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Right and having Mari Yu not return for another couple of episodes is going to make people go: "Who is this character again?" When she was being shown to be this "big replacement for old Mandy and Eve." We haven't seen her in almost five episodes and then she returns. Yeah, that's not how you market a new character and then don't even mention them at all. There has been no prep for her character outside the initial episode. Plus, as many critics have said: "Oh look a new Cousin Oliver character, because that always works." Happy that they actually pointed out that Ryan and Mike arguing is just who they are. However, once again, Ryan had a horrible father, I mean he didn't want Ryan seeing his grandfather because they "spend to much time together". Yet, he would never spend time with Ryan and still no word on what the hell Ryan's mother is or does? The Ed story was funny, best with the NuMandy since the show started. Though, could we have any more pot shots at liberal vs conservative. I'm going to talk politics, but it has gotten so old.

No kidding, no matter how lazy the writing, Ed O'neil does his job. He still loves what he does, he doesn't do it for a paycheck, he really loves his art. Always has from his comedy days on Married with Children, to his more series side of: A Father's Love.

Oh I agree, Katie is either getting thrown something that is just mean or unwarranted just to piss her off. Oliver has to "not get what he wants" shoved down our throats and then regresses him back to: "I hate my family, I can't wait until I grow up and get away from these losers." Yet, Oliver hangs with all the "losers" and for Katie, at this point I'm surprise she doesn't put a restraining order on the Stepford Moms, because at this point I be: "get away from my house or I'm hitting you with my car!"

Oh I know, my favorite is when students see that the word is underlined in red if they are using a word processing and they don't "right click" to see the spelling correction suggestions. I challenged one student for the new year to start spelling his words correctly. They told me: "But that will take longer" I went: "Where are you going?" Student: "Nowhere." I told them to stop acting like they had somewhere to go and type out: that instead of: tht"

Right and people who do that much later in life start seeing people who marry or get more associated with the family go: "Why did you put up with that?" While the excuse was: "I was just trying to keep him happy." Later on it's: "What about being happy too?" It's like one of those moments where the person goes; "Damn, you are right." Something that sadly Home Improvement did like many other sitcoms is you have this very bitter or "traditional" inlaw who instead of being happy for their child and the life they build. Is just hateful for some reason or another to their spouse for some reason. I mean, never ONCE did we ever hear who Fred would have preferred Jill to marry. I mean, hell when Lisa's affair came out that everyone but Carrie and the other sister knew about. It was like: "So, what's her excuse? She's your daughter, right, how could she EVER be guilty?" Reminds me of what John Ritter said after 3s a Crowd was cancelled. "I don't get why my father-in-law hated Jack so much. By that point, he had grown up, ran a successful business, stop being a player and yet he just hated Jack for whatever reasons. I never got that." Or on Blossom when they had the grandfather, Buzz who did feel bad his daughter walked out on his grand kids, but always loved it when he could take a swipe at the dad showing he never was happy with their marriage. Yet, his daughter walking out her kids, oh no, never could get angry at that. Yet, the answer to Fred was just to not tell him things and quit things everyone else loved. I also found it way out of character that when Jill said she got high at a Led Zeppelin Concert in college. Her parents knew she was out of her mind and it was Tim who got her home since they were first dating then. I knew it was after Fred was dead and this was season 7. However, I wanted to go: "I could see Lillian telling her that, but sharing that with Fred? Never!" Fred would have so flipped out he would have told Jill to quit college and get back home so he could keep an eye on her. Jill's history might have never changed, but constancy with her character went out the door in season 3.

Right it was a good fake out. I figure the show will most likely go another year since it's ratings have gone back to what they were on ABC. However, I can see Fox after everything with the Disney deal goes through saying: "Well, it was fun, but the ratings are starting to decline again, but we will give you a good wrap up this time."

