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Celebrating 1,000 NCIS-franchise episodes

Last Man in the Media

Meredith Quill

By Meredith Quill
in The Last Man On Earth [V]

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Token
Token

I'm not really surprised by the cancellation.  It started out so good, but then faded quickly, like the creators never expected it to get a second season.  It's just been wandering aimlessly (kinda li

Charlesman
Charlesman

I read a comment elsewhere along the lines of: "It's the producers own fault for wasting so much time with episodes that went nowhere"   I can't disagree.

bref
bref

They cancel this and revive Last Man Standing? 

GRChereck

GRChereck

Thanks! :)

Glad to see my thread was moved into this one rather than deleted outright (I had also considered posting them in the Spoiler thread). When the walk-throughs for the rest of the season come out, hopefully I'll remember to post them here!

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GRChereck

GRChereck

(edited)

EW: Forte discusses the mid-season premiere (and previews this Sunday's episode)

Highlights and tidbits:

-- The writers came up with the "succession of Presidents" gag before the election; Trump's fate was intentionally left vague for the audience to make up their own conclusions; and the gag was about showing how severe The Virus was (even the top echelons of government couldn't be protected by a vaccine, as one wasn't developed quickly enough), not making any sort of political point.

-- Laura Dern met Will when she was visiting her dad on the set of Nebraska; when it finally came time to cast a nemesis for KWiig's character, he had been wanting to cast Laura in something for a while, so he immediately thought of her.

-- Kristen Wiig had originally been asked to play one of the hazmat guys in the season premiere, but she was busy at the time; however, when Forte did a little cameo on SNL for the Wiig-hosted episode in November, she approached him about possibly having a part on the show.

-- The basic idea for "Got Milk?" (a standalone ep going back and showing how The Virus first started catching on) had been in the works for a while, at least since near the end of s.2; it really fell into place when the writers found a way to tie it to the mysterious drone.

-- Forte sees Pamela as "Tandy-like," having been forced to reexamine her life during her isolation and getting a chance to remake herself, but also retaining a lot of the quirks she had in a fully populated society.

-- He feels this Sunday's episode is one of the best LMOE has ever done, and says that there are some "major moves."

Edited by GRChereck
typo
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MarkHB

MarkHB

21 hours ago, GRChereck said:

-- The writers came up with the "succession of Presidents" gag before the election; Trump's fate was intentionally left vague for the audience to make up their own conclusions; and the gag was about showing how severe The Virus was (even the top echelons of government couldn't be protected by a vaccine, as one wasn't developed quickly enough), not making any sort of political point.

It just struck me that this is the first episode they really could have used that gag in, because now we're close enough to the virus timeline to recognize the cabinet.  And since the dialogue that discussed the real individuals was all done as voiceovers and chyrons, they could easily have filmed the main body of the episode before Christmas and just plugged in the names of the cabinet once they became known.

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ottoDbusdriver

ottoDbusdriver

23 hours ago, GRChereck said:

-- The basic idea for "Got Milk?" (a standalone ep going back and showing how The Virus first started catching on) had been in the works for a while, at least since near the end of s.2; it really fell into place when the writers found a way to tie it to the mysterious drone.

 

So basically the "mysterious drone" never really had a reason behind it when it first appeared.

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GRChereck

GRChereck

That's pretty much it... I seem to recall Will being rather vague when asked if the drone came from Pat, and I also recall some fan theories about the drone having to do with the government and/or "bunker people" Pat warned Mike about. I'm guessing he and the writers just wanted to leave it open for when they figured out where to go next with the story, so no matter what direction they went they would have something to tie back to season 2 and the Malibu Crew.

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GRChereck

GRChereck

(edited)

Good deal. :) I see nothing listed under "Got Milk" though -- I'm pretty sure that was the Pointer Sisters' "Neutron Dance" playing when Pamela was first dancing around in the bunker.

58 minutes ago, HotRats2112 said:

If anyone wants to see every song that's been on the show so far you can go here http://www.tunefind.com/show/the-last-man-on-earth

(Also, I notice season 2 had almost twice as many music cues as s.1 -- I wonder if FOX isn't releasing s.2 on DVD because of rights / clearance issues with some of the tunes... :\ )

Edited by GRChereck
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sarahthenerd

sarahthenerd

Here's a question (I don't know where else to ask it alas) I'd love to write recaps for this show, or anything about this show, for previously.tv itself. However, as you can tell I'm very new here. So does anyone know how you'd go about doing that?

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GRChereck

GRChereck

No idea, sorry. :\ 

***

TVLine: Will Forte discusses the major death in last Sunday's episode

Highlights/tidbits:

-- Up until the week before the shoot, the writers had considered an alternate ending where Lewis just flies off somewhere and doesn't come back. 

