Last Man Standing Season 7, Episode 16 recap: We’re growing up

Last Man Standing Season 7, Episode 16 saw some characters grow up. Boyd became more adventurous, and Mandy and Kyle moved into their new apartment.

We become a day older every day. Certainly some days are more monumental than others, such as our birthdays, weddings, graduations, etc. Yet each day presents us the opportunity to grow as individuals. Last Man Standing Season 7, Episode 16 was a nice example of my point. Boyd became more adventurous, to Mike’s delight and Kristen’s chagrin. Mandy and Kyle moved into their new apartment, which initially led them to a disagreement with Ryan.

Before I delve into the details from this episode, I commend Last Man Standing and FOX. FOX listened to the fans by reviving Last Man Standing. In turn, Last Man Standing episodes often leave fans craving more episodes, more screen time with our favorite characters.

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Part of the love for Last Man Standing is because of the growth of characters. One reason Jet Jurgensmeyer was cast as Boyd is because Last Man Standing wanted to age the character. His growth caught Kristen off guard in this episode.

Mandy and Kyle married in Season 6, and now they moved into their new apartment. It will not be their residence for the rest of their lives, but it is another step in their lives. Moving into a new residence meant more responsibilities, as both of them discovered.

The growth of Boyd

Last Man Standing Season 7, Episode 16 is entitled “Urban Exploring.” If you’re like me, you first wonder what is urban exploring? Let Boyd (Jet Jurgensmeyer) tell you.

Yes, Boyd took photos from atop the Outdoor Man roof. While Mike (Tim Allen) wasn’t enthused about the photography location, he was glad to see Boyd’s adventurous spirit. He wanted to take Boyd climbing on Devil’s Thumb, where they could photograph some beautiful natural sights.

Naturally, Boyd was excited, and Ryan gave his permission. Kristen (Amanda Fuller) thought otherwise. She claimed she worried about Boyd’s safety. She voiced her displeasure with her father, who then expressed his thoughts in his latest vlog.

Mike's Vlog | Season 7 Ep. 16 | LAST MAN STANDING

It's the best time of the week — Mike has a new vlog and the latest Last Man Standing is streaming: fox.tv/WatchLMS

Posted by Last Man Standing on Thursday, February 28, 2019

To further illustrate his point, Mike brought Kristen into his office. He showed her how Boyd could look encased in bubble wrap. When she still disagreed with their desire to go climbing, he invited her to join them.

Kristen went back to the Baxter house to search for her hiking shoes. Vanessa (Nancy Travis) donated them years ago, and Vanessa was surprised to hear Kristen wanted to join Mike and Boyd. Kristen finally explained her logic. Lately, she and Boyd have not spent as much time together.

Vanessa and Carol (Tisha Campbell) gave her sound advice. Boyd is a pre-teen. His relationship with his parents is changing. He already dealt with his relationship with Ryan during the guys outing, but his growth caught Kristen by surprise.

So the advice given to her was to allow Boyd to be Boyd. She can parent him, but she can’t prevent him from being himself. The more she thinks of him as a little boy, the longer it will take for her relationship with him to properly evolve.

She declined to go climbing. When Boyd and Mike returned, Boyd eagerly showed her his photos. She complimented him, and they bonded over their shared mutual love of photography. Evidently, Mike passed his knack of photography to Kristen too.

Boyd continues growing, both physically and emotionally. Climbing with his grandfather and exploring his fondness for photography show that. His relationship with Kristen also grows. On her part, she has to accept that, which isn’t always easy.

The new tenants

For Mandy (Molly McCook) and Kyle (Christoph Sanders), Last Man Standing Season 7, Episode 16 was a larger growth moment. After deciding to move into the apartment above Buds Buds, they gained more responsibilities. While we never saw Ryan’s list of chores for them, it appeared that one of the chores was painting.

They used the tennis balls to take trick shots into the various empty paint cans. When they played with Jen (Krista Marie Yu), Ryan (Jordan Masterson) berated them for making too much noise. He is running a business downstairs.

Rather than bring their noise level down, they pouted. Ryan returned, wondering why they were so quiet. They confessed he took away all their fun. He grinned because he knew it was a false accusation. After all, they could’ve listened to music while painting. Instead, they acted immaturely. Ryan proved he knows how to have fun. Why were there different size empty paint cans?

https://twitter.com/LastManStanding/status/1101654557992476673

Ryan agreed to teach them that shot once they completed at least one item on their list. The dynamic between Ryan, Mandy, and Kyle is quite interesting. Ryan is different in his beliefs, so he understands some of Mandy and Kyles’ eccentricities.

Ryan successfully manages Buds Buds, he owns a house, and he is a loving father and husband. He can guide Mandy and Kyle as they continue to navigate the different parts of adulthood.

For Mandy and Kyle, moving into their first residence together can be a challenge. It definitely will be a storyline for future Last Man Standing episodes. Don’t forget, Kyle also owns the piece of land bequeathed to him by his late mother. Perhaps in the future, he and Mandy build a house on that property.

Last Man Standing episodes typically leave storylines open for future development. Tonight, it furthered established storylines, but it also gave us possibilities for the future. Those types of storylines add to our excitement for Last Man Standing episodes.

Last Man Standing airs Fridays at 8/7c on FOX.