Very good points, and I think it would have made more sense if you did the first two episodes with Morgan first and then had Harry needing to sell the hardware store would have made more sense plot wise and also felt more like wrapping up the series. Another point was, Jill was acting like everything going on with Morgan was not a big deal until Tim flat out quits. Jill even is: "Wait, you can't do that." I get they were trying to say that Jill was so wrapped up in graduating and defending her dissertation (which we never saw) she was thinking Tim was over reacting like always. Of course when Tim hears that Bud quit, left Binford and that Morgan wanted to do more Jerry Springer until people got bored with it. That's what cemented her that things were bad. Another thing, I really never liked when Brad tells Tim: "Why it's just starting to get good." Showing that Brad likes Jerry Springer, I never liked that line. Brad loved going on Tool Time and watching Heidi and seeing the hot rod and car pieces of the show. Apparently, it was all a lie and being 18 and his father quitting the show along with everyone else now admits, maybe it's not a great idea because Jerry Springer is "cool". Going to the other end, they just showed Tim's first few episodes when he starts working on the original hot rod. I like Jill better here, because while she is: "Oh men and their toys." She gets its important to Tim and all the boys, even though Randy isn't a car guy really loved the idea of working on the hot rod. Especially when Tim tells Jill the real reason why he started to like cars and why building this was so important to him. Sad to say that three years later when he sold it, we get Jill: "I hate everything like my father and I'm soooo busy all the time."

My wife and I were just loving all the 70s jokes from the Papouli to seeing Lee Majors and Lindsey Wagner.

Oh I know, I've been in the education world for almost a decade and have seen kids that really needed help to those where the parents are: "They have an IEP, they can't fail!"

Right even when Morgan said that later they would get back to "tool stuff", what was he trying to do? Binford was a tool company, yes they also were into other things such as car waxes, paints, ect. Much like say: Sears, Lowes, Menards, Ace, ect. but what was he trying to accomplish? What was Binford or even Bud thinking with Morgan? Were they trying to get more footing in the entertainment business? Were they trying to just get more notice for something other than tools? None of made any sense and while the writers were basically trying to wrap up the show in less than 7 episodes with everything. It's like how the Mary Tyler Moore Show had it where everyone, but the news reporter who was always screwing up on the show was fired but them. The difference is, MTMS had a full year to wrap things up and did it well, same situation, all of a sudden some new big shot comes in, doesn't know anything and then fires everyone but the moron who SHOULD have been fired. I get people like Morgan exist and come strutting in like they are the messiah, but after they make the situation all worst you just want to go: "You knew who they were, why the hell didn't you stop them?"

Right and it seems they only like bringing up that fact when they HAVE to talk about it. Of course both the town and the school seem to exist in this magical bubble where they can do whatever they want and people aren't being arrested in droves for all the illegal crap they have been pulling off the last 3 seasons because you know, TV.

That's the problem, Haley doesn't know how to survive on her own. True story, my wife due to having a medical condition lived with her parents into her late 20s. Now, they taught her how to: pay bills, get groceries, save, ect. She also worked a set of good jobs, including one for almost 5 years out of college. However, after we got married and got our own house, she was really lost on things. She realized that you have to spend money on utilities that don't wait on things and flux every month. She was just use to credit card, cell bill, ect. She had never owned a car she had to pay on her own, deal with outside costs and also how much money it cost for their son. She was in a tail spin for a couple of years and also got talked into some bad deals by maintenance people because she was "being nice" to them. Instead of saying: "Excuse me! I am not paying for that? I don't have that kind of money." Plus, since Modern Family is so famous with putting people out of a job because of "reasons" I can see Dylan while having his certifications and good rapport with patients all of a sudden saying: "Get out!" or with Haley as much as works in this out there crappy "celebrity world" of all of a sudden the clients turning to drugs and rehab or flaking out for some "new weird" thing.

It's funny, now with the last few episodes airing of the series again. The shift to Morgan showing up and how Bud thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. I don't get it at all, Bud does a complete 360 of all the character work done on him for almost 4 years. I get Robinson was busy with other projects, but his return just seems off in the last few episodes. First, with the entire dumping of Binford products. I get that the cheese company had been a sponsor for the last two seasons of the show. Mostly due to Tim's involvement in the car club, however when you are a big company like Binford that was built from the ground up. To then just start pulling your own product to "make room" for other stuff. That shows signs you are in financial problems. Also, hearing that there was a Board of Directors at Binford, just what snake oil did Morgan deal to get them all to think he was so great? We know that his copying and Tim, Al and Heidi all getting up and quitting. That's like the employee you hire because they seem good on paper and seem "nice" and then they turn into some type of overlord. Then when they ruin everything, you look back and go: "Well, actually things were bad with this person, but these other people were propping them up. I get that Bud propped up Morgan (why, well bad writing). However, who else at Binford thought he be a suitable replacement for Bud and why would they put some young kid in charge of a company that had been around for over 30 years at that point?

