Podcast
Cast Man Standing
Hosted by Cast Man Standing · EN
Cast Man Standing is a podcast in which TV enthusiasts Erich and Tim watch and review every episode of the worst sitcom you’ve never heard of; “Last Man Standing” (2011-2021). This decade-spanning Tim Allen vehicle garnered up to 13.9 viewers per episode, despite its right wing values, sexism and nonsensical one liners. Join us as we joyfully deconstruct the show, go on irrelevant tangents, and repeatedly view episodes in the wrong order. We’re here to watch for enjoyment, and guide you through all 194 cringe-heavy episodes. So get comfortable, cuz we’re heading to syndication. Welcome home!
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
"Dodgeball Club"
Mar 9, 202300:51:59Tap to summarizeWe dive deeper into Season 2 of Last Man Standing with a breakdown of "Dodgeball Club". We learn that in the LMS universe, dodgeball is the most controversial sport imaginable, and nobody better dare take away Tim Allen, or his grandson's, right to play it. It's another benchmark episode with all the xenophobia, rightwing cultural commentary and child abuse jokes you could ever hope to expect from this program. Before we get into the episode, though, we talk about Erich and Tim hanging out outside of the podcast (we really do!), BC Ferries vegan food options and Tim's ongoing review of it. There is also discussion of the allegations against Tim Allen of sexual misconduct towards Pamela Anderson on the set of Home Improvement. Obviously, we don't condone this in any way, and further enforces our already low opinion of Tim Allen. "Ryan has dodgeball banned from Boyd's school, which infuriates Mike to the point that he teaches Boyd and his friends dodgeball in the Baxter backyard. Ed and Kyle volunteer in a search and rescue team. Mandy begins dating her school's star quarterback, which has her asking for Eve's help to brush up on football facts."
Transcribe →"Voting"
Feb 17, 202300:52:40Tap to summarizeOh BABY is Season 2 of Last Man Standing off to a big start with the premiere episode “Voting” coinciding with the 2012 US presidential election. If this photo hasn’t told you enough, Tim Allen is pretty clear about his political leanings in this one and we hear him rant about nearly every problematic Obama-era talking point imaginable. We try our best to navigate these murky waters while also discussing Mark going goth in Home Improvement, Simlish covers of Black Eyed Peas songs, crappy arcade games, and adults who play paintball. "Mandy is voting for the first time, with Mike urging her to vote for Mitt Romney, while Kristin and Ryan urge her to vote for Barack Obama. Vanessa maintains secrecy about how she votes, which she claims she has done throughout her marriage to Mike. Eve, Ed, and Kyle compete in fantasy football, which has ramifications at work for Kyle when he will not make a trade with his boss, Ed."
Transcribe →"Found Money"
Feb 10, 202301:03:44Tap to summarizeTo all our lovely listeners, we made it!!! We wrap up Season 1 of Last Man Standing in a blaze of glory with the "Found Money" season finale. Tim Allen buys a frickin' tank, Vanessa's sister mooches off the Baxters and Kristen and Kyle's relationship ends with a plot that goes almost nowhere. It's a weird ending to a weird show and we're stoked for what Season 2 has to offer. Before we talk about any of that, though, we get into border crossing issues, going to the movies, finding money, and contemplate opening a laundromat/brunch restaurant. "Vanessa's sweet-but-flighty sister, April, pays a visit. This irritates Mike, who is convinced April only wants to ask for another loan, and he has just used some extra cash to buy a tank so he and Ed can run over old cars and boats. Meanwhile, Kyle and Kristin agree to break up, but Kyle is more worried about what Mike will think."
Transcribe →"The Spotlight"
Jan 19, 202300:45:12Tap to summarizeWelcome back to a breakdown of maybe the worst episode of Last Man Standing to date! And not "bad" for the reasons this show usually is. Like, instead of spouting rightwing values or sexist/racist/xenophobic attitudes, it commits the crime of just plain sucking. "The Spotlight" is poorly written, disjointed, and defies all basic plot structure to the point it just leaves us bummed out and confused. So, uh, enjoy hearing us talk about it! "Vanessa is nominated for an award for her volunteer efforts at the local school, but circumstances put Mike in the spotlight, so he has to try and make amends. Mandy tries to help Eve with her fears about starting high school. Ed wants to market an action-figure model of Mike in Outdoor Man, but the end product received from China has Ed thinking he must brush up on his Mandarin."
