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Actress Molly Ephraim has decided not to return to Last Man Standing, and her replacement is getting quite a bit of negative attention on social media.
After learning that ABC had canceled the series, which co-stars actor Tim Allen, Ephraim moved on with her career and picked up other projects. When she found out that Fox had planned to bring the show back, Ephraim already had a full plate.
“When the show was canceled… [Molly] got involved in some different things, so when [Last Man Standing] came back, she was not able to do it. It’s unfortunate. We love her deeply. She’s a big part of who we were. But [it’s] exciting for us to look around and see who we can get to play that character. We want someone to come in and not play Molly Ephraim. We want somebody to come in and play Mandy. We’ve seen a lot of great actresses,” executive producer Matt Berry told reporters at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour, according to an August 2018 report from TV Line.
Ephraim’s character, Mike and Vanessa Baxter’s middle daughter, Mandy, is now being portrayed by actress Molly McCook. The actress has been doing her best to fill Ephraim’s shoes and to bring her own version of Mandy Baxter to life, but some Last Man Standing fans aren’t loving the new Mandy.
While McCook’s delivery is different from Ephraim’s, she seems to be embracing the quirky, silly, not-always-so-bright personality that Mandy adds to the Baxter family. However, Ephraim portrayed the character so well, that many feel that McCook’s version just isn’t cutting it.
Since the Season 7 premiere was released on Twitter (the network released Episode 1 on social media ahead of its September 28 television air date), some Last Man Standing fans have been tweeting using the hashtag #NotMyMandy as a way to show their disapproval of the show’s new character.
Several social media users have been utilizing the hashtag, perhaps hoping that their cries for the OG Mandy Baxter are heard by someone — anyone — and soon.
“Sorry folks….. HATE the new Mandy! ‘Let’s recast Mandy and go from a cute petite brunette and cast a tall blonde!’ #notmymandy,” wrote one social media user.
“I love everything about @LastManStanding but it just doesn’t feel the same without the original Mandy. It’s pretty close to how I feel about the current President situation… #notmymandy,” tweeted another.
“So, I’m VERY EXCITED my show @LastManStanding is back! I’m NOT very excited that my girl Molly Ephraim ISN’T :( #NotMyMandy,” added a third.
Showrunners have yet to address the public’s feelings on the new Mandy Baxter but are likely hoping that they will grow to love McCook’s version of the character as the season progresses.