S02.E11: Pitch Black

[MarkHB]

Mike Miller’s space capsule careening through the sky toward Earth, finally putting him on the same planet as his big brother, Phil. Mike thinks he is the last man on earth, but who knows what or whom he might encounter.

[piequinn35]

Oh good Mike survived but where did he land? 

[Galileo908]

Well we got our answer: on top of an abandoned cruise ship. And Mike found another survivor! Man, this was a fun, tense episode. And now Mike's gonna go to Tucson and find his house charred to the ground. I'm looking forward to where this goes from here.

 

Well, we have an answer to where all the corpses were, we found where a bunch of them went.

[Dots And Stripes]

Odd episode.So Mike is heading to Tuscon, where no one lives anymore. I wonder if he'll find his way to Malibu. Or maybe Jason has no intention of becoming a full time cast member.

 

What the heck, editors? Those scenes from the next episode included major spoilers. Not cool.

[CofCinci]

F the promo monkeys for spoiling/ruining the next episode.

Lil' Phil from the hallucinations is exactly how I pictured him. Perhaps Mike will find a baby pool of alcohol and realize that his brother is still alive.

[qtpye]

I enjoyed this episode.  So far I like Mike Miller one hundred percent more then Phil Miller.  He handled all his situations like a champ, though I figured out all he needed to do was expose himself  to contamination and that other guy would probably leave him alone.  The big question is, if he is really immune or not.  It did not seem like any other of the survivors had any family members survive, so that was a big risk (suggesting immunity is not hereditary).

 

I missed Carol (something I never thought, I would say at the beginning of the series).

[Gulftastic]

Bobby Elvis! 

 

Good episode. I was waiting for him to spot one of Phil's messages about Tuscon. Didn't they leave similar ones regarding Malibu after they left the burnt out house? That's how Phil and Carol found them.

[TheRabbi]

I absolutely loved this episode. Felt like another, possibly even better, version of the Pilot. Lot of really funny moments plus plenty of moments that make you think as well. And at least they tried to give an explanation of where the bodies are.

I loved the guy from Sons of anarchy. His role and performance was fantastic.

Edited March 7, 2016 by TheRabbi

[possibilities]

I enjoyed this episode. It was about surviving in a post-virus/near extinction world. It was not about Gilligan's Island type BS among the few survivors, or one person behaving badly while the others roll their eyes.

 

The other survivor Mike found was a little crazy, but it was mostly a justifiable reaction to his situation. Having him take Mike around and talk about the epidemic.... You can't really blame him for his policy of caution and his general paranoia.

 

I think Phil and Carol found out the group had moved to Malibu because Melissa left Carol a note. I can't remember if they changed the billboards. Also, the burned house was not Phil's original home; it was where he took up residence after he'd been alone for a while. If Mike goes to where his family actually lived, he might not even know that Phil survived. If he finds the burned house, he won't necessarily know who lived there, or how long they've been gone. It would be interesting if he found particular items that let him know, though.

 

I do wonder if they will eventually re-unite Mike and Phil/the group. I think it would be interesting, but it probably depends on whether Sudeikis wants to commit. Though, too, if they decide that he's not going to stay as a cast member, showing him get sick and die would be... well, not really comedic. It would be interesting, but I'm not sure if the show is really committed to being interesting if they can't also be funny.

 

I actually felt sad that Mike seems to have left his "worm" friend behind on the boat! But at least BoatGuy seemed to like him, so maybe it's not so bad.

[Irlandesa]

I felt bad about the worm too.

This was a great return.  I liked this episode just as I liked the season premiere where it was just Carol and and Phil traveling the country.  I like the others in the group but there's a show in someone just traveling and running into random survivors. 

[piequinn35]

Loved the episode! Oh no! was the worm left behind? I hope it is with him :(

[DrLar]

Ha! when he landed on top of the cruise ship! I mean what are the odds of that? and surviving it without a scratch? 

 

I just knew he landed near the U.S. of course, near Cape Canaveral, maybe, so he has a long trip ahead to Tucson

[qtpye]

Maybe Jason S should be the main actor on this show, instead of Will Forte?  He really held the screen much better and is easier on the eyes (sorry to be shallow).

[DrLar]

I think they have exactly the same mannerisms, Phi's not that bad looking, he could lose the beard, but oh well

[peeayebee]

I absolutely loved this episode. Felt like another, possibly even better, version of the Pilot. 

I loved this too, but the pilot was fantastic, so I have to disagree with you there.

 

I actually felt sad that Mike seems to have left his "worm" friend behind on the boat! But at least BoatGuy seemed to like him, so maybe it's not so bad.

