‘Y: The Last Man’ Trailer Breakdown – Theories & Expectations
The first trailer for Y: The Last Man goes by fast and it’s easy to miss things – let’s take a closer look.
This article contains spoilers for the comic book series Y: The Last Man.
We’ve had three days to chew on the trailer for the FX adaptation of Y: The Last Man. In the comic, every creature with a Y chromosome suddenly dies, except for two: Yorick Brown and his pet monkey.
The trailer is a fast-paced series of clips, and if you blink, you could miss a detail. But after a dozen slow-motion rewatches, and using what I know about the comic books and character castings, I’ve got a few theories about the upcoming series, and I just live for this kind of speculation.
What We Can Guess About Our Favorite Y: the Last Man Characters
The Central Characters Will be More-or-Less the Same as the Comic
From top left: Agent 355 (Ashley Romans), Dr. Allison Mann (Diana Bang), Yorick Brown (Ben Schnetzer), & Ampersand, courtesy of FX
We don’t know how closely their journey will follow the comic, but it looks like the team will spend a good deal of time together (particularly Yorick and Agent 355.) In one clip, Dr. Mann makes a comment about Yorick’s genetics, so we can guess her expertise in cloning will be central to the story, too.
Senator Jennifer Brown may be the HBIC
Senator Brown (Diane Lane), courtesy of FX
It looks like Jennifer, Yorick’s mother, will be stepping up and taking command of the remaining U.S. government. In the book, the Secretary of Agriculture, 9th in the line of succession, takes the helm of President. But the trailer shows a room full of women, presumably the only surviving politicians, looking to Sen. Brown for direction.
Courtesy of FX
A quick peek at Amber Tamblyn and a hallway of women doing their best Mean Girls walk may allude to the Republican widows who appear in the comic book. After the mass-death event, three-quarters of the surviving representatives in Washington are Democrats. Will Tamblyn play the leader of the women demanding to serve in their husbands’ steads?
Courtesy of FX
Hero Brown’s Opening Story is Almost Panel-for-Panel
Hero (Olivia Thirlby) in an ambulance, courtesy of FX
Hero Brown’s story will begin almost exactly like the comic: with the death of her boyfriend, Joe. What’s unclear, however, is how much after that will follow in step. Will Hero join the Daughters of the Amazon, the aggressive cult of women who destroy any vestiges of manhood they find? The cast list includes nameless Amazons and a “Leader” (who happens to look a lot like Victoria).
Hero’s arc with the Amazons, one way or the other, will be heavily influenced by a new addition to the story.
Everything We Know About Sam Jordan
Sam (Elliot Fletcher), courtesy of FX
Sam will be Hero’s best friend, played by Elliot Fletcher. Since Fletcher is a trans man, I’m guessing we’ll come to understand what the new world is like for men without a Y-chromosome.
In the comic, the Amazons destroy sperm banks and murder trans men. Adding Sam to the story means that Yorick isn’t the only man who’s in danger. And as her best friend, Sam could have a pivotal effect on Hero’s character.
Does 355 go Head-to-Head with Alter in Season 1?
Agent 355 fights an unknown assailant, courtesy of FX
It’s difficult to tell, but 355 is having a really intense fight with a character who could be the Israeli colonel Alter Tse’elon. Played by Rona-Lee Shim’on, if Alter and 355 are squaring off so soon, it could mean her role in the show deviates from the original story.
Other Comic Book Callbacks I Loved
Courtesy of FX
Yorick travels this desolate, y-shaped city street on his way to Washington DC. This shot is a direct callback to a panel from the original comic.
Courtesy of FX
It may look like a regular car-graveyard, but the garbage truck might indicate that we’re getting some version of Waverly, the supermodel turned body-collector who discovers Yorick’s identity in the comic.
Courtesy of FX
Maybe it’s just a scene of the general chaos, but I suspect we’re looking at the mourners gathered around the giant peni– I mean, the Washington Monument.
The long-awaited series looks to have as many surprises as familiar faces, and all for the better. We won’t know exactly what’s in store for us until its premiere on Sept. 13th. Until then, I’m left with my guesses– did I miss any clues or hints? Better go watch it again!
Y: The Last Man arrives on FX on Hulu on September 13.
