S02.E01: Is There Anybody Out There?

[Tara Ariano]

Phil and Carol leave Tucson to take a road trip across the U.S. in the Season 2 premiere.

[Galileo908]

This show is so good, so glad to see it back. This was a fantastic start to the season.

 

Phil and Carol are traveling by Stealth Bomber and live in the White House! NOW they're living the dream!

 

I would've liked to have seen Phil and Carol's adventure in Dollywood.

 

Oh man, I really felt awful when Philk accidentally left behind Carol. Especially since He remembered the wrong gas station.

 

What the hell happened in Tucson? And who's that guy Phil never saw before? I guess we'll know next week.

[Irlandesa]

I really enjoy this show's unique premise and its weirdness.  Sometimes I laugh.  Sometimes I'm amused but mostly I'm intrigued.  Moreso when it's just Carol and Phil.  It's not that I hate the other characters, it's that I can often take or leave them.

 

I will say that the ending threw me for a loop. I had read the description for next week which led me to believe that they'd end up separated at the end of this episode and I figured this would bring them back to Arizona.  What I didn't predict was that there would be nobody there and a house burned.  That threw me for a loop. 

[stopeslite]

That ending was gut-wrenching. At least, until the "previews for next week" came on. That totally ruined the moment. :( 

 

Poor Carol. She probably thinks he didn't come back on purpose. How could he be that oblivious to not even remember the highways he'd traveled that day? Or at least have a good idea? Or think about gee, limit his search to all of the highways within the drive time since the last stop? Or not even think about how long she was staying back there until after nightfall? So much stupid, so little time. 

 

How was Brother of Phil even able to search land for signs of life? What was that about? 

 

At first I thought it had gone really dark, and everyone in Tuscon had died in a terrible house fire. Then I realized it was Phil's house, and they had probably done that out of spite. That made it dark in a different way. I'm still hooked, though. This was a great start. 

[possibilities]

I liked it. It was fulfilling some of what I had wanted from the first season, which was more of an exploration of the adventures that would be at hand in an empty world, and less of "Phil's a dick, isn't that funny?" Even little things, like siphoning the gas, helped.

 

It had not occurred to me that stranded astronaut didn't know how to land on his own, or that he was staying up there out of fear of catching the virus. Why doesn't he run out of supplies, though? At some point, that situation has to come to an end. Maybe Phil and Carol will visit NASA.

 

Tooling around town in a bomber was hilarious. But Phil really ought to let Carol drive, and she really shouldn't let him stop her.

 

The burned out scene is Tucson was a surprise. I wonder what happened, and whether they will show us the activities of the other people, or if we'll stay with Phil and Carol and the others will just stay a mystery. I'm okay with it either way. Sometimes in life you don't get to know what happened. On the other hand, TV usually does eventually tell all.

 

I hadn't considered that they had burned Phil's house on purpose. I did think that whatever had happened, they might have moved on together or apart, for any number of reasons. It seems to me that there was really no reason to stay in that exact place, and they could easily have moved not far, but just far enough to start over, and it would still seem like a world away and be hard to find.

Edited September 28, 2015 by possibilities

[Galileo908]

They must have come to the conclusion that they discussed before: WHY Tucson, aside that it was Phil's home? You really can't restart civilization in the middle of the desert. I think that they torched Phil's house and drove off to points elsewhere as soon as they could.

Edited September 28, 2015 by Galileo908

[Dots And Stripes]

They must have come to the conclusion that they discussed before: WHY Tucson, aside that it was Phil's home? You really can't restart civilization in the middle of the desert. I think that they torched Phil's house and drove off to points elsewhere as soon as they could.

I agree, that's the likely explanation for what happened. Second Phil was never keen on Tucson.

 

I liked getting back to just Phil and Carol. Phil was also more likable without other women to lust after or men to compete with. They seemed to make decent time getting across the country. Just one of the little things we're supposed to overlook. 

