The Second Season

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 review of season one.

In season two, there is a lot of hilarious happenings for the cast of Two and a Half Men. Their crazy antics include fun situations from Charlie and Alan dating the same woman, Charlie's womanizing past coming back to haunt him (in multiple flavors), Alan exploring his sexual side, Judith's new boyfriend, Charlie and Alan facing their childhood, and Jake's all-around goofiness. In short, the second season, like the first, offers twenty-four solid episodes.

One of the season's funniest developments involves guest star Jeri Ryan. Ryan plays Sherri, who is essentially a female version of Charlie. Charlie first meets her in "Bad News From the Clinic". He is shocked to learn that Sherri treats him as he usually treats his dates -- purely for sex and pleasure. Charlie becomes obsessed with understanding why Sherri doesn't want him more. It is a fun case of role-reversal for Charlie. In the episode "A Low, Guttural Tongue-Flapping Noise", Ryan reprises her role as Sherri. This time she dates Alan. The relationship starts off on a good note, except for the fact that Alan's brotherly obsession for competition gets in the way. It is a fun episode and twist.

Another strong development comes from Charlie's past with women. As a womanizer, he has left a lot of broken hearts. In particular, one woman he had a one nightstand with started a website dedicated to Charlie bashing. After an attractive gal blows Charlie off, he learns about the website. In an attempt to correct his past mistakes, he quests to apologize to all of the girls who he thinks might be running the site. His apologizes are well received and he finds they are more than willing to give him a second "chance". Charlie's past also comes back to haunt him in episodes like "Woo-Hoo, A Hernia Exam!" and "Yes, Monsignor".

Other fun developments include Charlie dating Jake's neurotic teacher, Charlie acting as primary caregiver to Jake while Alan deals with an IRS audit, Alan falling in love with a woman who opened up his world sexually, Alan's approval of Judith dating a well-to-do doctor, Judith moving into Charlie's house, Jake and Evelyn trying to be friends, Alan and Charlie chasing after an old friend from high school -- a geek-turned-hottie who wants them both, Alan going on a double-date with Evelyn, and Rose revealing an ironic truth about her background.

Overall, season two has a lot of fun moments. The cast continues to give stellar performances with a wonderful chemistry together. Of note, Charlie Sheen is excellent and his carefree personality makes every scene he appears in a laugh riot. Jon Cryer is also quite good with his neurotic, goofy character. The youngest lead, Angus T. Jones, does a fine job complimenting the two older leads. Add in a strong supporting cast with several goofy storylines and you have twenty-four fun-filled episodes. For fans and newcomers alike, Two and a Half Men is a show that should not be missed.

Episode Guide

1. Back Off, Mary Poppins: Charlie's male support group includes lots of Hollywood celebrities like Sean Penn and Elvis Costello -- but not Alan.
2. Enjoy Those Garlic Balls: Alan is jealous that Judith has a new beau... and delighted that he may be off the hook for alimony.
3. A Bag Full of Jawea: Teacher's pet. Trying to be a good uncle, Charlie romances the teacher who threatened to suspend Jake.
4. Go Get Mommy's Bra: What is Evelyn's bra doing in the back seat of Charlie's car? The answer is...uh...unnerving.
5. Bad News From the Clinic?: Charlie falls for a female version of himself. And man, does she make him miserable.
6. The Price of Healthy Gums is Eternal Vigilance: Is Alan a Jekyll and Hyde? A childhood shoplifting story has him convinced there's a bad "Alan" inside.
7. A Kosher Slaughterhouse Out in Fontana: Charlie and Alan's party for Evelyn turns into an affair to remember... for all the wrong reasons.
8. Frankenstein and the Horny Villagers: Confusing love and lust, Alan promptly proposes when he dates a woman who's sexually adventurous.
9. Yes, Monsignor: Charlie's old flame Lisa has everything -- beauty, wit, intelligence, charm... and a brand-new baby.
10. The Salmon Under My Sweater: Right 'toon, wrong tune. Jake hates Charlie's theme song for the TV version of his favorite comic book.
11. Last Chance to See Those Tattoos: What a tangled worldwide web we weave. Charlie discovers he's the subject of an unflattering website.
12. A Lungful of Alan: A homely girl Charlie and Alan knew in high school visits - and the boys are in for a surprise.
13. Zejdz Zmoich Wlosow (Get Off My Hair): First an earthquake, then a real disaster -- with her house quake damaged, Judith moves into Charlie's beach pad.
14. Those Big Pink Things With Coconut: Alan tells Evelyn she's no longer welcome at the house. But his mother is, as always, a step ahead of him.
15. Smell the Umbrella Stand: Vegas, baby! Charlie's attempts to leave for Las Vegas keep coming up snake eyes.
16. Can You Eat Human Flesh With Wooden Teeth?: Faced with a sudden IRS audit, Alan needs someone reliable to take care of Jake. Someone like... Charlie?!
17. Woo-hoo, A Hernia Exam: Back attack. When Charlie injures his back, he refuses chiropractic help from Alan.
18. It Was "Mame," Mom: Charlie wants to make a good impression at a gay ad exec's party. So he asks Alan to be his "date."
19. A Low, Guttural Tongue-Flapping Noise: Second best? Alan is attracted to a beautiful woman who once had a fling with Charlie.
20. I Always Wanted a Shaved Monkey: Angry at the women in their lives, Charlie and Alan do the mature thing. They turn on each other.
21. A Sympathetic Crotch to Cry on: The death of Evelyn's second husband Harry affects everyone in the family differently.
22. That Old Hose Bag is My Mother: He's traded his soul for a Porsche. That's what Charlie thinks when Alan accepts a car loan from Evelyn.
23. Squad, Squad, Squad, Squad, Squad: Bad parenting? The guys are wracked with guilt after leaving Jake with Evelyn for an evening.
24. Does This Smell Funny To You?: Poetic license. Jake's "How I Spent My Weekend" report differs somewhat from reality.

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 good. There are some evident compression artifacts, but nothing really bad.

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 Korean.

Extras:

• A Day in the Life of Two and a Half Men (15:54): is a behind the scenes featurette about the making of the season four episode "Prostitutes and Gelato". The featurette include brief interviews with crew members about guest stars, costume, line cutting, properties, sets, etc.
• The Serious Business of Writing Comedy (11:26): is a behind the scenes/interview featurette with crew members (Mark Roberts, Susan Beavers, Eddie Gorodetsky, Jim Patterson, Don Foster). The discussion focuses on the writing process and reveals their playful and serious sides. The moral of the story, writing can be tough work. They put in long hours to make the show hilarious.
• Gag Reel (9:05): is a series of goofs caught up tape during the filming of season two. There are several fun moments, although not quite as rich as the actual season two content. Nevertheless, it is worth checking out.
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show Trailer (0:32): is a trailer for The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Final Thoughts:
Two and a Half Men is a fun-filled sitcom about a bachelor, and his divorced brother and son under one roof. The three have a strong chemistry together and get into a myriad of fun situations, mostly dealing with the bachelor's sexually escapades and family's neuroticisms. The second season, like the first, continues to offer a strong lineup of episodes that will leave you laughing and feeling entertained. It is the kind of show you do not want to miss out on.