Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, we’re continuing our coverage of Two And A Half Men (2003-2015, CBS), which is currently available on DVD and Peacock!

Two And A Half Men stars CHARLIE SHEEN as Charlie, JON CRYER as Alan, and ANGUS T. JONES as Jake. With MARIN HINKLE as Judith, MELANIE LYNSKEY as Rose, CONCHATA FERRELL as Berta, and HOLLAND TAYLOR as Evelyn.

Season Two is a formative year, especially with regard to the series’ understanding of its characters — primarily Alan and Jake, who both gain important comic traits that will persist for the rest of the run. Alan’s status as a nervous loser with the ladies, though already premised, really becomes evident in laugh-out-loud story here, rendering him more than just a “straight man” to the otherwise jokier Charlie, while Jake begins to take on a reputation for laziness and flatulence that extends beyond the typical preteen. Yes, I still think the kid is used more as a device than a character, but at this juncture, where the premise is still explorable in weekly plot, he has value and it’s now enhanced. Also, with this elevated understanding of character comes more development of ensemble relationships, as the brothers’ individual bonds with Evelyn crystalize, and Judith and Alan’s romantic prospects start to slowly dwindle. In terms of story, Two is not as good as One at employing more than a single aspect of the series’ situation. Now, we’re pretty much getting one a week: the “bachelor uncle” bit, the “odd couple” buddy comedy setup, or the “dysfunctional men” dating engine that will continue to grow in prominence. Of these three, there’s not as much as there was in the first year of Charlie being a proxy dad — or rather, there’s less earnestness about how being a de facto parent emotionally evolves his character. In general, the show is starting to become less sincere and more irreverent, with its humor quotient and sense of ribaldry expanding, particularly in the back half of the season. But this is congruent with the series’ overall tenor, and in fact, I’d say the last half of Two is the period where Men is at its best ever at actual sitcommery. That is, although the “novelty of premise” is already falling, it’s still there, and Two’s increased “knowingness of character” and slow absorption of this series’ well-known comic ethos makes for the most traditionally ideal calibration of elements necessary for the projection of Men’s situation. It is rivaled only by Three, which slides the scale further away from the premise but progresses its use of Alan’s character, all the while exhibiting more narrative and comedic rhythms that the series will continue to follow in its next few, mostly solid seasons. Accordingly, Three is the best sample of Men’s defining charms, but Two is the best for situation comedy — a real “peak.”

 

01) Episode 27: “A Bag Full Of Jawea” (Aired: 10/04/04)

Charlie begins seeing Jake’s teacher.

Teleplay by Jeff Abugov & Mark Roberts | Story by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn | Directed by Pamela Fryman

This story, in which Charlie romances Jake’s kooky teacher (Missi Pyle) and then is eager to quickly dump her is a fine display of the central character’s main comic attribute (his way with the ladies and callousness thereafter), but what I most appreciate is that the whole idea starts with a conflict about Charlie’s influence on Jake causing trouble at school (when Jake gives his teacher the bird). This plays to a key part of the situation, as the perennial bachelor is rubbing off on the nephew to whom he serves as an adjacent parental figure, and it’s a good example of how Season Two, though not quite using this premise as often as One does, is still engaging its established themes — but with more comedy and less emotional sincerity.

02) Episode 32: “Frankenstein And The Horny Villagers” (Aired: 11/15/04)

Alan’s fast physical relationship with a woman has him planning marriage.

Teleplay by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn | Story by Don Foster & Jeff Abugov | Directed by Pamela Fryman

A seminal installment for Alan, this is the very first taste of the depraved sex-obsessed moron he’ll become — a trend that accelerates after Charlie’s departure but really begins here and is glaring by the run’s midpoint. It’s thus an interesting excursion for the overall development of his character, who is otherwise still close to a “straight man” opposite Charlie, just about to ascend into an equal comedic partnership. (Also, it’s revealing to note that this notion of Alan forming emotional attachments immediately after sex will be recycled in Season Eleven as an attempt to define the bland Walden… against Alan, who has by then assumed Charlie’s role as the wiser, more sexually active jerk.) This entry marks something of a turning point…

03) Episode 35: “Last Chance To See Those Tattoos” (Aired: 12/13/04)

Charlie tries making amends to the women he’s wronged.

