Last Man Standing (season 9)

The ninth and final season of Last Man Standing premiered on January 3, 2021, on Fox, and it set to contain twenty-one episodes.[1] It stars Tim Allen as Mike Baxter, alongside Nancy Travis, Amanda Fuller, Molly McCook, Christoph Sanders, Jordan Masterson, Jonathan Adams, Krista Marie Yu, and Héctor Elizondo.

Last Man Standing
Season 9
Promotional poster
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes6
Release
Original networkFox
Original releaseJanuary 3, 2021 (2021-01-03) –
present
Season chronology

Cast

Main cast

Guest

Episodes
See also: List of Last Man Standing episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [2]Directed byWritten byOriginal air date [2]Prod.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
1741"Time Flies"Victor GonzalezErin BerryJanuary 3, 2021 (2021-01-03)9ATP022.52[3]
Following a series of time jumps, Mandy and Kyle are now raising their three-year old daughter, Sarah, while Kristin and Ryan also have a young daughter. After she and Kyle moved into the Baxter home during the pandemic, Mandy is becoming increasingly annoyed with Vanessa's constant parenting advice. Mike is put in the middle when Mandy confides that she and Kyle should move back to their apartment. Meanwhile, Chuck vents to Kristin about Ed switching their usual post-work scotches to a variety of fruity cocktails.
1752"Dual Time"Victor GonzalezJon HallerJanuary 7, 2021 (2021-01-07)9ATP013.30[4]
As Mike labors over a topic for his 10th anniversary Outdoor Man vlog, Vanessa damages the kitchen disposal. She calls in Tim Taylor who is in town visiting a Binford Tools location and who expressed interest in meeting the man behind the Outdoor Man vlogs. Mike is floored by Tim's uncanny resemblance to himself, as well as his apparent ineptitude at actually making repairs. Meanwhile, Ryan and Kyle make fun of a 1990s female-themed superhero show that Kristin and Mandy are binge-watching, only to learn that their favorite comic book writer actually wrote several episodes for the TV series.
1763"High on the Corporate Ladder"Victor GonzalezMike Teverbaugh & Linda TeverbaughJanuary 14, 2021 (2021-01-14)9ATP042.84[5]
With business expanding rapidly at Bud's Buds, Ryan asks Mike for advice on how he and Ed handled growth at Outdoor Man. Worried over giving Ryan the wrong advice, Mike turns the issue over to his businessman friend, Dave. He later learns Dave offered to buy Bud's Buds from Ryan and wants to give Ryan a position in the corporate office. Kristin gets mad at Mike, saying Ryan will be miserable in a job like that. She later confides to Vanessa that she's really afraid Ryan will like the job, and that it will change him. At Outdoor Man, Kyle is given a laptop that used to be Ed's and opens a file with some bucket list items. He and Mandy decide to fulfill Ed's bucket list for him, unaware that Chuck had the laptop before Ed, and the bucket list is actually Chuck's.
1774"Jen Again"Victor GonzalezJenny YangJanuary 21, 2021 (2021-01-21)9ATP052.64[6]
Mike and Kyle try to keep the secret from Vanessa that Jen is coming from Hong Kong to live with the Baxters for the next year, but she finds out before Jen arrives. To Vanessa's disappointment, Jen says she is only staying a week. Mike and Vanessa later learn that Jen's father sent her to America because he plans to speak out about the problems in his country, and did not want Jen in harm's way. Jen is further guilt-ridden because she feels like she convinced her father to do what he's doing. Meanwhile, Ryan is invited to a company golf outing, and asks for Chuck's help learning the game so he won't embarrass himself. However, Ryan is embarrassed on the course for another reason.
1785"Outdoor Toddler"Victor GonzalezKevin HenchJanuary 28, 2021 (2021-01-28)9ATP032.53[7]
Constantly annoyed by her sister Nichole texting her professional photos of her toddler grandson, Vanessa wants a way to one-up her. She proposes that Ed revive the Outdoor Man Toddler catalog, using her granddaughters Evelyn and Sarah as models. However, Ed says his market research shows having only one toddler as the subject is more effective, causing a dilemma when Vanessa has to tell Kristin and Mandy that one of their girls will be left out. Meanwhile, Ryan tells Mike and Chuck that he's thinking about buying a house in their neighborhood that an elderly woman is selling, but has reservations because it needs work. Mike and Chuck secretly put in offers on the house, not telling Ryan or each other. After Ryan finds out, both men pull their offers, with Mike telling the woman her home should go to a nice, growing family. Mike's vlog comment about "not becoming your enemy" inspires Vanessa to do the right thing regarding the toddlers and the catalog.
1796"A Fool and His Money"Victor GonzalezJosh GreenbergFebruary 4, 2021 (2021-02-04)9ATP062.51[8]
1807"Preschool Confidential"TBATBAFebruary 11, 2021 (2021-02-11)TBATBD
1818"Lost and Found"TBATBAFebruary 18, 2021 (2021-02-18)TBATBD

