Two and a Half Men is a television situational comedy (sitcom) about a carefree, womanizing bachelor whose life is turned upside down when his neurotic bother and son move in. The series first aired in 2003 and was widely received by audiences, as well as critics -- winning the People's Choice award for Favorite New Comedy Series. The show's success comes from an excellent rounded cast, witty dialogue, and all-around goofy storylines. What it boils down to is that Two and a Half Men is a fun-filled sitcom with nonstop laughs. For more details about the show, please refer to DVD Talk's reviews of season one and season two.

In a nutshell, season three is another fun set of episodes with two and a half of America's funniest bachelors. The season has several classic, over-the-top episodes that include Charlie dating a cultist, Alan dating a grandmother, Jake taking ballet, and Rose's dad entering the picture. There are also some good all-around developments for the cast. Notably, Charlie gives up on his bachelor lifestyle after meeting the perfect woman. Is it the end of Two and a Half Men or just a clever storyline? You can be the judge, but I think it is the latter. Nevertheless, season three is another fun ride. If you have enjoyed past seasons, then season three will not be a disappointment.

As previously mentioned, season three is a blast. The show continues to be hilarious with a stellar cast, fun storylines, and several riotous developments. On the flipside, the season is not perfect. The primary issue I took with season three was the lack of diversity. The season kicks off with "Weekend in Bangkok With Two Olympic Gymnasts". Charlie tries to prove his value as a responsible adult. He agrees to run Alan's office while he goes to a school appointment for Jake. Of course, Charlie makes a muck of things and Alan freaks out. This aspect is not a new development, as pretty much the entire show has centered on the conflict between Charlie's carefree personality and Alan's neurotic behavior. Throw in Jake and you have Two and a Half a Men. I make this point because season three starts off with a tone and does not do much to set itself aside -- situations and humor included. In fact, I thought the first couple episodes were a little on the dull side.

Fortunately, the season gradually gets better. The pinnacle occurs with episode six, "Hi, Mr. Horned One". This episode has a goofy undertone. Charlie spends a ravenous few days with Isabella. She is an indifferent girl with ties to the underworld. When she meets Alan, they do not click. She puts a curse on him. It is a ridiculous episode that ends with on a great note. The next episode is "Sleep Tight, Puddin' Pop". This episode has classic written all over it. The real strength comes from the guest star Marin Sheen. After Charlie gets drunk and wakes up with Rose in his bed, Rose's father (Martin Sheen) demands to know Charlie's intentions for his daughter. But after meeting Evelyn, Rose's dad becomes obsessed with her and moves in -- father like daughter. It is a great episode with an awesome performance from Martin Sheen, who fits the show like a glove.

The next two episodes are also great and worth noting. In "That Voodoo That I Do Do", Charlie meets Mia (Emmanuelle Vaugier), the woman of his dreams, who resists his charm. Charlie ties to win her over and fails. Eventually, he learns that she is a ballet teacher. To get on her good side, he pays Jake to take ballet lessons from her. The situation is simply funny and even kookier as Jake falls for her too. "Madame and Her Special Friend" has Alan at the center of an old tale. After trying to smooth things between Charlie and senior citizen neighbor Norma, Alan befriends her. One thing leads to another and he finds himself in an odd position as her young lover. Alan weighs his pride against material goods. He can have his own building dedicated to chiropractics; the catch, he has to sleep with her.

As for the remainder of the season, the show continues with the fun pace set in episode six. The comedy is right and the situations are goofy. There is also a pretty big development that leads into the season finale. Charlie and Mia get very close, which include him giving up on his bachelor lifestyle. Other fun occurrences include Alan's young girlfriend Kandi and Rose's boyfriend Gordon. Overall, it is a solid season that has a lot of laughs and fun for everyone to enjoy. If you have enjoyed any of the past seasons, then season three is must see TV.

