Mike Baxter, as portrayed by the seasoned actor, Tim Allen, is a regular guy next door who is a quintessential American. He works as Director of Marketing at Outdoor Man, a chain of sporting goods and lives with his family in Denver, Colorado. He has a severe problem adjusting to changes. He holds a politically conservative view and has a problem with those who don’t. The comedy arises from the fact that in Mike’s mind, he is a “manly” man living in a woman’s world.
For Tim Allen, this is the second sitcom with ABC after Home Improvement and it is hard to miss the similarity between the two. With a little difference in the characters, Last Man Standing can also be called a sequel to the widely popular Home Improvement.
Then there is Venessa Baxter, the first lady of the house and Mike’s wife. She is a geologist by profession and works for an energy company. She has been portrayed as someone who is calm, composed and firm in her demeanor. She is the boss in the house and takes care of her family and her macho husband.
The couple has three daughters - the eldest one named Kristin Beth Baxter. She is everything her father is not. She also has a son named Boyd, from a former boyfriend and she lives with the parents. The part was initially played by Alexandra Krosney, who was replaced by Amanda Fuller after the first season itself.
Mandy Baxter (Molly Ephraim) is the middle child. Unlike her sisters, Mandy is not an ace student. However, what she lacks in academics, she more than makes up for it with her social skills and aesthetic knowledge. She takes the creative bent from her father and is an independent girl. Mandy is one of the popular girls and aspires to be a celebrity one day.
Mike’s youngest daughter, Eve Baxter (Kaitlyn Dever) is his favorite and she knows it. Mike sees a lot of himself in her and Eve uses it to her advantage. Eve is a driven young girl who excels at sports and studies. She has inherited her father’s sense of humor and is the one making all the wise cracks.
Then there is Kyle Anderson (Christoph Sanders) who is a young subordinate at Mike’s work. He is shown to be an emotional guy who likes romantic movies and has an interest in baking. This makes him the center of good-hearted pokes from the macho Mike, according to whom these are not the traits of a man. Interestingly enough, Kyle has dated both of Mike’s younger daughters.
All these characters along with the supporting cast make for good family entertainment. However, it should be understood that given the plot of the show, a lot of humor is sexist, which is not everybody’s cup of tea. The show has an experienced cast and they have delivered good performances to dish out this comic relief.
Since its inception, the show has received decent ratings and a viewership of 7 million on an average. The last episode of the latest and the fourth season of the show was aired in April, 2015 and the fifth season is in the offing. Click right here for more great entertainment right in your home.