Production

Development

On May 19, 2020, Fox renewed Last Man Standing for a ninth season.[9] On October 14, 2020, it was announced that the season would be the final one of the series.[1] The season takes place in 2023, so that it doesn't have to be during the COVID-19 pandemic, although it will still address how the pandemic impacted the characters.[10] The premiere was originally planned to be the unfinished finale from the eighth season, however due to the fact that most of it would have to be rewritten, and that planned guest-star Kaitlyn Dever was unavailable, the producers instead decided to write a new episode.[11]

Casting

On December 4, 2020, it was announced that series star Tim Allen would also reprise his role from Home Improvement as Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor for the second episode of the season, "Dual Time".[12] Even though the producers had some difficulty getting permission to use the character of Tim Taylor, they ultimately were able to obtain it.[13] On December 25, 2020, it was announced that Sophia McKinlay would portray Sarah.[10] Krista Marie Yu is set to reprise her role as Jen starting with the fourth episode of the season, "Jen Again".[14] Kaitlyn Dever reprised her role as Eve Baxter in the season premiere, "Time Flies".[15]

Release

On November 10, 2020, it was announced that the season would have a special premiere on January 3, 2021, before moving to its regular timeslot on January 7, 2021.[16] On December 22, 2020, it was announced that the season would premiere an hour later than originally planned on January 3, 2021, to make room for the series premiere of The Great North.[17]

Reception
Viewership and ratings per episode of Last Man Standing
No. Title Air dateRating
(18–49)		Viewers
(millions)		DVR
(18–49)		DVR viewers
(millions)		Total
(18–49)		Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Time Flies" January 3, 20210.52.52[3]TBDTBDTBDTBD
2 "Dual Time" January 7, 20210.53.30[4]TBDTBDTBDTBD
3 "High on the Corporate Ladder" January 14, 20210.52.84[5]TBDTBDTBDTBD
4 "Jen Again" January 21, 20210.42.64[6]TBDTBDTBDTBD
5 "Outdoor Toddler" January 28, 20210.42.56[7]TBDTBDTBDTBD

References
  1. White, Peter (October 14, 2020). "'Last Man Standing': Tim Allen Comedy To End With Season 9 On Fox". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  2. "Last Man Standing (Fox)". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  3. Melcalf, Mitch (January 6, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.3.2021". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  4. Metcalf, Mitch (January 11, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.7.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  5. Metcalf, Mitch (January 15, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.14.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  6. Metcalf, Mitch (January 25, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.21.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  7. Metcalf, Mitch (January 29, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.28.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  8. Metcalf, Mitch (February 5, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.4.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  9. Andreeva, Nellie (May 19, 2020). "'Last Man Standing' & 'The Resident' Renewed For 2020-2021 Season By Fox". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  10. Schwartz, Ryan (December 25, 2020). "Last Man Standing's Final Season: Meet Mandy's Daughter! Plus, New Intel on 3-Year Time Jump — 2021 First Look". TVLine. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  11. Schwartz, Ryan (January 3, 2021). "Last Man Standing Premiere: EP Talks Time Jump, Kristin and Ryan's MIA Daughter, Scrapped Season 8 Finale". TVLine. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  12. Petski, Denise (December 4, 2020). "'Last Man Standing': Tim Taylor Meets Mike Baxter In 'Home Improvement' Crossover". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  13. Ng, Philiana (December 30, 2020). "'Last Man Standing' Boss on 'Bittersweet' Final Season and Origin of 'Home Improvement' Episode (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  14. Schwartz, Ryan (January 1, 2021). "Last Man Standing's Final Season Will Show How the Pandemic Negatively (and Positively?) Impacted the Baxters". TVLine. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  15. Venable, Nick (January 3, 2021). "How Last Man Standing's Season 9 Premiere Brought Back Kaitlyn Dever's Eve And Handled Its Time Jump". Cinema Blend. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  16. Andreeva, Nellie (November 10, 2020). "Fox Sets Winter Premiere Dates; 'The Masked Dancer', 'Call Me Kat' & 'Last Man Standing' Get Post-NFL Launches". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  17. Ausiello, Michael (December 22, 2020). "Last Man Standing's Final Season Premiere Delayed (By One Hour)". TVLine. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
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