 

Isn't it funny how the relationship betw a man and a worm can affect us so much!

 

I really enjoyed Jason in this. It's interesting how different he is from Phil. I wouldn't mind seeing separate stories about Mike and his travels and about Phil and his gang, but I hope they meet up somehow.

 

I never cared about seeing what happened to all the bodies, and the bit here just seemed like fan-service to me. No biggie, though. I'm not really complaining. 

 

I think my favorite scene was Mike and Pat playing tennis in their hazmat suits. (I think the boat guy's name was Pat. Now I'm reminded that there was a Tracy/Hepburn movie called Pat and Mike where Hepburn was a big-time athlete, including tennis player.)

 

I'm curious to see what Mike does on his own, without even a worm to talk to.

Edited March 7, 2016 by peeayebee

[possibilities]

I watched a thing on PBS this weekend, about living for a year on the International Space Station. They talked about the re-entry and how painful it is-- it feels really bad, like maybe you're going to die (extreme pressure and heat)-- so when Mike was screaming during the descent, I was thinking about that-- though the real astronauts either don't scream or didn't admit to the camera that they do. I was really worried about WormPhil-- can a worm survive that kind of pressure and heat? So, yes, it's interesting how possible it is to get very attached even to a fictional worm.

 

I think they said he and BoatGuy (Pat?) were driving around in Miami. So Tucson is a long way, but if he doesn't linger at his stopovers, it's still only more or less one week of driving. I realize I'm more interested in seeing him have adventures in various towns, or a reunion with Phil and Co, than I am in just returning to the old Malibu group. I got really tired of them bickering and being jealous and it just wasn't any fun. I think adding a brother of Phil could really change the dynamic. Mike seems way more functional than any of the rest of them, except maybe Carol. It's like Carol never really gave up, and neither did Mike. And Mike seemed to really love Phil, even though YoungPhil seemed pretty annoying in his dreams. It would change the power dynamic quite a bit, I think, to have a family member who was committed to Phil, but who the others would no doubt also be wanting the approval of (and/or to claim for "reproduction" as it were).

 

If Mike meets up with the Malibu folks, I wonder if they would ever want to let Pat know of the survivor community. It doesn't seem like Pat bothered to check out the Tucson situation, unless maybe he did so after everyone had left. I guess he is afraid he's not really immune, so meeting up with others who are wouldn't really be a sure thing for him. But he's lonely, too.

[peeayebee]

I'm sure Pat didn't check out Tucson. Sounds like he only went to coastal places.

 

BTW, I loved seeing Jacob Trembley as young Phil. He was fantastic in 'Room,' and I hope as he grows up his career doesn't suffer.

[AZZURRI06]

At last, it`s back. I have to say I was itching to see the old crew, really nice to see Mike make it back to earth and all that but I need my fix of Tandy and co. It would be great if Mike meets up with the rest of them, probably best if Pat stays away, he is definitely unhinged, although the comedic value would be interesting. The show never fails to surprise, looking forward to a nice uninterrupted run. I am watching it on Dave in Ireland so I don`t get the Fox trailers at the end.

[CMH1981]

I loved the detour from our usual gang but I had to really suspend my disbelief that Mike would be up and ready to use that water bike so soon.  I mean doesn't it take some time for an astronaut to readjust to gravity and be able to use their legs?  Just like I know he had to crash into the Carnival cruise ship b/c if he he crashed in the water he would have drowned due to the leg issue.  I know it's a television show and all, but still...  

 

Damn you promo monkeys for completely spoiling our cliffhanger from the winter finale.  That was one hell of a cliffhanger they left us on then to just spoil it like that was dirty pool....and what was even worse was the fact that the voice over announce still tried to keep it vague.  Idiots.

 

 

I missed Carol (something I never thought, I would say at the beginning of the series).

 

Kristen Schaal is amazing in this role and when she isn't in an episode it is felt...and not in a bad way.  I really wish she would get some award love for this role.

[piequinn35]

Oh I rewatched it last night because hubby haven't watched it on sunday. 

I missed the part that Phil the worm is with Pat at the end, well at least Pat has something to talk to now and won't be lonely. :>

I am guessing no Mike next week and it will be just the Malibu gang

[WAnglais1]

I was confused. Did Mike come back to Earth just with his spacesuit and parachute? I can't see that happening. Wasn't he in a capsule of some kind? The screaming thing threw me as he crashed through the ship.

 

This show must have some kind of budget.

[iMonrey]

I'm having trouble remembering how the last episode ended before the break. What happened to (other) Phil?

