. Even if you have found Carol annoying in the past (or present?), I’d hope you felt bad for her when she and her inflatable friend both were laying on the ground, with things bleaker than ever – all setting up the truly triumphant and happy moments where she saw Phil’s message on the train and they were reunited.
Phil was a scumbag for much of Season 1, no doubt, and it makes sense that he’d still, well, backslide. Still, it was worrisome when he hid that note from Carol from the others, saying they were in Malibu – but thankfully it didn’t last long and not only did he give it to her on his own, but both of them were very self-sacrificing in their follow up, as she told him she’d be willing to stay with him alone in Tucson and he, wanting her to be happier, took her to Malibu anyway – despite literally fearing for his life (as shown in his very funny “Double nightmare”).
And then there was that ending and… Freaking Will Ferrell as “Gordon”! Which is great on its own, but arguably may be even funnier if that truly was it for him and his collapse when Carol showed up and shocked him was also his death. We’ll find out next week. In the meantime, I’ll be singing “Informer” with my friends on the beach.
In a way, I’m bemoaning Phil and Carol being reunited with everyone else so soon, because these last two episodes were so strong with them off on their own. At the same time, part of that was fueled by a lot of sadness that perhaps the show – while always having as part of its DNA – doesn’t’ want to wallow in for two long. Regardless, the depiction of Phil and Carol’s separation, reuniting and eventual trip to Malibu was great – and the whole “Gordon” of it all still has me laughing.
