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Will Forte’s “The Last Man on Earth” was hotly anticipated prior to its premiere on Fox. It’s a unique premise for a TV show – a comedy, at that – premiering on a broadcast network. Pretty unheard of. With the reliably funny and entertaining Forte as creator and star, could anything go wrong?
And for the first couple of episodes, nothing could. “The Last Man on Earth” sees Phil Miller (Forte) living alone on the desolate landscape that is America in 2020, five years after a virus wiped out the entire human race aside from him – or so he believes. After driving through the country searching for other survivors, he is convinced that he is indeed the last man on earth. He gives up and settles down in Tucson.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller, of “21 Jump Street” and “The Lego Movie” fame, directed the pilot episode of “TLMOE.” The directing duo also executive produces the series. As a result, the first hour of the show is tremendous, especially in its visual aspects. Not only is it more cinematic than almost any other show on network TV, the camera is directed in such a way to punctuate each joke, mining laughs from watching one person simply destroy things with abandon.
For that is what Phil Miller does as the last man on earth. The pilot is largely filled with scenes of Phil entertaining himself by destroying things – blowing up cars, bowling (using aquariums as pins) and letting himself into grocery stores by shooting glass storefronts. There’s a lot to be said for the pilot. In fact, it may very well be the single best comedy pilot in years. Forte’s solitary antics are laugh-out-loud funny and the tragic loneliness really does come through at the same time.
At the end of the pilot, however, the game is changed; Phil meets another person when Kristen Schaal’s character, Carol, turns up, ostensibly the last woman on earth. The dynamic between Carol and Phil is a familiar one: Carol is a shrewish, nagging woman bringing down the carefree, fun-loving Phil. As a result of Schaal and Forte’s incredible comic timing, however, the material is elevated beyond its shabby, simplistic writing.
They manage to keep the show in a solid comedic place for the following couple of episodes. My favorite joke of the series so far comes at a moment when Carol is particularly annoyed with Phil. She looks at him and says, “You were a real scrub today. And you know how I feel about scrubs.” His response: “You don’t want no?”
And then January Jones shows up as Melissa, another survivor, a beautiful blonde who is very happy to discover she isn’t the last person in the world. It all goes downhill from there, and quickly. At this point, the show devolves into something that is barely even worth watching. When the premise is taken away, when Forte is no longer goofing off alone but interacting with multiple characters like a character would do on any other sitcom, “The Last Man on Earth” is only slightly better than, say, “Two and a Half Men.”
The introduction of Melissa brings three episodes wherein Phil grotesquely pines after her, he makes a fool out of himself and he can barely conceal his lust for her. He acts so much like a stalker, the show should really have been called “The Creepiest Man on Earth.” He is also unnecessarily awful to Carol while he pines after Melissa. The first three episodes of this show are spent getting us to know and like Phil Miller; the subsequent three are spent getting us to hate him with every fiber of our being.
Almost every ounce of goodwill the show built up in its impressive first few episodes is doused in gasoline and dropped into a volcano by the following three. I’ve never seen anything like it, a show that starts out so excellently but becomes so terrible so quickly into its first season. As the show adds more and more characters the distinct tragicomedy that “TLMOE” seemed to be in its first couple episodes becomes something entirely conventional, something that is just as badly written as any number of CBS multi-cam sitcoms. It’s a crushingly disappointing piece of work.
I like, respect and trust everyone involved in this show just barely enough to keep on watching, at least for the rest of this first season, but I don’t expect anything from it anymore. The bottom line – the fact that I really have to come to terms with – is that “The Last Man on Earth” just isn’t a very good TV show.
Eli Fine can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @ElazarFine.
John • Jul 5, 2020 at 6:36 pm
If you enjoyed MacGruber, you’ll likely enjoy this show and understand Forte’s humor.
I skimmed this and when I got to your favorite joke of the series “so far” I stopped. You need to have a certain humor for this show and that joke (no scrub) is okay but a poor representation in my opinion.
Jason • Jun 12, 2020 at 1:12 pm
Got suggested to watch this show. Watched the pilot then promptly stopped – The premise is a great idea but yeah, totally lacked in… well everything. Sorry but not interested in the next episode.
Kloid • Mar 9, 2019 at 8:39 am
The premise is awesome, the execution from the first episode was amatuer, cliche, thoughtless, and made for the masses. Raisin meatballs when there are full grocery stores, duct tape pipes for water, forced scenes, ……..pretty bad tv.
TRUE THAT • Apr 1, 2017 at 3:57 pm
I HATE THIS SHOW!!! It doesn’t make any sense and VERY ANNOYING!!!
It’s only a matter of time before they cancel it! THANK THE LORD!!!
TooGood2BTrue • Nov 14, 2016 at 12:04 am
Worst Show on Monday Nights! Please go away! Cancel already! No character development. White male privilege much?! Annoying much?!
DARE • Jun 4, 2016 at 2:58 am
Honestly, I like the show. I don’t believe the name matches the content, but the show truly caught my attention. If you were to start watching the show without the first impression one would have if reading the title first, it might be less of a disappointment to you. True, Phil isn’t a good moral character, but I believe that’s what caught my attention. Instead of creating a character that lives up to society’s standard of good and polite, the writers created a character that one would see as horrendous. Casting a unique main character. From each lesson in various situations one can see Phil learning and eventually striving to become a better person. A love a show with character evolution.
Tim • Oct 26, 2015 at 5:51 pm
I’ve found the concept interesting and was a fan until the second season started. This is when they ran out of steam and just do circles around the same idea of Phil/Tandy being extremely annoying. And that’s all it is
Jo • Apr 27, 2015 at 7:10 pm
This show is about annoying white male privilege. Literally everything that comes out of his mouth makes me want to punch him. There’s nothing funny, witty or clever about this show. They need to cancel it.
Tjm • Apr 14, 2015 at 1:24 am
Was really into the idea of the show and the first couple of episodes were funny but ‘Phil’ became SO annoying, his acting is so bad it’s hard to watch the show anymore. Truthfully I think they should kill his character off if they want the show to survive.
Jaw Shlorence • Mar 29, 2015 at 10:21 pm
I completely agree with all of Mr. Fine’s points. This show tanked when it became only about Phil’s lust for the blonde. I keep watching and hoping, but I don’t know if they can pull it out of this rut.
Larz • Mar 26, 2015 at 8:13 pm
I watched a couple of episodes. Meh. Not really any better than most of the junk that passes for comedy on TV. The humor is obvious and predictable.
SmEli Fartsine • Mar 26, 2015 at 12:20 am
Wow, what a whiny bitch.