‘Last Man Standing’: Kristin and Ryan’s Marriage Put to the Test by Mike’s Business Lessons

This week’s Last Man Standing saw business almost get in the way of Kristin and Ryan’s marriage when Ryan pitched her and Mike on the idea of selling CBD cream. Mike, played by Tim Allen, used this opportunity to let Kristin (Amanda Fuller) make a major business decision as he prepares to hand over the reins of the company to her. Elsewhere in “Love & Negotiation,” Vanessa (Nancy Travis) and Mandy (Molly McCook) competed to see who could get the most steps in a single day.

The episode kicked off in Mike’s kitchen, where Ryan (Jordan Masterson) told Mike his company was about to launch a new product that would be perfect for Outdoor Man. Mike wasn’t prepared to listen, insisting that he would not take on business at home. He used the aroma of bacon to push Ryan out of the kitchen. Ryan agreed to call the office to schedule an appointment at the store.

At Outdoor Man, Kristin helped Mike and Ed (Hector Elizondo) get up to speed on Ryan’s product, but Mike had a better idea. Since Kristin is going to be taking over anyway, she should take the lead on the project. They both felt she was ready and should do it, even if Ryan is her husband. “Don’t go easy on him just because he’s your spouse,” Mike said. “Oh, he took the last banana this morning. That will not be a problem,” Kristin said.

During the pitch, Kristin tried to play it cool, even though she knew the CBD cream would be perfect for the store. Ryan said his company is ready to offer Outdoor Man an exclusive contract. Mike and Ed were both impressed with the pitch, but Kristin wouldn’t close the deal immediately. In fact, after Ryan left the office, Kristin suggested they turn him down! Mike was surprised by this. “You do remember Ryan is your husband?” he asked. Kristin explained that she wanted to see if she could get a better deal from Ryan. “The Baxter is strong in this one,” Ed quipped. Mike later told Kristin to remember that “pushing for a good deal is good business… pushing so hard you lose it isn’t.” Kristin assured him she knew what he was doing.

The next day, Chuck (Jonathan Adams) told him that one of Outdoor Man’s rivals offered Ryan a better deal. They decided not to tell Kristin about this before her second meeting with Ryan. Kristin then walked in, followed a few moments later by Ryan. Although Mike warned Kristin that Ryan could be a surprising negotiator, the meeting was surprisingly quick! Ryan agreed to a 3% cut for Outdoor Man as Kristin asked. After that brief meeting, Mike shared Chuck’s intel. Kristin was not happy about this at all, as she now believed Ryan went easy on her because she’s his wife.

Mike didn’t understand why Kristin was upset at her. She suddenly believed the whole thing was a setup. She thought Mike didn’t tell her about the other offer because he knew it wouldn’t matter. But Mike explained that he didn’t tell her because he wanted to see how Kristin would handle a “curveball” like that. Still, Kristin believed she was made the lead on the project because Mike knew Ryan would be easy on her. Mike insisted this was not the case, and even he was surprised that Ryan capitulated so easily. Kristin didn’t buy that one bit and left the office feeling like she was a “prop” in the whole situation.

Later, Ryan stopped by Mike’s office to get him to explain why he wasn’t tougher in the negotiations. “Any husband who really respected his wife would have torn her to pieces in that meeting,” Mike said. Ryan was bewildered. “You went for a worse deal just because you love your wife. You make me sick,” Mike said. Kristin then walked in. “Come here to cut your price even more? You make me sick,” she said. Ryan explained that his boss just wanted the CBD product in Outdoor Man, even if it meant taking a hit. “You both made a good deal and delivered for your bosses,” Mike said. Ryan said he did respect Kristin and would “tear her to pieces” anytime. Before the two got a little too cozy in the office, Mike pushed Ryan out. After Ryan left, Mike told Kristin she should really take the win. “I just wanted you to be proud of me,” she said. “I’m really proud of you, but I also want… when you take over as CEO, I really don’t want you to worry about whether I’m proud of you, OK?” Mike said, later adding, “I want you to focus on being happy because, without it, nothing really matters.”

In the second plot with Vanessa and Mandy, Jen (Krista Marie Yu) became increasingly annoyed with Vanessa because the steps competition was taking away from their focus on nature during their walks. Jen even disabled the app on Vanessa’s phone to sabotage the competition. She helped Vanessa realize how silly the competition was. In his Outdoor Man Vlog, Mike told his viewers to enjoy their wins however they come. New episodes of Last Man Standing air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.