Last Man Standing viewers saw double last night as Tim Allen’s beloved Home Improvement character, Tim ‘The Tool Man’ Taylor, made an appearance on the Fox sitcom. The crossover event featured more than a few nods to Home Improvement, including discussions about neighbor Wilson Wilson, Jr., the Taylor family, and even a potential reboot. Say what?!
Thursday’s episode of Last Man Standing (Season 9, Episode 2, “Dual Time”) saw Mike Baxter confronted with a seemingly insurmountable problem: a broken disposal. When Vanessa (Nancy Travis) hires a home repairman, she and her husband are shocked to discover that he looks exactly like Mike — and has a knack for imbuing his home improvement projects with life lessons. “This is bizarre,” says Mike. “You look just like me, except his hair’s a little grayer!”
“And you look just like me, except you color your hair,” replies Tim with a laugh.
As the two fix the sink, they bond over their respective careers and their shared values. During a backyard conversation, Tim reveals how much he misses his old neighbor, Wilson (played by Earl Hindman, who died in 2003). “I miss Wilson,” he says sadly. “I miss a lot of stuff.”
At the end of the episode, Tim and Mike watch some of the former’s Tool Time episodes online, and it becomes apparent just how similar they really are. When Mike asks if he misses Tool Time, Tim insists that he does, promoting Mike to say, “Well, I think we have two reasons why you might think of rebooting that Tool Time show. Maybe this time, add more power.”
Mike’s brief allusion to a potential Home Improvement reboot sent fans into a tizzy online. “Does this mean Home Improvement reboot/reunion?” asked one viewer. “I hope this is the highest rated episode of any show in years spawning a Home Improvement reboot,” said another, in a reply to one of Allen’s mid-episode tweets.
You heard the fans, Tim Allen! Now that Last Man Standing is ending, you’ll have plenty of time to consider their offer…
Watch the Last Man Standing–Home Improvement crossover episode on Hulu.