Eliza Clark, the series creator, and the rest the FX creative team knew that they had to be ready to rethink the core ideas of the original stories in order to bring Y: The Last Man (Brian K. Vaughn) to small screen. This was not an easy task.
Advertisement
Clarkalongside series regulars Ashley Romans and Ben Schnetzer, Juliana Canfield and Marin Ireland, sat down at New York Comic Con to talk about Y: the Last Man's first season and share some details about their respective production processes. There are many shows that have been produced during the ongoing covid-19 epidemic, but Y: the Last Man is the most notable because its plots center on a world that has fallen into chaos following the sudden onset and death of half the world's population.
Clarke looked back on the events leading up to the series premiere and remembered how covid struck just two weeks before production was supposed to begin. This caused production to be halted and prompted the writers to meet remotely to discuss whether covid should be addressed in the show. Two weeks before shooting began, covid struck. We had to stop production for a few months. Clarke said that she and Isp spent some time discussing whether covid should be included in the series. Clark also recalled how she wasn't interested in a show that was solely about a pandemic. I am grateful that this show is about an event and the time following it, not an onslaught death toll.
Clark said that the early days of the pandemic, when Y: The Last Man was being made, brought together the team almost like a family. It often felt like they only had each other to lean on for support. This is reflected in the show and many of its characters. Clark spoke about another way that FX on Hulus' adaptation is different from the comic. Sam is an example of a new character who was not in the comic.
Clark explained that the majority of Y. The Last Mans' creative team are women. Clark and others created a movie club to help them solidify their idea. We watched everything from Children of Men to I Might Destroy You to... Thelma Louie. Clark said that they ultimately decided the female gaze was subjectivity and point of view. You can see the roots of your hair, but you also see dirt and sweat under your nails. Each character is shot from another's point of view so you feel as if you are inside it.
Y: The Last Man airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on FX and Hulu
Are you curious about where our RSS feed went. The new one can be found here.
