The show is set in 2020 and Will Forte stars as Phil Miller, the eponymous last man on earth after the human race has been wiped out by a virus. He has driven around the United States spray painting billboards with the message, "Alive in Tucson," hoping that anyone else who is alive will see it and find him in Arizona. In the pilot, we see the pathetic life he leads, talking to inanimate objects, decorating his large house with artwork stolen from museums across the country, and lounging in a kiddie pool filled with alcohol. He is sad and lonely, and the pilot is both hilarious and dark at the same time.
The joy of The Last Man on Earth comes at the very end of the first episode, when it becomes clear that the show's title may no longer be appropriate. And as the season progresses, that title becomes even more irrelevant. I shan't spoil a single detail more because you have to watch the surprises and plot twists unfold for yourself. The show's premise seems to paint it into a corner and yet it has found a simply fantastic way to stretch things out and introduce new complications that leave you with a cliffhanger after every single episode. It's marvelous.
The writing is sharp and clever, the tone is bizarre and hysterical, and the acting is absolutely spot-on. Forte has no reservations about making Phil a thoroughly unlikable character, and that's what allows for hijinx to ensue. It's a great show for binge watching because you can immediately see what the next crazy turn is instead of waiting a whole week for the next installment like I did. The Last Man on Earth is a genre-bending post-apocalyptic sitcom unlike anything else on TV, so give it a try and prepare to get hooked.
No comments:
Post a Comment