Thank You Last Man Standing
Thursday, my childhood ends.
Thursday, the last great sitcom currently on television airs its final episode.
Thursday, Last Man Standing puts a bowtie on its decade run on cable television.
For 10 years, Last Man Standing has entertained audiences worldwide. The show takes place in Denver, Colorado and focuses on Mike Baxter — played by legendary actor Tim Allen — trying to survive a household full of women. Baxter works as a marketing executive at Outdoor Man, a sporting goods store, alongside his best friend Ed Alzate (Hector Elizondo).
Since 2011, fans of the series have watched the Baxter family grow up. At the beginning of the series, all of the Baxter girls, Kristin (Alexandra Krosney- Season 1, Amanda Fuller- Seasons 2–9), Mandy (Molly Ephraim- Seasons 1–6, Molly McCook- Seasons 7–9) and Eve (Kaitlyn Dever) all lived at the Baxter household. When the show concludes, none of the Baxter daughters will be living with their parents.
Last Man Standing had the ability to make humor out of many difficult family topics, including politics, relationships and race. The show always focused on relating to real families, and it’s what made it successful. Every one of Mike’s 194 blogs for Outdoor Man was written with a purpose: To progress the storylines in the show, but to also give advice to every single fan of the show.
The character dynamics all played off one-another seamlessly. Mike was a bull-headed conservative trying desperately to hang on to his traditional values. Kristin’s husband Ryan (Jordan Masterson) was the exact opposite: A progressive-minded liberal who didn’t mind change. The two’s dialogue made for some of the best moments in the series, and their relationship progressed throughout the show’s tenure. As the season’s began to pile on, Mike and Ryan’s jabs at each other became less hateful and more jokingly, and it all happened naturally.
The show adapted to challenges and met them head on. When ABC cancelled the Tim Allen-lead sitcom following Season 6 in 2017, like the Baxter’s always do, they never quit. FOX took the reins of the series for three additional seasons, and even though a few cast members did not return for the revival, Last Man Standing never lost sight of its goal, to entertain millions of people worldwide.
No matter who was the focus of the episode, the sitcom was must-see television.
The series finale, titled “Keep on Truckin’”, written by Allen, captures the show perfectly.
Thursday, Last Man Standing fans worldwide will sit in their favorite TV-watching places and say goodbye to their favorite sitcom, but when the dusk settles, every true Last Man Standing fan knows the cast will continue to Keep on Truckin’, even when no more new episodes will appear on TV guides.
Thank you Last Man Standing for all of the laughs over the last 10 years.
Thursday, at 10:00 p.m. EST, when the final scene of the show ends, it will truly be the end of an era.
