‘Last Man Standing’ Teases Romance Brewing Between Vanessa’s Mother and Ed

Last Man Standing‘s upcoming episode will feature Ed finding love in an unlikely place, as Vanessa Baxter’s mom comes to town for a visit.

The Nov. 9 episode, titled “The Courtship of Vanessa’s Mother,” will see Bonnie (Susan Sullivan) arrive for a visit when she catches the eye of Mike’s friend Ed (Hector Elizondo) and the pair seem to get along.

Though the promotional photos show Ed handing Bonnie a vase of flowers, we can imagine that the possible pairing may not sit well with Vanessa (Nancy Travis) and Mike (Tim Allen).

Elsewhere in the episode, Mandy (Molly McCook) and Kyle (Christoph Sanders) are enlisted to tutor their nephew Boyd (Jet Jurgensmeyer).

The series will be taking a break from the air Friday, Oct. 26 to make room for the World Series, making its return for Nov. 9.

Ed was last seen on the series announcing his retirement from Outdoor Man in order to help Mike keep his store from corporate buyers.

In “Giving Mike The Business,” Mike was nervous about the future of his and Ed’s business after Arbo Industries bought a similar business. He proposed expanding but knew Ed would not be interested in the work.

Ed took the opposite side, believing they should sell Outdoor Man. He said that letting Arbo take over would allow him to retire and fish for the rest of his life. Mike, however, was not ready to let go of the business.

In the end, Ed decided to retire and give Mike the business.

“I’m going to miss you, man,” Ed told Mike.

“Okay, I’ll miss you too,” Mike said as they shook hands.

Ed’s retirement, however, does not mean Elizondo will be gone forever, as he will return to woo Vanessa’s mother in the upcoming episode after being absent from the Halloween installment, which featured returning guest star Jay Leno. Maybe if Bonnie and Ed hit it off, he can be go from business partner to stepfather-in-law.

The development would not be the biggest change to the series since being revived on Fox. Molly McCook took over the role of daughter Mandy for the seventh season, which the series has had fun referencing during the season premiere.

The second episode also had Mike deal with the death of his father, Bud Baxter, who passed away between the sixth and seventh seasons. The episode offered a final appearance by actor Robert Forster in the role.

Last Man Standing airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.