'Last Man Standing' Returns With New Episode Next Week

Fox is not airing a new episode of Last Man Standing Friday, but fans do not have to wait a long time for the next new one. Tim Allen and the rest of the Outdoor Man family return on Friday, Jan. 4.

In the Jan. 4 episode, titled "Three for the Road," Mike takes Boyd on a fishing trip, although Ryan is not happy with it. Boyd still wants to go, forcing Mike and Ryan to put their differences behind them. Meanwhile, Many and Kyle think Ed was involved in a cold murder case.

Instead of a new episode, Fox is re-airing "The Courtship of Vanessa's Mother," which aired back on Nov. 9. The episode teased a possible love interest for Ed (Hector Elizondo) after he became interested in Vanessa's (Nancy Travis) mother, Bonnie (guest star Susan Sullivan). However, Bonnie has not been on the show since.

The second plot saw Mandy (Molly McCook) and Kyle (Christoph Sanders) trying to show Kristin (Amanda Fuller) and Ryan (Jordan Masterson) that parenting is not as hard as they think. Of course, Kristin and Ryan's son Boyd (Jet Jurgensmeyer) prove them wrong.

There has not been a new episode of Last Man Standing since "The Gift of the Mike Guy," which aired back on Dec. 14. The major development in the holiday episode included the teased return of Chuck Larabee's (Jonathan Adams) wife, Carol. She moved to California during the show's final season on ABC for a year-long job.

Carol will be played by Tisha Campbell (My Wife and Kids). The role was previously played by Erika Alexander, who had to leave because of commitments to other shows.

"The Gift of the Mike Guy" also featured the return of the youngest Baxter daughter, Eve, played by Kaitlyn Dever. Eve is now studying at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, so she does not have too much free time to spend with her family.

Last Man Standing is in the middle of its first season on Fox. The show was cancelled by ABC in May 2017, but after fan outcry and a season off the air, Fox agreed to revive the 20th Century Fox Television-produced show.

While Fox has not said if the show will be back for an eighth season in fall 2019, it seems likely since the show is the top-rated series on Friday nights. As Deadline reported earlier this month, "The Gift of the Mike Guy" earned 5.47 million viewers and a 1.0 18-49 rating.

In the show, Allen plays Mike Baxter, the head of the Baxter family and owner of the Outdoor Man stores. The character is politically conservative and often makes fun of the liberal members of the family.

Last Man Standing returns on Friday, Jan. 4 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

Photo credit: Michael Becker/Fox