By Christina Murphy
Columnist
There’s an episode of “The Twilight Zone” about a man who lives a simple life working at a bank, but would much rather spend his time getting lost in books. A nuclear war happens, as everyone expected it to in 1959, and he survives, making him the last man on earth.
With seemingly-endless access to food and supplies necessary for survival, he now has the luxury to enjoy his time with a wealth of books from an abandoned library, free of people and responsibility. While he settles into his post-apocalyptic oasis he trips and shatters his glasses, rendering him unable to see any of the books that he waited all this time to read.
I couldn’t help but think of this classic episode, “Time Enough to Last,” while watching Fox’s new comedy, “The Last Man on Earth.” From the moment of recognition while contemplating suicide, to the abundance of situational irony, the series premiere aligns with the classic episode, but adapted to fit the modern world and instead of books he’s after, it’s a woman.
Created, written by and starring a grizzlier Will Forte than we’re used to, “The Last Man On Earth” tells the story of Phil, a man who outlives all of humanity after a virus sweeps through Earth. Phil used to live a modest life as a temp, hating most of the people around him, but now it’s just him as he searches for other survivors.
Traveling through the now-vacant country, he finds no living person, although he does snag some priceless works of art and memorabilia from the White House, Smithsonian, Metropolitan Museum of Art and even the Playboy Mansion. When he gets back to his home in Tucson, he moves into a mansion, because why not? He bowls with cars, makes a human-sized margarita in a kiddie pool – salt and all – and watches “Castaway” while wearing Michael Jordan’s Bulls Jersey.
He pretty much does everything he’s ever wanted to do but never has because of the constraints of society. The only thing missing from his life is that special someone to share it with. He begs and pleads with God to send him a woman.
Well, God answers his prayers and sends him Carol. Played by Kristen Schaal, Carol is presumably the last living woman on Earth. She’s intrinsically motivated, a stickler for rules, loves to craft and dresses like a mom from the ‘90s. Carol tasks herself with the job of repopulating the world, but not before she and Phil get married and he stops living in his own filth.
I was at first interested in watching “The Last Man On Earth” because I’ve always found myself intrigued by the enigmatic charm of Will Forte. I grew up watching Saturday Night Live during the bulk of his tenure at the show (2002-2010), so I have a particular fondness for his weird brand of comedy.
I enjoyed the first two episodes, although I’m not sure how long this show can sustain itself. It’s entertaining and well produced, but there isn’t much depth in the story. Much like the rest of earth, it seems rather vacant.
You can watch “The Last Man On Earth” Sundays at 9:30 p.m. on Fox.