We begin with Gadget Corner, as Tim demonstrates a beeping mechanism that can prevent one from nodding off at the wheel, and as expected, it malfunctions. Next up is the new Binford electric boot dryer. Tim demonstrates it with a pair of Al's boots he'd finagled from his locker and left to soak in scalding hot water for two days. Normally the boot dryer takes 12 hours to work, but Tim souped it up...and nearly burned Al's boots to a crisp. I'm sure that when his boots are dry, Tim is going to have one firmly planted up his... at home, the Tool Man shows off his skills of juggling the spice shakers, when he gets a phone call. It's Al. Apparently his favorite bingo caller died, and as a result, he'll have to miss Tool Time the next day. Brad asks if he could take Al's place, as the only subjects in school he'd miss are math and history, so Tim says it's okay. And apparently it was okay with Jill too. Only Randy doesn't seem too pleased with the fact his older brother is going to be on Tool Time. What does he care? He hates the show. But maybe it has more to do with just being on a show. How hard can it be to work alongside somebody who knows just as much about home repair as Leonardo DiVinci did about rock music? Well, as Brad prepares himself backstage, Heidi clearly sees he is nervous and suggests a special trick she often employs: picture everybody in their underwear. Somehow I don't think that's going to help, Heidi. At least it's better than Tim's suggestion of picturing everybody naked.
Tim and Brad's first show together begins innocently enough. They're going to be using a scroll saw, which Brad will use to cut out a heart shape on a piece of wood for his girlfriend Ashley. He makes a perfect cut, so naturally Tim assumes he can do it too, only he doesn't trace the design before he cuts. As a result, he ends up with a kidney-shaped heart. So the show wasn't a total embarrassment and Brad didn't drool TOO much over Heidi, so it was okay. While Tim, Jill and Mark congratulated the junior co-host, Randy stared him down with glowing green eyes. They're constantly bickering with one another, showing a classic case of sibling rivalry, vying for the parents' attention and admiration, or in this case, Tim's. It seems Randy feels left out whenever Tim spends time with Brad. The trouble there is that Tim and Brad have interests different from Randy's. This is especially apparent when Tim asks Randy to be on Tool Time next week and he declines. Wilson overhears and suggests Tim try to make the effort to find some common ground with Randy, so he doesn't feel left out. Meanwhile, Brad's head is swelled up about the size of his father's, gloating about how for just 30 fleeting minutes, he was a star. Jill tries to take him down a peg by talking from the perspective of being a middle child, telling him that Randy is jealous, which he thinks is cool. She ends up telling him the "wallaby" story. You know, whenever her family went to the zoo, she never got to see the wallabies. Explains so much. So Tim narrowly dodges the wallaby story as he heads upstairs for a heart-to-heart with his middle son. Turns out, they do have one common ground: jokes. They play off one another without missing a beat. Tim also offers to give Randy's primitive laptop more power and, well, you can probably guess how that turned out.
So everything worked out. Randy managed to swallow his pride and congratulate Brad on his Tool Time appearance...in his own way, of course. This episode has always been one of my favorites, it's funny, it's touching, and has a great message. Who could forget "knee you sex time"? or Jill's wallaby story. So many funny moments. And we can see that Randy's opinion of Tool Time hasn't changed since last season's "This Joke's For You". I wonder what would've happened if Randy did guest star on the show? Probably say what we're all thinking, that his dad is acting like a mental patient. So if you were the middle child and you never got to see the wallabies, you can probably relate to this episode. And if you're not, it's still a fun one to check out.
Tim and Brad's first show together begins innocently enough. They're going to be using a scroll saw, which Brad will use to cut out a heart shape on a piece of wood for his girlfriend Ashley. He makes a perfect cut, so naturally Tim assumes he can do it too, only he doesn't trace the design before he cuts. As a result, he ends up with a kidney-shaped heart. So the show wasn't a total embarrassment and Brad didn't drool TOO much over Heidi, so it was okay. While Tim, Jill and Mark congratulated the junior co-host, Randy stared him down with glowing green eyes. They're constantly bickering with one another, showing a classic case of sibling rivalry, vying for the parents' attention and admiration, or in this case, Tim's. It seems Randy feels left out whenever Tim spends time with Brad. The trouble there is that Tim and Brad have interests different from Randy's. This is especially apparent when Tim asks Randy to be on Tool Time next week and he declines. Wilson overhears and suggests Tim try to make the effort to find some common ground with Randy, so he doesn't feel left out. Meanwhile, Brad's head is swelled up about the size of his father's, gloating about how for just 30 fleeting minutes, he was a star. Jill tries to take him down a peg by talking from the perspective of being a middle child, telling him that Randy is jealous, which he thinks is cool. She ends up telling him the "wallaby" story. You know, whenever her family went to the zoo, she never got to see the wallabies. Explains so much. So Tim narrowly dodges the wallaby story as he heads upstairs for a heart-to-heart with his middle son. Turns out, they do have one common ground: jokes. They play off one another without missing a beat. Tim also offers to give Randy's primitive laptop more power and, well, you can probably guess how that turned out.
So everything worked out. Randy managed to swallow his pride and congratulate Brad on his Tool Time appearance...in his own way, of course. This episode has always been one of my favorites, it's funny, it's touching, and has a great message. Who could forget "knee you sex time"? or Jill's wallaby story. So many funny moments. And we can see that Randy's opinion of Tool Time hasn't changed since last season's "This Joke's For You". I wonder what would've happened if Randy did guest star on the show? Probably say what we're all thinking, that his dad is acting like a mental patient. So if you were the middle child and you never got to see the wallabies, you can probably relate to this episode. And if you're not, it's still a fun one to check out.
