‘Last Man Standing’: Friday’s Episode Will Feature Bud Baxter’s Death

This week’s episode of Last Man Standing will feature a death in the family. Mike Baxter’s father Bud, played by guest star Robert Forster, will die in an apolitical episode.

Back in early September, executive producer Kevin Abbott told TVLine that Bud’s death would play a major role in an early season seven episode. Bud previously opened a pot dispensary called Bud’s Buds, and the business will be handed over to Kristin’s (Amanda Fuller) husband, Ryan (Jordan Masterson).

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Abbott called the episode, titled “Man vs. Myth,” a “great” story that falls right in line with what the show usually does.

“We see ourselves as a family show not a political show,” Abbott explained. “We’re a family show with a conservative character at the center.”

“It fairly closely follows what we generally do, which is to tell a story about the relationships on our show with heart and a lot of funny,” Abbott said of the new episode. “So I think it’s a good example of what we typically do. The first show was actually a bit more atypical for us. Because our central character is a political beast [the election] felt like something that needed to be commented on.”

Star Tim Allen previously got fans excited for the new episode on Twitter, after the season seven premiere aired on Sept. 28. The premiere drew 8 million viewers and a 1.8 18-49 rating.

“Thanks from all of us for your eyes on our reBoot….next week is even better,” Allen wrote.

During the season seven premiere, Mike (Allen) tried to get his family to think about something other than politics for a few moments. Unfortunately, it took Mike’s grandson Boyd (Jet Jurgensmeyer) to go missing for the family to begin acting like a family again.

Ryan also told Mike and Vanessa (Nancy Travis) he planned to move back to Canada. In the end though, Kristin convinced him to start thinking about applying for U.S. citizenship. Considering it looks like he will be taking over his late grandfather-in-law’s store, he will probably be staying.

New episodes of Last Man Standing air on Fox Fridays at 8 p.m. ET.

Photo credit: Richard Foreman/FOX