Brad's social life has been in dire straights as of late, owing to Angela, the motor-mouth valley girl dumping him. However, he's decided to take it in stride and go to that big party he was invited to. After staying out pretty late, he came home with a big smile on his face. He met somebody, a girl by the name of Samantha. She seems almost perfect, especially by Tim's standards because she has a big-block Camero and likes the Red Wings. However, when Tim and Jill meet their son's new squeeze, they find out she's 4 years older than him. A college junior studying communications. Jill immediately finds their difference in age to be a problem, while Tim is a bit more lenient. After all, what's the harm? So after dating for two weeks, Brad and Samantha feel like they're a match made in heaven. So much in common. Jill still feels maybe they're moving too fast, but Tim still seems to be okay with the relationship, as it isn't effecting Brad's academic and home life. He's even tickled to learn Samantha wants to come with Brad to a taping of Tool Time, because.... um, well, they had to work one into the plot somehow. It's Men's Grooming Week on Fool Time, as Tim tries to demonstrate how to shave with a straight razor. But since Al says hands off my beard, he's going to go with an alternative: a balloon...with Al's face on it. Classy.
So while Tim lathers up the Al balloon, they do a little Q&A with the audience, where Heidi shows off her pathetic sense of humor, and when Brad asks what to do about his peach fuzz, Tim encourages him to introduce Samantha...and that's when Brad dropped a bombshell: they're going to get married! Right then, Tim pops the Al balloon, covering him in shaving cream. NOW Tim has a problem with it. He and Brad get to bickering and then he storms out with his fiancée. Naturally, Jill comes unglued when hearing she may soon be getting a daughter in-law, but instead of handling it professionally and diplomatically...you know, like adults, she and Tim continue hounding Brad over his premature decision, thus pushing him further away. Hopefully Wilson can calm everybody down with some words of wisdom. He does, but naturally Jill twists it around and decides to use reverse psychology instead. So when they finally get ahold of Brad again, they take a calmer approach and even invite Samantha over for dinner, for sort of a family powwow. They have an ulterior motive of course. At first they sound supportive of Brad and Samantha's engagement, but then they bring about the notion of Brad being on his own and having to put himself through college, not to mention possibly having children, which Samantha really wants. Brad, not so much. Eventually, the Taylor teen calls his parents' bluff and storms out with Samantha, who I'm sure is feeling very awkward after what just happened. However, as they drive along the empty highway, they make their true feelings known. It seems Samantha never even told her parents about the engagement, and they both agree they actually were moving too fast. Tim and Jill congratulate themselves when they hear the news and are confident they are two parents who can handle anything...especially when Mark waltzes out the door with fuscha-colored hair.
Okay, first thing, about that ending: it was very out of character for Tim and Jill to let one of their sons go out at night without asking where he was going. They just did it for the sake of a stupid joke, which really wasn't that funny after they explained it. That's my main problem with this episode: they crammed in too many jokes for an otherwise serious subject matter. Maybe it wasn't as big a deal in 1998, but today, teenage marriages and pregnancies are through the roof. It's no laughing matter. I think the one funny joke is from Randy and Mark, asking if Brad wants to have his bachelor party at Chuck E. Cheese. "The groom gets free tokens". LOL, that's classic. The rest of the episode is not funny. Any emotion and character building is tossed aside for the sake of bad jokes. I guess I'd recommend this one if you like Brad and you can relate to his situation, and if you like Maggie Lawson who, for the record, is only 1 year older than Zachery Ty Bryan. But don't be prepared to laugh too much, because this episode isn't funny, but then it wasn't supposed to be.
So while Tim lathers up the Al balloon, they do a little Q&A with the audience, where Heidi shows off her pathetic sense of humor, and when Brad asks what to do about his peach fuzz, Tim encourages him to introduce Samantha...and that's when Brad dropped a bombshell: they're going to get married! Right then, Tim pops the Al balloon, covering him in shaving cream. NOW Tim has a problem with it. He and Brad get to bickering and then he storms out with his fiancée. Naturally, Jill comes unglued when hearing she may soon be getting a daughter in-law, but instead of handling it professionally and diplomatically...you know, like adults, she and Tim continue hounding Brad over his premature decision, thus pushing him further away. Hopefully Wilson can calm everybody down with some words of wisdom. He does, but naturally Jill twists it around and decides to use reverse psychology instead. So when they finally get ahold of Brad again, they take a calmer approach and even invite Samantha over for dinner, for sort of a family powwow. They have an ulterior motive of course. At first they sound supportive of Brad and Samantha's engagement, but then they bring about the notion of Brad being on his own and having to put himself through college, not to mention possibly having children, which Samantha really wants. Brad, not so much. Eventually, the Taylor teen calls his parents' bluff and storms out with Samantha, who I'm sure is feeling very awkward after what just happened. However, as they drive along the empty highway, they make their true feelings known. It seems Samantha never even told her parents about the engagement, and they both agree they actually were moving too fast. Tim and Jill congratulate themselves when they hear the news and are confident they are two parents who can handle anything...especially when Mark waltzes out the door with fuscha-colored hair.
Okay, first thing, about that ending: it was very out of character for Tim and Jill to let one of their sons go out at night without asking where he was going. They just did it for the sake of a stupid joke, which really wasn't that funny after they explained it. That's my main problem with this episode: they crammed in too many jokes for an otherwise serious subject matter. Maybe it wasn't as big a deal in 1998, but today, teenage marriages and pregnancies are through the roof. It's no laughing matter. I think the one funny joke is from Randy and Mark, asking if Brad wants to have his bachelor party at Chuck E. Cheese. "The groom gets free tokens". LOL, that's classic. The rest of the episode is not funny. Any emotion and character building is tossed aside for the sake of bad jokes. I guess I'd recommend this one if you like Brad and you can relate to his situation, and if you like Maggie Lawson who, for the record, is only 1 year older than Zachery Ty Bryan. But don't be prepared to laugh too much, because this episode isn't funny, but then it wasn't supposed to be.
