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Gail’s back, and we learn more about Melissa’s life in Akron, Ohio before the outbreak. But most importantly, Gail is alive, you guys.
The episode starts with Gail limping out of the elevator, down the steps, and across the street to the building where the rest of the group lives. First to see her is Tandy, who comments on how she must have partied hard in Napa with how bad she looks. He tells her that everyone is in the common room, and she goes inside while Tandy takes out the trash. Carol and Erica are ecstatic to see her, also assuming she had been on a bender. Todd walks in, annoyed that Gail had left to party while everything here was falling apart. Gail attempts to ask for water before collapsing. She only actually made the ‘w’ sound, and Carol assumes she needs wine.
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They move her to the couch and Gail gags when Tandy tries to pour a sex on the beach into her mouth. With this little burst of adrenaline, Gail tells that that she isn’t hungover, but that she’s been trapped in an elevator and has a friggin’ bullet hole in her leg. Todd asks who shot her, and when she says that she did it herself, Carol comments on how it’s always the person you least expect. We find out exactly how long Gail was trapped – 10 days. She describes it as hell on earth, and she had completely believed she was going to die in there until the power was back, thanks to Tandy.
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After a group hug, Gail asks where the rest of the group is. Tandy decides to hide Lewis’s death from her, but she sees through it immediately and asks how he died. Next, she asks about Melissa and they take her to the two-way mirror of the room Melissa is staying in. Gail feels uncomfortable with Melissa being trapped, but Melissa has been a danger to herself. Carol offers to wheel Gail (on an office chair) to the elevator, but, of course, Gail has no interest in taking an elevator ever again. Todd stares sadly at Melissa as everyone leaves the room.
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Carol brings Gail to the house Tandy built for her on their floor and lets her rest on her bed. Gail sees that Carol had glued googly eyes onto the family pictures she had taken and knows that Carol was upset with her. Carol apologizes profusely, but Gail insists that it’s all okay.
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Tandy is bowling in the hall when Todd runs in and says that they need to go to Akron, where she grew up. Tandy says that he thinks it’s a mistake… that they didn’t do this earlier. Todd goes to get Melissa, and Tandy knocks down the remaining bowling pins.
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In the car, Melissa taunts Tandy about being sterile and having a small penis. Tandy keeps trying to convince her to give them her address but she refuses.
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Erica surprises Gail with a power scooter because of her injured leg. Carol walks in, but when she sees that Gail is already having a conversation, she tries to leave. Gail asks her to stay and hang out. It’s clear that Carol is trying to be as least annoying as possible, but by trying to not be annoying, she ends up acting extremely weird. (Don’t worry, Carol, I’ve been there.)
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After pretending to rewind their entire encounter by walking backwards and making rewind noises, Gail asks Erica if Carol is weirder than normal, but Erica really can’t tell.
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Tandy, Todd and Melissa finally arrive at the 19-story walk-up that Melissa called home. While looking around, they spot some family pictures, and they realize that Melissa gave them the wrong address. They ask for the actual address, but Melissa simply laughs and then goes to bed.
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In the morning, Melissa is gone. (Who didn’t see that coming?) Todd and Tandy start searching Akron frantically for her. As they are driving down the street, Todd spots one of Tandy’s “ALIVE IN TUCSON” signs, and Melissa’s face, along with two other people’s faces, is on it. According to the sign, she worked for Akron Home Associates.
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They head over to her old office building. Tandy tries to role-play as Melissa to figure out where she would go, but Todd finds a magazine with her mailing address on the cover.
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Carol brings Gail a bowl of her favorite chips, Tostitos Scoops, and reassures Gail that the whole adoption thing was just a joke that went too far, and obviously they’re not related. When she offers Gail a cigarette, Gail asks why she’s being so fake. Carol admits that she doesn’t want Gail to leave her again, and storms off.
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Gail follows her and tells her that the entire time she was stuck in the elevator, all she could think about was all of the weird, infuriating things that make Carol Carol. She wants Carol to be her daughter, and insist that they take the family portrait that Gail had wanted. Even with the matching outfits.
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Todd and Tandy find Melissa’s real house, and she’s asleep in her old bedroom. Seeing Melissa’s house and all of these things about Melissa that they didn’t know hits Todd really hard. She majored in graphic design. She did missionary work in Uganda. She had a pomeranian. He has had a relationship with her for most of the show, but yet he didn’t know her past life at all. With the way Melissa has been acting, he doesn’t know if he’ll ever have the chance to really know her.
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Melissa walks downstairs and does her old daily routine without thinking – including taking a mystery pill. She doesn’t remember the reason for the pill or what it is. Todd confiscates the lone remaining pill, hoping to figure out what medication Melissa is supposed to be taking. They pack up some of Melissa’s belongings and get back on the road.
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Carol takes Gail to the pond where she and Tandy found that alive fish a few episodes back, and they take (or attempt to take, anyway) a beautiful family photo, while saying Carol’s last name (Limburger) in place of “cheese.” While going through the many pictures taken to find the best one, Carol notices something weird in the background – someone wearing a Yoda mask?
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Who’s living across the lake? Is it Pamela? Is there someone else scoping out our group, or did they find this home on their own? The Last Man on Earth airs Sundays at 9:30/8:30c on FOX
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