 

Was the remarried drawing just Carol's fantasy? Did Phil just skip over it when looking at her drawings. Her other drawings were things that happened, so I was a little confused as to whether they had stopped off at Niagra Falls. I half expected Phil to see that and think Carol had gone to Niagra Falls. 

[Irlandesa]

Was the remarried drawing just Carol's fantasy? Did Phil just skip over it when looking at her drawings. Her other drawings were things that happened, so I was a little confused as to whether they had stopped off at Niagra Falls. I half expected Phil to see that and think Carol had gone to Niagra Falls. 

I took her drawings to be real.  She also had a drawing of Phil pretending something (I think Old Faithful) was shooting from his behind.  I can't imagine that would be something she'd make up. 

 

They've clearly been on the road for a while and I think the drawings were a way to catch the audience up on what they'd been doing.

 

I could be wrong, but, I thought I saw a wedding ring on Phil's finger.

I saw it too.

[stopeslite]

I really liked how Phil and Carol seemed to have really fallen in love with each other, or at least a much deeper kind of friendship. Phil was looking out for Carol's interests more than he ever did last season, and she was getting into things he liked with more enthusiasm. That was really sweet. 

 

I can't express how much I liked NOT seeing Melissa or Todd. 

 

ETA: I know it would make the show unbearably grim to show it, but... why aren't there any bodies? Or at least skeletons? Six billion people, and who even knows how many mammals, all dead within a short time frame. They would be stumbling over bodies everywhere. I wish we'd at least get a throwaway line that tv-magicked that away (when Phil saw the fake skeleton would have been the perfect time to do so). It keeps gnawing at me. 

Edited September 28, 2015 by stopeslite

[MarkHB]

Since Phil and Carol were seen playing "block the bill," I am guessing that they really remarried.

 

Carol's room was... yes, totally reeking of sanity. Does anyone know who the other people in the apartment (the rooms she showed) were supposed to be?

 

It struck me as strange this morning that, since Phil was allowed to keep his little red wagon of stuff, he apparently didn't take the one photo of his family.

[Traveller519]

They must have come to the conclusion that they discussed before: WHY Tucson, aside that it was Phil's home? You really can't restart civilization in the middle of the desert. I think that they torched Phil's house and drove off to points elsewhere as soon as they could.

Yes, this would certainly seem like the logical conclusion for them once Tandy left. As superior to Phil's scheming as they all liked to (rightfully) act, no one was making an effort to do anything productive for moving for the group from there, at least until Phil arrived. He probably lead a the notion to get out and move past Tucson to a more logical climate.

 

There was a return to the haunting feeling of the first episode of last season, but with growth from both characters who had given up on some of their stubbornness for the sake of their predicament. I wonder how the rest of the Tucson crew is faring, perhaps realizing that in such limited numbers it's not easy to escape the annoying tendencies that ANYONE who isn't you has.

[Dots And Stripes]

I could be wrong, but, I thought I saw a wedding ring on Phil's finger.

Thanks. I tried to look for a ring, but I couldn't see it. I think he was moving his hands to much when I was looking.

 

Since Phil and Carol were seen playing "block the bill," I am guessing that they really remarried.

 

Carol did sleep with Phil 2.0 without a wedding. She explained that the wedding was only required for re-population. It makes me wonder if Phil and Carol have revisited the re-population idea or maybe they married for love this time. That's actually a pretty big piece to fill us in on. I got that Phil developed feelings for Carol at the end of the last season, but he also is always looking for what's better. I'm curious what made Phil decide he wants to spend his life with Carol, even knowing its possible other people could show up at any time. 

[MrWhyt]

The gag with the MIA song and the gunshots was genius

[peeayebee]

I thought this was a fantastic ep, making me hopeful for the rest of the season.