In my mind's eye, I see that after they found a plot for the house to settle in. Brad pretty much was focused on going to UCLA and Randy pretty much got back to say goodbye to Lauren again, then spend his senior year trying to get himself together, and most likely got a scholarship or two and left a year later. While, Mark completely in a new school district, found his niche for filming and later went to UCLA due to Brad's soccer career there and the filming department For Jill, I see having wacky hijinks along with a few other season shrinks and Tim getting deals with Indy drivers while he set up his shop. Going from Tim "the toolman" Taylor to Tim "the car man" Taylor. With various visits from Al and Trudy to get the house working again.

Yeah, reminded me of the old TV show, My Wife and Kids. Where Damon Wayan's character leaves the house with his wife and then half way to their dinner goes: "Oh crap I didn't give them my rules speech." Then being told by his wife the kids had heard it enough and know it by now. However, since he was always telling them what they should "always do" and then forgets, the kids since they didn't hear the "rules speech" do everything they KNOW they shouldn't do because, they weren't "told" to do it. Showing that his constant "my way or the high way" and not actually showing them "why" these rules exist and why they should no better. He created three kids who if not told "exactly" what to do, can't. So, all the years with helicopter/friend parenting you get: "Can't you take responsibility at all?" Haley can't survive on her own, and thinks she is going to have some "magic scheme" that is going to get her the glamours life she dreams of. Alex is SO smart she is a moron and can't do basic things but yet can create machines that think for themselves and yet it's Luke who lands on his feet and also realizes: "I have to learn to live without mom and dad." Yet still makes some 4 year old dumb decisions, when honestly he should know better by now at 20. If Claire wouldn't have been trying to be some over bearing "I have to do everything" helicopter parent, which Jay was not in any form and neither was DeDe. Or Phil trying to always be "the buddy parent" their kids maybe would be able to survive or not panic over the stupidest things. Yet, here we are with everything we have been predicting for years. So, now Phil and Claire come looking like: "shit, we really screwed up." Well, do you wonder why? Look in the mirror.

Yes, because it was the same crime, yes Rory spear headed it, but Logan was involved, knew who the yacht belong too and as many of us said, not his first time doing this. In fact, as Rory put it: "you've done this a ton of times, I haven't." Which, you would think that Logan would have been: "Well, here is the best way not to get caught." Instead they walked hand in hand acting like they were walking down a rose pedal filled road.

Not to mention the fact, she could also be taking night classes, because some graduate classes aren't given during the day due to UNDERGRADUATE classes that professors or associates have to teach during the day. Plus in the 90s about 40% of graduate students worked full time. Now, almost 78% of graduate students work full time and the use of online courses and night classes have been God sends for people trying to get graduate degrees and have families at home. Yet, just proves the writers never cracked open a magazine or called a local university to see how REAL colleges worked. Plus, yes, switching to a new major after being out for school for Jill for say, a decade. Yes, she would have to take undergraduate courses, but she would have completed them in a year and a half. However, Jill stresses about being "too busy" or needing more time to herself to get things done. I don't get what Jill would have hoped if Tim did say give up: Sports or cars. He was NEVER going to give up tools in any shape or form. I do believe if he he never would have sold the original hot rod, he would have still been working on it to a varying degree. I could have seen him a few years later finding his old car and getting it right away. Another thing is, Tim was basically GIVEN the second hot rod and with the original one with the frame I'm sure he paid probably a whopping $50 for it. Even with building it from the ground up and having everyone from friends and his neighbors finding the needed parts. Tim saved probably close to $3K in the first two years and up to about $8K on the second one since he was basically given it. So, I never, ever got why Jill kept acting like the hot rods were this big money black hole, because seriously they weren't. I got the home improvement jobs because nine out of ten times, more things got broke than fixed. Then you had the ones that Al helped with that came out 100% awesome. So, if I take over what was paid by Binford and what it usually costs to keep a house of 5 going for it how it sounded 18 years they lived there and the fact the house was paid off thanks to John Binford. The Taylors saved around $68K in expenses in the 8 years the show was on. I'm sorry, but if I had anywhere near half of that number in the 6 years I have lived in my two story house with a family of 3. My wife would be dancing around the block and I be sleeping, much, much better at night. With Jill, she acted like they were one month away from going bankrupt or were spending 3 X more money then they had coming in. I'm sorry, Jill's college in the mid to late 90s was probably costing close to $4K-8K a year.

