Y: The Last Man Season 1 (2021)

Score: B- (8/10)

When the series isn’t busy focusing on what-if politics, Y: The Last Man offers a thrilling but gritty post-apocalyptic adventure following the last biological man on Earth amidst a world waiting to get its dirty, blood-ridden hands on him.

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Not long after the Writers Strike began, many companies tried to cope with the upcoming revenue fallout. Some corporations ignored it and continued as if nothing happened. Others left it up to the people running their movies and shows. However, Disney decided to not only choose the former option but also go the “Warner Bros.” route by removing dozens of shows from their streaming services to avoid residual payments. As a result, many looked to the internet for the best pickings from the removal. Y: The Last Man, an adaptation of a comic book from the 2000s, was one such pick for its stellar acting and gripping narrative.

There are three primary focal points in the show’s narrative. The first is Yorick and his monkey partner, Ampersand, the two last male specimens on Earth after every living creature with a Y chromosome mysteriously dies. Yorick and Ampersand’s arc is the best of the three storylines, showcasing a journey to save the human race from extinction. It also offers an entertaining dynamic between Yorick, Agent 355, and Dr. Allison Mann, who unintentionally connect in their journey to San Francisco. The second focal point is the U.S. government in the fallout of male extinction following Yorick’s mother as President. It’s the first arc introduced in the series, helping to place the stakes throughout the season, and only takes place in and around the Pentagon. The third point is Hero, Yorick’s sister, and her transgender male friend Sam on their trip to the Pentagon.

However, every journey takes a dark and gritty turn more often than expected. Yorick and his gang get stuck in a Connecticut town after several moments where 355 and Yorick disagree about their objectives. Hero and Sam discover an anti-male cult living out of a supermarket after Hero refuses to see her mother at the Pentagon. The President tries to hide her son from others within the Pentagon before protestors, and politicians, fight against her orders and cover-ups. There are also numerous instances where two of the three narratives interact, especially once the final arc of the season kicks in. Plot points are grippingly entertaining as journeys unfold and unwind to a colossal and uncontrollable degree.

Unfortunately, the series does come with a few gripes. “The Pentagon” storyline becomes stale by the season’s end because of stereotypical behavior from politicians. It was a great hook for the audience to understand and get interested in the series but overstayed its welcome in several episodes. Another issue lies with the anti-man cult, especially considering the presence of a transgender man throughout several speeches made by the cult’s leader. However, it succeeds in representing the power of mannerisms and what it takes to brainwash entire groups of people. The series also struggles to satisfy the audience whenever it provides character backstories, mainly with a given character’s ideology. Luckily, the backstories do provide substance in getting a general idea of who each character is.

By season’s end, Y: The Last Man showcases a gritty narrative leaving many waiting for a second season that will never come. It often portrays gruesome deaths and hard-to-digest ideas and dilemmas and does it exceptionally well through numerous uncomfortable sequences tackled by the protagonists. The premise instills a broken world with broken people, resulting in progressively bigger stakes and conflicts on all fronts. Even though the series was cut short after a likely sophomore season, the first season does exactly what you’d expect from a post-apocalyptic tale about an all-female population, both at large and within the subtext displayed throughout.