‘Last Man Standing’ Introduces New Love Interest for Ed

This week’s episode of Last Man Standing introduced Vanessa’s mother, played by guest star Susan Sullivan, who began dating Mike’s friend Ed.

In “The Courtship of Vanessa’s Mother,” Vanessa (Nancy Travis) was nervous about her mother Bonnie arriving in Colorado. Once there, Vanessa realized she did not want to spend so much time with Bonnie, who is constantly critical of her. While eating lunch at the Outdoor Man Grill, Ed (Hector Elizondo) walks by, and Vanessa forced him to sit down with them.

Bonnie and Ed instantly begin reminiscing about old times. Vanessa then invited Ed along to their painting class that night, so he could become her new “buffer.”

“Ed’s always been a mother buffer,” Mike (Tim Allen) said.

However, Ed cancelled the painting class and asked Bonnie out on a date. However, Vanessa looked a bit disappointed.

“I can’t believe it. That mother-buffer stole my mom,” Vanessa said.

Later on in the episode, Vanessa told Mike she could not spend time with Bonnie since she was spending so much time with Ed. Vanessa explained that she wants to spend time with Bonnie, but not alone.

Surprisingly, Ed later broke up with Vanessa and cancelled their plans for the future. The move was a shocker for Bonnie, who decided she wanted to go home. At first Vanessa thought Bonnie wanted to go to the Baxter home, but she really wanted to go all the way home to Connecticut.

Later, Vanessa yelled at Ed for breaking up with Bonnie, which confused everyone. Ed later realized that he did not like Bonnie all that much since she was too much like Vanessa. Plus, he usually only dates much younger women interested in him for his money.

“I think you’re scared. I think you’re scared to let someone in,” Vanessa told Ed as she left.

Then, Mike praised his mother-in-law and told Ed he would be lucky to be in a relationship with Bonnie.

Eventually, Vanessa confronted Bonnie, who thought the other one criticized the other too much. Bonnie thought Vanessa was putting her own mother down, but Vanessa admitted that Bonnie is really her role model.

Ed later came home to apologize to Bonnie and gave her a bouquet of flowers. He also invited her own to a day out. Bonnie said she needed a lunch with her daughter, but said she would go out with Ed another time.

“You know, for years, I’ve admired this apple,” Ed said while pointing to Vanessa. “Imagine my delight, getting to know the tree.”

After Ed left, Bonnie and Vanessa bonded over making Ed’s bouquet better.

In his Outdoor Man Vlog, Mike talked about how the most powerful force in the world is your own family and how mothers are the most powerful of all.

“Who else could turn your soul into an irradiated blast sown to the well-timed, ‘Eh… I don’t know’?” Mike said. “I mean, that is pure mom mojo.”

This is the second consecutive episode to feature Ed, who had retired from Outdoor Man in “Giving Mike The Business.” He appeared in last week’s episode, “One Flew Into The Empty Nest.”

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

Photo credit: Fox