Yeah and it felt so true to life. I also agree that Lucille really picked the wrong time to bring all this crap up with Marty. Especially, when Marty did come up with a good plan with Nancy for Claire and Grace to celebrate Christmas without the shadow of the divorce over everyone. I always enjoyed Tim's zaniness with decorating because it's become quite a thing not only at Christmas, but also for Halloween or even 4th of July in the US.

The problem is, that Logan was a repeat offender and as much as he might have had a lawyer who could always get him out of anything outside of murder. Eventually, you are going to get a judge who is: "This is crap! You know what you were doing and have CONSTANTLY done it! Yet have no repercussions!" Plus, in another way, Logan was an complacence in the crime, so the judge would have needed to see him too. If Logan would have done a different crime or caught some place else, then yes, they would have a different judge.

Goes back to all the years they kept saying Al wasn't getting paid much for Tool Time, which at that point, you think he would have quit if he wasn't making that much money. Plus, as it was revealed in the anniversary show and even later in the series. Al was working pretty steadily right out of the military. Being in the Navy most likely paid for all of his licensing and he was probably in the mechanic section of the Navy, especially being stationed in Nevada. Yet, Tim always acted like Al was getting squat for money and yet, Al had money and Tim was making enough to pay for a family of 5 and send his wife back to school full time for almost 5 years. Yet, Al apparently was being paid minimum? I don't think so. I got that Al couldn't pay out $80K for the hardware store, because that was a lot of money, but I'm sure he could have asked Trudy who at that point in their relationship, would have bought the store in a second. It was her channeling Fred again, because there was so much that Lillian loved, but Fred hated. yet as we found out, Fred loved collecting military collectibles and spent a lot of time in his Den either reliving his glory days or setting up things from the military. So, why didn't Jill get the fact, that for her mother, that was quiet time for her. I'm sure being married for over 50 years and the grouchy guy that Fred Patterson was. I'm sure Lillian looked forward to not seeing Fred for hours and having some "me" time. Like when Jill admitted to Al that she squirted oil under the hot rod and it kept Tim away from her for days. You think she would love it since she as so obsessed with: "I want to graduate!" yet always took her summers off instead of taking summer classes to graduate faster, she didn't. Another thing, I did some research of graduate classes in the 90s vs today (since I'm finishing up a doctorate myself in 2019). Jill in 1994 as a full time student and back in a masters program would have at the least taken 13 hours and in Michigan needed to have 30 hours past a undergraduate to get a masters. So, even with summer off, would have finished her masters by 1996. Doctorate was another 40 hours, if she would have done summer classes, she would have been done in 1998. Even with delays to her dissertation being accepted or not. Because professors want their students to graduate too, so they can move on with their lives and you can't take longer than 7 years in a program especially for masters to doctorate since 1990. So, really Jill had to finish in 1999 or the university would have told her two things: "Get done this year or get out!" Same goes when Tim told Jill that Harry's Hardware was going to close down. Her replie: "Oooo, we are going to save a ton of money." Then when Tim was being serious she was: "Wait what?" If Jill was such a good "friend" to Delores she would have known that her forcing Harry to sell and move out of state was a real possibity. Especially when she told them at the party that her asthma was becoming too much and why the needed to go to dry weather. Not that I didn't get Jill with her: "how many version of a power drill do you need?" Because even Randy argued that perfectly with Bud in the previous season. However, Harry and Delores were old time friends, Tim and Binford kept them in business and Harry pretty much providing for the family. Then she acts like Tim blows his entire paycheck on them all the time. Especially, when so many Big Box stores were putting local businesses out of business.

