I didn't like this episode for two main reasons: One is the cast change. Nothing against the new actress but I LOVED Alexandra Krosney as Kristin Baxter and I'm having a hard time with this sudden change. I don't know why it was done but it wasn't the right decision in my opinion. Second thing is the politics. This show was amazing in touching political issues without actually addressing them. It wasn't about left vs right, it was about people and characters and life. Inserting the election and the political debate on certain issues changes the heart of the show. I don't like it! Once you get political you alienate half the audience. It sucks the lightness and fun right out of the show. It's always the wrong thing to do! I really enjoyed the first season. I'll probably give it another chance but this first episode of the second season is not a good sign for me because usually once they start with the politics they don't let go. I guess we'll see.
10 Reviews
6, (used to be a 9).
Nico2000-nl28 February 2013
Always liked Tim Allen, and Nancy Travis is great as the mom. They really feel like a 15 year married coupe and definitely have the modern family thing going for the hill billies they actually are. Eve could lighten up a bit and sure, Mandy is annoying, but Alexandra Krosney as Kristin makes up plenty for that. She's adorable. They all are the characters you could come to love after e couple of seasons. So why in the Hell did they replace Krosney with a kinda shallow acting Amanda Fuller? Beyond me. And what's with the total creep playing Boyd's dad... Toss him... Quick.
I watched the whole first season in about three days and just got the second season. I'm writing this after watching the first episode and I'm worried. But I'll give it a fair chance.
One thing I feel the writers should think about... Ease up on the gun glorification, this moment in time, it's a bit inconsiderate.
I watched the whole first season in about three days and just got the second season. I'm writing this after watching the first episode and I'm worried. But I'll give it a fair chance.
One thing I feel the writers should think about... Ease up on the gun glorification, this moment in time, it's a bit inconsiderate.
Stop the crying??
pritch-329 August 2020
It is true that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I just love it when I run across people who are arrogant enough to think theirs is the only correct opinion! I'm not "misguided," I like what I like, and if that's not good enough for anyone, TOUGH!!
Cast changes for the better, I say!
webjan26 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I just started watching this show at the end of 2015. Found it by accident on the Hallmark channel while trying to tune in to a Christmas movie. The first episode I saw was Season 1, Episode 10: the one with Boyd's dad coming back into their lives. The family is in church a week before Christmas and in walks Ryan. I thought it was funny, but the oldest daughter annoyed me, Boyd was a non-talker at the time, and a Jonas brother as Ryan was just ridiculous. The second episode I saw was the Season 2 Christmas show. I was happy to see Kristin replaced, Ryan replaced, and that Boyd was older and could actually contribute to the sitcom. Since then, I've caught most of seasons 3,4 and 5, and am very happy with the show and its characters. I recently caught a couple episodes from season 1, and I have to say, that actress playing Kristin in that first season is so annoying and does not fit with the other characters well. I'm so happy they decided to replace the actress, refine her character and actually make her a more responsible adult. The new Ryan gels with Tim Allen much better than Jonas, and a talking Boyd has so many possibilities for future story lines that I'm happy to say I'll be watching until it's off the air. All good from my viewpoint!
Replacement "Kristen" Ruins Show For Me
omniamor4 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The new Kristen, played by Amanda Fuller instead of Alexandra Krosney (the original actress that gave life to the character), fails to embody the essence of who the eldest daughter is in addition to what she means to the family, the viewers and inevitably the show itself.
In a sit-com ensemble, each actor/actress is like a crucial piece of the puzzle with its' own unique shape that fills in the gaps between smaller, less significant (yet still crucial) details in terms of the story and character relationships.
By the end of the first season, Last Man Standing was finally starting to hit its' stride as each and every character fit in perfectly and provided a clear image of what the show represented and what it had to offer.
The first episode of the second season with Amanda Fuller is an extreme disappointment. Taking nothing away from the fact that the replacement actress does have some ability, whoever saw fit to cast her in the role completely ignored the entire personality now associated with Kristen's character.
It would have been a FAR WISER decision to simply implement a short flashback that tells the audience Kristen got married and moved with her child to some other state and now their "cousin", or some other family member had now moved in.
I can't speak for others, but I certainly won't be tuning in for future episodes if this is the direction it's heading.
