Two and a half men was an undeniable behemoth of a sitcom in terms of ratings all the way through. It reportedly grossed $3.4 million per half hour in 2012, even after Sheen's departure. Its success paved the way for all the Chuck Lorre shows that followedabove all The Big Bang Theory. Despite its impressive commercial performance, it was never a perfect show, with tons of lame jokes and a laugh track. Also, he probably jumped the shark much earlier Charlie Sheen left handed. despite Ashton KutcherCharms of, the reinvented version also continued to deliver diminishing returns.
That said, the series definitely had its moments and provided a few good laughs over the years. The big finales and episodes with Charlie's wildest antics tend to get the most attention, but there are also some episodes that may have been less memorable but are still solid. These are the most underrated Two and a half men episodes
10 “Pemberton's 9:04”
Season 10 Episode 18
“If there was a freeloader's hall of fame, my dad would live in it…for free.” In this one, Walden and Alan (John Cryer) have a fight, causing Alan to move out and start living with “his ex-wife's ex-husband in her old house”. The ex-husband in question is Herb (Ryan Stiles of Whose line is it anyway? fame), and he's a real weirdo. He's obsessed with model trains, invents disturbingly complex backstories for the characters that inhabit his model cities, and his best friend is the mustache he drew on the bathroom mirror.
The result is one of the best episodes of the show's second season, with an actual plot in addition to the gags. There are several moments of humor, such as Berta (Conchata Ferrell) describing Alan as a “human boomerang,” and it all adds up to a sad but wholesome reunion between Alan and Walden. Their scenes show how their dynamic is different from that between Alan and Charlie.
9 “Damn Eggs Benedict”
Season 6 Episode 3
“You did it no make hollandaise sauce.” “Damn Eggs Benedict” is a fairly straightforward episode: Alan starts dating two women at once, and it always causes trouble; Jake (Angus T. Jones) gets drunk for the first time and Charlie starts cooking. Alan is as shocked as the viewer, saying, “In the 6 years I've been here, I've only seen you light the stove to light a cigar.”
The plot might not be anything special, though it's still a reasonably fun and enjoyable 22 minutes. Charlie delivers witty puns, and while Cryer doesn't get many memorable lines, he does give a committed physical performance in the scene where he's tasered. It flops and vibrates on the floor with gusto. The episode also humanizes Charlie a bit, showing him in a slightly less misanthropic light. He's the one who goes to pick up a puking Jake at the mall, for example, and just kind of makes fun of him.
8 “My tongue is meat”
Season 3 Episode 15
“Charlie, you're not just whipped. You're hooked, saddled and neutered.” In 'My Tongue is Meat', an out-of-shape Charlie starts dating the health-conscious and athletic Mia (Emmanuelle Vaugier). He tells her that he's given up alcohol, given up meat and the rest of his vices, but secretly hides cigars and beer in a paint can in the garage, sneaking them in when Mia isn't around.
Naturally, Charlie's dishonesty gets out of hand and threatens to blow up the relationship. This episode is another one that puts the hedonistic jingle writer in a weaker position. He doesn't have the courage to stand up to Mia and tell her the truth, so he nervously hides, acting more like Alan than Charlie's audience is used to. Basically, he genuinely likes Mia and is worried that she will leave him if he doesn't live up to her expectations, hence the cheating. This is a welcome change of paceand it's nice to see it explode.
7 “Santa's Village of Convicts”
Season 3 Episode 11
Alan starts dating Sandy (Josie Davis), who quickly begins to take control of the household and fatten the two brothers with her delicious cooking like a witch from a fairy tale. They develop ridiculous bellies and become addicted to Sandy's meals. Charlie, in particular, begins to treat her almost as if she were his new mother. Sandy's presence has its advantages, but her influence becomes too strong and she reveals herself as one little too crazy For example, she sincerely believes that Santa Claus is real.
When Sandy freaks out because she hasn't left cookies for Santa, Alan gets one of the episode's best lines, replying, “I see you believe in the vengeful Old Testament Santa.” Charlie also gets a good one when Sandy asks, “What's Christmas without caroling?” and he replies, “Hanukkah?” The final scenes concern Alan's ill-fated attempts to get rid of Sandy, which obviously don't go as planned.
6 “I can't afford hyenas”
Season 1 Episode 14
“I can't do this anymore. I quit.” Like 'My Tongue is Meat', 'I Can't Afford Hyenas' also shows Charlie in a difficult position. In this one, he finds himself in serious financial trouble and has to turn to Alan and his mother (Holland Taylor) for help. There's a particularly funny scene where Charlie goes shopping for the cheapest groceries he can find. He buys a large bottle labeled simply “vodka”, lamenting that it looks like something Fred Flintstone would drink.
