Y: The Last Man showrunner Eliza Clark admitted there is a strong chance that viewers will root for the villain of the show, but that she doesn’t have a problem with that.
“Yeah, I think Kim is a great example because when you meet her, she’s talking about her book, which is called Boy Mom. Her whole brand and identity is based on this kind of gendered parenting,” Clark told CBR of Kim’s background. “Obviously, you know that her kids are about to die, and she’s about to lose her husband, and her whole identity is tied to patriarchy.”
Clark further explained that Kim’s power comes from her proximity to the men in her life, and when the pandemic in the comics takes them out, “she’s shaken at her core because of it.”
“I think it’s not a spoiler to say that she is a villain in this story, but she’s also a person that you feel for, because she’s lost, just like everybody else,” Clark continued. “I just think that’s the most interesting version of villainy like it’s the most interesting version of stories.”
The showrunner also praised Amber Tamblyn — who portrays Kim in the series — for beings able to show Kim’s humanity, noting that the actor “has done an amazing job of making a person who you are sympathetic to while you also are afraid of what she’s capable of.”
While Y: The Last Man is based on the DC/Vertigo Comics series of the same name created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Pia Guerra, Clark previously revealed that there are some elements in the show that diverge from the original work.
“I think the people who love the books will hopefully love the show,” Clark said at the time. “I think that the show honors the books. Brian and Pia, they read stuff, they watched stuff. They were super complimentary. They didn’t want to meddle; they wanted to cheer on, and I really appreciate them for that.”
One big update that was specifically made in the Hulu adaptation, was the decision to address gender identity and include transgender characters. Speaking about that change, Clark explained, “Because everyone with a Y chromosome dies, that doesn’t mean that — you know, there were a lot of women who died and a lot of non-binary people and a lot of intersex folks. That also means that non-binary people and intersex folks survived, and they are part of this story. So, that was a really important thing for me and was definitely something that Brian and Pia were excited about. So that was, I think, the main thing.”
Y: The Last Man premieres Monday, Sept. 13 on FX on Hulu.
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