-- They went through with the death plan because they felt it was "linked to too many things."

-- It was hard to say goodbye to Kenneth Choi, who was loved by all on set.

-- Lewis was not only an emotional loss for the San Jose gang, but a practical one too, as he was the most "together" of the group.

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sarahthenerd

sarahthenerd

Reading that article, I'm not sure I entirely buy that killing Tandy off was ever seriously considered, at least not after series one. He's the title character! Will Forte runs the show! Surely that just...wouldn't work?

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GRChereck

GRChereck

(edited)

Eh, it's something he's joked about in several interviews since early on; and while I've learned to expect the unexpected from this guy, I've never seriously thought he would go that far (or killing Carol, for that matter -- for all the characters that have come and gone, as far as I'm concerned, Phil/Tandy's relationship with her is pretty much the heart of the show). :D

Edited by GRChereck
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Matt1

Matt1

4 hours ago, sarahthenerd said:

Reading that article, I'm not sure I entirely buy that killing Tandy off was ever seriously considered, at least not after series one. He's the title character! Will Forte runs the show! Surely that just...wouldn't work?

He did scare me for a second in last season's finale when he pretended to have the virus as a practical joke to Mike!

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GRChereck

GRChereck

(edited)

TV Line: "Hair of the Dog" post-mortem

Highlights/tidbits:

-- They never seriously considered killing off Gail; in fact, the elevator idea was originally intended for Lewis.

Spoiler

-- The figure at the end was Yoda (puppet or costume?) from Star Wars; it'll be for a little subplot / adventure rather than a major arc, but the show did have to get special permission to use it. (Speaking of which, I guess this explains the distinctly Yoda-like syntax of the next episode's title, "Find This Thing We Need To"!)

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GRChereck

GRChereck

3 hours ago, sarahthenerd said:

Wait, if the plan was Lewis to be in the elevator, would it have ended with his actual death? If his leaving/dying was planned from the beginning...

In his case, it most likely would have. :(

All things considered, I'm glad the plot worked out the way it did; I can't believe how much I've missed Gail's chemistry with the group (especially with Carol), and I hope the show continues to do more things with her beyond simply using her drunkenness as a punchline. :)

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GRChereck

GRChereck

The Den Of Geek writers'-room walk-throughs are back for the second half of LMOE s.3! :)

Part 5 -- "Got Milk?" (3x10)

Topics include casting Kristen Wiig and fitting her into the filming schedule, how this wasn't originally planned to be the mid-season premiere (it was the last episode filmed for this season), how the character of Pamela Brinton came about, why the writers finally caved on their "no flashback episodes" rule, tidbits about the drone footage, introducing the idea of bunker people, the last-minute Betsy DeVos joke, etc.

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Matt1

Matt1

On 3/27/2017 at 7:02 PM, GRChereck said:

The Den Of Geek writers'-room walk-throughs are back for the second half of LMOE s.3! :)

Part 5 -- "Got Milk?" (3x10)

Topics include casting Kristen Wiig and fitting her into the filming schedule, how this wasn't originally planned to be the mid-season premiere (it was the last episode filmed for this season), how the character of Pamela Brinton came about, why the writers finally caved on their "no flashback episodes" rule, tidbits about the drone footage, introducing the idea of bunker people, the last-minute Betsy DeVos joke, etc.

That presumably means that we won't see Pamela again this season (maybe unless she shows up at the end of the finale).

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HotRats2112

HotRats2112

(edited)
On 3/27/2017 at 8:02 PM, GRChereck said:

The Den Of Geek writers'-room walk-throughs are back for the second half

Nice!  I love Andy Bobrow.  He also wrote for Community which is one of my favorite shows.  So did Liz Cackowski. John Solomon worked on it too.  So there's a lot of overlapping people and the tone of the two shows reflect that.  

In the article they only said that Wiigsy filmed at the end of the filming schedule, so there's a chance Pamela might be in the finale.  If they had the finale written at the time they had her in to film her solo episode they may have had her film some scenes, which means Pamela might show up.

Edited by HotRats2112
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GRChereck

GRChereck

(edited)

Den of Geek Writers-Room Walk-Through: Part 7 -- "Hair of the Dog" (3x12) and "Find This Thing We Need To" (3x13)

Topics include material cut from Gail's reunion with the group, Carol's cow painting, the bowling visual gag, the appeal of "road trip" stories, coming up with Melissa's backstory (including "head canon" stuff that didn't make the final cut), playing around with different character dynamics, why they wanted 3x13 to end the way it did, the origins of Melissa's mental illness (and how they found a humorous angle on it based on the name of a drug, so the illness itself wouldn't be the butt of the joke), etc.

