It's sports day in the Taylor living room. Tim watches football on TV, while Brad and Randy practice wrestling. Jill takes this opportunity to bug Tim over seeing their lawyer to create their will. It seems they hadn't even made any attempt since before Brad was born. So, taking Jill's advice, Tim goes to get a complete physical and gets a clean bill of health. His head was not examined. Regardless, Jill proceeds with making out their will, something Tim is vehemently against for reasons unknown. They get to talking about their deaths, Jill assuming Tim will die first, and about her plans to have him cremated and put in a mayonnaise jar. Then comes the question of who would get custody of the boys, should they both croak while they're under age? One of Jill's sisters or one of Tim's brothers? Then comes the question if one dies before the other, would they remarry? So many questions, so many details, so little time. Speaking of time, it's on to the Time of Tool: Al talks about a log cabin he's been building for fourth months, doing it the old school way. Tim suggests going new school with a Binford 8200 chainsaw with an extra large blade for those who wish to compensate. He'll be demonstrating this bad boy on the next show.
At home, Mark has been overhearing Tim and Jill's will talk and it worries him, while Brad and Randy argue over who gets the hot rod. Hiding up in the tree, Mark overhears Tim and Wilson talk about wills too, about how Tim doesn't take the prospect all that seriously, nor does he take the prospect of mortality seriously either and says, "heck, I might even die tomorrow." While he may have thought that was funny, little Mark sure didn't. At 4:00 AM, Tim was wide awake working on the hot rod, the will still heavy on his mind. Jill comes downstairs so they can continue their argument, and Tim still refuses to consider making a will. He's decided he just won't die... then he should probably consider leaving Tool Time and selling all his tools, it would give him a better chance. So, on to the next episode TT, where Al's new fan club is perched in the audience, all sporting beards and flannel shirts. Today's the day Tim will be demonstrating the 8200 chainsaw. However, he suddenly becomes reluctant when Al reminds him it's nicknamed The Widowmaker. So he chickens out and has Al do it instead. Next night, Tim is wide awake again, this time ordering Ginsu knives off an infomercial, when all of a sudden, Mark comes in the room, also facing insomnia. He doesn't want his daddy to die. Tim comforts him, saying that won't happen any time soon, and then he and Jill, also wide awake, manage to sooth his worries and explain that a will is something responsible adults have to make. Mark finally falls asleep, and Tim and Jill have a serious discussion about wills, and we get a big insight into why Tim is such against making them. It all had to do with a car he, his dad and his brothers worked on every Saturday, and when his dad died, his uncle took the car and sold it. That, and Tim's dad was only 3 years older than him when he died, and his circumstances mirror that of Tim's. It all seems so similar, that he fears if he did sign a will, he might die too. But, knowing that's just superstition, Tim finally signs the will. Mark even makes a will of his own, leaving everything to Jill, except a toy Randy broke. And finally, Jill gives Tim her full blessing that, if she should die first, he can remarry. However, Tim swears he won't make that mistake twice.
The topic of mortality was handled very well in this episode. Every now and then sitcoms have an episode where the lead characters talk about making a will, and who gets what, which is generally the topic of the episode. Who gets what, and why. This one focused on the real topic at hand: death. There was one part of this episode that was cut in syndication and I'm actually glad it was: remember the scene where Tim tries to get Al to use the chainsaw, then he asks Al's Pals if they want to see him do it? Well, it SHOULD have cut from Tim making a worried face to the night scene of him on the couch, but instead they have Tim threatening to fire Al if he doesn't do what he says. Not sure if he was serious or not, but that really throws any sympathy for him right out the window. Were we not supposed to worry about him and sympathize with his plight? If Tim's going to be a jerk-ass, we WON'T. Thankfully he gets slapped in the head with a log as if it were a basement pipe. Knock some sense into that minuscule brain of his. That scene with Tim and Mark was sweet, and it felt like watching a father and son, and not two actors. Anyway, see this episode. It was well done.
At home, Mark has been overhearing Tim and Jill's will talk and it worries him, while Brad and Randy argue over who gets the hot rod. Hiding up in the tree, Mark overhears Tim and Wilson talk about wills too, about how Tim doesn't take the prospect all that seriously, nor does he take the prospect of mortality seriously either and says, "heck, I might even die tomorrow." While he may have thought that was funny, little Mark sure didn't. At 4:00 AM, Tim was wide awake working on the hot rod, the will still heavy on his mind. Jill comes downstairs so they can continue their argument, and Tim still refuses to consider making a will. He's decided he just won't die... then he should probably consider leaving Tool Time and selling all his tools, it would give him a better chance. So, on to the next episode TT, where Al's new fan club is perched in the audience, all sporting beards and flannel shirts. Today's the day Tim will be demonstrating the 8200 chainsaw. However, he suddenly becomes reluctant when Al reminds him it's nicknamed The Widowmaker. So he chickens out and has Al do it instead. Next night, Tim is wide awake again, this time ordering Ginsu knives off an infomercial, when all of a sudden, Mark comes in the room, also facing insomnia. He doesn't want his daddy to die. Tim comforts him, saying that won't happen any time soon, and then he and Jill, also wide awake, manage to sooth his worries and explain that a will is something responsible adults have to make. Mark finally falls asleep, and Tim and Jill have a serious discussion about wills, and we get a big insight into why Tim is such against making them. It all had to do with a car he, his dad and his brothers worked on every Saturday, and when his dad died, his uncle took the car and sold it. That, and Tim's dad was only 3 years older than him when he died, and his circumstances mirror that of Tim's. It all seems so similar, that he fears if he did sign a will, he might die too. But, knowing that's just superstition, Tim finally signs the will. Mark even makes a will of his own, leaving everything to Jill, except a toy Randy broke. And finally, Jill gives Tim her full blessing that, if she should die first, he can remarry. However, Tim swears he won't make that mistake twice.
The topic of mortality was handled very well in this episode. Every now and then sitcoms have an episode where the lead characters talk about making a will, and who gets what, which is generally the topic of the episode. Who gets what, and why. This one focused on the real topic at hand: death. There was one part of this episode that was cut in syndication and I'm actually glad it was: remember the scene where Tim tries to get Al to use the chainsaw, then he asks Al's Pals if they want to see him do it? Well, it SHOULD have cut from Tim making a worried face to the night scene of him on the couch, but instead they have Tim threatening to fire Al if he doesn't do what he says. Not sure if he was serious or not, but that really throws any sympathy for him right out the window. Were we not supposed to worry about him and sympathize with his plight? If Tim's going to be a jerk-ass, we WON'T. Thankfully he gets slapped in the head with a log as if it were a basement pipe. Knock some sense into that minuscule brain of his. That scene with Tim and Mark was sweet, and it felt like watching a father and son, and not two actors. Anyway, see this episode. It was well done.
