It is, for this reason, that this final season could be considered by many (including me) to not have the same charm as it did in the rest of the series, unfortunately. While there are certainly many moments of funny, this season wasn't as entertaining as some of the previous. I suppose that it's hard to come up with truly entertaining ways to tell stories of "more power" that haven't been done before.
Home Improvement: Season 8 also throws a bit of change into the works between the belly laughter in multiple episodes. Some of the main bits of drama come when Binford Tools wants to change Tool Time from its current format into a Jerry Springer-like slug fest. Adding to this, they also force Tim and Al "The Flannel-Man" Borland (Richard Karn), along with assistant Heidi (Debbe Dunning), to sport Binford jumpsuits and only use Binford tools on the set. Completely fed up, Tim decides the only way to cope is to quit, setting up a possible move to Indiana where Jill wants to accept a job in psychology.
Another big change comes in two parts as Jill faces the life event of a hysterectomy. Quite possibly the most drama in the entire Home Improvement series, this heart-wrenching change affects the whole family and Jill has to learn to accept her situation and keep from biting Tim's head off (even more than normal). In yet another stray from the norm, Tim enters into a neighborhood war after the faceless Wilson (Earl Hindman) comes into money and wants to build a giant greenhouse within view of the Taylor home. Finally, the biggest change of all comes when Al's mother passes away, leaving him with an opening for a new woman in his life, to which he finally ties the knot.
While Home Improvement: The Complete Eighth Season does contain a lot of drama due to change, fans don't have to worry that their show has completely gone awry. There are still plenty of antics and Tim's screw-ups to go around, and Al and Tim still haven't lost the magic of playing off each other's mannerisms. You'll also be treated to one final salute to the show by brining back many of the reoccurring characters that have appeared over the years. It's just too bad that some of the overall magic of the Home Improvement franchise was missing from this eighth and final season.