In a sit-com ensemble, each actor/actress is like a crucial piece of the puzzle with its' own unique shape that fills in the gaps between smaller, less significant (yet still crucial) details in terms of the story and character relationships.
By the end of the first season, Last Man Standing was finally starting to hit its' stride as each and every character fit in perfectly and provided a clear image of what the show represented and what it had to offer.
The first episode of the second season with Amanda Fuller is an extreme disappointment. Taking nothing away from the fact that the replacement actress does have some ability, whoever saw fit to cast her in the role completely ignored the entire personality now associated with Kristen's character.
It would have been a FAR WISER decision to simply implement a short flashback that tells the audience Kristen got married and moved with her child to some other state and now their "cousin", or some other family member had now moved in.
I can't speak for others, but I certainly won't be tuning in for future episodes if this is the direction it's heading.
Cast changes OK by me
barlowralph10 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I love the show, love Tim Allen, but I don't think the cast changes are such a bad thing. As appealing as Alexandra Krosney was/is, Amanda Fuller is also appealing. I love the kid who plays Boyd—what a great little actor HE is! I do agree that the baby daddy character (what's his name again?) is somewhat trite and rather annoying at times, but then again, he's done some thoughtful things to prove that he means business, insofar as being a good dad is concerned, for example, when he sold his car and bought a cheap little moped in order to help pay the kid's expenses. And now mommy and daddy are back together and the message being sent out by these characters is a good and positive one. So LIGHTEN UP, critics. It's just a TV sitcom! I guess my only real complaint is that Tim is such a tea party supporter, but you can't have everything.
Amanda Fuller Has To Go
davidleequinn19509 November 2012
What were the producers of this show thinking? Did Alexandra Krosley (the actress who played Mandy Baxter last year), ask for a million dollars or something? One would only suppose that Alexandra Krosley has moved on to better roles, however her IMDb listing does not show her with anything new going on. For whatever reason, the producers of this show replaced the eldest Baxter daughter, who in real life was 21 years old last year, with an actress who is 28 years old!!!! WTF? On top of that, they aged her son about 6 years, and brought in a new baby daddy that is not only old, but annoying. This, maybe, could be overlooked if Kristin was made a peripherial part of the show. But, no, in the first 2 episodes of the fall 2012 season, she is the main character. And the annoying baby daddy is the secondary character. If this is not fixed, and fixed quickly, there will be several good actors and actresses on this show out of a job by January. Do all the fans of Last Man Standing a favor and have Kristin marry the annoying baby daddy and hit the road for LA. It would be OK to leave the baby behind.
Stop Crying
uncatema16 July 2020
What happened to THIS show?
G-Joshua-Benjamin6 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
My family and I like this show. I watched Home Improvement when I was little and really like Tim Allen. That being said, when this episode first came on, my family and I thought we had missed an entire season of the show. They have a new girl playing the oldest daughter. She looks like she could be the mother of the youngest daughter of Allens character. The guy who plays the person who had the kid with her is played by someone who looks far to old to play the part as well. Even the kid who plays the daughters kid is to old. Last season he was an infant. Now he is like 8 - 10. What the hell is going on? I will watch another episode. I hate when a show talks about political stuff, so i will say that is why I did not like it. But I think it's because of the new cast. It did not fit. It seems like a different show. To bad. This show was really good at first.
Why would you change a good thing?
lydiaann273 November 2013
The entire show went to total crap this season. This was honestly my new favorite show, I was giving it a 9.5 rating. But season 2? No. It may squeeze out a 5 star rating. MAYBE. The jokes are all politically centered and over done. The original humor of the show was lost. The "manly man" trying to make it in a changing world is simply gone. The new actress that plays Kristen is horrific. And I don't understand why they had to change Boyd's actor, let alone his age! I suppose I will keep watching, but I'm very skeptical now. Seriously, so very disappointed.
Well, I might as well throw in some of the good. Tim Allen and Nancy Travis work so well together. It's as though they have really been married for however many years and love/hate each other. That's all the good that I have...
Well, I might as well throw in some of the good. Tim Allen and Nancy Travis work so well together. It's as though they have really been married for however many years and love/hate each other. That's all the good that I have...
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