Line #217 Characters/LastManStanding2011


1	[[foldercontrol]]
2
3	!Main Cast
4
5	[[folder:Mike Baxter]]
6	!!Michael "Mike" Baxter
7	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/TimAllen
8
9	The patriarch of the family, he's from Michigan and is a typical blue-collar All-American man. His marketing skills helped Ed Alzate turn a small bait and tackle store into the respectable franchise Outdoor Man, with his career evolving from doing world-traveling catalog shoots to online promotional videos. He's very conservative and stubborn, frustrated that strong, motivated manly men are being phased out in favor of more sensitive, emotional types. But he is equally well-read and informed on important subjects, which he often integrates into his Outdoor Man video blogs.
10	----
11	* TheAce: Described as such by the other characters.
12	* BadassBookworm: He's actually very well educated, despite the initial "macho caveman" persona common with most of Tim Allen's roles.
13	* BenevolentBoss: His treatment of the Outdoor Man employees includes paying a lot of money to allow a loading dock foreman without a green card to keep his job and shooting down Ed's suggestion to demote several workers to part-time to avoid paying the insurance premiums the Affordable Care Act enacted.
14	** One of his vlogs had him point out that the [[BadBoss opposite trope]] is why people treat capitalism as a bad thing stating that one can be both a successful businessman ''and'' be a good boss. [[BatmanGambit Then neatly ties into how Outdoor Man gives benefits to its part-time employees]] proving this point.
15	* BoyfriendBlockingDad: Zigzagged. On the one hand, he will actually set up his daughters with guys and he knows he can't fix all of their problems. On the other hand, he makes sure that all of his daughters' dates know that [[ImpliedDeathThreat he has a large collection of guns]].
16	* BrutalHonesty: One of Mike's biggest traits is that he refuses to beat around the bush when it comes to unpleasant topics. At times, it gets him into trouble.
17	* BumblingDad: Averted. He's a very caring and loving father who is able to help around the house when necessary, and is clearly more rational and mature than his kids.
18	* DeadpanSnarker: Shares this trait with his daughters, particularly the youngest.
19	* GunNut: Has a large collection, even some vintage rifles. Subverts RecklessGunUsage in how meticulous he is in taking care of them, and he taught all of his daughters proper safety and use. He did note with amusement that he put a $900 scope on Eve's $99 pellet gun so she could take care of rodents in the back yard.
20	* HappilyMarried: With Vanessa.
21	* HatesSmallTalk: Will do his very best to avoid social, friendly interaction with anyone he doesn't know. His response to passing someone by when waving at him while he drives is to ''hit the gas''. Get through his hard exterior and you'll find his JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
22	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's very blunt and conservative, but he loves his family and friends and will do anything to help them.
23	* ManipulativeBastard: As shown in "Putting a Hit on Christmas", "The Big Sleepover", and "Tanks for the Memories".
24	* ManlyMenCanHunt: He even sells hunting gear for a living.
25	* TheOneGuy: The premise is that he struggles to maintain his manliness in a household dominated by women. When he first saw his last daughter Eve through the ultrasound, he pretty much gave up to his fate and said, "That's it! I quit!"
26	* OnlySaneMan: Most of the time he plays this role, since he prefers taking an honest and logical approach to dealing with problems.
27	* PapaWolf: Do ''not'' hurt his daughters or his grandson.
28	-->'''Mike:''' Listen, Terrence, you can come by my house and be rude. I can handle that. You can come by my office and desecrate this place, and I can handle that. Hurt my kid, I ''can't'' handle that.
29	* ParentalSubstitute: Both Kyle and Ryan see him as a father figure and seek his approval.
30	* SelfMadeMan: He had to work his way through college to pay his tuition because his dad cut him off after he decided to study marketing rather than construction management.
31	* SlidingScaleOfLibertarianismAndAuthoritarianism: Mike is a hard core Libertarian who hates all forms of government intervention. He even identifies himself as one in "Halloween".
32	* SmallNameBigEgo: He was like this before Outdoor Man made him an internet celebrity.
33	* StrawmanPolitical: Subverted in that while he's opinionated and set in his ways, he's generally well educated on the issues unlike the ignorant Kristin and Ryan. Additionally, he's shown to be fairly liberal on social issues like gay rights and is against a few of the Republican Party's policies such as the PATRIOT Act. He often plays up the hardcore conservative for fun and annoying others, but doesn't overtly attack others for having contrary beliefs and he is willing to listen to them.
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder:Vanessa Baxter]]
37	!!Vanessa Baxter
38	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/NancyTravis
39
40	The matriarch of the family, she went to college at Ohio State and has a master's degree in geology. After spending years doing part-time work, as her kids got older she went back to full time, getting promoted in short order with a lot more responsibility. She is exceptionally patient and tries to stay out of Mike's way when he goes on a rant. However, she also has a tendency to be prideful and embarrass her daughters.
41	----
42	* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: Her attempts to be a "cool mom" lead to this.
43	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Even Mike is afraid of her after Ryan presses her BerserkButton in the season four Christmas episode.
44	* CannotTellAJoke: And it doesn't stop her from trying.
45	* CaptainOblivious: It's clear to the audience and other characters that she has no idea how dorky, embarrassing, and naive she is.
46	* {{Determinator}}: When she makes a decision, she is determined to follow through on it even after it becomes obvious she made the wrong choice.
47	* ExtremeDoorMat: Even she acknowledges that things will most likely turn out the way Mike wants.
48	* {{Flanderization}}: Her dorkiness and desperation to be a "cool mom" have taken up a large portion of her characterization by the fifth season.
49	* FormerTeenRebel: She did a lot of partying in college.
50	* GoneHorriblyWrong: Her well-meaning attempts to make life better for people or try to excel at activities end up biting her in the ass so ''badly''. Her attempts to avoid racism and stereotypes end up with disastrous results.
