Critics praise “excellent” adaptation of Y: The Last Man

If you’ve been following the long and twisty process by which Brian Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s seminal comic Y: The Last Man finally made it to TV, you know that it was in development hell for nearly a decade. It feels like a miracle that the show has been made at all, but here we are.

Next week, the TV adaptation of this post-apocalyptic drama begins on FX on Hulu, and early reviews are here. Was it worth the wait, or is it nothing to get excited about?

Y: The Last Man takes place after a mysterious plague, called the “Gendercide,” kills every living thing with a Y chromosome…all except for Yorick (Ben Schnetzer) and his pet capuchin monkey Ampersand. Why did they survive when every other male died? We don’t know, but you can bet that a lot of people are very curious. Some want Yorick dead, and some want to use him to repopulate the world. All Yorick wants is to find his girlfriend in Australia.

Critics praise the timely, streamlined Y: The Last Man

While casual viewers have to wait until September 13 to watch Y: The Last Man, the first six episodes have already been sent out to critics. Let’s take a tour of what they thought, starting with the encouraging review from Polygon’s Joshua Rivera. “As changes made for screen adaptations go, this judgment call made by Y: The Last Man showrunner Eliza Clark and her team is an excellent one, streamlining the story arc covered by the first several issues, and digging into a rich supporting cast with a focus that the comic’s propulsive plotting did not allow for.”

Next, TVLine’s Dave Nemetz was clearly impressed at the show:

"Y: The Last Man — debuting next Monday, Sept. 13 on the streamer — does have eerie parallels to today’s headlines that cut a little close to the bone. But it’s also a smart twist on the post-apocalyptic genre, spiked with intense action, intriguing philosophical quandaries and slivers of dark humor. The project has been in development hell for half a decade and suffered through several false starts, but the long gestation period seems to have been worth it: This is good."

Variety’s Caroline Framke enjoyed the show but had some critiques. “On the one hand, Y: The Last Man is an apocalyptic drama, so of course desperation and grief would reign supreme,” she writes. “On the other, it’s a human drama, and as such, could use more shades of the human experience to make it resonate even more strongly.”

Critics ding Y: The Last Man for being too familiar

Now for some negative reviews. Entertainment Weekly writer Darren Franich, while a huge fan of the comic, wasn’t at all impressed at this adaptation:

"Y: The Last Man was one of the best comics ever. Now it’s a boring TV show. The first sentence makes the second one sound suspicious, like I’m a complaining fanboy. Let me explain. At best, the new FX on Hulu drama (debuting Sept. 13) takes the Brian K. Vaughan/Pia Guerra source material in intriguing new directions. Too often, though, it’s a dutiful adaptation, turning the comic’s eccentricity into a familiar genre wallow."

Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone doesn’t think the show did enough with its premise. “The main problem is that, at least through the six episodes given to critics, Clark and her collaborators only periodically seem interested in how their unique premise would impact the world in ways that are different from The Walking Dead, The Stand, or other recent shows dealing with abrupt catastrophes that wipe out large swaths of the population.”

Watch the Y: The Last Man title sequence

We all love a good title sequence, from Game of Thrones to Westworld and beyond. Now, the show’s official Twitter page has given us a look at the Y: The Last Man intro. This one kinda reminds me of the new Walking Dead opening credits introduced in season 10. Check it out:

Will you be pressing the “Skip Intro” button for this?

Y: The Last Man begins Monday, September 13 on FX on Hulu.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels