I like that Phil/Tandy and Todd didn't actually try to kill (New) Phil. I thought that was going to be the premise of this whole episode and I'm glad it didn't happen.
I also thought that everyone singing outside around the campfire was a dream, not a trap. Although Carol didn't seem to be in on it.
Totally called it that Carol would come find Phil in the desert and move away from Tucson with him. She's completely right that it's better to be with the Phil that doesn't have the heart to leave someone out in the desert to die, despite all his flaws.
I'm also glad that we're rid of the other characters for next season ... Will Forte is better by himself or with just one other character. Everyone else was really one-note and didn't add much to the story. The first episode with just Phil was great, and the ones with just Phil and Carol were pretty good as well. It started to get old when the others began showing up, and the "Phil wants to bang Melissa"/"Phil hates guys who ruin any chance of sex for him" crap had gotten REALLY old. Glad we'll get a restart on the next season. I hope they don't fill the entire next season with Phil lying and being a douche. He doesn't need to be perfect but I hope they move past him just being a baby.
TOTALLY didn't see the ending coming ... I thought it was a little odd that Phil mentioned that his parents are buried in Tucson but made no mention of his brother (and we knew he had a brother from the flashback and the photo in the pilot episode), but I didn't expect him to be an astronaut.
So how long has the brother been floating around in space? Does Phil know what happened to him? How's he supposed to get home? Are Phil and Carol going to end up in Houston at Mission Control to learn that he's alive? What an interesting twist!
I wish they didn't make original Phil such a liar. He's one step too unbelievable for me. DH and I wondered if they were picked up for a second season because the episode could be a series finale. I immediately felt bad for Phil's brother but I hope he's not alone up there. And then I wondered, even if they found a group of smart people, it could still be years for people to study up and be able to rescue someone from the space station so I got even more depressed about Phil's brother's future. I think way too much about the show. While it's cute that they left Tuscan, it doesn't make logistical sense (it's better to survive in a group).
I hope they remain friends and not jump back into a relationship. It would be fun to see them visit more places.
I'm kind of meh about this show. I dislike every single character, Melissa was my least favorite and the fact that they kept throwing new people in every episode was getting old. I do like that Carol came to rescue him. It will give them a chance to start over next season.
I'm kind of meh about this show. I dislike every single character, Melissa was my least favorite and the fact that they kept throwing new people in every episode was getting old. I do like that Carol came to rescue him. It will give them a chance to start over next season.
If they can get back to Will Forte by himself, or the quick back and forth with Kristen Schaal, it'll get good again. The season finale was the best episode since the pilot and the other two episodes before Melissa showed up.
I liked the finale. I really hope that if the show comes back, that they tone down Phil, a lot. (I like the comment above about him being more of a caricature than a character.) I think that Carol was SO freaking annoying at the beginning, but they leveled her out a lot, so I'm hoping they do that with Phil too.
I'm kind of meh about this show. I dislike every single character, Melissa was my least favorite and the fact that they kept throwing new people in every episode was getting old. I do like that Carol came to rescue him. It will give them a chance to start over next season.
It really annoyed me that Melissa kind of threw Phil under the bus like he was such a jerk for trying to sleep with her. She was going to too! Ugh. I feel like all the characters are caricatures. Phil was annoying, but everyone played into his annoyingness until they didn't.
She wasn't going to sleep with him because she wanted to, though, just for procreation purposes. (Although that whole "procreation" storyline was really dumb. The girls bought the idea that Phil should sleep with both of them so their grandkids wouldn't be inbred, yet they thought it'd be OK for half-siblings to have babies together?)
I don't blame Melissa for being snarky to Phil. She was nice to him when they first met, tolerant of him when it was evident that he was a creeper, and disgusted with him when she discovered all the things he'd done. In the "old world" she would've completely avoided him, and if she was a poster here I'm sure we'd all be telling her to steer clear of that loser, but in their tiny little community she couldn't get away from him. She didn't go out of her way to be mean to him, but she shut it down every time he came up with another lie.
