Last Man Standing does a great job talking about issues that no one else is talking about. Especially in today’s political climate, having a show with a conservative main character can be a controversial issue in itself. But the best thing about Last Man Standing is that it tackles relevant issues in realistic and funny way. “Friending Library” tackled an important political issue, but perhaps one that’s tossed aside in favor of “fake news”.
This week on Last Man Standing: Chuck deals with a lifestyle adjustment as Carol goes away for a year long job. Kyle and Ed choose an essay contest winner, who wins a meet and greet with Mike and an appearance on the Outdoor Man Vlog. The winner they picked, however, turns out to be unworthy. Vanessa, also upset about Carol’s departure, builds a yard library in an attempt to find a new friend.
Okay, so you might be thinking “how in the world was this an important story”? The story between Vanessa and Chuck was still down to earth and realistic, but it was less serious. What I was referring to is the wackadoo winner of the Outdoor Man Vlog essay contest. What this story does is create a poignant, relevant distinction between “conservative” and “alt-right” without pulling any punches and still making the audience laugh. The winner of this contest read into a lot of things in the vlogs that weren’t necessarily there, and took it to extremes. In today’s world, it’s difficult for anyone to express a viewpoint that might be considered conservative without being chastised or insulted. But, when the insults are slung, it’s this character that they are picturing and not Mike Baxter. This episode drew an important distinction between having conservative views and being a conspiracy-theory anarchist. There are differences, and it’s important for audiences to know that.
Though the rest of the episode wasn’t remarkable, I do enjoy any and every time that they explore the life of Chuck. He’s a particularly interesting character and strikes a perfect balance of funny and serious. He works well within the framework of the show. Some of the best comedy on the show comes from banter between Chuck and Mike. Even though I was hoping it would be Ryan or Ed, the fact that Chuck was Vanessa’s little book buddy really enriched his character and the story. Rather than “sarcastic neighbor”, it added another layer to Chuck and made him feel more realistic.
Additionally, I was pleased that they FINALLY addressed Carol’s absence. She hasn’t been on the show for some time, but at least this way they’re saying “she won’t be back for awhile” rather than ignoring the fact that she’s gone.
Here are a few other thoughts/funny moments:
- “It’s like a bird feeder for nerds! It’s a nerd feeder!”
- “Chuck doesn’t have any feelings. That’s why we get along!”
- Kyle playing the duck call like a trumpet was pretty fun.
- “I did a book report on this book that was so good, Mandy got an A on it too”
- “That’s another thing I love about your vlogs. They’re not funny!”
This episode had an important point to make, which it did, and then proceeded to have fun like usual. It’s still important, though, to use lessons like these to embrace humanity.
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
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