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 JON CRYER as Alan, ASHTON KUTCHER as Walden, and AMBER TAMBLYN as Jenny. With CONCHATA FERRELL as Berta, COURTNEY-THORNE SMITH as Lyndsey, and HOLLAND TAYLOR as Evelyn.
We’ve finally reached the point in Men’s run where I’m no longer comfortable picking a full list of ten favorites. Although the show’s situation was fatally strained when Walden joined back in Season Nine, the presence of Jake — even in Ten’s recurring capacity — at least brought some reminder of the premise as inherently promised by the Two And A Half Men title. But Jake’s gone now, and Eleven has to contrive another excuse to earn its name. And, actually, the series comes up with a smart idea — it introduces Amber Tamblyn as Charlie’s daughter, Jenny. This not only grants Men some welcome continuity with the Charlie era, it also allows the show to write for his character again — with the setup that she is basically a younger, lesbian version of him. And in addition to fulfilling Jake’s role as the situation’s designated “half man,” Jenny also gives scripts opportunities to contrast the Charlie persona against Walden, who needs a new way to be contextualized, since his intended definition has deteriorated. Unfortunately, none of this promising design bears out in story, for the show ultimately has no understanding of how to use Jenny well in relation to either Alan or Walden, the latter of whom has lost his initial immaturity and is now just a figurehead, walking through labored rom-com plots with occasional reminders that he’s a billionaire. (Oh, and he’s chronically annoyed by all the people who are mooching off him — obviously Alan, and now Jenny.) The second half of the season, perhaps aware of his vagueness, tries to propose the idea that, in contrast to the more irreverent Jenny (and the absurd Alan), Walden is naive when it comes to love and falls too hard too fast. But this doesn’t completely align with his actions in prior seasons, and the truth is, he doesn’t really make choices that are different enough from Charlie or Alan to have this feel distinctly insightful.
Speaking of Alan, this year finds him at his most outrageous yet — he’s an over-the-top, unscrupulous freeloader whose effeminate qualities are maximized, so the series can indulge “meta” humor related to the joke that Alan/Walden are a couple. This is a way to wink about the ridiculousness of their forced living arrangement, and it also indicates a further broadening of the show’s comedy — as it’s now willing to mock the premise itself (or reference real-life events, like Ashton Kutcher’s romance with Mila Kunis) and thereby undermine the situation, as long as it gets a laugh. This would be harmful to character and premise… but the damage has already been done, and these trends have been running since the start of the Walden era. As for Alan’s narrative usage, this season puts him in a year-long arc where he creates a fake identity to befriend Lyndsey’s new beau, while he and Lyndsey (Courtney Thorne-Smith) carry on a secret affair. Such sex-fueled deception may seem like classic Men, but it’s not very original or character-specific. (Heck, last year’s storyline where Walden pretended to be poor at least used a unique aspect of his definition.) Also, prior schemes in this vein by Charlie and eventually Alan were shorter — this one goes on for so long that it drags, only accentuating Alan’s unmotivated heightening in the process. In fact, all this story really proves is that Alan is undoubtedly the show’s bastard — its new Charlie. Of course, that’s another trend that has been ramping up for many years, but it reaches its nadir here, sinking Men to new lows, for this was never how it was supposed to be and it’s not satisfying because it isn’t earned, just convenient… Now, next season will continue to sink even lower, but at least the series’ end approaches. In Eleven, Two And A Half Men feels interminable, and this is a tough collection to endure.
01) Episode 225: “Nangnangnangnang” (Aired: 09/26/13)
Alan and Walden meet Charlie’s daughter.
Teleplay by Don Reo & Jim Patterson & Steve Tompkins | Story by Chuck Lorre & Susan McMartin | Directed by James Widdoes
Season Eleven introduces Jenny and the series’ new claim on its Two And A Half Men title, along with its implied promise regarding the situation. As discussed, I think Jenny is actually a smart way for the show to move on without Jake, but she ends up not being used to her full potential, with too few stories genuinely exploring how she exists in relation to the two men. However, her debut is a breath of fresh air, and Evelyn is back after minimal usage in Ten.
02) Episode 226: “I Think I Banged Lucille Ball” (Aired: 10/03/13)
Charlie’s daughter moves in with Evelyn and her fiancé.
Teleplay by Don Reo & Jim Patterson & Jeff Lowell | Story by Chuck Lorre & Alissa Neubauer | Directed by James Widdoes
Carl Reiner returns as Evelyn’s lover Marty in this installment that I mostly include because the presence of this sitcom giant gives credibility to a series that otherwise lost it long ago. He really makes the most of his material, although he’s only deployed to help cement Jenny’s place in the house, setting up a forced but necessary scene where Jenny and Walden ostensibly form some kind of connection that justifies her moving in — it’s not great, but this list is desperate.
03) Episode 235: “Tazed In The Lady Nuts” (Aired: 01/02/14)
Walden goes to work for a former employee while Alan gives Jenny romantic advice.
Teleplay by Don Reo & Jim Patterson & Steve Tompkins | Story by Tim Kelleher & Jeff Lowell & Jim Vallely | Directed by James Widdoes
The only vestige of Walden’s early characterization is the notion that he’s a billionaire — which is utilized here for a midseason arc where he goes to work for a former employee. It’s not entirely believable, and because it doesn’t involve the other regulars, it’s not ideal. However, it does introduce a new doofus named Barry (Clark Duke), a nerdy stand-in for Jake who eventually moves into the house and serves as a possible backup for Jenny. As for Jenny, I like that this episode shows her attempting a real romantic relationship for a change — it’s the kind of story that reminds us of her connection to Charlie and her corresponding definition.
