The DVD Dissection: Home Improvement - The Complete Seventh Season
Posted by Chad Webb on 10.13.2007
Drugs, infidelity, gothic characters, and an annoying neighbor results in lots of strangeness during this season.
Tim Allen: Tim Taylor
Patricia Richardson: Jill Taylor
Zachary Ty Bryan: Bradley Michael Taylor
Jonathan Taylor Thomas: Randall William Taylor
Taran Noah Smith: Marcus Jason Taylor
Richard Karn: Al Borland
Debbie Dunning: Heidi Keppert
Earl Hindman: Wilson Wilson Jr.
William O' Leary: Martin "Marty" Taylor
China Kantner: Willow Wilson
Created By: Carmen Finestra, David McFadzean, Matt Williams
Directed By: Andrew Tsao, Geoffrey Nelson, Peter Bonerz, etc.
Season Air Time: 1997-1998
DVD Release Date: August 7, 2007
Full Running Time: 554 minutes
Individual Episode Running Time: 22-23 minutes (without commercials)/ 30 minutes (with commercials)
Rating: TV-PG
The Show
The well runs dry for all great sitcoms eventually, and with Home Improvement, the seventh season had the bottom of the well with about an inch of water left. This is a series that was never groundbreaking, but nonetheless utilized the commonplace situations based on Tim Allen's stand up comedy routine wisely. Unfortunately, too many poor decisions and drastic alterations would lead to the end of this popular show in the long run.
Many episodes relied on heavy build and dramatic trailers for folks to tune in as I recall during this season. I was always a devoted fan, so I watched loyally each week, but only in retrospect is it increasingly evident how ridiculous many episodes and storylines were. Problem numeral uno is inconsistent and underdeveloped new angles. For instance, the season commences with Tim experiencing a midlife crisis, yet this only reappears at very odd and sporadic moments after that. The children were taken in extremely crazy directions. Brad is the only one whose new sub-plots were relatively normal. Randy all of sudden becomes maddening to watch. What used to be the always funny and sarcastic Taylor son, turns into a cocky, pain in the ass who questions everything and argues about every controversial issue. There's nothing bad about being liberal, but in this case, it ripped the soul out of the character. The jokes are substituted for irritating little comments.
The guilty pleasure portion of season seven is provided by Taran Smith, the "Noah" is dropped in the beginning credits, as he turns into Gothic boy. Looking back at this, I didn’t mind it nearly as much. The new image finally took the lameness out of Mark, and instilled an identity, albeit a kooky one. What makes this bizarre change stupid is how forceful and inconsistent the creators are with displaying it. One episode will have Mark simply dressing in black, another will have his hair dyed, another will have his nails black, and then he'll go back to being normal, but just wearing black clothing. They should have selected one style, and kept it. I would even go as far as to state that Taran Smith's acting improved a tad here.
The biggest flaw was introducing Willow Wilson, the niece of the Taylors’ intelligent, but facially concealed neighbor. China Kantner portrays Willow, and her voice, combined with her shoddy performance skills make her the worst character in Home Improvement history. I'm guessing she was brought in to reach the target demographic of mid 20's men and women, but that goal failed miserably.
Overall, this season still maintained much of the great comedy, but at times it felt lackluster, as if the writers weren't trying to make the audience chuckle, but instead trying to mesmerize them with radical new twists. Numerous guest stars such as Dan Aykroyd and Rodney Dangerfield supplied some bonus laughs. The continuity is all messed up, and that was unnecessary for such a wholesome and reliable sitcom. As I have always said, the middle seasons of most sitcoms are the better ones. The beginning and late ones are almost never as likable.
