Today on Tool Time, the subject is manly hygiene... you know, cleaning up after a dirty job. Tim has invited the boys from K&B Construction: Pete, Dwayne and Gus (Rock was sick I guess) to give the viewing audience some job site grooming tips. Gus demonstrates how to clean off boots using a sock and a power drill, while Dwayne shows how you can clean your fingernails using a penny nail. Finally, what to do about hat-head? Fortunately, Dwayne doesn't have to worry about that. Pete demonstrates hair styling by way of an air compressor. After the show concludes and Tim is backstage with the guys, Al starts cleaning up when suddenly Heidi comes in and informs him that Mr. Binford has kicked the bucket. They wonder how Tim is going to react, but when they finally tell him, he looks shocked. But then he and Al go down to Big Mike's and Tim throws darts as if nothing had happened. Al wants to talk, saying Binford's death struck a chord with him as well. He's sad because the last thing he'd talked to John about was getting a hot water spigot on the water cooler. When he refused him, Al was curt to him when he said hello the next time. Tim, however, seems to be dealing with the loss by way of levity and taking a hard-hearted approach to it. Everybody grieves in their own way, this is probably his. Or...is Tim even allowing himself to grieve?
At home, Jill convinces the boys to help her address invitations to some uninteresting fund-raiser she got roped into doing...again. Tim comes home and breaks the news about Mr. Binford's death, and Jill takes it pretty hard, while Tim gathers up the boys to play some basketball. He refused to talk about his feelings on the matter, but when the men get back from B-ball, Tim and Brad have a talk in the kitchen. It seems the boy thinks his father is taking the death "like a man" and not letting himself get all teary-eyed. This makes Tim doubt if he's sending a positive message to the boys, so he goes to talk about it with Wilson, who assures him there are other ways of grieving besides crying. This isn't the first big loss of Tim's life, he'd lost his father at a young age. It's just not a comfortable subject for him to talk about. However, he manages to bring himself to talk about it with Jill, and even on Tool Time, he expresses his true feelings for John Binford. He even erected a special gravestone for him in the shape of a claw hammer. In short, John Binford was a darn nice old man with a vision and was kind to his fellow man, and Tim wouldn't be where he is now without him. To celebrate the life of the fallen tool king, Tim has another surprise up his sleeve: a 21-nail gun salute. Naturally, the mechanism malfunctions and sends nails shooting everywhere.
Mr. Binford had been an established character on the series...more or less, making two short appearances during the first season, so at least he wasn't just some unseen character whose death was used as a plot device. You may remember he was portrayed by Noble Willingham, who sadly passed away in 2004. He was a decent character actor in his day and he was good at portraying John Binford, who was kind of a gruff and grumpy old man who didn't really like Al and was condescending to Tim in order to get his way. However, Tim and everybody still thought very highly of him and we learn how good of a man he was in this episode. As for me, I actually didn't like Mr. Binford. I thought he was a real son of a bitch who treated people like dirt, and he was a short-sighted man with a crude sense of taste, like giving Tim his own show and free reign to do as he pleases. I don't think the world will be missing him all that much. So if you remember the short-lived Mr. Binford character, or you can relate to Tim and have reserved emotions for when you have a loss, or you're like Al and you let the water works flow, this is an episode you should see.
At home, Jill convinces the boys to help her address invitations to some uninteresting fund-raiser she got roped into doing...again. Tim comes home and breaks the news about Mr. Binford's death, and Jill takes it pretty hard, while Tim gathers up the boys to play some basketball. He refused to talk about his feelings on the matter, but when the men get back from B-ball, Tim and Brad have a talk in the kitchen. It seems the boy thinks his father is taking the death "like a man" and not letting himself get all teary-eyed. This makes Tim doubt if he's sending a positive message to the boys, so he goes to talk about it with Wilson, who assures him there are other ways of grieving besides crying. This isn't the first big loss of Tim's life, he'd lost his father at a young age. It's just not a comfortable subject for him to talk about. However, he manages to bring himself to talk about it with Jill, and even on Tool Time, he expresses his true feelings for John Binford. He even erected a special gravestone for him in the shape of a claw hammer. In short, John Binford was a darn nice old man with a vision and was kind to his fellow man, and Tim wouldn't be where he is now without him. To celebrate the life of the fallen tool king, Tim has another surprise up his sleeve: a 21-nail gun salute. Naturally, the mechanism malfunctions and sends nails shooting everywhere.
Mr. Binford had been an established character on the series...more or less, making two short appearances during the first season, so at least he wasn't just some unseen character whose death was used as a plot device. You may remember he was portrayed by Noble Willingham, who sadly passed away in 2004. He was a decent character actor in his day and he was good at portraying John Binford, who was kind of a gruff and grumpy old man who didn't really like Al and was condescending to Tim in order to get his way. However, Tim and everybody still thought very highly of him and we learn how good of a man he was in this episode. As for me, I actually didn't like Mr. Binford. I thought he was a real son of a bitch who treated people like dirt, and he was a short-sighted man with a crude sense of taste, like giving Tim his own show and free reign to do as he pleases. I don't think the world will be missing him all that much. So if you remember the short-lived Mr. Binford character, or you can relate to Tim and have reserved emotions for when you have a loss, or you're like Al and you let the water works flow, this is an episode you should see.
