Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
The Johnson Family - How'd They Do That
Recap By J. G. Bird
May 12, 2005
Conrad Ricketts retells the story of how Steven Johnson and a band of his fellow fire fighters risked their own lives in an “under fire” situation in which responding paramedic Mary Seymore had been felled. We get to see Mary several times in the How’d They Do That? episode, hanging out at the build site, and sharing the story of her ordeal when the unexpected gunfire put her own life in peril. Later, we see her fixing up a small corner of the Johnson basement as a fitting display for the honors Steven Johnson has gathered in his years as a Kansas City fire fighter. We also get to meet the 4 other fire fighters with Truck 15 and Pumper 30 Station that followed Steven’s charge to pull Mary to safety. Mary is a welcome guest in the Johnson home, and we get to see her spend some time congratulating them before the makeover team sends the family members away on their week’s vacation. The firehouse bunkroom is later highlighted in the episode in receiving a mini-Extreme Makeover.
Contractor Kevin Green’s workers literally flood out of the company big rig that’s brought on site – a camera operator gets knocked down inadvertently. (Hey, America’s Funniest Videos was already on this week, guys). We see all the firefighters march onto the Johnson property. Again, we see Mary Seymore looking on as demo begins.
Ed goes about in the warehouse facility that is mechanically stamping together some of the huge framing sections of the house. Literally, a machine is shooting hundreds of nail guns at once to accomplish some of this. It’s the first time I’ve seen them reveal this as part of the process.
Eric, a staff location assistant and Ty go head-to-head in a quick basketball match. Ty makes one good three-pointer shot, but otherwise, he’s got nothing on Eric’s moves and use of height. The bet was Eric would do a day of hosting duty if he lost to Ty, but if Ty lost, Eric’s job was his (I guess not for a day, it ending up only being for a lunch hour).
Ty admits he’s not very good in the transportation department. Well, that could be because you were only left with a bright orange safety vest and a radio – no megaphone. What can Ty do without his Craftsman tools or his megaphone, really?
Ed glories in the creation and overblown fun of creating Brandon’s Sports Lounge bedroom. There’s even a personalized rug at the entry of the room that welcomes you to Brandon’s Sports Lounge. That fine bar is only missing some barstools. It has soda on tap. But Ed is wandering away with the bowl loaded with chips…hey; don’t they feed you enough off the catering table?
You only see it in the commercial break tease, and the camera is far behind Ty’s back, but I know I saw that man sign a young lady’s chest area! (Then get smothered with kisses). We don’t see that clowning around again when returning to the next segment: It’s all Secret Room. Ty’s particularly happy with his stack chairs – trapezoid shelves that are all separate and stackable. They’ve been stained nicely by the time we see them all along the wall in G’na’s room. Ty has to explain to a crew that the room they’re adding all dark wood accents to is for a little girl. He insists on a whitewash for most of it so it doesn’t end up looking like a dad’s room. Volunteers working away in the same gym where Ty was defeated in his basketball challenge are sewing curtains and other accents for G’na’s room. Ty hovers around one lady who’s using a sewing machine that follows a pattern to embroider that wonderful monogram Ty designed. It ends up embroidered on towels as well as those pillows seen in the reveal. And of course it was transferred and painted on the ceiling.
G’na ended up with that large, spa-like bath suite to have girlfriends over for fun. Ty splashes his hands around in that nice, self-sanitizing pedicure chair. Do you think Ty has a sister he’s pestered all his life?
The biggest excitement is the huge basement space that wasn’t even talked about in Sunday’s show. It ends up housing a wide assortment of arcade games – Standing video games, air hockey, shuffleboard, pinball machines, and a foosball table. The twelve foot long shuffleboard had to have the legs removed to barely slide it down through a basement window to fit. The excitement level just lept up, (as did each kid) when they saw the size and variety of games in that basement. Also revealed were a well stocked tool area in the garage, and a “jamming room” filled with musical instruments. One more investment in the future is gifted for all the Johnson kids – full scholarships to Missouri Kansas City University.
Ty strolls through the house one more time. Everyone seems to like going through that automatic entryway to Steven Johnson’s master bath suite. He ends his thought on the week outside, in sight of that tribute sculpture with the eternal flame. He says, “This show is dedicated to all the local heroes.” And he’s right that the spirit of what’s been celebrated at the Johnson home is fitting to recognize all those who work in their communities, not expecting, nor asking for recognition in duty serving others.
About J.G. Bird
I have a direct, clear writing style useful in business, but if you wonder what I'm really thinking about, I keep a portfolio of creative writing on Writing.com/authors/walkinbird. My day-to day work is at a great metropolitan newspaper, proofreading ordered advertisements. Keeping an experienced eye to consistency in design elements also makes me an obnoxious, if not valuable, web editor and fact-checker. Due to my straight-laced demeanor, I need the occasional infusion of Reality TV. The home design shows are my only true addiction. I can be contacted at: walkinbird@writing.com
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