Imagine if you were the last man on earth. What would you do? Would you grow a long beard? Walk around in your underwear? Throw bowling balls at aquariums? Swim in a margarita pool? Collect priceless memorabilia? Talk to inanimate objects? Poop through a hole in a diving board?
One man answers all of these questions with a resounding yes. That man is Phil Miller (Will Forte).
Forte shines in this lighthearted look at the end of civilization as we know it. His character is by no means heroic, and this show is by no means meant to be a dramatic tale of survival and the triumph of the human spirit, or whatever. Instead, through the lens of its outrageous premise, The Last Man On Earth examines loneliness and demonstrates why, at the end of the day, we all need each other.
Ever since he first made his mark as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, Will Forte has been known for his unique brand of humor, which I’d describe as rough around the edges. There’s nothing clean cut about Forte’s comedy. His characters are rarely likable, his premises are rarely relatable, his delivery is rarely predictable, and that’s why I love him. He dares to try things that most other comedians would never dare attempt.
This particular show is a great example of that. How he and the show’s creators got Fox to green-light a pilot episode in which the main actor is alone for the majority of it baffles me. Conventional TV wisdom says that a half hour sitcom featuring a ton of silence, loneliness, and a terribly morbid premise shouldn’t work on network TV, but it does. And as the program heads for its third season, it’s still as strong as ever.
Credit for this show’s continued success should not only go to Forte, but also to the show’s solid supporting cast. (Yes, even though the show is called Last Man On Earth it still features other people. [Sorry if that spoils it for you, but it really shouldn’t.]) Kristen Schaal is as lovable as she is hilarious in her role as the offbeat and grammatically correct Carol Pilbasian. Mel Rodriguez and Mary Steenburgen also give standout performances in their respective roles. And there may or may not be another great performance by one of Forte’s fellow SNL alumni (you’ll just have to watch the show to find out).
Some folks might not care for the narrative directions that The Last Man On Earth chooses to take. I’ve seen reviews complaining about Forte’s character being annoying and wishing that the show would just literally be about the last man on the face of the earth. And I can see where these dissatisfied viewers are coming from. This show won’t always make you comfortable, and Forte’s character will inevitably make you cringe as he makes terrible decisions that always backfire on him. But through those uncomfortable moments comes a lot of great comedy and catharsis. You just have to give this rough-around-the-edges comedy a chance.
Unfortunately, you can’t find The Last Man On Earth on Netflix (Aw farts), but the first two seasons are available on DVD, and season three is set to premiere on Sunday, September 25 on Fox. So be sure to check it out if you want to laugh at the aftermath of humanity’s near mass extinction.
Well that’s it for another entry on my list of the Top 20 Comedy TV Shows of All Time. Until next time, I leave you with this scene from the show featuring Will Forte talking to a bunch of balls:
