When we find Phil, we find a man at the end of his proverbial rope, or quite possibly his supply of tequila. His wife hates him, his neighbors hate him, and the town’s two newest survivors Gail and Erica can only stare in disbelief at the idiot they almost skinny-dipped with. It’s only on top of a pool-table among his smiling ball friends that he finally, finally reaches an epiphany for the ages of what everyone’s been telling him: “I am a liar.”
It would’ve admittedly been nice if Pranks for Noth’in had happened a bit earlier in The Last Man on Earth‘s first season. Playing the same “Phil’s a jerk” card over and over for two months wore me out on the character of Phil Miller and the cul-de-sac of Tuscon pretty quickly, especially as Phil’s selfish behavior completely consumed everyone around him. What’s it gotten him? Talking to a cow.
For all their quirky charm, Melissa, Todd, and Carol have all existed as the one-note butts of Phil’s jokes and schemes – something that’s robbed The Last Man on Earth of its original, lighthearted innocence. Although Pranks for Noth’in isn’t a full 180 for the show, it’s just nice to hear Phil talking to God again at the start of Pranks for Noth’in. For a character whose amorality has always been the series’ gag, Phil’s moments to himself (or God) have always revealed more than what’s met the eye. Phil realizes it too. His relentless pursuit of Melissa (and then Gail and Erica) has been an uninspired thorn in the show’s side as a gag that no “honesty sandwich with extra truth cheese” lie can cover up.
Like the kid no one wants to play with on the playground, it’s Phil’s exile from the cul-de-sac and his estrangement from Carol that truly sparks something in him. It’s the sad sight of a camouflaged Phil, spying on the friends who don’t miss him with radar equipment, that reverberates just how much he’s sucked for so long. The imagery’s utterly – and surprisingly – sad, but sorely needed. The additions of Gail and Erica adds another brand of comedic diversity Last Man can benefit from more than Phil in the short term – anything more subdued than the lovable caricature that Carol is, or the pretty face the show’s reduced Melissa to. Even Todd’s proved himself a bigger man than Phil in more ways than his belt size.
That Phil’s awfulness has completely consume the series has been a disappointing twist of the series, though a natural one based on the shows title – his jerky antics genuinely suck more life from the show than they give to it. Phil finally coming face to face with his lies is an important step forward, regardless. Not only does it reinstate some agency for the other characters in the cul-de-sac, but it shows Last Man hasn’t failed in building towards something. Of course, Phil’s old habits shouldn’t go down without a hilariously good fight, courtesy of his own doorway parody of the series “OMG, people!” new survivor intros. I like the perm on Phil, actually.
It’s easy to see how quickly the show’s able to shed some of the nastiness of The Do-Over (and the four or five episodes before it) to see how integral Carol and Phil’s penultimate conversation is to the series. Of the show’s leads, Phil and Carol have suffered from the most childish thinking – that Carol wanted a knight in shining armor and Phil wanted, well, more adult things. Their compromise is one of the most endearingly honest moments since the show’s premiere and I dare say that our Phil is growing up. *sniff*
It might be presumptuous to think that Pranks for Nothin‘s last five minutes really will undo all of the series’ faults, but it does set up an intriguing amount of possibilities for Phil for once dealing with his problems – of being alone once again and as a divorcee ostracized from his own group. Five minutes of promising material in nine episodes is nothing to be super excited about, but hopefully, The Last Man on Earth will keep talking the talking and walking the walk that made it – and its former hero – such an unpredictable, if not human show.
The Last Man on Earth airs Sunday nights on FOX at 9/8 Central. Catch all the latest episodes at FOX.com and all the latest reviews here at BagoGames.