 

It was great seeing Phil taking Carol's feelings into consideration. Offering to go back for the bomb (!) only to have her say it was enough to hear him say it (I kept expecting the bomb to explode as they drove away.) was very sweet. I loved seeing them doing things together -- laying in a pool of tequila while drinking from it, playing around in the White House, making the busts of Lincoln and Franklin kiss. I loved Phil's press conference (and saying that the situation in Syria was Syri-us), as well as Carol trying on First Lady dresses.

 

I'm glad Phil kept his sports ball friends.

 

That both use guns to signal the other shows how well-matched they are. :)

 

Carol's drawings were very sweet. (The one of Phil at Old Faithful was genius and hilarious.)

 

The scenes at Carol's old place in Delaware was very sad. Her brother dying from the virus, and her room full of handcrafted items commemorating those loved ones who died was crazy. It made you understand that, as she said, Carol went a little kookoo bananas, which is how she seemed when we first met her.

 

I liked the joke where she is showing Phil her sister's room and points out her skeleton, causing Phil to groan in revulsion until she says that her sister was studying biology (or something like that).

 

I felt so bad for both Phil and Carol when she was left at the gas station. I wonder how they'll find each other again.

 

I also enjoyed the scenes in the Space Station. I assume that the brother (name?) will eventually come down to Earth, but I wonder how that'll come about.

 

It was shocking seeing what happened in the Tucson neighborhood, esp that Phil's house was set on fire, apparently deliberately.

 

I love this show and am glad it's back.

[stopeslite]

 

Offering to go back for the bomb (!) only to have her say it was enough to hear him say it (I kept expecting the bomb to explode as they drove away.) was very sweet.

 

Even sweeter, he then said he'd go back later and set up an orange cone, because he knew that her main concern was that someone (who?) might get hurt.

[DrSpaceman73]

Good to have the show back even if it did end up being somewhat of a downer.

Wondering while Phil's brother apparentley looked everywhere BUT the USA for life? Why save that for last? I didn't see all of last season, it may have been explained.

The White House sex scene was funny

Will be curious to see what happened to the others and why/how the house burned

[sconstant]

They must have come to the conclusion that they discussed before: WHY Tucson, aside that it was Phil's home? You really can't restart civilization in the middle of the desert. I think that they torched Phil's house and drove off to points elsewhere as soon as they could.

I thought this also, but you need as many people as possible, and you have all the Phil "Alive in Tuscon" signs all over (that gathered them there).  More people are also incredibly useful to civilization.  Though I guess you could put up signs all around Tuscon that said "Now moved to [wherever]."

 

I didn't realize it was Phil's house either, and assumed it was the horrible house fire.  Didn't see the teaser for next week, either.

[Rockstar99435]

I liked it. It was fulfilling some of what I had wanted from the first season, which was more of an exploration of the adventures that would be at hand in an empty world, and less of "Phil's a dick, isn't that funny?" Even little things, like siphoning the gas, helped.

 

ITA. One of my favorite scenes from last season was Phil and Carol wrecking stuff and Carol attacking his mannequin girlfriend. I loved them both goofing around and having fun with each other. It's so much more entertaining than Phil being awful but we're supposed to feel sorry for him anyways. Carol trying on all of the First Lady dresses was the best. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

ETA: I know it would make the show unbearably grim to show it, but... why aren't there any bodies? Or at least skeletons? Six billion people, and who even knows how many mammals, all dead within a short time frame. They would be stumbling over bodies everywhere. I wish we'd at least get a throwaway line that tv-magicked that away (when Phil saw the fake skeleton would have been the perfect time to do so). It keeps gnawing at me. 

 

The opening with the B-2 bomber bugged me -- there's no way they would have been able to drive that thing all the way from Missouri (where B-2s are based) to D.C.

 

Wondering while Phil's brother apparentley looked everywhere BUT the USA for life? Why save that for last? I didn't see all of last season, it may have been explained.

 

There was no explanation last season.

[DrLar]

That bomber could have been on a mission and on the Pentagon or D.C. so they just drove it there.. amazed he was even able to get it moving.

