Last Man Standing: Mandy a Marketer?

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Is anyone else kinda peeved that they aired the holiday episode of this show last week and then aired a random new episode this week? I didn't see anything that would have made this episode *need* to take place after the previous one, and I would have much preferred the holiday episode (of this and any show) air as close to the relevant holiday as possible. Now, I know that there are a few things airing new episodes next week (like Terra Nova's season two-hour finale), but I don't understand why so many shows have already aired their holiday specials but are then airing other stuff, too? Either take a break until January or re-order your stuff, I say! Oh, and about this episode... Vanessa's over-worked because of her promotion (which she got in the pilot, by the way...), so Mike has to handle some of the housework. Also, Mandy might have a future after all... in marketing. A decent episode, and probably better than I'm giving it credit for. What can I say? I'm bitter about the placement of the holiday episode on the calendar.

Last Man Standing "The Passion of Mandy" (S01E11): Vanessa is working on some geophysical paperwork. [I can only think of one other geologist on television... Stan's dad on South Park. Is there something about Denver that draws geologists? LoL.] She's really working hard since she got that promotion, and she's starting to have less time at home. But, she's not comfortable with Mike going grocery shopping or doing the laundry, so she continues to strive to be SuperMom. [anyone else think this totally was reminiscent of the Home Improvement episode when Jill was back in school and Tim had to take care of the housework?] This starts to fail when she falls asleep during a work meeting and topples over in her chair. To stop people from laughing, she fakes a heart attack while she's down there and winds up in the hospital. [hahahahaha. much better than the time Doug faked a heart attack on King of Queen!] Mike reiterates that he can help her out a bit, and makes "sloppy does" for dinner. (he hit a deer with his car and still has some of the ground meat.) He also does the laundry, though Vanessa doesn't like that he rolls rather than folds. After overhearing a comment Kristin makes about how the house keeps running without Vanessa around, she's humiliated. It's only been two days with Mike running things, and she feels replaceable. This shortly wears off, however, when Eve needs her. Eve had taken to wearing dresses around Victor, who asked her what girl she thought he should ask to the winter dance. [well that sucks. hilarious about them doing some of Mandy's homework, though!]

There was a fire at school and Mandy got to be sad on camera for the local news, so she's excited to watch it. However, when they don't actually show her, she gets upset that she watched the whole program. [I hate the Mandy character, but like how they're building her personality, LoL.] The next day she goes by Mike's work to have him look at her car. While there, she shows him a website (the fictional nothanks.com that she and her friends use to talk about local establishments. She even volunteers to come up with some nice words to say about one of Ed's favorite hangouts (...the barber shop...?), which is in danger of going out of business.

(ABC/CARIN BAER)

Since she's good at spinning things, Mike tells Mandy that maybe she could have an internship in marketing. The two of them go to the barber shop and it's full... of hipsters. [why does she have a pink streak in her hair?] Ed is upset about the barber shop being ruined with those kids there, so he gets pissed off and yells at Mandy, who storms out crying. Later, Ed comes to the house to apologize to Mandy, and says that he hates change and hipsters... he knows that she was trying to help, and offers her a bottle of dessert wine from his family vineyard. [it amuses me that he offered wine to a girl that he knows is in high school. LoL!] After three hours that day, Mandy doesn't really want to go back to the office, but could see herself doing that someday. [are high schoolers really having internships these days anyway? or am I not with it?] Vanessa and Mike try the wine, and it's awful.

Other events his episode: Eve is upset that Mike gets really rowdy at soccer games. Kyle comes by to take Kristin and Boyd to breakfast. Mike does a video on camouflage.