In “Dunk the Skunk,” Phil tries to get Carol and Melissa on board with Phil trying to repopulate with Melissa as well. It’s amazing the lengths guys will go through to have sex and the patience most of them magically seem to have when sex is a factor. While I did think that Phil crying to Carol with this “dilemma” was much too over the top than it needed to be even for entertainment purposes, the episode as a whole was something else and I’m glad that Phil is indeed not the last man on earth now, as we meet Todd (Mel Rodriguez, Enlisted) at the end of the episode.

I’m hoping this will make Phil re-evaluate the repopulation duty as something more civilized and not something more for his own personal gain. Woman bear children but they also bear a lot more…because we were built to. So it comes as no surprise that Phil is the selfish, immature one in this entire situation. Of course, they could come across an immature, selfish woman but even she would come around quicker than Phil, even if she didn’t admit it right away. Carol and Melissa are there to keep Phil on the right side of the lane and steer him back onto it when he gets a bit carried away and there’s no one better to do the job than those two.

As for Todd? I can’t wait to see what Todd brings to this new world because the dynamic changes for the better in more ways than one for the world and Phil and Carol every time a new character is introduced. Great introduction by the way! Leave it to Phil to conduct fireworks and unknowingly lead a guy who’s seen his “Alive in Tuscon” messages right to them! Phil’s messages across the U.S. were not just a cry for community and a symbol of hope for the world but a symbol of hope for Phil in not giving up in himself and being the best person that he can be to keep humanity alive. We know all the time Phil spent on that seed of hope so we know that there’s a guy with heart underneath all of that shallow exterior. And seeing Phil being forced to challenge the very seed of the idea that he planted all over the nation is really something special to see each week.

That’s not to say that you won’t be repulsed by some of the things that come out of Phil’s mouth. Building a new world is not always pretty and exhibit A is Phil. His heart is kind of ugly and that’s made even more evident by the fat comments he makes about and to Todd in the next episode, “Some Friggin’ Fat Guy.” As far as Phil’s character development goes, it’s super slow and steady and if you can hang for that, I think it will be worth it. I think Carol and Melissa and Todd and whoever else they all come into contact with are chipping away the gunk around Phil’s heart and tearing down what doesn’t matter to help remind Phil what does.

It’s uncomfortable, yes. But it’s smart writing and certainly a thought provoking mirror of some of the people in this world. It’s a scary look at the people that could indeed be the last people on earth and what needs to change in order for us to not be those people or embody those characteristics and so forth. Phil is really quite an interesting character study, I’d say. Perhaps the most interesting of the “unlikable” characters on TV right now. There’s so much depth here. So I’m just as excited as I was when the show premiered to see the next episode. How about you?

Watch two new back to back episodes of The Last Man On Earth TONIGHT at 9/8c only on Fox.