51	* HappilyMarried: With Mike.
52	* HelicopterParents: She tries way too hard to get involved in her daughters' personal lives, embarrassing and annoying them. This directly contrasts Mike, who prefers not to get involved and only helps them out when they ask for it and truly need it.
53	* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter. Downplayed. She has a tendency to believe in the best of people. Most of the time her faith is rewarded, but other times it results in people taking advantage of her.
54	* {{Hypocrite}}: In Season 3, she tells Mike not to undermine Kristian and Ryan’s relationship, but she had no issue trying to undermine Mandy and Kyle’s relationship. This results in Kyle being upset with her for multiple episodes.
55	* InnocentlyInsensitive: Her good attempts to ''not'' cause disputes between certain people end up backfiring in the most spectacular ways. She worries that the Larabees being black people alienates them from others (it doesn't) and that having a housemaid ''at all'' is pretty demeaning, so she tells her to have a cup of tea... while Vanessa cleans the house herself. Mike ends up walking into the living room and sees Carol Larabee (a black person) and Blanca (a Mexican immigrant and the housemaid) drinking in peace while Vanessa is vacuuming.
56	-->'''Mike''': What's ''wrong'' with this picture?
57	* MamaBear: You do ''not'' want to try to harm or exploit her daughters.
58	* OnlySaneMan: In the episodes where Mike doesn't fill the role, though she loses this role more and more as the seasons go on.
59	* ThatCameOutWrong: Expect her to fall as a victim of this ''very'' often.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Kristin Baxter]]
63	!!Kristin Beth Baxter
64	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/AlexandraKrosney (Season 1); Creator/AmandaFuller (Season 2-)
65
66	The oldest daughter, she became pregnant in her senior year of high school and has spent most of her time since then raising Boyd and trying to be self-sufficient and move out of her parents' home. An honor student before, she is fully aware of how all her life plans have changed from becoming a parent so young. She is often frustrated by Mike's "old school" worldview and tries to raise her son with a more "new age" style, even though the results are often mixed.
67	----
68	* AgeLift: A different kind of example; she was 19 in the first season and suddenly became 23 in the second, given the decision to age Boyd to kindergarten and keep her TeenPregnancy at 17.
69	* BeautyBrainsAndBrawn: The Brains - despite her teen pregnancy, Kristin has worked hard to achieve a management position and is very well-read and intelligent.
70	* CharacterDevelopment: As the seasons go on, she realizes that her new age parenting methods are not very effective and that her liberal ideals aren't practical when applied to the real world. By the fifth season, she's more likely to agree with Mike than Ryan.
71	* CommanderContrarian: In season 2 especially. As Ryan points out, if anyone other than Mike offered advice to her, she would listen to it. After hearing this, [[CharacterDevelopment she starts to listen to him more]].
72	* {{Flanderization}}: In the first season, she expressed concern about two-year-old Boyd being exposed to "pagan death imagery" on Halloween, but otherwise understood the appeal and just wanted Boyd to have fun. In the second season ([[TheOtherDarrin along with a recast]]) she became far more likely to coddle him and protest anything at school that would have a negative impact on his self-esteem.
73	* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Ryan wanted her to get an abortion after she got pregnant. She didn't, so he left her.
74	* GranolaGirl: Not so much the first season, but the second season her liberal political leanings and attempts at "new age" parenting skew into this territory.
75	* {{Hypocrite}}: In "Rediscover America", after scoring a game-winning field goal, Eve is in an article in the local newspaper and Kristin says it is a good recognition for women when the article identifies Eve as a "female kicker"; she is later upset when the same writer identifies Eve as a "female kicker" again after the team loses the game, saying it was bad that the writer specifically mentioned the fact that she is female after missing a kick. When Eve [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this, she [[StrawFeminist claims that the first time was in a positive light, whereas the second time it was because she believes that it's implying that Eve lost just because "she has ovaries"]]. Her argument is then rendered moot when it turns out [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments the writer is a woman.]]
76	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: While she's a good person overall, even Kyle admitted that, when they were dating, there were times when she would be a real bitch.
77	* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Unlike Mike and Ryan, she hardly ever backs up her beliefs with hard evidence.
78	* MyBelovedSmother: Obsesses over protecting Boyd from anything that could hurt him or lower his self-esteem. Part of her CharacterDevelopment is learning that a child has to go through some strife in order to achieve real victory, such as the Mutton Busting award.
79	* NotSoAboveItAll: She still owns a gun that Mike gave her for her birthday and keeps it in her apartment.
80	* TeenPregnancy: She got pregnant at 17 and had to finish high school online. While her parents are more than happy to help her out at home, the strain of being a single mom still prevents her from pursuing a college education and she finds herself stuck as a waitress for the first few seasons.
81	* TookALevelInJerkass: Her character changed noticeably in season two compared to season one. Beginning with season two, she became much more combative and insulting toward her parents, the people who supported her when she found out she was pregnant and allow her to live with them. Her change in attitude often caused her to drift into [[UngratefulBastard Ungrateful Bitch]] territory. Following season two, she begins going through CharacterDevelopment that gradually turns her into a more sympathetic character.
82	* TragicDropout: She was able to finish high school, but had to give up college and work as a waitress to support Boyd.
83	* WellIntentionedExtremist: As misguided as much of her parenting is, she does it because she loves Boyd and doesn't want him to get hurt.
84	[[/folder]]
85
86	[[folder:Mandy Baxter]]
87	!!Amanda Elaine "Mandy" Baxter
88	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/MollyEphraim (Seasons 1-6); Creator/MollyMcCook (Season 7-)
89
90	The middle daughter, she has a superficial and dense exterior being obsessed with boys, social networking, fashion and her own appearance. Beneath the surface, she can be very kindhearted and knowledgeable in areas with which the rest of the family are less familiar.