I read that years ago, it's a perfect example. My wife's parents were very strict on her and her siblings and mine were a combination of both. Yet, both our parents now, spoil our kids and their other grand kids. I even have an old friend, who had parents that were so strict and now, I've seen them with their grandkids who are now in their teens and I was like: "Who are you people?"

I feel like the last 3 seasons, you want to pick on Jill, but after seeing Grease Lightning with the finalization of the second hot rod. I mean Jill saying: "Repeat after me, I will NEVER do another hot rod again!" I mean dear God! Could she have sounded any more hateful? I don't get why Jill thought the hot rod were such a waste of time and money. I mean after Tim finished the first one back in season 3, she was happy for him. Even shocked when he sold it a year later to the car collecting pizza entrepreneur. Yet, she got upset as soon as Tim and Brad were given the new one and Jill was; "Oh no, not again!" Even in the season 7 finale when Tim revealed he had to start all over again because the color was now different. Everyone from Jill to Mark hit their heads and were like: "Oh no!" Can't a man have a hobby? Can't he enjoy something his father was passionate about and that Tim has been loving since he was in high school? Why did Jill and later the boys act like they wished the cars were just disappear? It's like the spouse who hates if their better half is into say models and then yet collects M&Ms collectibles, but then says their hobby/collection is crap and call them a little kid? Why can't someone just enjoy something?

Yeah, I even remember when the episode first aired that Tim, Al and Heidi were getting it all set up. I was like: "When and how did he do that?" Of course, it was an excuse to get rid of Al's old apartment set and put in a new place and they were working on getting Al and Trudy together, so made sense they were getting a house. However, a 2 story house in the late 90s would be running in the $225K as the Market was doing so well then. So, I"m going to think that Al was paying almost the same as his apartment or a little more. So, it was working on a major money, plus what did Tim just give it to Al and Trudy or did Trudy buy Tim out when they moved?

Or how she couldn't take her own allergy medicine and Phil gave her the drowsy version instead. She was 15 by that point, she couldn't get her medicine? Not using a broom was really stupid, I mean she can play the cello and yet a broom? She can't watch a youtube video?

That's why I was so shocked about Jill not getting more involved with Randy, because she use to do it in high school herself and even wrote and worked for a magazine. Yet, it was Tim, Randy and even Mark who talked to him about everything, even the dying woman in the retirement home. Jill... nah, why should she when it made the most sense. Another thing too was when Tim and Jill bought the house down the street and rented it to Al. Why was Jill not making a fuss about buying an ENTIRE two story house? She came down on Tim and so did Wilson on Tim being so overboard and recently Randy's return episode aired and Tim was just being awful to Al when he was living there. Yet, Jill never went: "This is like when you wanted to buy the cabin last year? Can we find a tennant and will it cover the costs? Do you have time for fixing things... wait, YOU shouldn't fix anything, we aren't buying it." Let, apparently Jill had no problem there. Even more, that would have been argument of not buying the hardware store 4 episodes later. Tim and Jill could have just said: "We tied more money in Al's house, so we can't buy it." But no, apparently forgot about it and then one episode later they are visiting Al's house and Al giving a comment about how much money he is saving in the house instead of his old apartment. Going back to Marty, how about when he got jealous and upset with Tim and Jill being "better" at parenting the girls than him. I mean, of course they are, their boys are almost out of the house, the girls love them and the girls know it's their house and their rules and they are the "fun" aunt and uncle just like they comment in the Christmas episode that they love Jeff too. Yet, Marty gets all upset that he wants to just up and leave with the girls with NO place and NO money saved up. If anything that should have been a wake up call on his job status. He even said how Nancy said he would NEVER get himself together. I get that there is a lot of anger in a divorce (seen it first hand). However, you would think as a result, that Nancy would have been going to the courts more about Marty not being able to provide for the girls and should have more limited custody. Because those words paint someone who is about 2 steps from sleeping on the street. If anything, I could have seen Lucille and Jeff helping Marty out if Tim didn't. I also love how Tim pretty much told both Jill, Lucille and Marty, he was tired of always trying to keep everyone happy and people kept telling him it wasn't enough. I was cheering Tim there, because seriously, he did so much for everyone, yet Marty never got it in his head to keep trying and Jill acted like Tim had no sense of helping others when all he did was help. Hell, Marty could have moved in with Wilson since Willow was gone from the show by then.