Despite the cliffhanger ending in season 4, The Last Man on Earth season 5 never happened due to the show's cancellation. The Last Man on Earth was a high-concept sitcom pitch from Phil Lord and Chris Miller that took a funny look at the typical post-apocalyptic scenario. Will Forte stars as Phil Tandy Miller, seemingly the last man alive after a virus wiped out the population. As Phil gradually meets more survivors, awkward social situations make this dystopian existence even worse.
As with many Phil Lord and Chris Miller projects, The Last Man on Earth was a critical success with each season being met with strong reviews and Forte earning two Emmy nominations, for acting and writing. Unfortunately, The Last Man on Earth's ratings were never strong enough to maintain the high-concept production, and the show was ultimately canceled after its fourth season. But with the cliffhanger ending, it is clear a fifth season was planned and there are some interesting details that highlight what fans of the show missed out on with The Last Man on Earth season 5.
The Last Man On Earth Season 5 Would Have Introduced New Survivors
Will Forte Explained The Plans For The Show's Darkly Comedic Conclusion
The Last Man on Earth season 4 finale set the stage for what appeared to be a happy ending for the main characters. Phil and the other survivors are about to settle down on a new piece of land and start the next chapter of their survival story together, only to be surrounded by a mysterious group wearing gas masks. With The Last Man on Earth being canceled shortly after, the audience were left in the dark. However, Will Forte later revealed the rough plan for how this new group would have functioned on the show (via Vulture).
When they believe the virus has died out, they reemerge, only to encounter Phil’s group.
The Last Man on Earth season 5 would have explained this group had been living in an underground bunker following the outbreak of the virus that wiped out most of humankind. When they believe the virus has died out, they reemerge, only to encounter Phil’s group. After a few episodes of mistrust, the two groups eventually bond, with the leader of the other camp earmarked for a major celebrity, like The Last Man on Earth's other guest stars Jack Black, Will Ferrell, and Jon Hamm.
Unfortunately, while Phil’s group has built up an immunity to the virus over time, they’re also carriers, so in a darkly comic twist, the other survivors are wiped out once they take their masks off. The show was never afraid to mix some darker aspects into the show and this twist ending would have fit that tone very well.
The Last Man On Earth Season 5 (Probably) Would Have Ended The Show
Forte Talked About Season 5 Being A Shorter Installment
While many fans would have loved to see The Last Man on Earth season 5, there were already plans to have the series come to an end before it was canceled. Prior to the cancelation, Will Forte revealed that there had been talk of bringing the series back for a shorter 10-episode run. He felt this was enough to wrap up the series, with the gas mask survivor storyline taking up roughly five episodes.
Unfortunately, the network decided to cancel the show rather than have a smaller season to tie things up. Forte also admitted there wasn’t a clear plan for how The Last Man on Earth's final season would have ended the story, but he trusted they would come up with something fitting once the season was mapped out. While there has not been any talk of The Last Man on Earth continuing in any way, with Phil Lord and Chris Miller's revival of their show Clone High after 20 years, there is always some hope of the series getting a proper ending.
What The Last Man On Earth Cast Has Been Up To
The Show's End Has Not Stopped The Cast From Working
Actor
The Last Man On Earth Character
Post-The Last Man On Earth Projects
Will Forte
Phil Tandy Miller
Sweet Tooth, Bodkin, Strays
Kristen Schaal
Carol Pilbasian
Bob's Burgers, What We Do in the Shadows
Cleopatra Coleman
Erica Dundee
Dopesick, Rebel Moon, Clipped
Mary Steenburgen
Gail Klosterman
Book Club, Book Club: The Next Chapter
Mel Rodriguez
Todd Rodriguez
The Afterparty, Made for Love
January Jones
Melissa Chartres
Spinning Out, The Politician
While The Last Man on Earth season 5 will likely not happen, the cast of the sitcom has moved onto plenty of new projects since the show was canceled. Will Forte continues to be a big name in comedy, and being the lead of the series, it is not surprising that he has had the most high-profile projects since The Last Man on Earth ended.
The cancellation of The Last Man on Earth steered Forte to other starring roles in TV shows, including two Netflix series. He played Richard in the fantasy adventure Sweet Tooth as well as Gilbert in the comedy-crime series Bodkin. Forte also played the main human lead in Strays and was the star of the canceled Coyote vs. Acme movie. Forte will next be seen in the comedy series Four Seasons alongside Steve Carell and Tina Fey.
Cleopatra Coleman has also seen her career grow since
The Last Man on Earth...
Forte's costars have remained busy as well with Kristen Schaal continuing with her role as Louise Belcher on Bob's Burgers while also appearing in What We Do in the Shadows as The Guide. Cleopatra Coleman has also seen her career grow since The Last Man on Earth, appearing in the acclaimed miniseries Dopesick as Grace Pell and in Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon movies as Devra. She was recently in the miniseries Clipped as V. Stiviano. Mary Steenburgen was the veteran of the cast and her career is still going strong, most notably with the Book Club movies.
Mel Rodriguez had one of the biggest roles of his career as Todd in The Last Man on Earth. Though he hasn't found a role as significant since, he has stayed busy with shows like The Afterparty and Made for Love. Despite the fact that January Jones was already in a hit show before with Mad Men, she has been the quietest of The Last Man on Earthstars but did appear in the shows Spinning Out and The Politician.
Other Shows That Had Story Plans Revealed After Cancellation
Legacies, The Midnight Club, And Our Flag Means Death Had Unfinished Stories
The disappointment that many fans of The Last Man on Earth feel at not being able to see the series continue its story is a feeling shared by many fans of canceled shows. In many cases, cancellations come as a surprise and the people behind the series have already been looking forward to what will happen next in the story. Usually, those planned stories simply disappear without any acknowledgment, but there have been times, as with The Last Man on Earth, when people behind the shows have shared details about what fans missed.
The Vampire Diaries spinoff series Legacies didn't have quite the impact the original series did as it was canceled after its fourth season. Legacies season 5 was set to take the show in an intriguing new direction with a planned time jump. While the series had focused largely on the characters at the Salvatore School, the canceled season would have expanded beyond that and explored the characters outside that environment. It also would have linked to the original series by introducing Elena and Damon's child.
Following the cancellation of The Midnight Club, creator Mike Flanagan sympathized with the fans who would be left wondering what happens next. In response, Flanagan revealed a detailed plan for what he has in mind for The Midnight Club season 2. Along with several big twists, including the reveal that the janitor at the hospital was actually Death personified, the second season of the show would have killed off several of the main characters, such as Amesh, Natsuki, and Ilonka.
Like The Last Man on Earth, Our Flag Means Death is a high-concept comedy with a more intricate plot than some of the genre's typical shows. While Our Flag Means Death is technically based on a true story, the planned third season would have continued to play loose with history. It would have focused on the new stage of Stede and Ed's romance as they dealt with the domestic struggles of living together and starting a life together.
As with The Last Man on Earth, all the storylines that fans missed out on are disappointing by provide some closure as well.
The Last Man on Earth is a fox comedy series set in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has wiped out nearly all human life - at least, that's what Phil Miller believes. Heading on a cross-country journey to find other survivors, Phil nearly succumbs to hopelessness until he finds a woman named Carol, who suggests the two attempt to repopulate the Earth. Soon enough, more and more humans are found alive, slowly building new communities - but Phil seems to have trouble acclimating to the new societal order.
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