Last Man Standing: Mike's Father Is Around

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Ready for yet another similar move between Last Man Standing and Home Improvement? Mike's dad goes by "Bud," as did Tim Taylor's boss over on Tool Time way back when. The idea that the guy is all about tall tales (inventing the Big Mac??) reminds me of Benny on Home Improvement, too, though the characters are not alike otherwise. I'd definitely leave this episode out of my rotation of I re-watched the season - mostly because it didn't add a whole lot. We've already been introduced to Mike's father (and brother) and know that there are tensions between them. Between that and the fact that there really wasn't much of a second storyline (Mike having high blood pressure was really just a detail of the main plot), this is a miss. With only two episodes to go, I'm rooting for some hilarity, how about you?

Last Man Standing "This Bud's for You" (S01E22): The Baxters look at condos for Mike's father and brother. Apparently Stella, Mike's father's girlfriend, is also going to be staying there, which gives the family an opportunity to meet her. [I don't think this show needs more characters. did Eve's hair grow?? and that was a poor Tim Tebow joke.] Mike isn't thrilled, and Vanessa tells him that it's okay for his father to love again, though that only opens the conversation about them dating after one another passes on. [eh. that was okay.]

(ABC/CARIN BAER)

Bud asks Vanessa what Mike thought of Stella... she says that he's warming up to her., but maybe he shouldn't bring her around again until Mike lowers his blood pressure a little bit. Similarly, everyone at work is trying to be chill around Mike, but doing a junky marketing video as if he's in a river kayak probably didn't help anything. Then, the family learns that Bud sent Stella away to keep Mike unstressed. [awww, both cute and sad.] Mike goes over to tell his dad that he wants him to be happy, and that's pretty much the end of it. [Hawaiian music to fall asleep to?]