Episode Review: The Last Man on Earth Season 3 Premiere [Spoilers]
It’s amazing how The Last Man on Earth has evolved from season one to three without losing a sense of the fundamental voice driving the show.
Will Forte remains the driving creative mind behind the show, but it’s just as noticeable that the writers and directors (several coming from SNL) have an understanding of that weird mind they’ve connected to. And it was nice to see the name John Solomon come up as the director and co-writer (with David Noel) of the season three premiere, the same person who co-created MacGruber with Forte along with other high concept SNL sketches with Forte (like the infamous Potato Chip). He clearly has an understanding on how the visuals on the show enhance the absurd humor and real pathos that makes the show so watchable week to week. It’s noticeable that his comedy direction has a grand sweep which only adds to the show’s humor and world building. The biggest example of that last night would arguably be the blowing up of the Santa Monica Pier from a beach in Malibu, while Phil (Will Forte) and new “friend” Patrick (Mark Boone Junior) discuss recent devastating losses. But there were plenty of other example of the visual comedy the show’s has integrated so beautifully into such a show which has become a remarkable achievement.
For one, the show went for a pretty hilarious meta joke to start things off, when we finally discovered the identities of the men in the contamination suits carrying assault rifles and invading the Malibu home Phil and the gang live in. One of them was none other than Jon Hamm, who was shot and killed by gun loving Melissa (January Jones); the same actress who played with guns on Mad Men to let out frustrations with her unfaithful husband (played by Hamm). It answers the cliffhanger from last season with a big laugh that was also one of the show’s darkest jokes as Hamm’s Darrell becomes the third victim of the group, along with Will Ferrell’s Gordon who Carol scared to death, and Boris Kodjoe’s Phil Miller 2 who couldn’t be saved during an appendectomy being performed by the chef, Gail (Mary Steenburgen).
Shooting someone in the chest is by far the darkest the show’s gotten, and suggests the new season will have a different tone.
Season one thematically answered the question Carol asked Phil “are you a good person?” (he wasn’t). And season two attempted to redeem Phil for his misdeeds…something the show managed to do remarkably well. Now the show is asking if redemption’s possible for EVERYONE. When Darrell’s co-invaders are identified as Lewis (Kenneth Choi) and Patrick (Mark Boone Junior) newly reformed Phil is drawn to disturbed Patrick, despite the others insisting they shun him and take in Lewis. Patrick refuses to take the suit off, fearing bunker people he’s imagined will contaminate him with virus. After all, he was the person who left Mike (Jason Sudeikis) among the bodies last season when he refused to return to the boat to find Phil, his brother.
Mike is the link Patrick and Phil share, and makes Phil’s willingness to see the potential good make all the sense in the world. He just lost his younger brother, after finally making amends, because he was helpless to save him from the virus. But by showing Patrick kindness and camaraderie, he might be able to save him from the delusions he’s suffering from being alone too long (if those were caused by solitude and not the other way around). Phil went nutty after spending two years completely alone (and grew similarly wild, shaggy hair), and just recently found himself again thanks to Carol’s love and patience. And now that he’s expecting a baby, showing a selfless, loving side is something Phil needs to show he has that capacity for. He even tells Carol (who insists he start wearing fake eyebrows after shaving them off last season) that Patrick’s great, just “he’s definitely a rescue. Might pee on the carpet from time to time, bark at a minority, hump some legs, but once we housebreak him, he’ll be licking faces and wagging that tail.”
Referring to Patrick in terms of a dog makes perfect sense considering the rest of the group feels he’s beyond hope and want to put him down. Lewis insists he’s dangerous, but up until the very end, we’re not sure if he’s gone over the edge and is beyond hope…or if the gang’s unforgiving nature’s reemerging. After all, Phil convinces him to get out of the suit just by showing him some kindness and understanding. He seems to be coming around and wants to start the healing…until Patrick sees the picture of Phil’s family (including Mike) and creates an elaborate conspiracy and decides the group needs to be executed…but runs out of ammunition just before shooting Phil. The gang escapes in their A-team van, this time with the Mr. T keys Todd previously lost.
That episode’s long bit about the A-team van in the show was the perfect example of how to execute a joke (a pretty silly one) into something that truly works within this high concept show’s logic and build on it through repetition. Earlier, they attempted to escape the house but the A-Team van was blocking the drive way and Todd (Mel Rodriguez) couldn’t find his Mr. T key chain. The idea that someone can’t find their keys while trying to escape is both hilarious (particularly with Todd’s overly long description of his Mr. T key chain) and completely logical. It seems like something we should have seen in a few more horror movies, it’s such an identifiable mistake people make. But it was inspired to make the Mr. T key chain’s “I Pity the Fool” sound the giveaway when they’re hiding during the home invasion, like cell phone rings are becoming a horror convention now. And then to call back to the joke by using the van to get away when we think the threat has been deflated was the perfect way to build the joke into the episode’s plot so it isn’t a throw away laugh.
While there weren’t indications that the show would go in this direction, The Last Man on Earth has become a remarkably good example of why horror-comedies can work; by creating a kind of whiplash by quickly going from comedy to horror to keep audiences off kilter. The image of Boone Junior standing in the suit with his rifle when Todd turns the headlights on wouldn’t be a jump scare in a horror film, but because the show is so broadly comic, throwing shocks like that into the show (or the home invasion scene) adds an unexpected thrill by while doing very little. And based on the dark and stormy night images in the coming attractions, the show seems like it’s willing to embrace this change in the following episodes.
It should be mentioned that as a group, the show has become a finely tuned machine. Forte and Schaal remain the heart and soul of the show (particularly the lovable Kristen Schaal who adds a necessary warmth to the show); but the show has truly become an ensemble. While Boris Kodjoe was a fine co-star and good foil for Forte, his absence has allowed Cleopatra Coleman’s Erica to come into her own as the show’s singular voice of reason. Likewise, the realization that the Melissa-Todd-Gail love triangle is funnier than the first season’s with Phil and Carol (who so clearly belong together), has offered those characters more to play off of and an opportunity to grow as characters. Just watching the way each character reacted during the funeral shows how well established the characters are within the The Last Man on Earth universe. Melissa’s still holding the gun, Phil and Carol stand together in a loving embrace, while Erica puts up yet another grave (next to former boyfriend Phil 2), and they listen to the sounds of Todd singing and Gail playing an accordion version of “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” What an excellent way to start season three of one of TV’s most imaginative comedies.
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