For the first two episodes of the second season of The Last Man on Earth, Phil Miller (Will Forte) and Carol Pilbasian (Kristen Schaal) have been driving around the country like apocalyptic nomads after “Tandy” (aka Phil) alienated the other survivors to the point of expulsion last season. I assumed that the second season would pick up with Tandy and Carol meeting new survivors, new groups of people to annoy. But in episode 2 titled “The Boo,” Carol and Phil reunite with the old Tucson crew in Malibu where they meet a newcomer played by Will Ferrell (yes, really!).
This felt like something you’d see in episode 8 or 9 of a 10-episode season, but LMOE got back into its Season 1 trouble by episode 3.
When Phil decided they were going to go back to the Tucson crew (despite Carol’s resistance), I found it a bit of a let down. Part of me looked forward to meeting new survivors and watching Tandy put his foot in his mouth in new adventures. Plus, since the first season just ended in the spring, it seemed too soon to already revert to Season 1 antics.
But then again, new adventures means new guest stars, which could put Last Man on Earth into the dangerously hackneyed Gilligan’s Island territory (maybe the Harlem Globetrotters survived the virus and are living outside Arizona). The last thing anyone wants to see is a revolving door of guest stars.
One of the things I love about watching this series is how I have no idea where it’s going to go, and, despite my misgivings about Phil and Carol going back to the Tucson group, I trust the creators and writers. After all, we’re not watching for concrete plot developments such as what caused the virus that wiped out the world’s population. We’re tuning in to see what mess Phil will get himself into this week.
LMOE is walking a fine, interesting line, and doing things unlike of anything else on television. The show’s concept is total drama with the premise mirroring The Walking Dead, but it’s played out like comedy. How long and far can this story go? Like the characters on the show, we’re left asking ourselves the same question.