Episode Guide

1. Weekend in Bangkok With Two Olympic Gymnasts: Jake takes charge. With Alan ailing, Charlie plays dad to Jake... and gets a lesson in parenting.
2. Principal Gallagher's Lesbian Lover: Dr. Harper's helper. Charlie (mis)manages Alan's chiropractic office the morning after a wild night before.
3. Carpet Burns and a Bite Mark: When Charlie discovers that Alan's new flame is Alan's ex-wife, he leaps into relationship-busting action.
4. Your Dismissive Attitude Toward Boobs: A moving experience. Berta moves in and a few complications later, Alan decides to move out.
5. We Called It Mr. Pinky: Charlie's problems with women in general may be related to his problems with one woman in particular, Mom.
6. Hi, Mr. Horned One: Isabella, Charlie's latest conquest and a devotee of the dark arts, puts a curse on Alan.
7. Sleep Tight, Puddin' Pop: Charlie sleeps with Rose, then gets one heck of a wake-up call when her irate father demands to know his intentions.
8. That Voodoo That I Do Do: Charlie's interest in Jake taking ballet class has nothing to do with art and everything to do with the ballet teacher.
9. Madame and Her Special Friend: "Hurry up, Sugar Buns. I'm not getting any younger." Senior citizen Norma has the hots for Alan.
10. Something Salted and Twisted: After one more snub from Evelyn and several shots of booze, Alan vows to stop seeking the approval of women.
11. Santa's Village o the Damned: Perfect food, perfect decorations, perfect order. Alan's domestic-goddess girlfriend makes the holidays perfectly miserable.
12. That Special Tug: Tell me all about it. Alan's emotional meltdown drives Charlie to a therapist.
13. Humiliation is a Visual Medium: It must be love. Charlie and Mia have been dating for quite a while... with no sex.
14. Love Isn't Blind, It's Retarded: When Mia insists Charlie dump air-headed arm-candy Kandi, Alan's there to catch her.
15. My Tongue is Meat: No beer, no burger -- no way! Mia's health-conscious lifestyle interferes with Charlie's self-indulgences.
16. Ergo, The Booty Call: With Jake's birthday party looming, Alan can't face having his ex meet much, much younger Kandi.
17. The Unfortunate Little Schnauzer: When Charlie's nominated for an ad award (again), he's sure he'll lose to his arrogant archrival (again).
18. The Spit-Covered Cobbler: Alan discovers that having a young, financially strapped sweetie can be financially strapping.
19. Golly Moses, She's a Muffin: Always keep a little Kandi in the house. Charlie doesn't notice that Alan's girlfriend has been living with hem for three weeks.
20. Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Burro: Kandi + Alan. Mandi + Charlie. Andy + Judith. It all adds up to romantic chaos.
21. And the Plot Moistens: Jake's tune. Charlie helps his nephew prepare for the school musical.
22. Just Once With Aunt Sophie: Remember your friend boy-girl part? So do Charlie and Alan. And they have lots of advice for party-bound Jake.
23. Arguments For the Quickie: When Charlie sees Mia again after their breakup, she asks for a donation. Not a monetary one.
24. That Pistol-Packin' Hermaphrodite: Is the beach party over? Mia and Charlie prepare for their wedding.

The DVD

Video:
The video is given in 1.85:1 ratio widescreen format. The presentation is in a matted format, which is indicated to preserve the original aspect ratio of widescreen television exhibition. The picture quality for this transfer is pretty solid. There are some evident compression artifacts, but nothing too apparent.

Audio:
The audio is presented in English and Portuguese 2.0 Dolby digital stereo sound. It sounds good with dialogue easy to hear and no noticeable audio distortions. There are subtitles in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Portuguese.

Extras:
For extras, there is not much included. Season three has a gag reel that runs for 10:21. It is pretty fun and worth sitting through. However, it is a shame there was not more bonus content.

Final Thoughts:
Two and a Half Men is a fun-filled sitcom about two male adults and a young boy living under one roof. The show follows their goofy daily happenings, which include a lot of just out of the ordinary situations that are focused on two opposite personalities. In general, the show has a great cast who work well together and make some ridiculous situations a blast. As for the season three content, it starts off a little dry, but quickly gets better and offers a multitude of hilarity. It is a great watch for fans of the show and will be enjoyed by newcomers.