Sunday, March 1, 2015

REVIEW: 'The Last Man on Earth' - Phil Searches the Country for Other Survivors in 'Alive in Tucson' & 'The Elephant in the Room'

FOX's The Last Man on Earth - Episode 1.01 "Alive in Tucson" & Episode 1.02 "The Elephant in the Room"

After a deadly virus has swept the planet, Phil Miller is the only man left on earth. Phil searches the country for other survivors, but finds no one. As he returns to his hometown of Tucson, Phil comes to the realization that he is almost certainly the last living being on the face of the earth.


The Last Man on Earth is a highly inventive piece of comedic storytelling. Post-apocalypse narratives have been really popular as of late in the medium. But The Last Man on Earth has a different outlook on the end of the world. Its protagonist, Phil Miller, is the last remaining man in the human civilization. Not much is said about the event that wiped out the rest of humanity. Notice how there are no bodies, no looting of the stores or any big tragic events to the landscape. It's simply the same world that we all live in just with only one person still living in it.

Being the last man on earth has to be very chaotic but equally as isolating. With no one around him, Phil no longer has to follow the rules as they were established by civilization. After confirming that no one is still alive in the United States, Canada and Mexico, he no longer has to live the same way that he did before the virus wiped out the world. He can live in a fancy house, eat as much food as he wants and masturbate all day long. He can go unshaved and disheveled because there is no longer anyone in this world to impress besides himself. His standards for living are lowered because there isn't anyone else to understand this new world order.

However, that is quite the tragedy after awhile. Being the only person still alive has to be a traumatic experience on the mind. He openly mocks the concept in Castaway and claims that he'll never be caught taking to objects with faces drawn on them. And then later, he has taken the gag and expanded it to new levels by creating a bar full of balls with faces and personalities. Phil simply didn't know what this experience would do to him until it happened. The psychology of this event is uncertain. Why is he still here? He has an open dialogue with God now. But he's starting to wonder if any of his concerns are being heard because he's still the only living person after five months of living in chaos in Tucson.

It's sad because Phil wants that connection with another human being again. He enjoys throwing all the rules aside and living life in a way that's simple for him. He parks wherever he wants, shoots the windows out of stores in order to get in and has an increasingly epic game of bowling with many inanimate objects. And yet, a woman would be nice to have by his side in this existence. He is desperate for that connection - even going so far as to force it with a store mannequin. After a certain point, he sees it all as being a hopeless cause. No one is coming to be with him. He had his fun but now he needs to move to the next stage - whatever that is. Phil is ready to die and leave this world. And then, he spots a fire burning on the landscape. That's enough hope for him to venture out there on the chance that another human being has spotted his "Alive in Tucson" signs and come to join him. His efforts are finally rewarded with woman still being alive. She is just drastically different than what he had envisioned for himself.

Carol is an uptight, shrill woman who enjoys rules and orders. She wants to believe that there should still be some basic decency in this world even if it's just her and Phil. She believes in perfect English and of time being spent to better their lives. She wants to see their current situation as a blessing that has a purpose. She doesn't know why she and Phil are still alive but she does fully understand that their mission needs to be repopulation of the planet. She forces Phil to see the world and himself differently - and vice versa. They help the other become a better version of themselves. Carol needed to learn to make some compromises in this life. It may be a horrible idea to use a pool or a fountain as a toilet but it's what they have to do because they don't have running water. Likewise, Phil may not want to work hard or learn how to do anything new, but that's what's going to help him prosper in this new world.

Phil and Carol frequently hate each other. But they both recognize that they need the other in their lives. Perhaps this world wouldn't be so lonely and would be worth living if they had each other around. Of course, neither one is happy with the partner that they got stuck with in this deal. But they are willing to make things work. At times, it's infuriating. Phil just wants to crash through stores while Carol wants to park in the appropriate parking spot. But the simplicity of having dinner with another human being is such an aspirational thing to have in a world like this. It's a connection Phil was searching for in the beginning. He got it and now has to adapt alongside her.

Some more thoughts:
  • "Alive in Tucson" was written by Will Forte and directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller.
  • "The Elephant in the Room" was written by Andy Bobrow and directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller.
  • I loved the opening sequence with Phil roaming the country in his RV. It would pop up in unexpected places. He didn't take a typical journey across the country. The last place he went was Utah. But it was well worth the journey for the comedic effect.
  • Seeing the amount of trash in his new house and then having him bathe and drink from a pool of alcohol had to be a tragic low point for Phil.
  • Phil makes sure to apologize to the whole crew of Castaway for just how accurate they were in this type of situation.
  • No animals seem to exist in this world either.
  • Before the virus, Phil used to work as a temp. So, he didn't really have his life together before this apocalypse either.
  • Carol will only have sex with Phil if they are married first. That infuriates him but he still offers her the proposal she wants. I'm guessing the ceremony will happen next week.
  • That beard is epic!