91	----
92	* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: In one episode, it's suggested that the reason behind her poor grades is that she actually has ADHD; in previous episodes, it was shown that she was easily distracted by social networking.
93	* BeautyBrainsAndBrawn: The Beauty - Mandy takes great pride in her appearance, and while her sisters are certainly attractive, they don't place nearly as much emphasis on it.
94	* BookDumb: Did not do very well in high school because of the social atmosphere, but notably does much better in college because she has more direction to topics which interest her. She even makes the dean's list.
95	* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Not as bad as other examples, but she does have her moments of this.
96	* BrainlessBeauty: She is easily the ditziest of the three daughters, see above and below.
97	* BrilliantButLazy: Has an innate gift for social networking and fashion design, but for the first few seasons is too obsessed with being inside the circle to actually make it into a career. She and Mike do some marketing together and he's very impressed with her talent.
98	* CharacterDevelopment: Once she reaches college she gains a previously non-existent passion for education and a much stronger work ethic, actually absorbing the information and applying it to her own life. This makes her much more mature and responsible, while highlighting her good qualities even more.
99	* TheDitz: [[{{Malaproper}} Prone to mixing up phrases]] and ignorant of many basic things.
100	-->'''Mike:''' ''(taking away her laptop and cell phone after she announces she's going off the grid)'' You won't need these anymore.\
101	'''Mandy:''' No, Dad, that doesn't use energy. It runs on a battery.\
102	'''Mike:''' ''(stumbles in shock of the ignorance of that statement)''
103	* TheFashionista: She even starts her own clothing company.
104	* GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak: Mandy fits the girly-girl stereotype to a T, but she's still a Baxter and knows how to hunt and camp, which actually comes in handy when she wants to use pheasant feathers in her new line of hats.
105	* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: With Eve, who snarks at her almost constantly. Sometimes it gets vicious between them.
106	* HappilyMarried: To Kyle in later seasons.
107	* InnocentlyInsensitive: Due to her ditzy personality, she often says insulting things to the other characters without even realizing it.
108	* ItsAllAboutMe: Believes the world revolves around her, sometimes acting like she is on a reality show.
109	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: More prominent in the early seasons when she was more bratty, self-centered, and selfish, she still showed she had a kind and generous heart. Especially prominent in Elfie, when she used the money she got for Christmas to fly Blanca's Marine brother-in-law home from Afghanistan for Christmas.
110	* MiddleChildSyndrome: She often gets frustrated because Mike is more interested in what Kristin and Eve do. To be fair, most of the things Mandy cares about (fashion, celebrities, school gossip, etc.) are things that Mike wouldn't care about no matter who was discussing it. He points this out when she calls him on it, although he also acknowledges that she has a point and promises to be more encouraging.
111	* MsFanservice: Out of all the Baxter girls, Mandy is the one most likely to be seen dressed in a sexy or revealing manner. She even manages to convert a ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' Halloween costume into a bikini top/miniskirt combo.
112	* PairTheDumbOnes: Her romance with Kyle, as they're BirdsOfAFeather.
113	* PhoneAholicTeenager: Mike gets her to drop her energy protest in about 30 seconds by taking away her phone.
114	* ProudBeauty: Constantly uses her looks to get out of driving tickets or handing an assignment in on time.
115	** Also counts as ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful.
116	* ReallyGetsAround: Heavily implied.
117	-->'''Mandy:''' ''[after hearing a woman died upstairs in their house]'' I sleep up there almost every night. I mean, every night.
118	* StatuesqueStunner: In [[TheOtherDarrin the recast with Molly McCook]] she gained about a foot in height, in the right heels she's taller than Kyle. Amusingly, earlier episodes made [[HeightAngst a few jokes about her short stature]], and eventually the jokes went in reverse.
119	* TookALevelInKindness: In early seasons, she's the most selfish, bratty, and apathetic character in the cast. After she starts college, she becomes more kind, mature and responsible, though she still has moments of insensitivity.
120	* WrongGenreSavvy: Believes that her personal life should/will play out exactly like it would in a movie. Best exemplified when she goes into Donna Karan's office during her internship to impress the latter and is instead escorted out by security and kicked out of the program.
121	[[/folder]]
122
123	[[folder:Eve Baxter]]
124	!!Eve Baxter
125	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/KaitlynDever
126
127	The youngest daughter, she is very active in sports, camping and guns and is very close to Mike because of that. Eventually she joins the JROTC with the aspirations of becoming an Army Ranger sniper. She is sometimes aware that her strong personality turns many would-be suitors away, and is willing to "girly-up" for an event.
128	----
129	* AcademicAthlete: She's a three sport MVP and gets straight A's.
130	* AllPeriodsArePMS: always a loving and dutiful daughter to Mike she starts flying into rages against him upon hitting puberty, causing Vanessa to declare "It's time for 2 of mommy's special magic pills and a chocolate milk".
131	* BeautyBrainsAndBrawn: The Brawn - she's a {{tomboy}} and star athlete who has always dreamed of and worked toward a military career.
132	* BrainyBrunette: Eve has brown hair, knows almost as much about hunting, cars, and weapons as her father, and has a 4.0 GPA; the only classes she's bad at is art and her geometry class with an extremely tough teacher.
133	* CommutingOnABus: Season 7 sees the character only making sporadic appearances due to the fact that [[spoiler:she will be attending the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and not be able to visit home that often.]] Out of universe, it's because her actress is too busy to make regular appearances.
134	* DaddysGirl: She shares Mike's interests and it's no secret that she's his favorite daughter.
135	* DeadpanSnarker: The biggest one in the cast.
136	* DemotedToExtra: In season seven, due to being at the Air Force Academy (and Creator/KaitlynDever's [[RealLifeWritesThePlot film schedule]]), she only shows up every four episodes or so.
