S02.E17: Smart and Stupid

[MarkHB]

Todd feels left out, as Tandy warms to having his big brother back on Earth. Meanwhile, Mike learns more about Erica than the group has ever uncovered about her.

[Dots And Stripes]

Please do not kill Mike. This health drama makes sense as a way to get Jason off the show again, but it's so sad. At least we got to see a good side of Tandy again. 

I'm thinking whoever sent the drone did the cow in. As Melissa pointed out, the cow survived the virus like the rest of them.

[Galileo908]

I'm agreeing with all of this. Tandy was, again, acting stupid but it was stupid for his family.

[ottoDbusdriver]

So the cow finally re-appears -- and it's dead.

Mike's immunity system was probably so depressed from being in space for 3 years he could have caught pretty much anything.  I'm guessing TB.

Why would the drone people kill the cow when all the cows pretty much died off like the humans and the whales ?  

[Dots And Stripes]

29 minutes ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

So the cow finally re-appears -- and it's dead.

Mike's immunity system was probably so depressed from being in space for 3 years he could have caught pretty much anything.  I'm guessing TB.

Why would the drone people kill the cow when all the cows pretty much died off like the humans and the whales ?  

Nearly all people died, except our group of survivors. Nearly all cows died except for the one that wandered over to our group of surviving people. The cow was thought to be immune from the virus, like the people survivors.Melissa assumes Mike can spread the virus to creatures previously though immune. I think an alternate theory is that whoever sent the drone could be responsible for other things happening. It's just a theory but maybe they were trying to take the cow etc.

Mike being exceptionally weak to me goes against him being responsible for the cow's death. It's possible he was never really immune and just was not on Earth to be infected. That would go against Melssia's theory that they need to protect themselves from Mike with the virus. Personally, I'm still hoping he doesn't have the virus. 

[piequinn35]

Todd was funny in this episode ;) please don't tell me that aliens did all of these :(

[Traveller519]

Gale's attempts to describe the drone were fantastic. I was laughing too much I definitely missed some, but one was something along the lines of a Submarine flying with four hair dryers.

[peeayebee]

Yes, her crazy descriptions were great. What I loved even more was when she said something like, "Do you all really think I smink too much?"

Loved Todd too. When he finds Phil and Mike and the smell of bacon and asks what's going on, Phil says "Nothing," and does a little smile, then Todd says, "Really? 'Cause it doesn't smell like... nothing," and makes a little smile to mock Phil. There was just something about Todd/Mel Rodriguez thruout the ep that impressed me. I also liked later when he explains to Phil how he had hurt him. "I'm your backup plan, your number two, and it's totally appropriate, Tandy, because that's exactly how you make me feel. Like a big ol' number two. And you know where you dropped that stinky? Right here. On my heart."

I don't think Mike has the virus. TB seems more like it. (That's the only disease I can think of that comes on suddenly with a cough and then coughing up blood. It's the classic old movie trope.) I don't know about the cow. I like the idea that the drone (or the person/people behind it) had something to do with it.

Forgive my bad memory -- Where did the calf come from?

I love that Carol just found out she's pregnant, and she's already waddling like she's 8 months along.

Edited May 9, 2016 by peeayebee

[ottoDbusdriver]

1 hour ago, peeayebee said:

Forgive my bad memory -- Where did the calf come from?

From the (now dead) cow -- it gave birth about 10 episodes ago or so.

[CofCinci]

This show is such a wonderful little gem. Last week I felt true giddiness for Tandy and Carol's pregnancy, as if I just learned that people I know and love are pregnant. Now, we have brother Mike crawling away to go die of the virus!  This is heartbreaking. 

Carol's pregnancy will be a hoot if she's already acting like this at one week gestation. 

[Cherpumple]

I loved Carol's "Bun in the Oven" shirt and look forward to her crazy pregnancy antics.