The Episodes
DISC 1
Quest for Fire (22:10) – The season opener has lots of stuff going on with the Taylors’ vacationing at Lake Michigan, Brad struggling with a break-up, and Tim unleashes a shocking new decision on the fam. The whole flying BBQ grill was just retarded, and the mid-life crisis angle didn’t work for me. 6.5/10.0
Clash of the Taylors (22:08) – And so Goth Mark unfolds more with his new friend Ronnie, and snobby Randy begins with his interviewing of Binford President Bud Harper. Also Jill has an internship. This was a decent episode, but it wasn’t until later that Randy really got annoying. 7.5/10.0
Pump You Up (22:08) – Brad receives an opportunity for a soccer scholarship, so Tim pushes him hard to make an impression. Meanwhile, Randy and Lauren are avoiding a couple at school who wants to double date. This episode was actually good, and the workout sessions were entertaining. 8.5/10.0
Room at the Top (22:09) – Jill wants organization in her life, so she request that Tim build her an office, but then changes her mind at the last minute. This is the type of storyline the show is all about, and it was effective as usual. 8.0/10.0
A Night to Dismember (22:10) – It’s Halloween time again, and Mark is shooting a movie for his class using his family as characters. When Tim and Jill get a glimpse at the film, they become worried about his intentions. Nobody did holiday episodes like Home Improvement, and this proves it. 9.0/10.0
The Niece (22:20) – Wilson’s niece Willow comes to visit for his birthday, and then she is asked to stay permanently. The introduction of the worst character of the series was not felt until later. This episode skated by barely with mildly humorous moments. 7.0/10.0
Jill’s Passion (22:00) – Jill meets Ian at the YMCA, and he asks her out, mistaking Tim for her brother. Jill then has a dream about him, and talks to her friend about it. Dukes of Hazzard star Tom Wopat guest stars as Ian, and he was excellent in the role. I happen to be fond of this plot. 9.0/10.0
Losing My Religion (22:08) – Dan Aykroyd stars as a preacher, Tim breaks a piece of blessed furniture, and Randy questions his religion. This is where I was turned off by Jonathan Taylor Thomas for the first time during the shows run. I didn’t care for this episode, but Aykroyd was great. 6.5/10.0
DISC 2
Thanksgiving (22:09) – Tim and the family are offered a box seat at the Detroit Lions game for their dinner, but Tim ends up blacking out the lights in the stadium. I enjoyed myself here, but the Rodney Dangerfield segment felt tacked on. Regardless, this was standard material from all. 7.5/10.0
The Dating Game (22:10) – Al’s ex-fiancee, Ilene, gets engaged, and Al re-enters the dating circuit. This was one I hardly remembered because it never airs on television. I thought it was hilarious, especially during the club scenes. 8.5/10.0
Bright Christmas (22:26) – As per normal, problems with Jill’s mother arise at Christmas, where she has started dating someone new. Meanwhile, Tim’s lighting antics provide laughter. The light show is always funny, but the mother storyline is getting old. 6.0/10.0
The Old College Try (22:07) – Tim is summoned to instruct a college course on automobile mechanics, and he then starts hanging out with the students regularly. This is another episode rarely seen on TV, but it was a nice premise with some solid comedy. 7.5/10.0
An Older Woman (22:09) - Brad meets a college chick at a party, and things move so fast, he wants to get married. This was entertaining in a way, but Zachary Ty Bryan’s acting struggled. The grooming week part of Tool Time was cool though. 7.0/10.0
Tim “The Landlord” Taylor (22:25) – Al rents a house that Tim and Jill bought, but Tim is harsh as the landlord. I didn’t care for this one much. The whole Brad and Randy buying the same ugly shirts sub-plot was dumb as well. 6.0/10.0
Say Goodnight, Gracie (22:08) – When Tim’s brother Marty asks him to babysit one of the twins, Gracie, Tim decides he wants another baby, more specifically a girl. Besides the in-jokes on Toy Story and The Lion King, this episode was kind of lackluster. 6.5/10.0
What a Drag (21:45) – After an accident on Tool Time, Tim finds marijuana under the swing. He and Jill hide out in Wilson’s yard to catch the culprit. This was a classic episode that had huge build going into it. It was only a matter of time until this series tried something on drugs. 9.0/10.0
Taking Jill for Granite (22:09) – Tim is hiring a granite guy to work on his kitchen counters. Jill is surprised when Ian is the installer. The possible cheating plot was attempted again, and this time it was not a dream. I thought this whole thing was humorous but solid. 7.5/10.0
DISC 3
Futile Attraction (22:10) – Heidi has separated from her husband Scott, and when Al consoles her, Tim is suspicious of them having an affair. Heidi finally got some more time on screen, and it was effective I thought. 7.5/10.0
