In "Three Sundays", Ed punishes Kyle after the latter requests Sundays off so he can attend church services. When Mike confronts Ed about it, Ed reveals that his girlfriend miscarried their baby, Ed's first son. Ed asks Mike to leave him alone but Mike stays anyway to support him.
In "Daddy Dearest", Mike tells Ryan's dad, Victor, that as much as he loves his daughters, he's still bitter that he'll never be able to enjoy having the bond that only exists between a father and his son.
The entire episode is this as Victor lies about being terminally ill just so that he can spend some time with his son. When he is exposed by Mike, Ryan says that he never wants to see him again. And to top it all off, Victor finds out that he really is terminally ill.
In "Helen Potts", the titular character does not want any sympathy after it's revealed that the ex-husband of whom Mike reminds her is actually her late husband and she had lied about being a divorcee to avoid being pitied as a widow.
When Eve confesses why she didn't want to do "The Gratitude List" at Thanksgiving dinner. Doubles as a Heartwarming Moment.
Eve: I was gonna put one word on the list - "Family". But then you'd ask me what I meant and I'd have to explain and then I'd be knee-deep in feelings. Mike: Well, what did you mean by "family"? Eve: God, dad. All right, fine, but just, uh just don't look at me, okay? Seriously?... I've been thinking a lot about going to college next year and all the things I'm gonna miss. Dad's joking and his serious talks. Mom's puns and how she never stops thinking about us. [tearing up] I'm gonna miss my sisters and how we fight and how I know they would fight anyone twice as hard for me. I grew up in this really terrific safe place where it didn't matter how I behaved. I was still loved. And I'm grateful that when I leave, I'm gonna miss you all and your goofy traditions so so much because the pain of missing you is just proof that it was so perfect in so many ways. [breaks down crying] Vanessa:[in tears] Can I look up now? Because I want to hug you, and I don't want to miss. [runs over and embraces her]
At the end of "Polar Run", Mike and Vanessa are about to leave for their race until Eve reveals she didn't get into West Point. They go up to her room and find her throwing out her ROTC uniforms. They try to cheer her up but she's too distraught at having her life dream crushed.
Vanessa: I'm so sorry. Eve: No, you're not, Mom. You never wanted me to be in the military anyway. So, congratulations. You got your wish. Mike: Listen, Eve, I know you're upset, but please don't take this out on your mother. Eve: Oh, you're right, Dad. I should be taking it out on you. My whole life, you said if I worked hard and played by the rules that everything would be okay. But it's not. It was all a lie! ** Later that night, Mike walks into the living room and finds Eve has cried herself to sleep after watching a military piece on TV. He pulls up a blanket on her, then walks to the garage and punches the wall because he's so frustrated he can't do anything to help his daughter.
"A New Place for One of Our People" has Eve deciding to move out of the Baxter house so she can learn to survive without her parents.
Eve: It's really hard to grow up when you live with your parents, Dad. And I know you and Mom will just do stuff for me. It's not your fault. I'm just... I'm really adorable. Mike: I thought that had peaked when we went to Reagan's birthplace, and you... you said it was "tickle-down economics." Eve: It's time for me to be on my own, Dad. That's what you've been preparing me for my whole life. And you did a great job. Mike:You know, I-I knew that one day being perfect at everything I do was gonna bite me in the ass.(leaves) Eve: I'm gonna miss you, too.
"The Force" has Vanessa in tears when she learns that Eve will officially attend the Air Force Academy and will be a member of the military. She's absolutely terrified now that it's actually happening and she desperately tries to get Eve to change her mind. Eve starts crying as well because she knows how much it hurts her mom, but she knows it's what she wants to do and can't turn it down.
"Man vs Myth" (first aired on October 15, 2018) centers around the death of Mike's dad Bud Baxter (played by veteran actor Robert Forster) and Mike’s inability to feel sorry for him because he considers Bud a terrible father. At one point, Mike refuses to let Kris run Bud’s business, and Kris, on her way to leave, angrily told Mike that she loves her grandfather more than her father. Later, at the garage, Bud enters Mike's mind and both men admit that they are about to say “I love you” to each other. To be honest, it’s really heartbreaking.
To make matters worse, a year later after this episode aired, Robert Forster died on October 11, 2019.note Forster died on the same day that his movie he appeared in, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie came out Tim Allen tweeted his condolences to his legendary on-screen father.
"Butterfly Effect": Kyle and Mandy have to select guardians for Sarah, and he initially picks Ed before Mike talks him out of it. Mike figures he was doing Ed a favor, but Ed takes this very hard.
Ed: Him asking meant a lot to me, Mikey. Mike: Yeah. Takin' care of Sarah, which I do all the time. You don't want any part of this. Ed: Of course, I don't. I'm not an idiot. I already raised my own kids. Mike: Well, so what are you mad about? Ed: You know I botched that job and my kids barely speak to me, but when Kyle asked me, it was almost like somebody... finally tellin' me that I was a good dad.
In "Dual Time", Tim Taylor tells Mike about his former longtime neighbor Wilson, and seems genuinely broken when he admits that Wilson has died, and that he misses him, as well as a lot of other things. Heartbreaking for any Home Improvement fans.