137	* FemaleMisogynist: Downplayed in that she hates most stereotypical girly stuff and is annoyed by how feminine and emotional her mom and sisters are.
138	* GirlinessUpgrade: Her personality and interests don't change, but as the seasons go on and she grows up she is seen wearing more feminine clothing and makeup. To prepare her for her first high school dance Mandy gives her a makeover revealing her hidden beauty, declaring "Look I made A GIRL! And it only took me 2 hours".
139	* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: With Mandy, who is the biggest target of her DeadpanSnarker tendencies.
140	* HiddenDepths: The sports enthusiast and gun-loving tomboy is also a great singer and guitar player.
141	* HiddenHeartOfGold: The rare times she is a jerk, it's usually because she is hurt and insecure by people mocking her for being a tomboy.
142	* IceQueen: One of her boyfriends even compared her to a robot because of how hard-hearted she can be.
143	* TheLadette: Has no interest in stereotypical girly things, and in many respects is basically the son Mike wanted.
144	* TheMole: Is ''actually'' on Mike's payroll for information on other members of the family. [[spoiler: In "Halloween", she helps Mike and Chuck with their final prank against their wives.]]
145	* NotSoStoic: Despite what everyone else says, there are times where she gets emotional and breaks down in tears, such as "Eve's Breakup" and "The Gratitude List."
146	* ParentalFavoritism: It's no real secret that Mike likes her the best.
147	* PassionateSportsGirl: In the course of the series she plays soccer, basketball, softball, and, in later seasons, football.
148	* PintsizedPowerhouse: She's an all star athlete, the top JROTC member, and able to beat up teenage boys on a regular basis and she's only 5'2".
149	** As of the eighth season, she qualified for the Air Force Fighter Pilot program, a ten-year commitment.
150	* TheSquadette: She joins the JROTC program at her school and becomes one of its best members. Her life's goal is to be admitted to West Point and become an Army Ranger. [[spoiler:She eventually gets rejected by West Point, but, after taking a gap year, shifts gears and is accepted to the Air Force Academy.]]
151	* TerribleArtist: It's the only class in which she does not do well. However, later seasons show she's a fairly talented singer and musician; it's just visual arts with which she has trouble.
152	* {{Tomboy}}: So much that Mike jokingly calls her his son.
153	* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: She does enjoy some "feminine" activities like singing and dancing, likes cat videos, and will wear dresses on dates. In "Take Your Daughter to Work," Eve dotes on and acts cutesy with the dog she and Mike find just as much as her mother and sisters do, and she is even the one who names the dog "Muffin."
154	* WellDoneSonGuy: She looks up to Mike and will do anything to please him. By the end of one episode, Mike has to tell her that he loves her unconditionally and she can live her life without having to seek his approval for everything she does.
155	[[/folder]]
156
157	[[folder:Ed Alzate]]
158	!!Ed Alzate
159	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/HectorElizondo
160
161	The owner of Outdoor Man, he is getting up in years but is still active in the operations of his company. A womanizer, he has been married several times and still active on the dating scene. He has a good business sense but relies on Mike's marketing strategies to really hone in on specific sales and advertising.
162	----
163	* TheChainsOfCommanding: In Season 7, [[spoiler:he decides to leave Outdoor Man to Mike to go into retirement. He still often shows up at work.]]
164	* CoolOldGuy: Some days he feels his age, but still very active in camping and physical activities. Kyle is suitably impressed when going with him on a Search and Rescue expedition. [[spoiler:He retires in Season 7, however.]]
165	* DependingOnTheWriter: Each episode differs in his approach to running Outdoor Man. Either he's too old-fashioned and Mike tries to get him to embrace current business ideas, or he is too willing to exploit the latest trends with bizarre strategies and Mike has to convince him not to do it.
166	* DeskJockey: He was one during Vietnam, but one episode shows how important his job and experience actually is to the other war vets.
167	* DirtyOldMan: To the extent that Mike has to remind him not to make himself liable for sexual harassment lawsuits.
168	* ExpansionPackPast: Ed's done many things and met many famous people in his life.
169	* FunnyForeigner: He's the son of immigrant parents and has lived in the U.S. most of his life, but still carries a lot of cultural pride which sometimes clashes with the rest of the cast.
170	* HonoraryUncle: He's something like this to the Baxter daughters, with whom he has good relationships. He and Mandy are social media buddies, and he plays fantasy football in the same league as Eve.
171	* IntergenerationalFriendship: He has these with both Mike and Kyle.
172	* PsychoExGirlfriend: Most of the women he's married end up like this, calling into question where it comes from.
173	* TheScrooge: A wealthy businessman who doesn't even keep cash in his wallet. Also, his idea of a Christmas bonus is giving every employee, regardless of performance, a ham.
174	* SerialSpouse: Has been married four times. It's a big reason why Vanessa initially disapproves of her mother getting engaged to him.
175	* ShellShockedVeteran: Joked at, since he was a DeskJockey in Vietnam he never actually saw any action. He did end up hurting himself in a filing cabinet "Whenever I hear one slam shut, I'm back there."
176	* WineIsClassy: It's mentioned in at least one episode that he owns a vineyard. Mike claims the wine is terrible.
177	[[/folder]]
178
179	[[folder:Kyle Anderson]]
180	!!Kyle Anderson
181	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/ChristophSanders
182
183	A younger employee at Outdoor Man, his good work ethic and overall friendly demeanor endears him to Mike and they have a substitute father/son relationship. He initially dated Kristin for a year and they enjoyed being with each other, but were too different in interests and personality and broke up amicably. He later started dating Mandy and their similar personalities mesh unusually well together.
184	----
185	* BigScrewedUpFamily: Comes from ones of these; a DisappearedDad and LadyDrunk mom are just the beginning of it.
