Warning! The following contains spoilers for Last Man Standing's "The Office." Read at your own risk!
Last Man Standing is getting heavier into politics and religion in Season 8, and that was certainly the case in the most recent episode. A member of the Baxter family may step into the world of politics, and no, it's not Mike. Vanessa is considering running for State Assembly, and it's all thanks to Carol ruining Mike's present by explaining why things are going so well with Vanessa's tutoring business.
Vanessa was happy with her success in tutoring, and thrilled that Mike surprised her with her very own office space to tutor. Carol was impressed by the gift-giving, but couldn't help but mention the reason Vanessa is thriving in her flourishing business is that the schools aren't providing teachers with enough resources to help students succeed. In the time it took Mike to return with Chuck with an added gift, Vanessa was feeling pretty awful about profiteering off a failing system.
At first, Mike was eager to flip Vanessa's perspective on the situation. Yes, the school system was failing children but she was making good money. Mike attempted to sway Vanessa into realizing that she's not evil in turning a profit when the free method of education isn't doing enough for children, but ultimately realized he wasn't going to change her mind. Something needed to be done to put Vanessa back on a path that made her feel right about what she's doing, and Mike had the perfect idea.
Mike figured out how Vanessa could be useful to children (which is why she enjoyed tutoring so much) but also prevent the nasty feeling that she was capitalizing on a problem. Mike suggested Vanessa run for State Assembly, if only so she can work to one day be a part of some progress and help enact real long-term changes in the schools. He even got a sign for her campaign and everything, and suggested Vanessa use the office for her campaign.
Vanessa isn't officially registered or anything like that yet, but she is considering running. While there was no definitive yes from the Last Man Standing matriarch, it's hard to imagine this story doesn't follow a path that puts Vanessa on the campaign trail. It'll be interesting for fans to see considering how much Mike dislikes government, or how this new storyline could put some strain on the family. Mike joked that he didn't think Vanessa would win, but what will he do if she actually does?
Last Man Standing airs on Fox (not ABC) Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. CinemaBlend is the place to be for updates on the sitcom, other big shows arriving in 2020, and for the latest happening in the world of movies as well.
