Previously on Home Improvement, Jill's heavy flow days were growing ever stronger, so she goes to the gynecologist, who says she needs a hysterectomy. While she's having the operation, she suddenly goes into shock, while Tim waits and worries just outside the O.R. Eventually, the doctor comes out and informs him that while Jill did go into shock, she has stabilized. That's the good news. The bad news: she had twisted cysts. Twisted Cysters, if you will, and as a result, he had to remove her ovaries too. A partial hysterectomy has now become a full one. They had no choice. So, Jill comes out of surgery, a groggy mess. Tim can't bring himself to tell her she no longer has ovaries, but she figures it out. She doesn't take it well. Later on, when she felt up to it, she wanted to resume working on her thesis, hell bent on getting it in on time, even though I think universities are required by law to grant extensions in cases such as this. But even if they did, Jill is still a stickler for getting things done on time. Anyway, she suddenly gets visitors! Heidi and Al, baring flowers and a bunch of balloons respectively. Al then regales Jill of when his mother had a hysterectomy, and proceeds to talk as if he'd been through it himself, talking about taking estrogen, and about hormonal side effects. While Jill puts on a polite front, she grumbles in her head. She's also jealous of Heidi's revealing shirt. Then, in comes Wilson with an obnoxious talking teddy bear. Jill soon laments she survived the surgery.
Finally, Jill gets to go home, and waiting for her is her mother. Tim invited Lillian personally to help his wife through this difficult time. So while Tim plays with the I.V., cups and other stuff he stole from the hospital like it were a hotel, Lillian takes charge to make sure her daughter rests. However, the only thing on Jill's mind is her thesis, but get this: her extremely dedicated husband got her an extension, though he had to mention the hysterectomy. The ingrate gets up off the couch, complaining about her situation, about how Heidi, Al and Wilson did nothing to boost her spirits and storms upstairs. The bitch is back. Lillian makes her some bread pudding as a peace offering, and Tim brings her some milk, but it's whole milk and she lashes out at him, then she blames Tim for LETTING her mother make her bread pudding. Have I mentioned lately that Tim is a saint for tolerating this woman? Thankfully, Lillian intervenes and has a mother-to-daughter talk with Jill, who at first comes off as extremely difficult, but then she lets out her emotions and her hatred of not only the situation, but of life and the world in general, and her mother takes her to cry in her arms. Then she tells Jill about her own experiences with "the change", about the good parts: no more periods, cramps, none of that, and as far as sex life, she'll be able to knock boots like nobody's business, thanks to the TMI Lillian gives her. Later, when Tim comes home with every kind of milk in existence, Jill apologizes for her earlier behavior. They make amends, Tim assures her didn't marry her for her ovaries, but what was inside of her, and that he still finds her desirable under the circumstances.
Another well performed episode and a somewhat satisfying conclusion to this dramatic two-parter. However, I think this story could have had an alternate storyline: having Jill actually die during her operation, and show Tim and the rest of the family coping with the loss. Because if the rumors are true, Pat is the reason Home Improvement didn't go for a ninth season. Apparently there was a salary dispute, she wanted to be paid the same amount as Tim Allen. I guess she thought everybody watched the show for her, and not him. So if they killed off Jill, they wouldn't have had this problem, since Pat would leave the show. Also, it would've been interesting to see how Tim's life unfolds without Jill. I imagine he just wouldn't be the same and it would be very dramatic. It wouldn't be the first time a sitcom killed off a main character, just look at James from Good Times. But anyway, Love's Labor Lost Parts 1 and 2 are REALLY good. They feature some great acting, mainly by Patricia Richardson, and also by Tim Allen as her rock. This is also the final appearance of Polly Holiday as Nana. Last but not least, I have now critiqued each episode of Season 8: Home Improvement's weakest season, and one of the season's weakest episodes (Neighbors) is up next.
Finally, Jill gets to go home, and waiting for her is her mother. Tim invited Lillian personally to help his wife through this difficult time. So while Tim plays with the I.V., cups and other stuff he stole from the hospital like it were a hotel, Lillian takes charge to make sure her daughter rests. However, the only thing on Jill's mind is her thesis, but get this: her extremely dedicated husband got her an extension, though he had to mention the hysterectomy. The ingrate gets up off the couch, complaining about her situation, about how Heidi, Al and Wilson did nothing to boost her spirits and storms upstairs. The bitch is back. Lillian makes her some bread pudding as a peace offering, and Tim brings her some milk, but it's whole milk and she lashes out at him, then she blames Tim for LETTING her mother make her bread pudding. Have I mentioned lately that Tim is a saint for tolerating this woman? Thankfully, Lillian intervenes and has a mother-to-daughter talk with Jill, who at first comes off as extremely difficult, but then she lets out her emotions and her hatred of not only the situation, but of life and the world in general, and her mother takes her to cry in her arms. Then she tells Jill about her own experiences with "the change", about the good parts: no more periods, cramps, none of that, and as far as sex life, she'll be able to knock boots like nobody's business, thanks to the TMI Lillian gives her. Later, when Tim comes home with every kind of milk in existence, Jill apologizes for her earlier behavior. They make amends, Tim assures her didn't marry her for her ovaries, but what was inside of her, and that he still finds her desirable under the circumstances.
Another well performed episode and a somewhat satisfying conclusion to this dramatic two-parter. However, I think this story could have had an alternate storyline: having Jill actually die during her operation, and show Tim and the rest of the family coping with the loss. Because if the rumors are true, Pat is the reason Home Improvement didn't go for a ninth season. Apparently there was a salary dispute, she wanted to be paid the same amount as Tim Allen. I guess she thought everybody watched the show for her, and not him. So if they killed off Jill, they wouldn't have had this problem, since Pat would leave the show. Also, it would've been interesting to see how Tim's life unfolds without Jill. I imagine he just wouldn't be the same and it would be very dramatic. It wouldn't be the first time a sitcom killed off a main character, just look at James from Good Times. But anyway, Love's Labor Lost Parts 1 and 2 are REALLY good. They feature some great acting, mainly by Patricia Richardson, and also by Tim Allen as her rock. This is also the final appearance of Polly Holiday as Nana. Last but not least, I have now critiqued each episode of Season 8: Home Improvement's weakest season, and one of the season's weakest episodes (Neighbors) is up next.