186	* BookDumb: He's not an idiot; he just isn't all that educated. He's capable of very intelligent conversation and knows his way around Outdoor Man and all the equipment. He's also very sociable who knows the entire Outdoor Man crew and that makes him a valuable employee, assisting Ed and Mike on who would go where.
187	* CampStraight: He's clearly not gay, but he does enjoy some feminine activities like baking and watching ChickFlick movies.
188	* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In the pilot he was more of a naive, WideEyedIdealist who contrasted Mike's grumpiness, versus being dense and easily lost in sarcasm and metaphors. In addition, he didn't have his goatee and his haircut was more a shaggy mop-top.
189	* CloudCuckoolander: He isn't so much quirky as he talks about the weirdest things happening to him as though it was normal, like having to track down his grandma when she escapes from the retirement home.
190	* DisappearedDad: His father abandoned his family, so he looks up to Mike as a father figure.
191	* HappilyMarried: To Mandy in later seasons.
192	* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Even more so than Vanessa. He trusts every person he comes across, even when they're obviously very shady.
193	* IntergenerationalFriendship: His relationships with Mike and Ed fall into this.
194	* LikeASonToMe: Both Mike and Ed think of Kyle this way (especially since neither of them has an actual son), which is why they are constantly looking out for him and giving him advice; eventually he actually becomes Mike's son-in-law. In Season 7, Ed even acknowledges that he'll be leaving Kyle a substantial inheritance.
195	* IdiotSavant: "A House Divided" shows he has the uncanny ability to tell how much money someone puts into a jar.
196	* MoralityPet: For Mandy. Kyle's usually the one who brings out her inner kindness and makes her realize that she's done something wrong or hurt somebody.
197	* NiceGuy: To the point that Mike was shocked Vanessa got him to be angry at her (comparing it to "pissing off a [[Franchise/CareBears Care Bear]]").
198	* OutOfFocus: Suffers this somewhat for half of Season 2, as he's no longer dating Kristin and thus less involved in any Baxter plots. His relationship to Mandy restores his old prominence.
199	* PairTheDumbOnes: With Mandy.
200	* RealMenLoveJesus: The most religious character in the cast.
201	* TookALevelInDumbAss: In season one, he wasn't completely idiotic, just not very educated. By season four, he's a complete moron who does things like interpreting Vanessa calling him "Dear" as her calling him an actual deer.
202	* UndyingLoyalty: To both Ed and Mike. They return it in their own ways; Ed even refers to him as being the closest thing to a son he'll ever have.
203	* VagueAge: He's in the right bracket for him to date both Kristin and Mandy, but because of Kristin's AgeLift (from 20 to 23) in the second season it makes his exact age complicated, as Mike originally intended for him to ask out Mandy in the pilot. Third season dialogue mentions that he's 23, making him 21 when dating 20-year-old Kristin and 22 when he started dating 17-year-old Mandy.
204	* WellDoneSonGuy: Invoked. He worships the ground Mike walks on and would be his son in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, many of his heartfelt wishes are often ignored by Mike. He does eventually get to be Mike's son-in-law, though, and it's clear that Mike loves him.
205	* WhiteSheep: The rest of his family are either screw-ups, absent, crazy, or criminal. His dad left early in his life, he's the only one who takes care of his grandma, and his brothers were abusive, once taking him along to rob a convenience store. In comparison he is an absurdly nice and hardworking guy.
206	* YesMan: Does whatever Mike and Ed tell him to do. Becomes a plot point in season six when Mike and Ryan try to get him to stop going along with whatever Mike wants.
207	[[/folder]]
208
209	!Supporting Characters
210
211	[[folder:Boyd Baxter]]
212	!! Boyd Baxter
213	!!!'''Played By:''' Evan and Luke Kruntchev (Season 1); Creator/FlynnMorrison (Season 2-6); Jet Jurgensmeyer (Season 7-)
214
215	Kristin's son, he is very impressionable and is more often drawn to the fun and entertaining activities Mike likes to take him to rather than the safe, boring and "intellectual" things his parents want to expose him to.
216	----
217	* AdorablyPrecociousChild: He sometimes shows exceptional intelligence, at one point blackmailing his mom about a spanking incident when he was 6. Also, thanks to Mike's influence, Boyd is aware of how his parents are trying to indoctrinate him on certain subjects.
218	* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Well, nephew, but - due to how young Kristin was when he was born and the fact that he spent the first few years of his life being partially RaisedByGrandparents - he might as well be Mandy and Eve's little brother, and he pesters Eve on a regular basis.
219	* ChildrenAreInnocent: He's very susceptible to both Mike and his parents' beliefs.
220	* DeliberatelyCuteChild: Does this to get treats and/or annoy Eve.
221	* DemotedToExtra: He appeared in less than half of season four's episodes and only played a major role in three of them. This continues in season five.
222	* FlatCharacter: Aside from his gullibility and mischievous streak, he doesn't have much personality. The only purpose he serves is to drive conflict between Mike and Kristin/Ryan.
223	* GreaseMonkey: Season 7 sees him take a shine to mechanics, with him and Mike secretly working on restoring a dirt bike they bought at a garage sale. He's even able to do repairs without Mike's supervision.
224	* KiddieKid: As he gets older, he still acts like a younger child. Ryan {{lampshades}} this in one episode when Boyd asks him to put air holes in a box so his stuffed animals can breathe (he was nine years old at this point).
225	* LikeFatherUnlikeSon: By season six, it's clear that despite Ryan's best efforts, Boyd's personality is more in line with Mike's. He's excited to receive a shotgun and go hunting for his tenth birthday and gets annoyed by Ryan refusing to use the word "castle" because it isn't politically correct.
226	* OutOfFocus: He appeared in less than half of season four's episodes and only played a major role in three of them. This continues in season five.