Written by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Boasting a fun and memorable logline, this is mostly a showcase for the Charlie Harper persona, as Charlie scrutinizes his own character when discovering that he’s now the subject of a website where all the women he’s wronged in his past can post about his awfulness. This sets him on a path of amends — a terrific narrative foundation, naturally predicated on his characterization, which makes this idea a winner. Meanwhile, although I’m less enthused about the subplot with Alan and Judith, the show is slowly pivoting away from them as a viable romantic duo (and from Judith as a regular), so this is a snapshot into Men’s evolving identity here in Season Two.

04) Episode 36: “A Lungful Of Alan” (Aired: 01/03/05)

Charlie and Alan are visited by a former schoolmate who’s now attractive.

Teleplay by Mark Roberts & Eddie Gorodetsky | Story by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Paget Brewster gives a dynamite guest performance in this offering, where she plays a former classmate who has since transformed from ugly duckling to beautiful swan, now earning the attention of the lustful but previously dismissive Charlie. Eventually their flirtations lead to the expected reveal that she’s really out for revenge — he, and even Alan, were mean to her, and she takes great pleasure in finally denying them something they want but can’t have. It’s another story that only exists well with a character like Charlie’s and this script does a good job contrasting him with Alan, thereby addressing the “buddy comedy” aspect of the premise.

05) Episode 40: “Can You Eat Human Flesh With Wooden Teeth?” (Aired: 02/14/05)

Alan and Charlie both struggle to take care of Jake during the school week.

Teleplay by Don Foster & Susan Beavers | Story by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn | Directed by Pamela Fryman

This is Season Two’s most earnest exploration of the “bachelor uncle” pillar of Men’s premise, mining its story from the idea that Charlie is not a natural parent and trying to assume this role is therefore difficult for him based on his lifestyle and experience. The scenes with Charlie and Jake are strong, but they take a while to arrive. Fortunately, the early stuff is enjoyable as well, with a primary narrative about how Alan, who’s coming into his own as The Great Loser (not just with the ladies), is also struggling as a single dad, particularly when he’s forced to take care of Jake during the school week. So, this is a validating display of both character and premise, with laughs and a sense of emotional sincerity that will soon be totally foreign to Men.

06) Episode 41: “Woo-Hoo, A Hernia Exam!” (Aired: 02/21/05)

Alan takes Charlie to the doctor.

Teleplay by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn | Story by Mark Roberts & Susan Beavers | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Perhaps underrated, this installment is another textbook example of how this year is adept at both showcasing the Charlie characterization in story — here, he injures his back during a sexual escapade — and also exploring the “buddy comedy” aspect of the premise via the relationship between Charlie and Alan, who are best defined opposite each other when in conflict. Indeed, it’s a great idea for Charlie to refuse his own brother’s help — even though his brother is a chiropractor — especially when there’s an attractive female doctor involved: another scenario that allows both of the men to shine in contrast, rendering this a solid outing for both.

07) Episode 42: “It Was ‘Mame,’ Mom” (Aired: 03/07/05)

Charlie and Alan pretend to be a couple for a bigwig ad executive.

Teleplay by Mark Roberts & Eddie Gorodetsky | Story by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn | Directed by Pamela Fryman

My pick for this season’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “It Was ‘Mame’, Mom” maybe won’t win any brownie points for narrative originality. That is, we’ve seen the “straight character pretends to be gay” story before on other, better sitcoms, but it’s a natural fit for the relationship-focused Two And A Half Men, particularly as it’s starting to become sex-obsessed. In fact, I would actually go so far as to say that this is not only Season Two’s most prognosticating sample — revealing how the show will soon behave during the comedically bolder years that follow (heck, the final season has a whole arc hinged on this single comic notion) — but this segment also typifies the latter half of the year: the extended period where this show offers the best sitcommery of its entire run, with this blog’s most preferred calibration of character, premise, and humor. Specifically, this entry’s deliberate bawdiness, and willingness to be in jeopardy of “bad taste” as long as it’s funny, is a defining attribute of Men that eventually exceeds character but first begins as an extension of them — well, of Charlie, whose lasciviousness rubs off on Alan and consumes the show as it indulges its premised potential to be an irreverent rom-com about dysfunctional relationship-ruiners. Of course, this is therefore a great showing for Charlie and his centralized characterization, as he tries to drop his own ruse to pursue a gay man’s ex-wife, but Alan shines as well, for the story takes advantage of their brotherly dynamic (and the premise’s “buddy comedy” design) while previewing the final season, in which the two main men spend months pretending to be in a romantic relationship. It’s always gimmicky but plays better as a one-off bit rather than a year-long runner (more thoughts later), and since it showcases so much of this series’ cultivated identity, there was no better pick for MVE. (Also, I must confess… I love that Lucy Lawless, of Xena, guests.) A favorite — one of Men’s most memorable and highlight-worthy.