Desperately Seeking Willow (22:04) – Willow is staying with the Taylor’s while Wilson is away, but she goes out one night and doesn’t return. Jill fears the worst. I hated this episode because Willow is a horrible character. That’s all I have to say. 5.0/10.0
The Write Stuff (22:10) – Brad has joined the high school paper, and his article “Hey Yo!” is a big hit, except Randy’s writing gets bumped off the front page, causing jealousy. Can’t say as I was a fan of this either. Randy really got on my nerves this season. 6.0/10.0
The Son Also Mooches (22:23) – Tim’s brother Jeff has moved in with their mother, and she loans him money for a new business. Tim is worried about the loan, and in the meantime, Jill needs glasses. This was one I hadn’t seen before, but it was ok. 7.0/10.0
Believe it Or Not (22:24) – Wilson divulges to Tim that he had an encounter with an alien, and he gets angry when Tim tells a lot of people. This was an utterly ridiculous episode, and even though the ending segments were funny, overall it was a dud. 6.0/10.0
Rebel without Night Driving Privileges (22:24) – Randy has a license now, and feels he is treated unfairly when his parents forbid him from driving at night. Randy was briefly back to normal this time, and I felt this whole plot was believable and excellently handled. 8.5/10.0
Tool Thousand One: A Space Odyssey (21:59) – Two astronauts visit Tool Time and announce that a Binford tool will be used in space. Because of this, one employee is eligible to go into space for 6 months. Tim and Al compete for the spot, but Mark’s issues are making it tough. This should have been the season finale, not the next episode. This was some of Taran Smith’s best stuff. 10.0/10.0
From Top to Bottom (22:26) – Jill has a guest spot on a talk show, and embarrasses Tim in front of his friends at the Hardware store with some nasty comments. I just wasn’t believing that Jill would say these things in her right mind. This was average at best. 7.0/10.0
The Video
As a regular DVD reviewer, I never have any discrepancies analyzing the technical specifications, but with sitcoms, as long as some idiot hasn’t butchered the quality, no one really notices huge flaws. Of course, some episodes might look superior to others, but a show like Home Improvement will not be remembered for bland picture transfers. Regardless, this season is a toss up. As I said, occasionally, one will see an episode that lacks the sharp detail, but who cares? My belief is that such faults will not alter ones judgment of said episode. The evident weakness just further cement the rapid and sloppy release by Buena Vista, but we already knew that. For aspect ratios, just scroll back to my previous season reviews.
The Audio
Is anyone reading this section of the review? If so, thanks, I appreciate it, but I don't have much to babble about. The explosions and sound effects are fine, and everyone comes across as understandable and clear with no distortion or fuzziness that I heard. Basically the audio was not top-notch, but average and solid. It is a Dolby Digital 2.0 mix, which is fine with me. Subtitles in English are inserted in case you wanted to know.
The Packaging
Home Improvement: The Complete Seventh Season is distributed in the crappy cheap packaging they sprang on us last time. Instead of the nice foldout, cardboard slip digipacks, it a clear keep case with a dumb slip sleeve cover on top. The keep case in sturdier yes, but the continued absence of the inventive cases is aggravating. The discs are compacted on top of one another as usual, but I still say Buena Vista could have gone the extra mile. Inside, a sheet of paper advertising Wild Hogs, and other television sets, will conceal disc 1. The menu layout is the same.
The Extras
Blooper Reel (7:53) - These are uproarious, but a sole bonus feature looks pretty stupid. Many of these outtakes can be seen at the end of the specific episodes anyhow.
The Episodes: 7.0/10.0
The Video: 7.5/10.0
The Audio: 7.5/10.0
The Packaging: 5.0/10.0
The Extras: 6.5/10.0
The 411: This season was a mixed bag. The writers tried so many new storylines and developments, yet stuck with nothing, and as a result looked extremely sloppy. This is by far one of the worst seasons, but it is not a total waste. A few great episodes can be found amidst all the wacky behavior. Buena Vista seems to be pumping these out faster and faster, so Season 8, the last one, should be in stores before we know it. As usual, the technical specifications are up to par, but the presence of only one extra leaves the rating basically to the episodes, and that is not good news for this release. Unless you are a devoted fan of the show, my guess is you will not venture to the store to purchase this. I’m sorry to say it, but that would be the best course of action.