227	[[/folder]]
228
229	[[folder:Chuck Larabee]]
230	!!Chuck Larabee
231	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/JonathanAdams
232
233	A neighbor of the Baxters, he has a very ironic relationship with Mike in that they don't exactly like each other, but they have very similar personalities and hate many of the same things.
234	----
235	* AscendedExtra: First appears early season two as a new neighbor, with much of the humor being that Vanessa is trying to ''not'' look racist and Mike just doesn't like neighbors in general. Chuck and Mike turn out to be not so different and make [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike similar comments]] on the topic. Mike mentions at the end of the episode that he could actually see himself hanging out with Chuck. He appears a couple more times later in the season, and becomes a main character in season four.
236	* AwfulWeddedLife: He and Carol have had a number of marital problems, stemming largely from his retirement from the Marine Corps in his mid-40s, her career as a school official, and their son Brandon going off to college, leaving them alone. She badgers him to do more things and start a hobby, and he has no idea what he wanted to do. Things turn around a little when Chuck starts his own security company and Cammy stays with them to give Carol a project other than Chuck. But mid season six, Carol moves out of state for another job and Chuck stays in Denver; they are technically still together, but the situation doesn't look good.
237	* BoomerangBigot: Mild example. He doesn't like the idea of inner city minority students being sent to the local high school since he and his wife worked hard to get away from those kind of people.
238	* {{Catchphrase}}: "Not cool."
239	* EverythingIsRacist: He invokes this for laughs; he's actually very relaxed when it comes to racial topics.
240	* GentleGiant: Even though he's a former Marine, he's actually a friendly guy who loves kids.
241	* HiddenDepths: One episode reveals that he has similar taste in literature to Vanessa.
242	* MirrorCharacter: He's pretty much an African-American version of Mike.
243	* RetiredBadass: Former Marine.
244	* ScaryBlackMan: Not only is he huge, but he's also a former Marine. He sometimes plays it up, especially when around Mike, but he actually enjoys goofing around as much as anyone.
245	* StereotypeFlip: In regards to sports, he's a huge ice hockey fan (a sport infamously unpopular with black Americans).
246	* StrangeMindsThinkAlike: He will end up quipping on a situation in the same way Mike does, and vice versa. When under the impression that Eve was dating his son, he notes that Mike didn't know because there wasn't a "For Sale" sign on their lawn. When Mike ''does'' find out, the first thing he says is that they need to move.
247	* {{Troll}}: He invokes the EverythingIsRacist trope with people who aren't racist just to amuse himself with their reactions. Also, whenever Mike or Ed have a plan that starts to backfire on them, Chuck will usually do something to make sure they can't get themselves out of it.
248	** In one season 3 episode, TheStinger has one of Chuck's security employees "catching" Mike in the act of being a peeping Tom at his own house (he was actually checking a faulty sensor on his security system). Chuck eventually vouches for Mike, but not before having a few minutes of fun at his expense.
249	* VitriolicBestBuds: With Mike; they often make a show of disliking each other and have differing opinions on things, but otherwise their personalities are very similar and they enjoy many of the same hobbies.
250	[[/folder]]
251
252	[[folder:Ryan Vogelson]]
253	!!Ryan Vogelson
254	!!!'''Played By:''' Music/NickJonas (Season 1); Creator/JordanMasterson (Season 2-)
255
256	Boyd's dad and Kristin's high school boyfriend (later husband), he is from Canada and left shortly before Boyd was born in trying to avoid responsibility. He shows up once in the first season, trying to make amends, then returns full time in the second season. He is very liberal, ready to soapbox on just about every topic that drives Mike crazy.
257	----
258	* CharacterizationMarchesOn: The Nick Jonas version of Ryan is a pretty much entirely different character. He was [[TheCastShowOff a singer with a second-rate traveling performance group]] and much more soft-spoken. His one line at the end, telling Vanessa he'd rather not have Boyd eat sugar, sparked off the Jordan Masterson version - an atheist, vegan liberal with a history degree.
259	* DisappearedDad: Left the city altogether just before Boyd was born, then slowly started coming back to take responsibility.
260	* DropInCharacter: In early seasons, the only times he will drop Boyd off at the Baxters' house is at meals (so he can get some free food).
261	* EasilyForgiven: With varying degrees from the various characters. Mike won't ever let him live it down, but Kristin and Vanessa are more friendly with him.
262	* FantasyForbiddingFather: He crushes Boyd by showing him that a Christmas elf doll isn't really magical.
263	* FreudianExcuse: He had a poor relationship with his own father.
264	* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Aside from Kristin and Boyd, no one in the main cast actually likes him for a long time. Even Vanessa's friendliness to him is more along the lines of tolerating him for Kristin's sake. However, as time goes on, he and Kyle wind up bonding over their mutual love of comic books and everyone else is able to tolerate him, at least.
265	* [[GranolaGirl Granola Guy]]: Vegetarian, liberal, union picketer, and just about anything else Mike dislikes.
266	* {{Hypocrite}}:
267	** As part of his StrawmanPolitical characterization, he tends to be very hypocritical about his beliefs:
268	--->'''Vanessa:''' Honey, where's your [Christmas] tree?
269	--->'''Ryan:''' Uh, in the forest, where it belongs. There's a word for chopping down a perfectly healthy tree: murder.
270	--->'''Mike:''' (points at their wooden coffee table) So, what's the word for this wooden table here? Suicide?
271	** Aside from that, despite resenting his own father for not being around much, that didn't stop him from doing the same to Boyd for the first five years of his life.
272	** Despite claiming to be progressive in regards to gender roles, he hates it when Kristin becomes the breadwinner, though he says that he hates that he feels this way.
273	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Skewing more towards the "jerk" end; he's self-centered, rude, lazy, full of himself, ignorant and irresponsible. However, he does regret walking out on Kristin and Boyd, and tries to make up for it and be a good father.
