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 COURTNEY THORNE-SMITH as Lyndsey, MARIN HINKLE as Judith, CONCHATA FERRELL as Berta, and HOLLAND TAYLOR as Evelyn.

In Season Eight, Two And A Half Men is well beyond its “best by” date. Not only is the premise barely existent now in weekly plot, but the characters are also far too strained, from trends that have recently accelerated, to help contribute fresh sitcommery based on their depictions. And though the Walden years are indeed so awful they make everything with Charlie seem okay, many of their major issues (aside from Walden himself) are already evident — including the text’s gratuitous, character-superseding vulgarity and Alan’s rise as the ensemble’s main comedic force, supplanting Charlie. That is, by Eight, Jon Cryer’s Alan — by now characterized as a foppish, loser, doofus — has replaced Charlie as the chief driver of comic story. Heck, he’s even acting like Charlie — sneaking around with a girlfriend behind people’s backs, cheating on her with an ex, remorselessly burning down her house, duping his pals in a Ponzi scheme, etc., while Charlie is left to be a muted peripheral presence, pining for a serious relationship — the kind for which Alan was once better equipped — first with Courtney and then Rose… a storyline suspended in midair because the season was cut short. Yes, this is when Charlie Sheen was fired after a public breakdown that also included badmouthing the show and his boss. The problems really began last season, when Sheen entered rehab and had Seven’s order trimmed from 24 episodes to 22. He went back to rehab again this year after 16 were completed, but before they could return to finish the final six, he spun out of control. So, the Charlie era of Men ends, not with a bang, but a whimper, leaving Nine to try convincing us that Rose was the love of his life (never mind that her one-dimensional one-joke character makes this hard to believe). And although Sheen’s departure officially destroys the show’s situation — all parts of which hinged around Charlie — it’s already been progressively downplayed so much over the past few years. In fact, Eight itself is reduced to a collection of mostly tired clichés that, like the extreme raunch, are divorced from these leads and their premised dynamics… Fortunately, The Big Bang Theory had finally eclipsed Men as the country’s most-watched sitcom, and as a better effort overall, it would prove to be a more affable multi-cam ambassador than Men, which as Eight indicates, was long dead even before Sheen put his nail in its coffin.

 

01) Episode 162: “Three Girls And A Guy Named Bud” (Aired: 09/20/10)

Alan continues dating Lyndsey without telling their children.

Teleplay by Don Foster & Eddie Gorodetsky & Jim Patterson | Story by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn | Directed by James Widdoes

Season Eight’s premiere is the perfect encapsulation of how Two And A Half Men has eroded since its peak, emphasizing the comic dexterity of Emmy-nominated Jon Cryer’s Alan, while also revealing how he has replaced Charlie as the show’s primary pusher of comedic story. Here, he’s sneaking around dating Lyndsey (Courtney Thorne-Smith) behind the backs of both their children — a slimy, deceptive move that would have previously been more typical of Charlie the Don Juan, with Alan as the more reserved, morally conscious contrast. Now, it’s the reverse — Alan is the bad guy, and Charlie is a sidelined commentator who, if we’re lucky, is written with reminders of his old personality (like when he’s proud of Jake for scoring with girls — a vestige of the “bachelor uncle” premise), and even occasional self-awareness as to this role reversal. Accordingly, with this offering describing the current state of Men more honestly (and comedically) than any other, I had no choice but to select it as my MVE (Most Valuable Episode). It’s not nearly on par with past MVEs, but that’s also reflective of the series’ decline.

02) Episode 163: “A Bottle Of Wine And A Jackhammer” (Aired: 09/27/10)

Charlie tries to convince Alan to move in with Lyndsey.

Teleplay by Don Foster & Eddie Gorodetsky & Jim Patterson | Story by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn & Susan Beavers | Directed by James Widdoes

Eight’s sophomore outing feels like it could have been Seven’s finale. That is, last year was reduced by two because of Sheen’s rehab stint, ending on a fairly forgettable entry that played into the Charlie/Chelsea arc. These first two installments from Eight continue fleshing out Alan’s new relationship with Lyndsey, culminating in him moving out of Charlie’s house — a seeming end to the series’ situation that would have been a fine way to wrap the previous season, especially with a cliffhanger that suggests… well, no, he’s sure to mess this up and will probably be back soon anyway. To that point, what I like best about this idea is Charlie’s eagerness to get Alan out, which speaks not only to the change in Alan’s characterization (he’s now a known mooch), but also the premise itself, which depends on the notion that Charlie’s lifestyle was crimped by the increased burden he took on in the pilot. An MVE contender.

03) Episode 164: “A Pudding-Filled Cactus” (Aired: 10/04/10)

Alan uses Charlie’s house to cheat on Lyndsey with Melissa.

