Last Man Standing fans had multiple reasons to celebrate on Thursday night. Not only did the show come back after a long wait for the Season 8 premiere, but one of the characters announced she is expecting a second baby. Kristin, played by Amanda Fuller, will be giving Mike Baxter (Tim Allen) another grandchild. Fans were excited by the addition, which was written due to Fuller’s real-life pregnancy.
I love that you guys wrote @amandafuller27 real life pregnancy into the show #LastManStanding
โ Edward Sanchez (@edwardistheman) January 3, 2020
Back in November, Fuller and husband Matthew Bryan Feld welcomed their first child, a son. Since production on Last Man Standing Season 8 started before then, the writers decided to write the pregnancy into the show.
Videos by PopCulture.com
I love the idea of the back to back episodes. So glad the show is back. Great way to start the new year and new decade #LastManStanding
โ Nikki L Phelps (@NikkiLPhelps) January 3, 2020
“I’ve been on enough shows where you try to hide it, and it really doesn’t work too well,” executive producer Kevin Abbott told TVLine.
Kristen is pregnant. I feel bad for Mandy as soon as she walked out of the kitchen #LastManStanding
โ Nikki L Phelps (@NikkiLPhelps) January 3, 2020
In “No Parental Guidance,” Kristin revealed she is pregnant after Mike brings her and her sisters Mandy (Molly McCook) and Eve (Kaitlyn Dever) over the house to have dinner with him and their mom, Vanessa (Nancy Travis). When Vanessa offered everyone Champagne, Kristin turned her down and had to break the news.
Kristen had a miscarriage. #LastManStanding
โ Alana Clark (@aclarkcountry) January 3, 2020
Later, Kristin told Mandy she suffered a miscarriage between having Boyd and this new pregnancy.
This was excellent
โ Mikala Chapman (@MikalaChapman1) January 3, 2020
Kristin and her husband Ryan (Jordan Masterson) are already parents to Boyd (Jet Jurgensmeyer), and the circumstances were much different. Now, the two have stable jobs. Abbott explained that the stark difference will be a major topic in future episodes. The idea of “what it’s like this time versus what it was like last time” will “absolutely” come into play, he told TVLine.
While the rest of the Baxter family was happy for Kristin and Ryan, Mandy was a little annoyed because she and Kyle (Christoph Sanders) are having trouble getting pregnant.
“She’s dealing with a little bit of jealousy and a little bit of FOMO,” McCook told TVLine. “Last season, we found out that Mandy and Kyle were having some ‘technical issues’ with trying to get pregnantโฆ She’s happy for Kristin, but she’s hoping for kids herself, and it seems like her sister is having no trouble popping out babies.”
Last Man Standing airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
Photo credit: Michael Becker/Fox