274	* KnowNothingKnowItAll: He's very prone to ConfirmationBias and many of the facts he uses to back his beliefs are taken out of context.
275	* NeverMyFault: Blames the 1% for the plight of working class men like him, instead of acknowledging that he brought his financial situation upon himself by racking up thousands of dollars of student loan debt to earn ADegreeInUseless and then, upon actually managing to get a paying job, refusing to work up the company ladder to earn more.
276	* NotSoAboveItAll: He will join in on the more "manly" activities Mike wants Boyd to do, such as playing hockey and entering a mutton busting contest.
277	* OutOfFocus: In season two he appears in more than half the season's episodes. Season five, not so much (most likely due to the backlash towards the ReTool).
278	* PapaWolf: He punches a man at a baseball game after he throws beer on Boyd.
279	* ParentsAsPeople: Ryan at times seems to forget that Boyd is a developing person with his own potential for growth and individual opinion, seeing him more like a lump of clay he can sculpt into what he wants him to be.
280	* SoapboxSadie: He'll take something that is completely unrelated to politics such as Mandy receiving an internship and turn it into a platform for him to preach his ultra-liberal ideals. His worldview can be summed up as being against anything that is Western-Christian-Capitalist.
281	* StrawmanPolitical: He is very quick to insult and blame conservatives for liberal issues he's passionate about, which incites Mike to antagonize him [[ItAmusedMe just for fun]]. Over several seasons, he ends up toning down his attitude in [[NeverMyFault blaming everyone else for the world's problems]]. In an episode in the fifth season, he helps Eve with a class project by teaching her that his verbal sparring with Mike made him realize that getting angry, upset, and derogatory was hurting his argument, while Mike generally kept his cool.
282	[[/folder]]
283
284	!Recurring Characters
285
286	[[folder:Bud Baxter]]
287	!! Bud Baxter
288	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/RobertForster
289
290	Mike's father, who moves to Denver in season one to be closer to his son and granddaughters. He used to own his own construction business, but was then forced out by Mike's younger brother Jimmy. He then opens a marijuana dealership when the drug becomes legal, much to Mike's dismay.
291	----
292	* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In his first few appearances, he gives Mike and Jim equal treatment. Later, he blatantly favors Jim, which is odd considering that Jim actually forced Bud to retire from the construction company.
293	* CoolOldGuy: Goes hunting in his spare time.
294	* DisproportionateRetribution: He stopped paying Mike's college tuition because the latter decided to study marketing instead of construction management.
295	* DontMakeMeTakeMyBeltOff: He used to spank Mike and Jimmy when they were kids, and does it to Boyd when he is babysitting him, much to Kristin and Ryan's horror.
296	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He can be harsh and grumpy, but he does love Mike.
297	* KilledOffScreen: [[spoiler:Dies from a heart attack in between seasons six and seven.]]
298	** Bud's actor, Robert Forster, died in real life on October 2019 [[TearJerker after succumbing to brain cancer.]] Seeing him in the episodes before his real-life death in 2019 is heartbreaking to see.
299	* PapaWolf: Well, Grandpa Wolf. He swore that if he ever ran into Ryan after the latter abandoned Kristin, he would kill him. He still considers doing it after Ryan comes back.
300	* RetiredBadAss: He served during the Korean War.
301	* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: He sometimes makes statements that are borderline sexist or racist, but is portrayed more along the lines of having an old-fashioned worldview a la YouAreACreditToYourRace.
302	[[/folder]]
303
304	[[folder:Jim Baxter]]
305	!! Jim Baxter
306	!!!'''Played By:''' Mike Rowe
307
308	Mike's younger brother, a licensed contractor.
309	----
310	* TheGhost: While he appears in the first season played by Mike Rowe, subsequent seasons make mention of him in ways like being on the phone, but hasn't been directly seen or heard since.
311	* MetaCasting: StuntCasting or not, [[Series/DirtyJobs Mike Rowe]] as a blue-collar construction worker makes sense.
312	* OneShotCharacter: His only on-screen appearance is in season one. This is {{lampshaded}} in "The Fixer" when Chuck reveals he had no idea Mike has a younger brother.
313	* ParentalFavoritism: He's their dad's favorite, even though Mike is more successful.
314	* SiblingRivalry: Mike has been the most successful in the family, done by leaving the family business and going into marketing. While they are still on good terms, there is a rift between them regarding who stuck around with their dad.
315	[[/folder]]
316
317	[[folder:April]]
318	!! April
319	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/ChristinaMoore
320
321	Vanessa's younger sister who is very flighty and mooches off her and Mike.
322	----
323	* [[CoolUncle Cool Aunt]]: Mandy thinks so and idolizes her.
324	* DumbBlonde
325	* {{Expy}}: She's essentially an older version of Mandy, only more self-absorbed and irresponsible.
326	* ManChild: She's 40 years old and still acts like a teenager.
327	* ObnoxiousInLaws: Inverted. Mike hates her because she always borrows money from them and never pays it back and is a bad influence on the kids.
328	* ShadowArchetype: Had Mandy not gone through her CharacterDevelopment, she probably would've wound up just like April.
329	[[/folder]]
330
331	[[folder:Carol Larabee]]
332	!! Carol Larabee
333	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/ErikaAlexander
334
335	Chuck's wife.
336	----
337	* AwfulWeddedLife: Frequently, she and Chuck drop hints that their married life is hell, mostly because Carol forces Chuck to do something with his life for being a retired soldier, despite the fact Chuck doesn't really want to search for something and is fine the way he is. This ultimately causes Carol to move out of state for a job away from Chuck.
338	* EducationMama: A schoolteacher, head of the PTA, and jumps at the opportunity to help Cammy with her college applications.
339	* OutOfFocus[=/=]PutOnABus: Becomes this when she moves away for a job.