Also, here are some tidbits about their decision to bring a child into the show:

-- When it was originally planned for Carol to get pregnant in s.1, the character of Jasper came about as a way to give Phil/Tandy "parenting practice," and that's basically the purpose he's serving now (well, that, and to show just how ill-prepared all the characters were to deal with a child);

-- They also always thought it would interesting to see what a child survivor would be like in this world, especially if he/she has been on his/her own since age 4 or so;

-- They're aware of the potential "shark-jump" of this plot thread, but they're not too worried as long as they stay true to the characters and the overall tone they've set for the show.

Edited by GRChereck
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GRChereck

GRChereck

Den of Geek Writer's-Room Walk-Through: Parts 8 & 9 -- 

"Point Person Knows Best" (3x14) and "Name 20 Picnics... Now!" (3x15)

Topics include more about the decision to include a child (and why the writers ended up not bringing Jasper in until about two years after they had originally planned), Fox / 20th TV's increased support and decreased skepticism of the show, avoiding the "Cousin Oliver" trap in portraying Jasper (as realistically damaged as the adult characters, not "precocious smart-talkin'"), how the all-holiday party came about, the decision to re-address Carol and Erica's pregnancies, Tandy and Todd's rift, Jasper's bonds with Erica and Melissa, the "shooting-star" / space-debris ending, etc.

"The Big Day" (3x16)

Topics include the decisions behind the time-jump (and why Jasper started talking when he did), rejected ideas, the baby-in-jello set piece, the decision to end the season with a birth episode, etc.

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GRChereck

GRChereck

And one more for s.3...

Den of Geek Writer's-Room Walk-Through: Part 10 -- "When the Going Gets Tough" (3x17) and "Nature's Horchata" (3x18)

Topics include avoiding birth-episode cliches (and making the birth believable without having it end in tragedy), Tandy's Phil 2 impression (and the decision to not have Tandy there when the birth happened), the "nuclear fallout angle," the budget concerns of on-location shooting, lessons learned from each season so far, more about the reasoning behind the time-jump, discarded story and joke/bit ideas, how the writers feel about this season (and what they feel the show does best), the return of Pamela (including a rejected idea that still tickles one of the writers :D ), accommodating KWiig's schedule, etc.

:)

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GRChereck

GRChereck

(edited)

Emmy-nomination submissions:

http://www.emmys.com/ballots/2017

Art Direction/Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour) -- "The Power of Power (3x5)

Contemporary Costumes for a Series, Limited Series or Movie -- "The Big Day" (3x16)

Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour) -- "Got Milk?" (3x10)

Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series -- "Got Milk?"

Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) -- "Got Milk?"

Directing for a Comedy Series -- "Got Milk?" (John Solomon) and "Mama's Hideaway" (3x7) (Payman Benz)

Writing for a Comedy Series -- "Got Milk?" (Maxwell Kessler) and "The Open-Ended Nature of Unwitnessed Death" (3x6) (Liz Cackowski)

Guest Actor in a Comedy -- Keith L. Williams ("When the Going Gets Tough," 3x17)

Guest Actress in a Comedy -- Kristen Wiig and Laura Dern  ("Got Milk?")

Comedy Series

Lead Actor in a Comedy -- Will Forte

Supporting Actress in a Comedy -- Cleopatra Coleman, January Jones, Kristen Schaal, and Mary Steenburgen

(Apparently, Mel Rodriguez wasn't submitted for Supporting Actor in a Comedy -- I think it's a shame, considering his work this past season... :\ )

***

EDIT: Gold Derby agrees with the Emmy push for "Got Milk?"...

http://www.goldderby.com/article/2017/the-last-man-on-earth-got-milk-kristen-wiig-will-forte-2017-emmys-news/ :)

Edited by GRChereck
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GRChereck

GRChereck

On 8/12/2017 at 9:03 AM, MarkHB said:

I honestly can't imagine someone more perfect for this show.  (And I remember when he was just doing weird shit on Letterman!)

I know, right? :D (I'd forgotten about Chris getting his start on 'Late Night with David Letterman' -- Forte also had one of his first big breaks working for Letterman, as a writer for 'The Late Show' during its 1997-98 season...)

***

Season 4 cast promotional pix are here!

http://www.spoilertv.com/2017/08/the-last-man-on-earth-season-4-cast.html 

I especially love the Tandy ones with Carol and "Gary." :)

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GRChereck

GRChereck

(edited)

New s.4 trailer -- 

http://tvline.com/2017/09/19/last-man-on-earth-season-4-trailer-kristen-wiig-video/ 

***

EDIT: Will teased s. 4 during yesterday's LMOE "booze cruise" --

http://variety.com/2017/scene/vpage/the-last-man-on-earth-will-forte-kristen-schaal-season-4-1202564584/

A couple tidbits:

-- Besides the unstable Pamela immediately wreaking havoc, "[f]ans can also look forward to a cameo in the premiere episode from a well-known comedian*, who Forte requested not be named."

