BWW Recap: Phil is a 'Dead Man Walking' on THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
By: Gunnar Larson Oct. 12, 2015
"When somebody dies, all that bad stuff melts away and you're left with the good stuff." Gail says this line at Gordon's funeral, noting how in the wake of his death, she only remembers the good in him, forgetting his bad habits. This line is especially poignant given the post-apocalyptic genre THE LAST MAN ON EARTH resides in. With most of society dead to a plague, is all that's left good?
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH addresses these questions in its third episode this season. Last week, Tandy (nee Phil) and Carol joined the former Tucson cul-de-sac in Malibu, bringing the bad (Tandy) back to the good (the cul-de-sac). This episode is focused on Tandy and Carol and their differing ways of dealing with acceptance, fear, and socialization in their return to the group they were with in season 1.
Carol is a light-hearted, optimistic character. She assumes the best in everyone, and gives people second chances-evidenced in her continual support of Tandy. Showing up at the end of the last episode and effectively killing Gordon puts her in a precarious position: the group still wants her there, but now her reputation is stained with this death (by Gail mostly) and her relationship with Tandy.
When Carol is put in the corner of Gail effectively blaming her for Gordon's death, and having the inner turmoil of having to introduce Tandy back to the group that hates him, she starts to act like Tandy. In a post-apocalyptic world, the importance of human relationships is magnified, and the fear of rejection, in turn, is also magnified. This makes small things like apologizing for behavior seem daunting-if you mess up once, that could be it. So when Carol's friendship is threatened, she begins to act irrationally, thinking of out-there ways to get back in the group's good graces, which is exactly what Tandy did all throughout season 1.
Carol immediately taps into the emotions of the group, playing off of Gordon's death and the sympathy Gail received. She lies in graphic detail, telling the group that Tandy died a horrific death at the Grand Canyon. She mimics Gail writing Gordon's name in the sand, and wears all black. When she botches her initial attempt at reintroducing Tandy to the group-which was, in all intents and purposes, a total Tandy entrance-she course corrects, and appeals immediately to the emotions of all the people. She goes to bat for him, explaining how he's changed and a better man. Due to Carol's enhanced emotional understanding, she's able to persuade the group to see her side, and let Tandy rejoin the group.
However, Tandy is the opposite of Carol. Tandy lets the fear of rejection get into the core of his being. He is so afraid of losing the only human relationships he has that he acts out. It's obvious Tandy needs relationships, otherwise he wouldn't have made those "Alive in Tucson!" signs back in the pilot. Tandy needs friends; the idea of loneliness is frightening to him. The only problem is that Tandy doesn't understand emotions. He doesn't know how to express his own, and constantly lies to cover them up. Where Carol actively uses her notebook to draw out her emotions, Tandy keeps everything bottled up, unable to understand them or get them across effectively. This leads to Tandy having a hard time relating to other people. If he can't understand his own feelings, how can he be expected to understand anyone else's?
That's why Tandy comes up with the craziest idea of getting everybody to listen to him. He's so afraid that revealing his emotions will leave him alone, that he thinks he has to force everybody to sit down and listen to him in order for him to be heard. Tandy holds everybody at gunpoint, alternating between apologizing for his behavior (in a genuine display of emotion) and barking at them to sit with their hands up. In Tandy's mind, his relationships are ridiculous. He thinks nobody will listen to him or believe him if he's honest and truthful. This isn't true, and is his downfall.
After all, Tandy really does care. The first half of the episode involves him constantly asking about Melissa, Todd, Gail, Erica, and Phil. He was the one who got Carol drunk and drove them to Malibu. It was his choice to go in there with a gun so he could be heard. He doesn't trust Carol to do it for him; he believes that the only person that can tell Tandy's feelings is Tandy. Relationships are the most important thing to Tandy, and the most important thing to the human race in a post-apocalyptic universe. Tandy needs to learn to understand and release his emotions.
That the group-led by Melissa, who still has a soft spot for him-lets him stay in Malibu isn't surprising. The show needs its core cast back together, and with everybody the show feels revitalized. Malibu is a beautiful location, and all the exterior shots are gorgeous. We're left with Tandy locked in a stock by Phil. This form of imprisonment is interesting, and hits at a burgeoning political system in this new world that the show will hopefully explore in the coming weeks.
The Last Quotes on Earth
"I told them I have diarrhea so I could come back and work out the details."
"This is Tandy dead. This is Tandy dead closer. This is Tandy as close as I could bear to draw."
"Hello would've been a little less... death causing."
"NO, TODD! DO NOT BE A HERO! SIT DOWN! I love you man. True friendship is so important in this world."
Leave your comments or thoughts on tonight's episode below or tweet me @gunnar_larson! Be sure to head here next week as I recap the third episode of THE LAST MAN ON EARTH.
Photo Credits: Anthony Hardwick | FOX
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