Last Man Standing

10 Best Episodes of Last Man Standing - Season 1

A married father of three tries to maintain his manliness in a world increasingly dominated by women.

Written by Sophie and last updated on jan 22, 2023.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

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Last Man Standing - S1E3

#15 - Grandparents Day (Season 1 - Episode 3)

When Vanessa forces a reluctant Mike to attend Grandparents Day at their grandson Boyd's preschool, Mike manages to insult the daycare teacher and Boyd gets kicked out of school. Boyd's mom, Kristin, tells Mike that he now has to look after him, so Mike takes the two-year-old to work with him. Meanwhile, after an elderly looking grandmother at the Grandparents Day event thinks she and Vanessa are the same age, Vanessa goes out of her way to look more youthful -- hoping no one sees her buying clothes from a boutique her 17-year-old daughter.

The episode was rated 7.81 from 823 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E22

#14 - This Bud's for You (Season 1 - Episode 22)

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When Mike's dad, Bud, moves to town to be the builder on the new Outdoor Man store, Vanessa is concerned that some of Bud's well-intentioned ways might elevate Mike's high blood pressure.

The episode was rated 7.81 from 556 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E1

#13 - Pilot (Season 1 - Episode 1)

Mike plays Cupid for Mandy by setting her up on a blind-date with Kyle, one of his employees who he thinks would be the perfect guy for her. But Mike's set-up gets off track when Kyle accidentally meets Kristin. Meanwhile at work, Mike's long-time boss and friend, Ed, announces that he's grounding Mike from their catalogue's international photo shoots and putting him in charge of the company's webpage. In this new role, Mike discovers that the Internet might actually provide him just the outlet he needs, a platform that gives him a voice to appeal to those who agree that manliness is under assault, and a pulpit for his opinions about feeling like the last real man in a woman's world.

The episode was rated 7.81 from 1227 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E13

#12 - Take Your Daughter to Work (Season 1 - Episode 13)

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Mike is taken aback when he finds out that Ed, who has been an absentee dad, has hired his daughter, Gabriella, to replace him as the new marketing consultant of Outdoor Man. When Ed agrees with Mike that her youth-oriented proposals to re-brand the retail stores aren't the way to go, she plays the Daddy card for all its worth. Also, Mike and Eve bring home a stray dog that Mandy thinks she's allergic to.

The episode was rated 7.81 from 574 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E8

#11 - House Rules (Season 1 - Episode 8)

Mike establishes new, strict house rules after Kyle accidentally falls asleep in Kristin's room.

The episode was rated 7.82 from 651 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E20

#10 - Animal Wrongs (Season 1 - Episode 20)

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Mandy worries when Mike doesn't like her new boyfriend, Terrence, who is an animal rights activist. Kyle discovers that Ed is Basque, like him.

The episode was rated 7.83 from 556 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E4

#9 - Last Halloween Standing (Season 1 - Episode 4)

Mike feels let down when his daughters aren't into celebrating Halloween with him the way they used to. He decides that his two-year-old grandson, Boyd, can be his perfect trick or treat partner. But Kristin, Boyd's mother, adamantly tells him that she doesn't want her son to go out on Halloween. Mike sneaks him out -- with a plan to get the child home before Kristin gets back from work. When Mike, dressed as John Wayne from "The Green Berets," gets to Ed's house with Boyd, they are greeted at the door by Ed's lady friend, Elvira.

The episode was rated 7.84 from 756 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E18

#8 - Baxter & Sons (Season 1 - Episode 18)

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When Mike's younger brother and father visit, a sibling rivalry ensues; Eve, Mandy and Kristin try to help Bud find a girlfriend.

The episode was rated 7.87 from 550 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E23

#7 - The Spotlight (Season 1 - Episode 23)

When Mike realizes he unintentionally upstaged Vanessa's announcement about being nominated as the top volunteer school parent, his efforts to make it up to her might cause more harm than good. Meanwhile, Eve is afraid she won't fit in at high school; and Ed wants to release an Outdoor Man action figure inspired by Mike.

The episode was rated 7.89 from 543 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E14

#6 - Odd Couple Out (Season 1 - Episode 14)

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Vanessa blames Mike when she finds out they were not invited to a neighbor's party; Eve accidentally damages Mandy's car.

The episode was rated 7.89 from 602 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E24

#5 - Found Money (Season 1 - Episode 24)

When Vanessa's sweet but flighty sister, April, comes to visit, Mike knows she's only coming to ask for yet another loan. Mike would rather use any extra money they have to buy a tank so that he and Ed can take it to a junkyard to run over old cars and boats. Meanwhile, when Kristen and Kyle decide to break up, Kyle is more concerned with what Mike will think.

The episode was rated 7.89 from 508 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E9

#4 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Season 1 - Episode 9)

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Mike is surprised to learn he shares similar interests with a new neighbor; Mandy plots revenge after catching her boyfriend in a lie.

The episode was rated 7.89 from 659 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E21

#3 - Wherefore Art Thou, Mike Baxter (Season 1 - Episode 21)

Ed and Mike second-guess their decision to have Kyle on their team in an annual sports competition. Vanessa is caught saying she doesn't want to attend Eve's soccer game and Mandy's school play.

The episode was rated 7.91 from 571 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E17

#2 - Adrenaline (Season 1 - Episode 17)

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When Mike gets NASCAR driver Tony Stewart and his racecar in the store, he realizes how much he misses the adrenaline rush he used to get from his adventures on the road; Vanessa thinks about how she used to take more chances before she was a mom.

The episode was rated 7.92 from 573 votes.

Last Man Standing - S1E5

#1 - Co-Ed Softball (Season 1 - Episode 5)

The Outdoor Man's softball team holds a vote to decide if they will go coed; Kristin thinks about her own future as she helps Mandy fill out college applications.

The episode was rated 7.93 from 759 votes.

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