TVSquad

(S07E03) So far this season, Two and a Half Men has been sailing along, continuing to provide plenty of laughs and just enough vulgarity to keep its crown as a raunchy pleasure. Tonight, however, they hit an iceberg. Too bad really, but half the show -- no pun intended -- was spot on. If only the other half had been as good.

For some reason, the writers have this idea that Alan as the object of affection to older women is funny. No, not really. It didn't work when Carol Kane guested as the mother of a girl Alan was dating and it didn't work tonight with Annie Potts as Judith's mother, Lenore.

I adore Annie Potts and would tell you to watch Designing Women to see her at her best. This episode asked her to be a one-note, Betty Ford dropout who's lusting after Alan for no particular reason except that he was there. The humor was strained. The Indiana Jones movies as a comparison for her vagina? Lenore sucking Alan's fingers. Yeech!

Fortunately, Charlie and Jake had a great half of the show. You could really relate to Jake's one-track mind obsession with getting a chance to drive, as much as Charlie's determination not to let the 15-year-old get behind the wheel of his $80,000 Mercedes.

You have to wonder, though, what would Charlie have said to Chelsea if Sir Lancelot hadn't turned up? I realize he's a heartless, selfish bastard, but even he has to know that Chelsea loves her pet. She would have been inconsolable if Charlie had killed her pussycat, even accidentally. Fortunately, humor prevailed or he might have been on the lookout for another puss... for Chelsea! (What did you think I meant?)

But Sir Lancelot avoided becoming Sir Squishalot, and Jake lost his upper hand with Uncle Charlie. The lesson? "Leverage is a fickle bitch, my friend." That is... until the intimidating-looking, 7 foot tall neighbor appeared at the door trying to find his missing cat, Puss-Puss. Jake to Charlie: "Looks like the fickle bitch is back."

By the way, do you think that part was intended for Michael Clarke Duncan? Remember when he was on last season as Jerome, the father of Jake's girlfriend? He scared the crap out of Charlie, so it would have made sense.

Overall, half a funny episode and no cats were actually harmed in the filming of the show.

Funny stuff
-- "I'm implying that there may be better choices for a babysitter than a woman who has a sandwich named after her at the Betty Ford Clinic." -- Alan objecting to Judith's mother watching the baby

-- Herb to Judith: "All right, no romance. But sex is still on the table?"

-- "You couldn't be more of a sucker if you were on the end of a stick." -- Charlie to Alan

-- Jake: "So the doorman thing was an insult?"
Alan: "Yes, and a prophecy."

-- Alan's ringtone is the Fifth Dimension singing "Up, Up and Away."

-- In the opening, they've updated it to the point that when the half-man -- Jake -- morphs into his current height and busts right out of the upper frame.

[Watch clips of Two and a Half Men and other shows over at SlashControl.]