340	* SassyBlackWoman: When she gets angry at Chuck.
341	* VitriolicBestFriends: While she does consider Vanessa a friend, she often gets annoyed by the latter's attempts to act racially open-minded.
342	[[/folder]]
343
344	[[folder:Blanca]]
345	!! Blanca
346	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/CarlaJimenez
347
348	The Baxters' housekeeper. She is an immigrant from Guatemala who comes from a large family.
349	----
350	* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: While she was a fairly frequent character in seasons two-four, she hasn't been seen or mentioned since Mandy took the New York internship..
351	* CrazyCulturalComparison: She tells the Baxters stories about her life back in Guatemala, which is pretty much the exact opposite of their upper-middle class, suburban life.
352	* FunnyForeigner: To a T.
353	* HiddenDepths: Due to working in a sweatshop as a child, she is great at sewing. She even helps Mandy run her fashion business.
354	* KindlyHousekeeper: Most of the time, though Mike gives her permission to order the kids to help her.
355	* MassivelyNumberedSiblings: She has eight brothers and sisters.
356	* SpicyLatina: Goes into this on occasion.
357	[[/folder]]
358
359	[[folder:Cammy Harris]]
360	!! Cammy Harris
361	!!!'''Played By:''' Sarah Gilman
362
363	Eve's soccer teammate and best friend.
364	----
365	* AmbiguouslyGay:
366	** She's a little too concerned about Eve's well being after she accidentally injured her at soccer practice.
367	--->'''Cammy:''' What if this means Eve has to quit soccer? What if she never comes back to me? To us. The team.
368	** "Restaurant Opening" also hints that she's bisexual and have a crush on Eve.
369	* CloudCuckooLander: Bud sums it up best:
370	-->'''Bud:''' That is a very strange child.
371	* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Even more then Ryan, as besides Eve and Carol, '''nobody''' likes her. Even a Reverend refused to take her in when Mike was trying to find Cammy somewhere else to stay.
372	* GranolaGirl: When she finds out Vanessa works for a fracking company, she leads Eve's class in belittling her.
373	* MotorMouth: One of her most annoying traits.
374	* NervousWreck: She cannot keep a cool head when under stress or pressure, and can be easily become this under rather meaningless situations (such as scaling a wall and only getting 2 feet off the ground despite being very properly secured).
375	* OnlyFriend: Inverted. Eve is this to her.
376	[[/folder]]
377
378	[[folder:Justin]]
379	!! Justin
380	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/TyeSheridan
381
382	Eve's fellow ROTC member, football teammate, and boyfriend in seasons three and four.
383	----
384	* TheGhost: Despite directly affecting the plots of "Eve's Boyfriend" and "Eve's Breakup", he doesn't appear in either episode.
385	* GoodIsNotSoft: He's a nice guy, but he won't let Eve push him around.
386	* TheKlutz: He's not very coordinated, which affects his ROTC and football skills.
387	* MenDontCry: Subverted. When Eve dumps him, he cried... and she ''laughed'' (because she didn't really know how to react to that).
388	* NiceGuy: He has to be if he's willing to put up with Eve's brusqueness.
389	* OffscreenBreakup: We don't see him in "Eve's Breakup," but this is a major plot that is discussed.
390	* PutOnABus: Eve dumps him off-screen in season four.
391	* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Eve's red.
392	[[/folder]]
393
394	[[folder:Wendi Gracin]]
395	!! Wendi Gracin
396	!!!'''Played By:''' Joely Fisher
397
398	Ed's girlfriend beginning in season three. She is much younger than he is and has a teenage son. Ed adores her but Mike finds her very annoying.
399	----
400	* MyBelovedSmother: Ed meets her when she brings her son Jason to Outdoor Man to get him a job and essentially interviews for him.
401	* PutOnABus: Midway after Season 5, she doesn't show up.
402	* SickeninglySweethearts: Tries to invoke this with Ed, much to the disgust of other characters.
403	* SitcomArchNemesis: To Mike. Her strong personality wiggling into the dynamics of the store doesn't sit well with Mike.
404	[[/folder]]
405
406	[[folder:Joe Leonard]]
407	!! Joe Leonard
408	!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/JayLeno
409
410	An auto-mechanic with whom Mike becomes acquainted after Vanessa buys a 1967 Impala he restored for Mike's birthday.
411	----
412	* BunnyEarsLawyer: He's a bit weird and dense, but he's also a fantastic auto mechanic.
413	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: To the point that Mike thinks he's actually insane.
414	* PunnyName: Look at his name and his actor's and you'll get it.
415	* VitriolicBestBuds: Somewhat similar to Chuck, but even more exaggerated. Joe himself wonders why Mike is interested in hanging out since they barely tolerate each other, but Mike says that he doesn't have a lot of car-guy friends and enjoys that environment.
416	[[/folder]]
417
418	[[folder:Rob]]
419	!! Rob
420	!!!'''Played By:''' Travis Tope
421
422	Eve's boyfriend starting in Season 6.
423	----
424	* BirdsOfAFeather: He and Eve have a lot in common, including having older siblings of the same gender who give them terrible relationship advice.
425	* TheGadfly: Pretends to be triggered by Vanessa drinking wine resulting in her freaking out, much to his and Eve's amusement.
426	* GoneHorriblyWrong: Vanessa, once more, is disturbed by the fact Eve doesn't think anything is amiss with Rob not inviting her to his home and wants them both to be honest with each other, until Rob tells her it was because he didn't want her to be around his parents' middle-aged friends. This doesn't cause them to argue... until Rob starts being honest with some of the things Eve does, which leads to their breakup.
427	* RecoveredAddict: Developed alcoholism during his first year of college, but is now nine months sober. Mike and Vanessa are understandably concerned since he's not even old enough to legally drink yet.
428	[[/folder]]

Context Characters / LastManStanding2011