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Communication Breakdown

‘Communication Breakdown’

Season 6, Episode 19 - Aired March 11, 1997

When Tim hires Harry's son, Dennis (David DeLuise), to install a second phone line, Harry is furious when Dennis leaves in the middle of the job.

Quote from Harry

Harry: How could you leave my friend stranded for three hours?
Dennis: I... I got paged on another job. I guess I got a little overbooked.
Jill: He's here now. No big deal.
Harry: It's a very big deal. You know you can't leave Tim alone with a hole in the wall.
Tim: [to Jill] Told you so.

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Quote from Jill

Dennis: Listen, I gotta get back to work.
Harry: Yes, you do. And I'm gonna stay here to make sure you do it right this time.
Dennis: You're gonna breathe down my neck?
Harry: You're damn right I am!
Tim: Guys, settle down, please?
Jill: You know, you don't have to be so tough on him. Our walls always look like this.

Quote from Jill

Jill: I can't believe the way Harry went after Dennis.
Tim: He just went after him because he cares about him. What do you think the kid would be like if Harry didn't come down so hard on him?
Jill: I don't know... happy?
Tim: Happy? What would the world be like if everyone walked around "happy?"
Jill: A happy world?

Quote from Jill

Tim: It's just as important for kids to be responsible. Dennis was three hours late. He screwed up. It was Harry's job as a parent to straighten things out.
Jill: Like you tried to straighten out Mark?
Tim: What does that have to do with anything?
Jill: Well, you were pretty tough on him about the phone.
Tim: Thanks to me, he's not talking on the phone.
Jill: Thanks to you, nobody is.

Quote from Tim

Tim: Hey, Mark. Mark, do me a favor. When Mom comes home, tell her I went to Harry's for a minute.
Mark: Whatever you say.
Tim: I know you're angry because I disciplined you over the phone.
Mark: And because you embarrassed me.
Tim: You know, I probably shouldn't have done that. But it gave you no right to talk to me the way you did.
Mark: Yeah. You're right. I'm sorry.
Tim: Feel like playing by the rules now?
Mark: Yeah.
Tim: You can use the phone as soon as it gets fixed.
Mark: When will that be?
Tim: Well, very soon. Provided I don't get anywhere near it.

Quote from Tim

Tim: What I'm trying to say is your kid is about ready to leave your life. Is that what you want?
Harry: It doesn't matter what I want. It never mattered what I want. I wanted him to go to college, he dropped out. Then I wanted him to learn the hardware business but he wasn't interested.
Tim: Well, maybe the kid's just looking for a career of his own. You know, I think he's found one that he's good at.
Harry: Good at?
Tim: Yeah.
Harry: He walked out in the middle of a job! I can't even begin to imagine leaving a customer waiting for three hours.
Tim: How about three weeks?
Harry: What?
Tim: Remember when you forgot to order that grinder for me, I did the whole job by hand.
Harry: [sighs] One mistake.
Tim: Well, the kid's allowed to make one mistake. His mistake is he's got too many customers. Too many customers. That means he must be doing something right.

Quote from Tim

Harry: [on video phone] Hey, hey, Dennis. Hi.
Dennis: Hi.
Harry: Look, I'm sorry I came down so hard on you.
Dennis: My screen's a little fuzzy. For a second there I thought you were my father.
Harry: I mean it. Look, I don't want you moving away. It would upset your mother... ...and... [laughs] ...it would upset me, too.
Tim: And it would really upset me... ...because I got that big hole in my wall.

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