There's also a great cameo from Richard Lewis as Charlie's crooked accountantand the big Melanie Lynskey she has great lines as usual as Rose, Charlie's weird neighbor. It's fascinating to see her back in the role, given her more dramatic recent work yellow vests i The last of us. The rest of the episode is pretty standard stuff, but there's something nostalgic about Season 1. The jokes and dynamic hadn't gotten stale yet.
5 “Go get mommy's bra”
Season 2 Episode 4
“Oh Charlie, that's just sick!” The main story here is about Alan's frustration when his ex-wife Judith (Marin Elizabeth Hinkle) starts dating a new man named Greg who Jake instantly admires. Greg has a boat and all kinds of fun skills and Jake likes to hang out with him. This makes Alan feel like a disappointing father by comparison. He tries to make up for it by satisfying Jake's wishes, including teaching him to drive even though he's not ready.
This is at least a somewhat interesting problem by the standards of the show, and it plays out in some unexpected ways. For example, Judith and Greg broke up, and Alan is surprisingly (albeit bewilderedly) supportive of her in her time of need. Plus, there's something charming about the way the show embraces its comedy, with blatantly fake soundstages and obviously stationary cars with backgrounds behind them. At least the show doesn't pretend to be something it's not.
4 “Baseball was better on steroids”
Season 6 Episode 24
“It's a growing pain in my ass.” Audiences get to see Charlie's softer side again at the end of Season 6. He's happily engaged to Chelsea (Jennifer Taylor) until he learns that his ex Mia is single and back in town. She calls him hoping to meet, putting him in a difficult position. He is torn between his devotion to Chelsea and his unresolved feelings for Mia, something Chelsea is immediately suspicious of.
The episode takes a complete turn when Judith goes into labor. The whole gang ends up at the hospital and everyone has a good time. Charlie strikes up a conversation about love with a man holding an ice box with his thumb inside, Alan has a passionate reunion with ex Melissa (Kelly Stables), and Herb has a hilarious scene where he's high on painkillers. Hinkle is also intense as Judith, letting out primal roars in the delivery room.
3 “Lotta Delis in Little Armenia”
Season 11 Episode 20
“I'd say, 'Nice to see you,' but of course when I see you, it's usually because things aren't right.” 'Lotta Delis in Little Armenia' is one of the most absurd episodes of the Walden era. In this one, Walden unwittingly becomes something of a gigolo after sleeping with one of Alan's clients. Unknowingly, Alan becomes her de facto pimp, charging women for each visit.
The most memorable moment is the montage where Alan is dressed in a variety of outfits suitable for his new job, each one more outrageous than the last, and rush off with their stacks of cash. This is the cartoonier show, but the approach works reasonably well here. Kutcher pulls it off by playing Walden as sweet and naive, unflinching until the last moment. In one scene, when he realizes that Alan's client is into him, he claps his hands like a child and exclaims, “Yes!”
2 “Can you eat human flesh with wooden teeth?”
Season 2 Episode 16
“You're mean and selfish, you know that?” This episode sees Alan looking after Jake alone while Judith is on holiday. He is overwhelmed and struggles to juggle all his responsibilities. Things get even more complicated when Alan is audited and has to spend to solve the problem. Charlie is unexpectedly thrust into the role of surrogate father. Of course, his parenting is not exactly what Dr. Spock would consider ideal. For example, he sends Jake to school with a frozen pizza for lunch and forgets to pick him up from school after his play.
In fact, the episode features a running gag of various characters forgetting themselves and being left standing in the rain. On the more touching side, there's also a sweet scene where Charlie stands up for Alan. “Your father works like a dog to support you,” she tells Jake. which may be the nicest thing he's said about his brother.
1 “Happy Thanksgiving”
Season 1 Episode 10
“Look at you. A grown man who can't even commit to long pants.” Completing the trifecta of 'Charlie in a bind' episodes, 'Merry Thanksgiving' revolves around Charlie's attempts to win back his ex-girlfriend Lisa (Denise Richards). For a change, Charlie is really in love with her and desperately wants her to like him back. The usually cocky Charlie is insecure in this episode, worrying about how he looks, acts and is seen.
In particular, Charlie tries to pretend to be a family man, as he believes this will be the key to Lisa's heart. He throws the perfect Thanksgiving at his house, but things quickly go awry. The episode succeeds because it shows a more sentimental and neurotic side of Charlie. He's still devious, but he's also lonely and looking for a genuine connection. From a narrative perspective, the episode is also solid, breaking between scenes and wasting no time transitioning from one gag to the next. It's the show doing what it does best.
