Last Man Standing Review: “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Ire”

I’m not sure what it is that draws me to Last Man Standing. I’m convinced that it’s just the fact that I’m getting older, and I can relate more to guys like Mike Baxter than ever before. Ten years ago, it probably wouldn’t have resonated with me as easily. But now that I’m an old, married parent, I can relate to it more. Of course, the primary test that I have for comedy series is a simple one: they have to make me laugh. Unequivocally, Last Man Standing has consistently achieved this. Why? I may never know, but I find this show hysterical.

This week on Last Man Standing: Vanessa and Mike catch Mandy vaping, which reminds Vanessa of her smoking days. Vanessa reverts to smoking during a stressful time at school. Ryan and Kristin find a safe in the wall of their basement, and a sense of awe and wonder takes over them. Kyle helps them open the safe.

On paper, this episode of Last Man Standing doesn’t sound like anything special, and in terms of plot, it really isn’t. It takes a bit of a stance against smoking, but it doesn’t have a PSA feel. But it’s just so funny the way that they capture real human emotions. Mike and Vanessa’s arrangement concerning talking about feelings and solving problems is EXACTLY what marriage is like. It’s a little scary how close to home it hits. But that’s exactly what makes this show funny. It’s not totally realistic, but it has a lot of real, raw elements to it that are true to life and wonderful.

Probably the only part of this episode I didn’t care for was Kristin and Ryan’s obsession with the safe. They aren’t teenagers, so I don’t understand what got them so excited about it. It just seemed out of character for two of the most level headed characters to get so excited about something like that. The saving grace of this story, though, was that it gave Kyle a chance to do something intelligent AND kind.

As always, here are some of my favorite quotes/moments from the episode:

• “Mom has to vent about her union strikey thingy”- Mandy
• “I don’t have any problems and Kyle doesn’t have any solutions.”- The Mandy and Kyle guide to marital bliss
• “At least you’re not just doing something that’s bad for you, but you look stupid too!” – Mike
• “She doesn’t need to see her daughter toking on a kazoo!”- Mike
• “And we were about to cover parabolas, their absolute favorite!”- Not my fav, Vanessa.
• “What meeting? I joke about your wine but I don’t think you have a problem!”- Solid witty comment from Mike
• “Never piss off your dad near a rake”- Larabee
• “You smoked Pall Malls for 25 years?” “Your dad hit you with a rake?” “This really is sad hour.”
• “What if it’s something you don’t really want like old guns or a job?”- Eve
• “Are you capable of sitting quietly while I share my feelings?” “No.”

I love that this show spreads out the comedic moments and one liners, but it’s still resting quite a bit on Tim Allen. However, Molly Ephraim’s Mandy delivered punchline after punchline and was a revelation for in this episode. I love when this show spreads the comedy around.

What did you guys think? Did you enjoy the episode? Let us know in the comments!

Last Man Standing airs Fridays at 8/7c on ABC