Apocalyptic Visions in the Mainstream

When thinking about apocalyptic backdrops for stories, various anime may come to mind (as discussed in "Waiting For the End of the World: Apocalyptic Identity") or perhaps fringe or niche television, movies, or comic books. Though it could be argued films like The Matrix and Mad Max are apocalyptic/dystopic and mainstream, the focus of this post will be on television; specifically one program.

As of last year (2015), Fox released a show called The Last Man on Earth, which placed apocalyptic vision into mainstream television in a modern way. (May contain spoilers).

Image via slate.com

Foregoing the typical dystopic backdrop of decrepit buildings, a distant power structure, or incorporating some sort of creature (here's looking at you, I Am Legend), the show attempts to paint an image that leaves much of Western culture intact. By doing so, things that were once inaccessible to the average person are now easily obtained, which leads the characters and the viewer to acknowledge and perhaps question current social meanings. In various episodes of the show, the characters possess such objects as the United States constitution, famous artworks, and the hope diamond among others.

The show follows a male protagonist who believes he is the last person alive on earth, because of his immunity to a deadly virus which killed billions of people. (This is problematic though, as it assumes the condition of the United States is representative of the world; ignoring other countries who might have thriving populations). He begins by doing various things he would not otherwise be able to do, such as drive ridiculous cars, gather ancient famous artifacts, and live in a mansion. He soon spirals into depression and spends most of his days lying in a kiddie pool filled with margarita mix and tequila, drinking the liquid through a long straw.

Image via auburnpub.com

Although the show continues to evolve in varying ways, it is most interesting in an apocalyptic sense toward the beginning. When thinking about other similarly themed movies or television, there is usually some sort of obvious antagonist that either must be fought, avoided, or escaped from. In The Last Man on Earth, at least initially, the main antagonist is loneliness and isolation. There are rarely if ever any eerie scenes that imply fearing for one's life, but the show attempts to focus on what the writer's ideas are about 21st century notions of life after mass disease wipes out an extreme amount of the population.

Visions of deserted convenience stores and perfectly decorated homes are scattered throughout the show. With no consequences to his actions, the protagonist destroys property to alleviate boredom, creates a giant trash pile in his in-ground pool, and generally gives up on doing anything substantial to improve his life (such as reading a book about plumbing or learning how to garden). Additional characters eventually come into the picture, which brings up more questions about repopulation, religion, democracy, and marital traditions.

The main character does eventually become incessantly annoying as his ridiculous antics are continually emphasized. This may have been intentional, as most of his obnoxious behavior stems from not knowing how to interact with others in a rational way, which could be the result of extended isolation.

The Last Man on Earth is by no means a ground breaking television show that will pave the way for new genres like some other apocalyptic media has. Despite its flaws, it holds a solid viewer rating and does put an alternative spin on other television or film with similar backdrops. It approaches the apocalypse in a modern and serious way with a comedic edge, and gives us hope that if we were the last (wo)man on earth, Kristen Schaal might be the first person we meet.

Image via Buzzfeed