The Last Man on the Earth
If you gained control of the world, how would you run it? These kinds of dreams are often explored in movies that take place in a post-apocalyptic world but have a whimsical feel, such as “Zombieland” and “This Is The End.” A lack of rules can create some very entertaining scenarios. Fox’s latest stab at a situational sitcom is “The Last Man on Earth,” which follows Phil Miller (Will Forte) and his struggles as the only inhabitant of a barren planet.
Phil is named after the directors of the pilot episode, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who also directed “21 Jump Street” and “The LEGO Movie.” Once again, they hit the nail on the head with this one.
“The Last Man on Earth,” like most great stories, shoots first and asks questions later. The series jumps right in with Phil touring the country leaving his version of an S.O.S. “Alive in Tucson” is painted on signs, billboards and landmarks across America. The rest of the pilot episode goes into depth about the world Phil has made for himself within Tucson.
He can live out every fantasy he has ever had inside his head. This often means doing something ridiculous or funny. I mean who hasn’t wanted to go bowling by throwing a car into pins? Or knock over every display stack of soda cans at grocery stores? Or wear a suit of armor while taking a 90 mph fastball to the chest? Phil does all these things and more as Tucson’s self-appointed ruler.
When “The Last Man On Earth” came out, many were skeptical if one character alone could carry an entire show. They were proven wrong after seeing Carol Pilbasian (Kristen Schaal).
After living out any possible fantasy he could think up, Phil finally comes to terms with what it means to be alone: It’s called surviving not living. Just before he is about to end his own life, Phil meets someone who sought him out after seeing his “Alive in Tucson” messages.
Carol Pilbasian (Kristen Schaal) would be the first in a series of many disappointments for Phil. He dreamt of a blonde bombshell finding him but instead has to repopulate the earth with the eccentric yet sweet Carol. His handling of their wedding, masterminded by Carol, shows two steps back and one step forward in his character development.
The audience has no moral gauge for Phil since they haven’t seen him in society. Once other characters start shuffling into Phil’s life it becomes clear very quickly that “The Last Man on Earth” is actually just a giant jackass. Although viewers might turn away from a show about horrible people, shows such as “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” have proven that having morally bankrupt protagonists can also be brilliant. Over the course of the season, Phil grows at an extremely slow pace going from being a pathological liar to somewhat tolerable human being.
With the introduction of new characters like Melissa Shart (January Jones) and Todd (Mel Rodriguez), Phil’s schemes get crazier. He lies about everything to people around him, pretending to be someone he is not. His lies just keep getting worse and worse throughout each episode; from saying he’s lactose intolerant when they find a cow, to staying up all night plowing a field after bragging about how good at farming he is.
These situations make “The Last Man on Earth” very awkward because they put it in scenarios that show how far Phil will go to deceive them which only makes these moments more hilarious, but also cringeworthy.
The last few episodes focus on Phil being displaced within his own kingdom. Not only do his plans fail but another man named Phil Miller (Boris Kodjoe) comes in and makes old Phil nonexistent in every way possible so once again Phil has been replaced both literally and figuratively forcing him once again move on by the season finale as Phil drives away into the sunset we pan out from earth showing us floating in outer space there is something juicy that could be used as a plot point for next season.
“The Last Man on Earth” may prove too much for some viewers who cannot stomach dark humor like this. Phil is not a good person, and showrunner/lead actor Forte takes a big chance by making him the engine of “The Last Man on Earth”. By midway through the first season any goodwill towards Phil from the audience has evaporated.
However, “The Last Man on Earth” does pull itself together over its final stretch. Even though he doesn’t necessarily embody all of what you’d expect out of a leading man character like this show needs someone who isn’t one because most sitcoms are boring and safe so unless they can provide some sort of contrast then what’s even point?
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