On Tool Time, Tim preaches about how women don't pay attention to detail like men do, but I'm sure even THEY would notice if lacquer on a fender was wet or not before laying their arm on it, as Tim so carelessly does while trying to verbally prove his point. After the show, Tim and his buddy, Fred Axelby, discuss tonight's poker game, and how Murray won't be able to make it. Now they'll be a guy short. Tim will have to find some gullible sap to take Murray's place, so he asks Al, who accepts the invitation. At home, Tim can't stress enough how tonight will be GUYS ONLY night, and hopes Jill and her sister Robin will still be taking the boys to the art museum while her husband Charlie stays to play poker. Unfortunately for Tim, EVERY time he plans a guys' only night, something goes wrong. The red flags shoot up the pole when Robin waltzes through the door without her husband. Apparently they had a fight and she let him out of the car. Tim was none sympathetic, pining for his poker buddy, who then came running in the door, out of breath, and he and Robin continue their fight. Just what Tim needs on poker night. He demands her out of the house, and Jill swears they'll leave as soon as they work things out. In other words, Guys Only Night has officially been canceled. And if you thought Tim and Jill were childish with their fights, get a load of Charlie and Robin. She actually throws his car keys out the door, forcing Charlie and Tim to search for them with flashlights.
After they find the keys, and Fred and Al arrive, they poker game can Finally start. Unfortunately, Robin keeps going in and out of the kitchen, distracting them. Tim knows she's waiting for Charlie to apologize and coaxes him to do so, but he won't budge, proud man that he is. But after some convincing, he calls Robin down and gives her a man's apology: staring at the floor while saying "I'm sorry." She forgives him, but then he puts his foot in his mouth again and the feud's back on. The game itself is pretty lousy, as Al folds ever hand, and Tim gets one lousy hand after another, and it sure didn't help when Mark comes in unexpectedly, looks at his dad's cards and announces them for the other guys to hear. Another hand later, Al finally decides to get in the game and raises $3. He says he has a flush: all black cards. "Read'em and cry." Oy vey. Well, to be fair, he did say he hadn't played poker in 4 years, and I guess Tim and Fred were nice enough NOT to remind him of the rules. Guess they were hoping he'd bet all his money and they'd take him to the cleaners. Anyway, Robin comes downstairs after having a long, husband-bashing chat with Jill, and she's really ready to forgive Charlie. They make amends and... he's out. They leave right in the middle of the game. Now they need a fourth person. Al suggests Jill, which Tim vehemently protests, as a poker table was no place for a woman. However, he was overruled, so he goes outside to talk to Wilson. Taking newly weds' Robin and Charlie's bickering into account, and how he gets so mad at Jill, he wonders how men and women can even stay together. Wilson says it all has to do with strong will power and nature, if two people are meant to be together, they stay together. If it's "in the cards", so to speak. Later on, after Fred and Al have left, Tim and Jill talk out their feelings on the poker table. Then they have themselves a little "game", with Jill holding a cigar in her mouth and calling herself Murray.
Most sitcoms have a poker game episode, usually including friends that never appear on the show again. Seriously, Fred and Charlie are never seen or talked about again. Tim does get "regular" friends in Season 4, and of course Wilson is included in more of the fun, and I guess he wasn't at the poker game in this episode because at this point in the series, he never left his backyard. The premise of women interrupting Tim's guys only night is repeated in Season 2's "Heavy Meddle" in which Tim, Al, and some more friends we never hear about again are dropping the engine into his hot rod while Jill tries to play matchmaker. Anyway, while "Luck Be A Taylor Tonight" has a few humorous moments, it's by no means a spectacular episode. It just comes off as mean and unpleasant, not a whole lot of story, nor characters we actually care about, aside from the regulars. But I suppose it's worth seeing, at least once. And as of now, I've finished critiquing all 203 episodes, all 8 seasons of Home Improvement, a show I watched fondly back in the day...first discovering it in 1995, and I caught it every day in syndicated reruns. It has a lot of great episodes, a lot of horrible ones, and a lot of alright ones. It was definitely underrated in its time, and when looking back on it today, it's really a gem. A clean, non-offensive, light comedy that both young and old can enjoy. They don't seem to make shows like it anymore.
After they find the keys, and Fred and Al arrive, they poker game can Finally start. Unfortunately, Robin keeps going in and out of the kitchen, distracting them. Tim knows she's waiting for Charlie to apologize and coaxes him to do so, but he won't budge, proud man that he is. But after some convincing, he calls Robin down and gives her a man's apology: staring at the floor while saying "I'm sorry." She forgives him, but then he puts his foot in his mouth again and the feud's back on. The game itself is pretty lousy, as Al folds ever hand, and Tim gets one lousy hand after another, and it sure didn't help when Mark comes in unexpectedly, looks at his dad's cards and announces them for the other guys to hear. Another hand later, Al finally decides to get in the game and raises $3. He says he has a flush: all black cards. "Read'em and cry." Oy vey. Well, to be fair, he did say he hadn't played poker in 4 years, and I guess Tim and Fred were nice enough NOT to remind him of the rules. Guess they were hoping he'd bet all his money and they'd take him to the cleaners. Anyway, Robin comes downstairs after having a long, husband-bashing chat with Jill, and she's really ready to forgive Charlie. They make amends and... he's out. They leave right in the middle of the game. Now they need a fourth person. Al suggests Jill, which Tim vehemently protests, as a poker table was no place for a woman. However, he was overruled, so he goes outside to talk to Wilson. Taking newly weds' Robin and Charlie's bickering into account, and how he gets so mad at Jill, he wonders how men and women can even stay together. Wilson says it all has to do with strong will power and nature, if two people are meant to be together, they stay together. If it's "in the cards", so to speak. Later on, after Fred and Al have left, Tim and Jill talk out their feelings on the poker table. Then they have themselves a little "game", with Jill holding a cigar in her mouth and calling herself Murray.
Most sitcoms have a poker game episode, usually including friends that never appear on the show again. Seriously, Fred and Charlie are never seen or talked about again. Tim does get "regular" friends in Season 4, and of course Wilson is included in more of the fun, and I guess he wasn't at the poker game in this episode because at this point in the series, he never left his backyard. The premise of women interrupting Tim's guys only night is repeated in Season 2's "Heavy Meddle" in which Tim, Al, and some more friends we never hear about again are dropping the engine into his hot rod while Jill tries to play matchmaker. Anyway, while "Luck Be A Taylor Tonight" has a few humorous moments, it's by no means a spectacular episode. It just comes off as mean and unpleasant, not a whole lot of story, nor characters we actually care about, aside from the regulars. But I suppose it's worth seeing, at least once. And as of now, I've finished critiquing all 203 episodes, all 8 seasons of Home Improvement, a show I watched fondly back in the day...first discovering it in 1995, and I caught it every day in syndicated reruns. It has a lot of great episodes, a lot of horrible ones, and a lot of alright ones. It was definitely underrated in its time, and when looking back on it today, it's really a gem. A clean, non-offensive, light comedy that both young and old can enjoy. They don't seem to make shows like it anymore.