I agree with you that all the characters are really one-note. The Melissa storyline got old really fast, and Gail and Erika had no personalities whatsoever. New Phil really didn't, either. Todd was somewhat interesting but it was weird how he did a complete 180 once New Phil came into the community - he was an angel of a human being before that who could forgive and forget anything, and yet he just snapped when an attractive new guy showed up. Very lazy writing.
It's also weird how everyone seemed to be in utter shock whenever a new person showed up. After the second or third time, you wouldn't suspect that there were some survivors still around?
I'm glad that we're starting fresh with just Phil and Carol next season. Keeping Phil in the cul-de-sac was not working at all. I think keeping him and Carol on the move throughout the country will be better (although I get that basing them in Tuscon made it easier for filming purposes, because all shots had to be devoid of animal life and airplanes and stuff). I'm also curious if they'll meet any new people, since I would think that most survivors will be making their way to Tuscon because of the billboards. Plus pretty much every review I've read said that the episodes/scenes with Phil by himself, or Phil and Carol and nobody else, are the best of the series. Hopefully the writers were paying attention.
She wasn't going to sleep with him because she wanted to, though, just for procreation purposes. (Although that whole "procreation" storyline was really dumb. The girls bought the idea that Phil should sleep with both of them so their grandkids wouldn't be inbred, yet they thought it'd be OK for half-siblings to have babies together?)
Remember how she was talking about how horny she was and how he shouldn't tell Carol she said that and stuff? Obviously Phil is the worst, but I didn't care for her either.
Ah, I do remember. I thought you were talking about when they had the sit-down and she agreed to sleep with him, and then he set up the bed in the field with the fireworks.
I didn't love her personality (everything with Phil aside), but I also don't think it was uncalled for that she was nasty to Phil as the series went on.
I'm just glad we're rid of them. I didn't think all those characters would be on season 2 anyway, since they have other projects going on. The guy who played the New Phil has a talk show coming up. I just saw Todd on an episode of Better Caul Saul. And isn't Melissa on Mad Men?
It really annoyed me that Melissa kind of threw Phil under the bus like he was such a jerk for trying to sleep with her. She was going to too! Ugh. I feel like all the characters are caricatures. Phil was annoying, but everyone played into his annoyingness until they didn't.
She wasn't going to sleep with him because she wanted to, though, just for procreation purposes. (Although that whole "procreation" storyline was really dumb. The girls bought the idea that Phil should sleep with both of them so their grandkids wouldn't be inbred, yet they thought it'd be OK for half-siblings to have babies together?)
I don't blame Melissa for being snarky to Phil. She was nice to him when they first met, tolerant of him when it was evident that he was a creeper, and disgusted with him when she discovered all the things he'd done. In the "old world" she would've completely avoided him, and if she was a poster here I'm sure we'd all be telling her to steer clear of that loser, but in their tiny little community she couldn't get away from him. She didn't go out of her way to be mean to him, but she shut it down every time he came up with another lie.
I agree with you that all the characters are really one-note. The Melissa storyline got old really fast, and Gail and Erika had no personalities whatsoever. New Phil really didn't, either. Todd was somewhat interesting but it was weird how he did a complete 180 once New Phil came into the community - he was an angel of a human being before that who could forgive and forget anything, and yet he just snapped when an attractive new guy showed up. Very lazy writing.
It's also weird how everyone seemed to be in utter shock whenever a new person showed up. After the second or third time, you wouldn't suspect that there were some survivors still around?
I'm glad that we're starting fresh with just Phil and Carol next season. Keeping Phil in the cul-de-sac was not working at all. I think keeping him and Carol on the move throughout the country will be better (although I get that basing them in Tuscon made it easier for filming purposes, because all shots had to be devoid of animal life and airplanes and stuff). I'm also curious if they'll meet any new people, since I would think that most survivors will be making their way to Tuscon because of the billboards. Plus pretty much every review I've read said that the episodes/scenes with Phil by himself, or Phil and Carol and nobody else, are the best of the series. Hopefully the writers were paying attention.
I think it's because Todd didn't see original Phil as competition for Melissa, but new Phil was competition, especially the way he was so capable. I agree they could have been a little more subtle with it.
