"I'll Be Home for Christmas", not that stupid Jonathan Taylor Thomas movie, but rather the song. Being away from home and your loved ones, yearning to be with them again, if only in your dreams. Tim and Al will sure hope they will be home for Christmas after a severe blizzard traps them in Alpena, but I'm getting ahead of myself. So as we begin, Tim is still entering the annual lighting contest, only this year he's leaving it up to the boys to get done, because he will be away with Al in Kinross where they will be grand marshals in an elf parade... I'm heard of lamer reasons to go away before Christmas. Al and Ilene come over, and it seems she's a little frustrated with her flannel-clad boyfriend. Al, ever the mama's boy, carries a pager so every time his mother calls, he'll be there to answer. Ilene feels neglected because Al seems to pay more attention to his mom than her, and Al is oblivious to her feelings. He yammers on about it on the plane to Tim, who tries his best to ignore it. When he finally shuts up, Tim reveals the real reason he agreed to go to Kinross: to buy a special book for Jill. Things take an unexpected turn (for everybody but the audience) when the captain announces the Kinross airport has closed down due to the storm, and so they were to be diverted to Alpena. To make matters worse, they encounter a sarcastic, cryptic clerk at the airport who offers no help whatsoever.
Back at Casa De Taylor, Brad, Randy and Mark are somewhat glad Tim is snowbound so they can do the lighting contest themselves, while Ilene is still upset about Al's constant devotion to his mom, and makes him the following ultimatum: decide who is more important, his mother or her. Tim and Al continue to take schtick from the clerk and threaten to report him to the Better Business Bureau, but, as expected, he is also a representative. So just when all seemed lost, the storm has let up and Tim and Al were able to get a flight home. While on the plane, Tim offers his friend some sound advice, how to look to the future, how to make Ilene feel she is just as important in Al's life as his mother. He finally sees the light and ditches his pager, just as the captain comes over the PA and announces that due to the snow, they would be diverted again. This time to Toledo. Seems like Tim would miss Christmas with his family for the first time and wouldn't be able to see the boys light up the lights. Well, pray for a Christmas miracle and one way occur: the wattage of the Taylor Christmas lights was so bright, they increase visibility and allowed for the plane to land. So, the boys win the contest, Al does right by Ilene, and Tim and Jill exchange gifts, the latter receiving Al's pager.
Another great Home Improvement Christmas episode, and the first of three appearances by Tom Poston, playing basically the same character all three times, just with different names. He comes back in Season 6's "The Tool Man Delivers" and Season 7's "Thanksgiving." I guess they couldn't think of any more 'Ed' names for Season 8. I'm sure many audience members can relate to Al and Ilene for how they feel about one another, and those who have ever been stranded at the airport due to foul weather can really sympathize with Tim and Al. Not much more I can say, so check this one out for yourself. It's also the last one to use variations on the title "Twas the Night Before Christmas", now having been used for three years' running.
Back at Casa De Taylor, Brad, Randy and Mark are somewhat glad Tim is snowbound so they can do the lighting contest themselves, while Ilene is still upset about Al's constant devotion to his mom, and makes him the following ultimatum: decide who is more important, his mother or her. Tim and Al continue to take schtick from the clerk and threaten to report him to the Better Business Bureau, but, as expected, he is also a representative. So just when all seemed lost, the storm has let up and Tim and Al were able to get a flight home. While on the plane, Tim offers his friend some sound advice, how to look to the future, how to make Ilene feel she is just as important in Al's life as his mother. He finally sees the light and ditches his pager, just as the captain comes over the PA and announces that due to the snow, they would be diverted again. This time to Toledo. Seems like Tim would miss Christmas with his family for the first time and wouldn't be able to see the boys light up the lights. Well, pray for a Christmas miracle and one way occur: the wattage of the Taylor Christmas lights was so bright, they increase visibility and allowed for the plane to land. So, the boys win the contest, Al does right by Ilene, and Tim and Jill exchange gifts, the latter receiving Al's pager.
Another great Home Improvement Christmas episode, and the first of three appearances by Tom Poston, playing basically the same character all three times, just with different names. He comes back in Season 6's "The Tool Man Delivers" and Season 7's "Thanksgiving." I guess they couldn't think of any more 'Ed' names for Season 8. I'm sure many audience members can relate to Al and Ilene for how they feel about one another, and those who have ever been stranded at the airport due to foul weather can really sympathize with Tim and Al. Not much more I can say, so check this one out for yourself. It's also the last one to use variations on the title "Twas the Night Before Christmas", now having been used for three years' running.
