Halloween time again, which means time for ghoulish pranks at other peoples' expense. Tim and Al give each other a jump scare on Tool Time, then at home, Brad and Randy surprise Jill with a fake severed head in the microwave. For some reason, this seems to really bother her. It didn't in earlier years, she just shook it off. Anyway, Tim suggests they pull a prank of their own on the boys. So that night, a strange man named Clifford stops by. Apparently he used to live in the Taylor's house and asks if he can come in and look around. Tim and Jill, dressed as a chicken and egg respectively, seem to be familiar with this Clifford guy, as well as something dreadful that may have happened there 20 years ago. They quickly send the peculiar undertaker on his way and say nothing else. Brad thinks this was all a joke by their parents, but Randy isn't so sure. They decide to talk to Wilson, whom Clifford mentioned was his neighbor at the time too. Turns out Wilson is very familiar with "the incident" and shudders at the very mention of Clifford's name. See, apparently Clifford's brother was murdered and everybody assumed he did it. He was so appalled at the accusations that he went cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs and locked up in an insane asylum. But now, he's out.
Guess what? This WAS a practical joke. Clifford is actually Larry, a friend of Tim's who runs a practical joke and costume shop. The ruse went perfectly...until blabber-mouth Al Borland let the cat out of the bag. Realizing they'd been played like harps, Brad and Randy decide to get even, and convince Al to help. Randy puts on a crying front, acting like he's really scared of Clifford, and it goes along perfectly, Tim and Jill are really convinced, until Al blows the ruse again! Now I guess they're even, right? Well, the next night, Halloween night to be exact, Brad and Randy are alone in the house, when they get a visit from Larry. He seems miffed about being short-changed earlier and demands the rest of his money. This imposing, towering, slightly sinister stranger seems to mean business, so the boys decide to look for their parents' emergency money hidden in the attic. When they get up there, they find it to be foggy and eerie...foreboding. They end getting scared out of their wits, due to Tim and Jill turning the tables on them and getting even with another elaborate prank. Even Larry, who was in on the whole thing again, is impressed. He'd never seen a family go to such sick lengths to scare each other... then I suggest he pay a visit to Dan and Roseanne Conner. So they congratulate one another and decide to go to Al's Halloween party, when suddenly they all find themselves trapped in the attic! Turns out it was Al and Wilson getting the last laugh on the prankish Taylors.
The family that pranks together... um... thanks together? Anyway, great episode. And a great performance by special guest star Larry Hankin as Clifford/Larry. The version of the episode I watched omitted the scene of Larry meeting Tim down at Tool Time to set up the prank, and I think it works better without meeting him first. It makes him much more imposing. If you like Home Improvement's Halloween episodes, which are just as good as their Christmas episodes, why not check out I Was a Teenage Taylor? And, as I said above, Roseanne has its share of good Halloween episodes too, and they're much crazier with their pranks and scares than the Taylors. Say, I wonder what would've happened if both ABC shows had done a crossover? Maybe a Halloween crossover? Fan fiction writers, do your stuff. Happy Halloween! Oh, and... don't be scared. Ha ha ha ha ha!
Guess what? This WAS a practical joke. Clifford is actually Larry, a friend of Tim's who runs a practical joke and costume shop. The ruse went perfectly...until blabber-mouth Al Borland let the cat out of the bag. Realizing they'd been played like harps, Brad and Randy decide to get even, and convince Al to help. Randy puts on a crying front, acting like he's really scared of Clifford, and it goes along perfectly, Tim and Jill are really convinced, until Al blows the ruse again! Now I guess they're even, right? Well, the next night, Halloween night to be exact, Brad and Randy are alone in the house, when they get a visit from Larry. He seems miffed about being short-changed earlier and demands the rest of his money. This imposing, towering, slightly sinister stranger seems to mean business, so the boys decide to look for their parents' emergency money hidden in the attic. When they get up there, they find it to be foggy and eerie...foreboding. They end getting scared out of their wits, due to Tim and Jill turning the tables on them and getting even with another elaborate prank. Even Larry, who was in on the whole thing again, is impressed. He'd never seen a family go to such sick lengths to scare each other... then I suggest he pay a visit to Dan and Roseanne Conner. So they congratulate one another and decide to go to Al's Halloween party, when suddenly they all find themselves trapped in the attic! Turns out it was Al and Wilson getting the last laugh on the prankish Taylors.
The family that pranks together... um... thanks together? Anyway, great episode. And a great performance by special guest star Larry Hankin as Clifford/Larry. The version of the episode I watched omitted the scene of Larry meeting Tim down at Tool Time to set up the prank, and I think it works better without meeting him first. It makes him much more imposing. If you like Home Improvement's Halloween episodes, which are just as good as their Christmas episodes, why not check out I Was a Teenage Taylor? And, as I said above, Roseanne has its share of good Halloween episodes too, and they're much crazier with their pranks and scares than the Taylors. Say, I wonder what would've happened if both ABC shows had done a crossover? Maybe a Halloween crossover? Fan fiction writers, do your stuff. Happy Halloween! Oh, and... don't be scared. Ha ha ha ha ha!