 

I can't remember what happened to Mike either; he initially climbed out of the capsule, then saw the worm was alive and got back in, right?

 

This was a really strange episode with none of the Malibu crew. I don't know if it was planned or not but it almost felt like the network stepped in and said "let's make a Jason Sudeikis episode because ratings have been crap." 

[AuntiePam]

I'm having trouble remembering how the last episode ended before the break. What happened to (other) Phil?

 

I can't remember what happened to Mike either; he initially climbed out of the capsule, then saw the worm was alive and got back in, right?

 

 

We don't know what happened to Phil 2.0 -- unless that's the spoiler from the previews -- I didn't catch the previews.  He was presumably dead -- we saw the flatline on the monitor.

 

This was my favorite episode of the series -- glad to see I'm not alone.  Mike's behavior was so much more rational than Phil's.  It was sorta unbelievable that he'd survive the fall into the cruise ship swimming pool but hey, it's TV.  He handled Pat perfectly -- played along, didn't antagonize him.

 

I do wonder what happened to the people in the photos.  I don't think Pat ate them, but he did something.

[iMonrey]

 

We don't know what happened to Phil 2.0 -- unless that's the spoiler from the previews -- I didn't catch the previews.  He was presumably dead -- we saw the flatline on the monitor.

 

Oh yeah - I remember them trying to operate on him - but what happened to him that they had to operate on him? 

[possibilities]

Appendicitis

[Shermie]

Viewers have to take a lot of this show with a grain of salt, things like Mike just happens to land on a cruise ship, he's not hurt, and he can ride that water bike without any problems. It's a sitcom, not a documentary.

After all, this is world where gas is still usable sitting around for three years, where no animals have survived except one very healthy cow, and survivors of a world ending event would rather bicker around a campfire than rebuild.

Will Mike find Phil and the gang? Of course, why else would they introduce the character? My guess is that Mike will find things in Tucson that are quintessential Phil-ish (like the remains of a big pile of burned toilet paper), maybe even showing a flashback to their childhood where they said they would love to do that if given the chance. He'll then find the same note that Phil and Carol found, leading him to Malibu.

[iMonrey]

 

Viewers have to take a lot of this show with a grain of salt, things like Mike just happens to land on a cruise ship, he's not hurt, and he can ride that water bike without any problems. It's a sitcom, not a documentary.

 

Agreed, but it would still be interesting to know what exactly killed (almost) everybody. Are the few survivors alive because they were "immune" or did they just somehow manage to miss the contamination? Are Mike and Phil immune because it's genetic or was Mike spared because he was in space? What if it wasn't technically a virus but some sort of pulse, or wave, that hit everyone at once except for a lucky few that happened to be out of harm's way?

 

I'd be interested to know what kind of deal Jason Sudeikas has with this show - whether he contracted for a specific number of episodes or makes guest appearances when he's available or just how it's arranged. Up until this episode he's only had brief and sporadic cameos that could have been filmed all at once. I was surprised to see an episode that revolved exclusively around his character. 

[SlackerInc]

I loved this too, but the pilot was fantastic, so I have to disagree with you there.

 

 

Isn't it funny how the relationship betw a man and a worm can affect us so much!

 

I really enjoyed Jason in this. It's interesting how different he is from Phil. I wouldn't mind seeing separate stories about Mike and his travels and about Phil and his gang, but I hope they meet up somehow.

 

I never cared about seeing what happened to all the bodies, and the bit here just seemed like fan-service to me. No biggie, though. I'm not really complaining. 

 

I think my favorite scene was Mike and Pat playing tennis in their hazmat suits. (I think the boat guy's name was Pat. Now I'm reminded that there was a Tracy/Hepburn movie called Pat and Mike where Hepburn was a big-time athlete, including tennis player.)

 

I am a tennis fanatic, and that was the best, most realistic, tennis action I think I have seen in any movie or TV show.  It was a little distant, and they were in hazmat suits, so it might have been a "stunt double" for Mike, but I really think Pat is actually a player.  I could be wrong, but in any case if they took the trouble to use doubles for realistic tennis playing, that's cool too.

 

In general, it appeared they took the budget they saved by not paying other castmembers and used it for locations and effects?  That ruined cruise ship was great, and it appeared they actually blew it up.  Same with all the driving around Miami, the bodies, etc.

 

Great episode.

[J-Man]

Has there ever been an episode of non-anthology TV series (comedy or drama) in which not a single member of the regular billed cast appeared? 

[MarkHB]

The only one I know of (before this episode) is the Doctor Who episode Mission to the Unknown, which was essentially a teaser for The Daleks' Master Plan.  There may be others.