08) Episode 43: “A Low, Guttural Tongue-Flapping Noise” (Aired: 03/21/05)

Alan dates one of Charlie’s exes.

Teleplay by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn | Story by Mark Roberts & Eddie Gorodetsky | Directed by Gary Halvorson

This is another key showcase for Alan in this formative year that focuses on his character-building, as he turns from something of a “straight man” opposite the heightened Charlie into a comic figure in his own right, with a nervous energy that pushes him into being a complete loser — someone who can’t do anything well and thus exists, as the premise intended, in contrast to the cool, smooth Charlie. There are several scripts in Two that explore his evolution — beginning with the pivotal “Frankenstein And The Horny Villagers” — but this is the best, for it most involves his relationship with Charlie and how they differ, as that’s precisely what drives his anxiety when he dates one of Charlie’s exes (Jeri Ryan) — a perfect fraternal tension.

09) Episode 47: “Squab, Squab, Squab, Squab, Squab” (Aired: 05/16/05)

Evelyn demands that Jake spend the night at her place.

Teleplay by Don Foster & Susan Beavers | Story by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn | Directed by J.D. Lobue

One of the most popular excursions from the entire series, Two’s penultimate showing is probably the most slapsticky of the run, with more physicality than usual. It’s also among the best episodes ever for two of the show’s supporting players — Jake, whose existence as a narrative device is never clearer than here, where he merely has to be one outrageous nuisance, and Evelyn, whose frayed relationship with her own boys finds her wanting to take on a more active responsibility as grandmother… something she soon regrets. This is sort of a mirror to the “bachelor uncle” premise, as Charlie, unsuited for parenthood, is thrust into the position of part-time caregiver and role model, just as Evelyn endeavors to be for this brief period of time. So, there’s a smart foundation, even if it’s really about the gags that follow — culminating in the Emmy-nominated Holland Taylor getting drenched with water. It’s funny — definitely a series highlight (and proof that Season Two, especially in its back half, is truly a peak era).

10) Episode 48: “Does This Smell Funny To You?” (Aired: 05/23/05)

Charlie sleeps with a woman who’s married to a jealous old man.

Teleplay by Jeff Abugov & Susan Beavers | Story by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Season Two ends on another excellent, peak-corroborating installment, with a story ostensibly about how Charlie creates conflict due to his promiscuity, as he unknowingly sleeps with a young woman married to a jealous sugar daddy — played amusingly by Orson Bean. That alone is a fine utilization of Men’s central comic player, and this stunt casting renders the half hour exceedingly memorable. But what’s great about this entry is that it’s framed by Jake, who is reading an essay in school about his weekend — a weekend where all this craziness as a result of Charlie’s shenanigans unfolds around Jake, who’s naively oblivious. It’s a hilarious choice, exploiting the “bachelor uncle” promise of the premise — that Charlie is not an ideal parental figure. Only, instead of Charlie’s wicked ways rubbing off on Jake, this hysterical offering features the men actively trying to shelter Jake — a reversal of the norm that similarly plays with both character and premise, earning big enough laughs to venerate this as a stellar MVE contender and so much better than most of Men’s future seasons’ best.

 

With regard to Honorable Mentions, I have to note that almost every episode in Season Two is strong compared to the series’ average baseline, so in an effort to keep this section brief, I’ll just say… there are several decisive entries not featured above that establish comedic traits for Jake (laziness, gaseousness, etc.), along with several joke-heavy outings that make enjoyable use of Evelyn. But the only showings I truly considered for my list were “The Price Of Healthy Gums Is Eternal Vigilance,” which adroitly defines the brothers in contrast, using a story predicated on their shared history, and “Smell The Umbrella Stand,” where the brothers’ bond is further explored in a plot with parenting themes. I could cite many others, but I’ll spare you the redundancy — if there’s any more on which you want my opinion, let me know below!

 

*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Two of Two And A Half Men goes to…

“It Was ‘Mame,’ Mom”

 

 

Come back next week for Season Three! And stay tuned for a new Wildcard Wednesday!