http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/phil-and-carol-search-new-home-warmer-last-man-ear-225958

If there was one major problem with the first season of The Last Man On Earth it’s that it really buried the lede. It wasn’t the story of a man coping with loneliness and depression as he struggles with being the sole survivor of a global viral extinction as the pilot alluded. Instead, it was the story of man struggling to reconnect with humanity and discovering along the way that he’s terrible at the one thing he desperately needs to survive, i.e. people. Every week last season, protagonist Phil Miller learned that the selfishness he indulged in when he was alone couldn’t drive his actions when he lives amongst people. He learned the hard way that actions have far-reaching consequences, and that there are no shortcuts to being a good person. It takes hard work, dedication, and a core selflessness that requires constant maintenance and upkeep. The Last Man On Earth was about how the true test of empathy is to connect with people who are not like you. If you constantly act upon your own self-interest, you’ll slowly drive people away, no matter how few people are actually left on Earth. That’s not to say that The Last Man On Earth’s first season was perfect. At its worst, it was one-note, shrill, and obnoxious, leaning on Phil’s core selfishness a little too harshly, as Will Forte channeled the incorrigible David Brent a little too well. But I also believe the show overall got a bum critical rap. At its best, The Last Man On Earth made a profound argument for the necessity of other people by illustrating what happens when you don’t take them seriously. It also illustrated the difficulties of being a good person, and that no matter how many second chances you get from the Heavens, it’s all for nothing unless the goodness comes from within. By the end of last season, Phil is cast out into the desert and left for dead, realizing that he fucked up his opportunity for a second life, only for Carol to take pity upon him at the last possible second. They drive off into the great unknown as they start over yet again with a host of experiences and endless possibilities.

The series constantly argues that living with other people, whether in a planet that’s populated or deserted, isn’t easy, but the alternative is so much worse. It’s that knowledge, plus a quick look through Carol’s sketch book, that drives Phil to do the one thing he doesn’t want to do: Drive to Tucson to find Carol.