A lot of us are anxiously awaiting the return of Last Mand Standing (see WATCH: FOX Releases Teaser Trailer for ‘Last Man Standing’ Return and Last Man Standing Premiere Date Announced. Here’s Who’s Returning…). We're still waiting to hear who is replacing Molly Ephraim as middle daughter Mandy. Kaitlyn Dever is thankfully returning as Eve.

However, the producers of the show made a surprising addition to the cast:

The Baxter family will be joined by a foreign exchange student from China this season. “So basically we have a different political system who will come in,” says Abbott. “Mike Baxter will try to promote the American way.”

A surprise addition Tim Allen may have alluded to. The clues were there all along!

This sets up an interesting dynamic. A lot of sitcoms is that when they become popular, executives have a habit of trying to isolate what makes it funny and beating you over the head with lecturing episodes. The shows are canceled soon after once they've been ruined. Last Man Standing's charm has always been not that it was a political comedy, but a family comedy where politics are discussed. Does this new character just add to the family aspect? Or are they just going to beat us over the head with politics? We'll find out in a few months. But the show has done a great job at perfecting the balance up until this point.

No word on who is playing the exchange student. But whoever they cast, I think we can all agree Mike Baxter living with an actual communist is going to be entertaining.

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