 

OK we had Phil's fireworks Last season and that house fire in between seasons, shouldn't the astronaut at lease view those 2 from above? or maybe he did but he doesn't want to go back to the US.. specially Tucson... hehe

[Mrs Shibbles]

I enjoyed this episode much more than the end of last season.  

 

I wonder if the Tuscon crew left a note as to where they went.  I hope not.

 

I liked that the closing music echoed the  title "Is There Anybody Out There", as it sounded similar to the Pink Floyd song of the same name.

[SlackerInc]

I really liked how Phil and Carol seemed to have really fallen in love with each other, or at least a much deeper kind of friendship. Phil was looking out for Carol's interests more than he ever did last season, and she was getting into things he liked with more enthusiasm. That was really sweet. 

 

I can't express how much I liked NOT seeing Melissa or Todd. 

 

ETA: I know it would make the show unbearably grim to show it, but... why aren't there any bodies? Or at least skeletons? Six billion people, and who even knows how many mammals, all dead within a short time frame. They would be stumbling over bodies everywhere. I wish we'd at least get a throwaway line that tv-magicked that away (when Phil saw the fake skeleton would have been the perfect time to do so). It keeps gnawing at me. 

 

I too am cool with not having the other Tucson characters in this episode, and would be fine with never seeing them again.  However, I'm sure they will be back, and I've made my peace with it.

 

On the bodies, the producers have said they are "just offscreen".  I think we have to live with that as I think they feel it would just undermine the comedy too much to show them.  And to be fair, many of the bodies would have been cremated or buried, with just the last few to succumb being left.

 

That bomber could have been on a mission and on the Pentagon or D.C. so they just drove it there.. amazed he was even able to get it moving.

 

Yeah, we should keep in mind too that as the virus was wiping people out, they may have pulled more and more military assets into close proximity to D.C.  I do hope that someone was prescient enough to deactivate all the nuclear missiles, shut down nuclear power plants, etc.

 

ETA: I said it repeatedly last season, but I'll plant the flag again: I like when Phil is what some characterize as "unlikeable" or "a dick" (to me, he's just a lovable scamp).  I don't need every episode to be about his lusting after women who are not Carol, but I also hope the showrunners didn't get gunshy on this front after all the (unjustified IMO) critical heat they took on this subject last season.

Edited October 1, 2015 by SlackerInc

[theatremouse]

The scenes at Carol's old place in Delaware was very sad. Her brother dying from the virus, and her room full of handcrafted items commemorating those loved ones who died was crazy. It made you understand that, as she said, Carol went a little kookoo bananas, which is how she seemed when we first met her.

 

I liked the joke where she is showing Phil her sister's room and points out her skeleton, causing Phil to groan in revulsion until she says that her sister was studying biology (or something like that).

I thought Carol described those two as her roommates, not siblings?

[peeayebee]

Yes, I think I got that wrong. 

[Boilergal]

With all the Alive in Tuscon signs around - perhaps some unsavory characters showed up on the scene - there was a battle and Phil's house burnt down.  As annoyed as everyone was with Phil I just don't think that they are evil or vindictive enough to burn the house down on purpose.    I have a feeling we will get the full story and it will be Keystone Cops kind of situation.

 

ETA:  Sadly, if my wife left me behind at a gas station I would probably never see her again.  Paying attention to details,  where she is and what is going on around her are not one of her strong suits.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Boilergal

[MrsMommy]

They should change the name of the show, to last people on earth since there are a few people and most likely more to come

[DittyDotDot]

Guys, I'm so far behind on everything right now, but can I just say I didn't even realize how much I missed this absolutely goofy, silly and udderly stupid little show. Gah! 

 

And, I now I've added riding ATVs in the White House to my post-apocalyptic bucket list. ;)

[Janet Snakehole]

I loved the premiere. It made me start to really like the idea of Phil and Carol as a loving married couple. They work really well together. It also ended on a dark enough note for a show about post apocalyptic relationships.

The music is also surprisingly moving for some reason.