Teleplay by Don Foster & Susan Beavers & Eddie Gorodetsky | Story by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn & David Richardson | Directed by James Widdoes

Alan is at the height of his Charlie-era depravity in this excursion, which finds him going back and forth between Lyndsey’s house, where he now lives, and Charlie’s house, which he’s using to carry on an affair with his ex, Melissa (Kelly Stables). Once more, this is the kind of slimy behavior that we would have heretofore expected more from playboy Charlie, rather than the repressed, angsty Alan, and it’s thus a sign of the transformation that has occurred, diluting the premised design by having the two leads swap roles. Fortunately, this script (like the premiere’s) is aware of the change, and it’s very funny as well — ending with Alan burning down his new girlfriend’s house (after, again, spending the whole half hour cheating on her).

04) Episode 165: “Hookers, Hookers, Hookers” (Aired: 10/11/10)

Alan, Lyndsey, and the kids move back in with Charlie.

Teleplay by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn & Jim Patterson | Story by Don Foster & Susan Beavers & Eddie Gorodetsky | Directed by James Widdoes

This episode continues where the above left off, as Alan has burned down Lyndsey’s house and must return to Charlie’s — now with Jake, Lyndsey, and Lyndsey’s son Eldridge (Graham Patrick Martin) in tow. It’s a funny idea because of how audaciously unscrupulous Alan has become, and also because it irks Charlie, whose annoyance at the inconvenience again reminds us of the initial tension of the premise, where Alan (and his family) put a major crimp in Charlie’s carefree existence. Also, there’s a fun “hangout” scene with Herb (Ryan Stiles), Gordon (J.D. Walsh) and Lyndsey’s ex-husband (Judd Nelson), plus Charlie and Alan of course, in the ruins of Lyndsey’s old house — it feels like classic Men. Another MVE contender.

05) Episode 166: “The Immortal Mr. Billy Joel” (Aired: 10/18/10)

Alan pretends to be Charlie while picking up a woman.

Teleplay by Susan Beavers & Eddie Gorodetsky & Jim Patterson | Story by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn & Don Foster | Directed by James Widdoes

Besides boasting an amusing subplot where Charlie has plastic surgery that works for his characterization because it relates to his vanity when it comes to attracting women (and his recurring fear about aging), this outing’s A-story literally finds Alan pretending to be Charlie to bed an attractive woman. I like to think the show is thus fully conscious about the (unideal) evolution of Alan’s persona with respect to Charlie, but even if not, it’s a true indication of what’s going on this season, with another comical plot that also evidences the year’s increasing sex-obsession, which is character-superseding and series-defining. (Steve Hytner guests.)

06) Episode 173: “Chocolate Diddlers Or My Puppy’s Dead” (Aired: 12/13/10)

Charlie is back in therapy after another breakup.

Teleplay by Eddie Gorodetsky & Jim Patterson | Story by Chuck Lorre | Directed by James Widdoes

We’ve seen Charlie dealing with a breakup before, turning introspective in an attempt to override his bad habits and open himself up to the serious relationship he seeks. There’s nothing original here, except for the fact that his recurring shrink, Jane Lynch, had become a bona fide star on Glee, so her inclusion apparently now warrants some winking references to that series. Otherwise, been there, done that… and it’s especially sad, for this is — aside from the forthcoming Rose arc that gets halted — basically where we leave Charlie: a drunk loser who wants to grow but can’t. It feels like a metaphor for Sheen at this point in his life, and as this season is defined by that major off-screen disturbance, there’s something revealing about this entry that made it vital to my list. (Also, Desi Lydic appears.)

07) Episode 174: “Skunk, Dog Crap, And Ketchup” (Aired: 01/03/11)

Alan doesn’t like Charlie bonding with Lyndsey.

Teleplay by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn & Don Reo & David Richardson | Story by Alissa Neubauer | Directed by James Widdoes

Lyndsey, like most of the love interests on Men, has no clear personality and is therefore malleable to whatever an episode requires of her. Here, she’s something of a tomboy with some knowledge about sports — a trait that bonds her with Charlie, making Alan feel left out and insecure, especially given his established dynamic with his brother, who has frequently stolen his girlfriends. I like this idea because it’s based on their premised characterizations. The rest of the outing, however, is merely a chance for Jon Cryer to be an outrageous comic character — a role that’s become the status quo for him this season and will continue after Charlie’s exit…

 

Other notable episodes that merit mention include: “Twanging Your Magic Clanger,” which puts Charlie in an overly familiar predicament while Alan gets a sex-related subplot that’s totally indicative of Men‘s ongoing embracement of the gratuitous vulgarity for which the series is known, “Springtime On A Stick,” another oversexed offering that focuses on Evelyn and also features the recurring Martin Mull, “Lookin’ For Japanese Subs,” in which Charlie begins stalking Rose (a comical turnabout), “Three Hookers And A Philly Cheesesteak,” where Alan takes money from his friends and family in a Ponzi scheme and Rose continues her deception of Charlie, and “That Darn Priest,” Charlie’s final outing, which is really another showcase for Jon Cryer and the ridiculous reprobate his Alan character has officially become.

 

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

“Three Girls And A Guy Named Bud”

 

 

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