HBO’s Room 104 is not a conventional television series. While the show’s setting is continuously set in the same motel room, the stories it tells connect characters from all over the world and sometimes other realms. The ninth episode “The Last Man” tells the story of two characters out of time. The use of fantasy, music, and an honorable quest, bring a completely different type of episode to Room 104. Highlander meets Broadway in “The Last Man.”
Directed by Julian Wass and written by both Wass and Mark Duplass, the setting is moved to a desolate region where the stage is set for both singing and an epic fight. Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy) plays Kyran a singing warrior who encounters his nemesis Durkon, played by Desean Terry (The Morning Show). Together, in medieval fantasy fashion, they act as their own bards, singing the stories of their lives. Terry and McKidd deliver great performances despite the confusion of the setting around them. Terry and McKidd both have theater backgrounds and the singing and acting is wonderful in this extra strange setting.
The change in setting is a bit jarring. It is definitely one of the most experimental episodes of the series, but it’s an interesting change and keeps the audience engaged. What is the mission of these two warriors and what significance does the eponymous hotel room have in the battle through time? “The Last Man” hammers in a universal message with brute force while maintaining a light-hearted energy.
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