Have you been watching The Last Man on Earth?
The Last Man on Earth shouldn’t work. High-concept comedies often crumble under the weight of their own premise, with the likes of My Name is Earl quickly running out of ideas, despite somehow running for four series. This series, however, appears to have avoided any of those pitfalls, giving itself enough room to ensure the concept doesn’t become a burden or a limitation.
It is initially centred around the heavily bearded Phil Miller in the year 2020, seemingly the only human left alive after a deadly virus has swept the planet a year earlier. The opening shots of the series hit beats familiar in the post-apocalyptic genre, albeit with a much more absurdist sensibility. Having abandoned all hope of finding any other survivors, we see Phil travelling across the entirety of the US, collecting – among other things – fine art and White House memorabilia. Settling back in his hometown of Tucson, Arizona, he fills swimming pools full of alcohol and creates a giant toilet out of another, due to the lack of working plumbing.
Absurd is a good word to underline the entire series. Dave has already aired eight of the 13 episode first series, during which the narrative has found new ways to progress, and draw unique comedy from the morose situation in which the characters find themselves in.
Watch a scene from The Last Man on Earth: Avoid the White House.
The secret to the success of the show, however, comes in the confidence it has in not only its own writing, but the basic premise itself. Created by its lead Will Forte – star of 2014’s Oscar nominated Nebraska – the series aims to subvert expectation and push the boundaries of the genre by putting a comedic spin on the apocalypse, which makes even more sense when you see Phil Lord and Chris Miller listed among the executive production staff. The sense of fun they brought to The Lego Movie and the Jump Street franchise is reflected here, with similar pop-culture references such as the sports balls with faces drawn on that keep Miller company in his local bar – an explicit nod to Tom Hanks’s volleyball Wilson in Castaway.
Away from the broader comedy, slapstick and visual absurdism – Phil spends one scene conducting a large-scale Mentos and Coke experiment – the more interesting elements of the show come through its exploration of the basic instincts of man. Phil Miller – named after Phil Lord and Chris Miller – isn’t a shining example of the race. That much, at least, is made crystal clear in the first episode, with his newly founded home filled with stolen treasures and mountains of pornography. Phil Miller is a selfish, manipulative and deeply conflicted man, which is the source of many of the storylines and interactions in the show.
If he wasn’t such a pitiful person, his various failed passes at women would be seedy, rather than funny, and his various attempts at emotional blackmail would come across psychotic, rather than utterly feeble. However, the show makes it clear from the outset through pitch and tone that he’s a man to be laughed at, rather than with, and Will Forte carries the majority of the narrative on his own.
The last woman on earth? Kristin Schaal and Will Forte in The Last Man on Earth. Photograph: Fox
The introduction of a supporting cast after a few episodes quickly makes a mockery of what the show’s tongue-in-cheek title. Carol, an unnervingly innocent Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords) is soon followed by Melissa (Mad Men’s January Jones) and Todd (Mel Rodriguez – Better Call Saul, Getting On), who give the show an extra dimension, with their additional odd-couple antics a perfect balance to the relationship Phil finds himself trapped in with Carol.
Melissa is initially introduced as the third component in a lopsided love-triangle, but soon demonstrates a hyper-awareness of Phil’s every move, allowing January Jones to play against type as the cynical and contradictory heart of the show. Meanwhile, the arrival of the constantly jolly Todd gives Phil an unwitting contender for his alpha-male status, which is only further compounded by Todd’s unrelenting friendliness.
Already this season we have seen an unconventional marriage, as well as an attempted murder and proposed adultery, which isn’t bad going for a show that’s only eight episodes deep.
The Last Man on Earth has already been picked up for a second series by Fox in the US, due to hit screens on both sides of the pond later this month. One of the most imaginative, original and well-executed comedies in quite some time, the series is still available on Dave’s catch-up, with much more still in store for Phil Miller in the final episodes.