Transcribe →"This Bud's For You"
Jan 5, 202301:07:09Tap to summarizeWelcome home to another pre-Christmas recording, so guess what we continue to talk about? Erich recounts a holiday poem he wrote about Tim Allen, Tim reacts to Trump's NFT's, we get excited about monster trucks and we reminisce about the chatrooms of yore. We also break down a rather downer episode of Last Man Standing, 'This Bud's For You', where we see Tim Allen struggling with the reality of his dad moving onto a new chapter of life. "Bud moves into town to begin working on the new Outdoor Man store. Mike is upset that Bud's girlfriend Stella, who Mike did not know about before, has moved in with him. After getting a company physical, Mike is told he has high blood pressure."
Transcribe →"Wherefore Art Thou, Mike Baxter"
Dec 30, 202200:59:38Tap to summarizeWe're in for a good one this week as we tackle the episode about talkin' shit about your kids and missing important events, "Wherefore Art Thou, Mike Baxter*". We get a taste of some of Tim Allen's acting chops as he uses tough love to teach Mandy an important lesson about hard work. We also discuss different media formats, Christmas, Toy Story (including a special guest), and go into Tim Allen's always chaotic Twitter feed. "Mike and Ed invite Kyle as a last-minute substitute for Outdoor Man's annual grudge competition against Ted's Tacklebox, but fear Kyle is not very good at outdoor sports. When the competition runs late, Mike has to miss Mandy's school play. Vanessa offends both Eve and Mandy, when she is overheard saying she does not care to attend their extracurricular activities." *Tim Allen
Transcribe →"Animal Wrongs"
Dec 23, 202200:45:36Tap to summarizeWe got a chaotic one this week as we dive into the 20th episode of the first season, "Animal Wrongs". Its another quintessential Last Man Standing full of boyfriend confrontation, threats of violence, pro-hunting rhetoric and some weirdly touching moments where you least expect. We also chat about being sick, Bob Odenkirk's book (again), and a whole bunch of other good tv shows. "Mandy worries when Mike does not like her new boyfriend, Terrence, who is an animal rights activist. Kyle discovers that he has Basque ancestors, like Ed, but the two have a disagreement after learning their ancestors are from rival families."
Transcribe →"Ding Dong Ditch"
Dec 15, 202200:59:25Tap to summarizeThis week we catch up after a few weeks and talk about Bob Odenkirk's book, local hip-hop groups (shouts out Wilderness Crew and Dollah D), transit companies dropping merch and Tim Allen tweeting about Jay Leno's recent injury. Once we finally get to the episode, we break down Tim Allen treating an innocent prank like a major slight, Kristen's collegiate journey and a surprisingly touching story between Kyle and Ed. "The Baxters are annoyed when teenage prankster Ben Milbauer repeatedly rings their door bell and runs off, but when Mike booby-traps the door, Ben gets hurt on their property. Ben's father Frank orders Mike to cover the boy's hospital bill and Mike discovers that Eve and Ben have secretly been dating. Kristin begins her college classes, but has a difficult time getting acclimated. Kyle gets hurt on the job, causing Ed to fear that Kyle will sue him."
Transcribe →"Baxter & Sons"
Nov 24, 202200:54:57Tap to summarizeWelcome home! This week is a family focused episode as we meet Tim Allen's in-universe brother and dad for the first time! We also talk about the the gift of a certain grain (listen to find out which!), listen to some music from the killer band Tool Time, and the upcoming Tim Allen Christmas series 'The Santa Clauses'. "Mike's father Bud (Robert Forrester) and younger brother Jim (Mike Rowe) visit, hoping to win a bid to build a new Outdoor Man store. Jim tries to get a loan from a bank, but when the loan officer (Frankie Muniz) turns him down, Jim refuses to accept Mike's offer to countersign the loan because of their sibling rivalry. The Baxter girls think Bud is lonely since the death of his wife and try to set him up on an online dating site."
Transcribe →"Adrenaline"
Nov 17, 202201:09:49Tap to summarizeWe've got an octane fuelled episode of Last Man Standing this week as we review "Adrenaline". But before we do that, we spend a whole lot of time remembering the 90's. We go into everything from sitcoms to toy commercials, and decide if we should become adult LEGO people. "Mike gets NASCAR driver Tony Stewart and his car to spice up the Outdoor Man retail space, but the car later goes missing. Kristin, wanting to go skydiving, has Vanessa looking back to when she took more chances before becoming a mother."
Transcribe →