Regarding Mike's mysterious illness, forgive my scientific ignorance, but if the vast majority of life on the planet has been wiped out, would that include viruses too? Do they need hosts to live in in order to survive, or can they lie dormant for months/years until a suitable host appears? If it's the former, does that mean that things like the common cold, TB, or anything else has been eradicated? Or maybe people/animals can be carriers of this virus, but not show symptoms themselves, in which case he could have contracted it from any of them. My guess is that we'll never know for sure, but I really hope he isn't dead or even gone for good.

[MarkHB]

A quick Googling (since it has been many years since I took AP Bio) told me that viruses can survive without a host (particularly since they don't actually do anything... they lack any sort of metabolism), but they can't reproduce without a host.  So yes, dormancy / living in an immune carrier are both on the table.

I hope Mike isn't dying of the virus (or anything else), but the signs aren't in his favor, particularly since the cow died.

[CofCinci]

10 hours ago, Cherpumple said:

I loved Carol's "Bun in the Oven" shirt and look forward to her crazy pregnancy antics.

Regarding Mike's mysterious illness, forgive my scientific ignorance, but if the vast majority of life on the planet has been wiped out, would that include viruses too? Do they need hosts to live in in order to survive, or can they lie dormant for months/years until a suitable host appears? If it's the former, does that mean that things like the common cold, TB, or anything else has been eradicated? Or maybe people/animals can be carriers of this virus, but not show symptoms themselves, in which case he could have contracted it from any of them. My guess is that we'll never know for sure, but I really hope he isn't dead or even gone for good.

If Carol is a carrier, then she could have passed it on to Mike when they were intimate.

[Big Mother]

Falling slowly has offiicially become my earworm! argh!

If Mike has a cold, why isnt he drinking tea and taking coughdrops?

Surely there were more symptoms they needed to diagnose him with the killer virus?

If everyone was in hazmat suits and Mike in a bubble, why were they all so scared?

This was a really moving episode. Will Forte really sold it.

Buy why is he still in his weird half beard??

[peeayebee]

Now your POSTS have officially become MY ear worm. j/k 

There are worse ear worms than Falling Slowly. I love that song.

Quote

If everyone was in hazmat suits and Mike in a bubble, why were they all so scared?

I wondered that also, but actually I can imagine being terrified of this virus that wiped out just about all animal life on the planet. Even with a bubble and hazmat suits, I would probably still be very frightened.

[amaranta]

So yesterday I decided to watch a show during my lunch break.  I picked this as a fun, silly show - good lunchtime entertainment.

And then I was crying in my yogurt.

IMO, the show gave little room for doubt.  Mike has the virus.  He's going to die.  Falling Slowly.

Will Forte made me cry, y'all.

[DrLar]

Of course Phil has a half beard because I guess he likes it like that! (not Todd though)

The episode felt grim to me, first Mike sickness and the cow's death, didn't follow up on the drone.

At least they made the Aussie chick more interesting now.. nice college girl accent though..

[possibilities]

I've never had a cold that made me cough up blood the way Mike was doing. If it's not the virus, it's something else equally dire. I understood everyone's fear. They are all traumatized by seeing mass extinction, and have been eating expired food for a while now. Even if they were immune the first time, they could be weaker now. And also, I'm sure the whole thing gives them all flashbacks.

I was also disappointed there was no drone follow up; I thought it was not supposed to be an alcoholic hallucination.

[MarkHB]

I'm guessing that the drone will be the end-of-season cliffhanger.

[peeayebee]

Yeah, I was in denial about Mike having the virus. I also forgot that this is not your typical sitcom. I'm sorry to see Mike go. I don't think we'll see him again. I'm curious how Phil will be afterwards.

[TheLMOE]

I can confirm that Mike Miller will feature in at least one more upcoming episode.

[AZZURRI06]

A very dark episode, easily the grimmest since poor Phil II passed away. I would hate to see Mike kick the bucket but being a guest star does seem to be bad for your health on TLMOE. Very touching the way Tandy stood by his bro, the reactions of some of the others was quite depressing although considering the circumstances perfectly understandable. I can not wait to see the cliff hanger. 

[dcalley]

I am finally catching up on the last few episodes and this may be irrelevant info, but TB is bacterial, and there is a bovine TB. Here's a PDF from the CDC on it. (Pasteurized dairy products are your allies.)