Remember how she was talking about how horny she was and how he shouldn't tell Carol she said that and stuff? Obviously Phil is the worst, but I didn't care for her either.
Ah, I do remember. I thought you were talking about when they had the sit-down and she agreed to sleep with him, and then he set up the bed in the field with the fireworks.
I didn't love her personality (everything with Phil aside), but I also don't think it was uncalled for that she was nasty to Phil as the series went on.
I'm just glad we're rid of them. I didn't think all those characters would be on season 2 anyway, since they have other projects going on. The guy who played the New Phil has a talk show coming up. I just saw Todd on an episode of Better Caul Saul. And isn't Melissa on Mad Men?
Did you watch the season finale of Better Call Saul?
Ah, I do remember. I thought you were talking about when they had the sit-down and she agreed to sleep with him, and then he set up the bed in the field with the fireworks.
I didn't love her personality (everything with Phil aside), but I also don't think it was uncalled for that she was nasty to Phil as the series went on.
I'm just glad we're rid of them. I didn't think all those characters would be on season 2 anyway, since they have other projects going on. The guy who played the New Phil has a talk show coming up. I just saw Todd on an episode of Better Caul Saul. And isn't Melissa on Mad Men?
Did you watch the season finale of Better Call Saul?
I don't watch the show - I happened to be in the room when MH was watching the episode with Mel Rodriguez (Todd) and the 50 cent coin. I saw how that episode ended, if that's what you're referring to.
I finally got to see the finale yesterday. I loved it!
As OP and others have said, I'm glad we're starting fresh with just Phil and Carol. Every time they added a new character the introvert in me became twitchy. I got used to the Phil/Carol dynamic so I saw each new character as an interloper. That being said, I'm very interested in the twist at the end and the addition of Jason Sudeikis.
Also, I like how everyone (except Carol) was so quick to turn on "Tandy" because they heard he considered killing Todd but everyone was OK with new Phil actually going through with leaving original Phil in the desert. Doesn't that make them all WORSE than original Phil?
I was thinking more about this, and I still can't figure out why both New Phil, and then later Carol, would give him a BOX of supplies. I mean, really, a box?! At least put it all into a backpack he could carry easily.
I am actually hoping this show gets renewed. I didn't love it, but I liked it a lot, and I'm looking forward to where it goes.
I was thinking more about this, and I still can't figure out why both New Phil, and then later Carol, would give him a BOX of supplies. I mean, really, a box?! At least put it all into a backpack he could carry easily.
I am actually hoping this show gets renewed. I didn't love it, but I liked it a lot, and I'm looking forward to where it goes.
New Phil didn't give a shit about him. He knocked him out and then drove him out into the desert to dump him there ... even with a box of supplies, he had to know that Tandy Phil was too much of an idiot to survive the walk to the nearest town. If New Phil had cared even a little bit about Tandy Phil's life he would've told him to get in his car and leave, or he would've had someone drive Tandy Phil's car behind him out to the desert and leave Tandy Phil with the car. Although that opened the door to Tandy Phil trying to come back to Tuscon, I guess. Plus, stranding him out in the desert to walk just provides the catalyst for Carol to dump New Phil for being cruel. Tandy Phil was a jerk but at least his conscience wouldn't let him leave Todd out there to die.
Re: Carol bringing him a box, maybe she figured that she was going to go along with Tandy Phil the whole time? And bringing him the supplies was just an excuse to go out and find him? The real answer is that it probably works better for TV to have him with boxes where you can see the supplies, rather than a closed bag, probably. Plus it's just funnier to watch him struggle with a clumsy box.
I was wondering if Carol packed her own belongings in her car if she suspected that she might leave the Tuscon group behind to join Phil, but when there's (almost) nobody left in the world it's not a big deal to just break into stores along the way and get what you need. It makes me wonder if Phil has his family photo (the one from the pilot, when he was about to commit suicide) in his wallet or something, or if it's gone for good since he left it behind in Tuscon - it makes me sad to think that he might not have it anymore.