04) Episode 237: “Bite Me, Supreme Court” (Aired: 01/30/14)
Alan and Walden throw a bachelor party for Evelyn’s fiancé.
Teleplay by Don Reo & Jim Patterson & Steve Tompkins | Story by Tim Kelleher & Jeff Lowell & Jim Vallely | Directed by James Widdoes
This is the year’s second outing with Carl Reiner, as Evelyn and Marty get married, and we’re treated to memorable appearances by icons Tim Conway, Steve Lawrence, and Garry Marshall. Again, they give winking sitcom-rooted credibility to a series that was once the dominant example of its genre but is now a corpse. (Oh, and incidentally, this is another show that plays up the joke of Alan and Walden seeming like a couple; more next week…)
05) Episode 240: “How To Get Rid Of Alan Harper” (Aired: 03/06/14)
Alan becomes interested in Larry’s sister.
Teleplay by Don Reo & Jim Patterson & Jeff Lowell | Story by Saladin K. Patterson & Jim Vallely & Leslie Schapira | Directed by James Widdoes
I’ve excluded most offerings related to the dragged-out arc where Alan uses a fake name to befriend Lyndsey’s new boyfriend Larry (D. B. Sweeney) because I think they’re plot-driven and not great for either Alan’s character or the series at large. However, I feature this one because it deliberately acknowledges how these story turns are soapy, like a telenovela — another example of Men undercutting itself with “meta” humor that emphasizes its growing ridiculousness via self-derision. Also, this is when the show really starts trying to call Walden a sappy romantic, in contrast to Jenny and Alan. There’s some truth there, but he didn’t behave differently enough from them before this to have it make total sense. (Kimberly Williams-Paisley also guests.)
06) Episode 241: “Welcome Home, Jake” (Aired: 03/13/14)
Walden has trouble kicking Barry out of the house.
Teleplay by Tim Kelleher & Matt Ross & Max Searle | Story by Don Reo & Jim Patterson & Saladin K. Patterson | Directed by James Widdoes
Truthfully, this isn’t a great episode — its A-story, which continues the Alan/Lyndsey/Larry arc (now with Larry’s sister involved), doesn’t bring much value on behalf of character or comedy. However, I’m opting to spotlight it here on Eleven’s desperate-for-passable list because it boasts the year’s greatest attempt at positioning Walden’s new friend Barry as a possible “half man” who could replace the now peripheral Jenny as an upholder of Men’s premise. It’s a bad idea but interesting, as is this script’s attempt to predicate the bulk of Walden’s derived humor from his frustration at all the mooches in his life — it’s not a personality trait, but it gives him something specific to do, as he plays his part within the current situation’s odd living arrangement.
07) Episode 243: “Lan Mao Shi Zai Wuding Shang” (Aired: 04/10/14)
Walden wonders whether he falls in love too fast when he meets a random stranger.
Teleplay by Don Reo & Jim Patterson & Steve Tompkins | Story by Jeff Lowell & Matt Ross & Max Searle | Directed by James Widdoes
This is a terribly gimmicky excursion that nevertheless attempts to be both funny and relevant for character, as it hopes to explore the notion that Walden falls in love too fast when he encounters a strange woman played by Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher’s real-life paramour. Men has a long history of such casting — Denise Richards portrayed an ex of Charlie’s — but the series has never before included so many “meta” or situation-undermining references (like a whole sitcom parody sequence that corroborates the show’s enhanced self-referentiality), thus revealing that its humor has gotten even less discerning… As for Kunis, if her character felt more specific and less like a narrative device, this would be Season Eleven’s best ambassador.
08) Episode 244: “Lotta Delis In Little Armenia” (Aired: 04/24/14)
Walden’s therapist prescribes him more casual sex.
Teleplay by Jim Patterson & Tim Kelleher & Jim Vallely | Story by Don Reo & Steve Tompkins & Saladin K. Patterson | Directed by James Widdoes
Easily the funniest of the season, “Lotta Delis In Little Armenia” finds Walden returning to the shrink played by Jane Lynch for advice about his tendency to fall in love too fast. Her solution is unrealistic but, admittedly, hilarious: he needs to have more casual sex so that he’ll stop forming emotional attachments to everyone he shags. This is where Eleven’s efforts to define Walden as earnest in love fall flattest to me, because in Season Nine, he already discovered the joys of casual sex and didn’t seem to have a problem. Thus, this isn’t rooted in his continuity… However, his depiction has been overly malleable to the demands of plot anyway — which is the very issue with his entire presence, so I can’t dock this specific half hour too much for a macro series concern, and, frankly, I don’t want to dock it, for the setup of Walden sleeping with Alan’s chiropractic clients, who begin showing up just for his services, is an outrageous sex-based notion that feels like quintessential Men. In fact, it’s a more character-based take (well, not really, but it tries to be) on an idea employed with Charlie back in Season Three. And to this script’s credit, it’s bolder and funnier here… taking advantage of this era’s aggrandized anything-for-a-laugh ethos, especially with Alan. Again, it’s not really a great show for the characters… but there’s nothing else that can feasibly be my MVE. (Guests include Amy Pietz and Alex Kapp.)
Other entries worth mentioning include: “Alan Harper, Pleasing Women Since 2003,” which introduces Larry and has a stellar opening scene, “Some Kind Of Lesbian Zombie,” where Walden and Alan attempt to double date with a pair of Disney princesses, “Three Fingers Of Crème De Menthe,” where Walden is self-conscious about his masculinity, and “Clank, Clank, Drunken Skank,” in which guest Jennifer Aspen is a lot of fun.
*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Eleven of Two And A Half Men goes to…
“Lotta Delis In Little Armenia”
Come back next week for Season Twelve! And stay tuned for a new Wildcard Wednesday!