-- Forte says, "We try to keep switching things up and moving forward and doing things we haven’t tried before... [We have] a special episode where another old friend* makes an extended appearance and that’s very exciting. And then you know, end of the season, who knows if we’re coming back for a fifth. We might be looking at the last few episodes, which have all of us and another pretty exciting surprise."

(* - I guess that's why they already spilled the beans on the Chris Elliot casting -- sounds like the show has a couple other surprises up its sleeve.)

Edited by GRChereck
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GRChereck

GRChereck

(edited)

Aaand, the Den Of Geek Writers-Room Walk-throughs are back! :D With show-runners Erik Durbin & Tim McAuliffe, and credited "Skeleton Crew" writer Kassia Miller:

Season 4, part 1 -- "M.U.B.A.R." (4x1), "Stocko Syndrome" (4x2), and "Skeleton Crew" (4x3)

Topics include mapping out the plan for s.4 (including KWiig's availability and what the writers wanted for her character), Jack Black's involvement, Chris Elliot's casting, how Glenn came about, optimism vs. pessimism, the use of Tim Heidecker's Herman Cain song ("Cain Skiffle"), Pamela's parallel to Tandy and relationship with Glenn, exploring how the rest of the world was affected by "the virus," what purpose the new characters' arc ultimately (if temporarily) served, etc.

Edited by GRChereck
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GRChereck

GRChereck

(edited)

THR: LMOE Stars on Family, Feminism, and (Literally) Breaking the Glass Ceiling -- Kristen Schaal Q&A, with additional comments from Will Forte and Rich Blomquist :)

Highlights/tidbits:

-- KSchaal had wanted to direct an episode since around s.2, and spent the rest of that season and all of s.3 shadowing different directors on the show

-- The timing of her directing 4x7, "Gender Friender," had more to do with filming after a hiatus week ("so I could prep for it") than the fact that her husband wrote it (which may have been just a happy coincidence)

-- Both she and Rich had noticed and wanted to comment on "male-dominated" language, steering Tandy's ridiculous wordplay in a more positive (or at least well-intended) direction

-- She was glad to work with such a supportive cast, crew and overall set-atmosphere, but was less-than-thrilled about having to direct herself; if given a hypothetical s.5, she would like another chance to direct as long as Carol has a greatly reduced role in the episode

-- Now that Carol has what she has wanted since the very beginning of the series (to reproduce / procreate with Tandy and start repopulating the planet), Kristen is curious to find out what the character's achievement of her goal will mean for her now.

Edited by GRChereck
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GRChereck

GRChereck

Den of Geek Writers-Room Walk-through s.4, part 2 -- "Wisconsin" (4x4), "La Abuela" (4x5), and "Double Cheeseburger" (4x6)

(with co-EP Tim McAuliffe, and writers Matt Marshall and Emma Rathbone)

Topics include reaffirming the core-group dynamic, Carol's hospital home, the "trash magnet" scene, Melissa/Todd sexual role-play, Todd's health-scare, deciding when to use a Kinks music cue, the use of flashbacks for the cartel-leader's mansion, the piñata, how the baby-proofing stuff was inspired by the new setting, working with babies, trying to avoid "tired and familiar" baby stories for Dawn (both as an "apocalypse baby" and taking after her mother), the reasoning behind the bomb idea, wanting Carol's birth episode to go differently than Erica's, choosing the twins' names, Gail's conflict with Carol, Tandy's growth as a character, etc.

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GRChereck

GRChereck

(edited)

Den of Geek Writers-Room Walk-through s.4, part 3 -- "Gender Friender" (4x7), "Not Appropriate for Miners (4x8), and "Karl" (4x9)

(with writers Rich Blomquist, Megan Ganz & Arielle Diaz, and Kassia Miller)

Topics include KSchaal's interest in directing, the Rubik's Cube, exploring gender dynamics, working with babies, Todd/Jasper bonding, Carol's marriage fixation, Tandy's guitar playing, the decision to make all three babies girls (as well as exploring what that means for repopulation and how the kids might be affected), the exploding toy giraffe, Carol's bedazzled dress for Gail, Forte's improvised "cookies" tirade, when and how the idea of a "stranded prisoner" character came about, the decision to make him a murderer "that you still don't hate," casting Fred Armisen, the Leighton Meester and Martin Short cameos, the decision to develop Karl through flashbacks before introducing him to the main group, exploring how "different pockets" of society were affected by The Virus, the desire to change as a person (no matter how terrible you were before), etc.

Edited by GRChereck
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