Tim Allen may be known for voicing Buzz Lightyear in one of the most sentimental franchises of all time, but when it comes to his veteran sitcom ending, Allen does not seem to be the sentimental type. Sure, he’s shared an image from one of the final days on the set of Last Man Standing, he’s happy to talk about plot points, and has been candid about filming the series with no audience during COVID. However, when it comes to his feelings related to saying goodbye to the series, his take is pretty much the most Tim Allen thing ever.
Speaking ahead of the series finale of Last Man Standing, which will hit FOX later this month, Tim Allen was asked about his “feelings” related to the ending and openly acknowledged his comedic take on what happens to him every time he's on a set. He told EW:
I'm not a 'feelings' type of guy. That's why I do comedy, to push things away. I get attached to people even on movie sets and those shoots are only three to four months. So when we wrap and everyone goes home, I go, 'But wait! I thought we were going to be friends!'
There is obviously always a little disconnect between filming and the release of TV shows and movies in that the cast and crew will wrap and feel as if they have moved beyond and past a certain character or storyline, but the audience won’t get to see that work until weeks or months later. That obviously can be worse for movies which may have a year or more between filming and release in which a flick is in post-production, but Tim Allen also touched on the idea of how that happens on TV.
We worked on Last Man Standing for 10 years years. All of us actors know and see each other, but the characters, Mike and Vanessa Baxter, the kids, and all the other characters we developed have disappeared. They no longer exist. That's the nicest way I can put it.
Still, I would like to take this opportunity to point out that Tim Allen may be a man who loves to joke about feelings, but he has spoken out about his feelings before, and has done so recently. In fact, back when Last Man Standing decided to do its Tim Taylor crossover episode -- which was only earlier this season-- Tim Allen did reflect on how tying in Home Improvement character Wilson and into his past character did make him “emotional.” Or at least as emotional as the funnyman gets.
This time around though, the Last Man Standing actor has seemingly made peace with what is to come. He also mentioned he is “humbled” that he got to do the series for ten years and that he has had two major television sitcoms that have had lasting and lengthy runs during his long career. So, he may not be boo-hooing over saying goodbye to the Baxter clan, but there is certainly some feeling of goodwill and gratefulness there. He also noted:
I'm humbled that I had the chance to do Home Improvement, and now twice as humbled to have done Last Man Standing for two years longer. I went from being a club road comic to achieving all of this. I really love this family, even with the cast changes we had throughout the series. The growth of this family was amazing.
It’s still a little hard to believe, but Last Man Standing will be wrapping up its final episode on May 20, 2021, though I suppose we shouldn’t expect Tim Allen to shed an actual, honest-to-goodness tear that evening. To see when the rest of the major finales are coming down the pipeline this TV season, take a look at our full TV finales guide.
