Two and a Half Men: The Complete Third Season

"Starts off strong but fades during the stretch"

When it comes to TV, there aren't too many shows I follow anymore. Men's been one of the chosen programs I'll make time for, but now that the Charlie Sheen era is obviously over I would just like to grab the eight or so seasons of the show that currently exist and call it a day. After immensely enjoying seasons one and two on DVD, I picked up season three even though it was a little more expensive than the previous seasons. After watching it I wish I had waited for a price drop. To put it plainly, season three of Two and Half Men is good, but some of the story arcs are insipid.

The trouble beings in "That Voodoo That I Do Do" picks up in "Humiliation is a Visual Medium" through ""My Tongue is Meat" and finally ends with "Arguments for the Quickie" and "That Pistol-Packin' Hermaphrodite." In case you don't catch the connection between those episodes, they're the ones centered on Charlie's "no-sex" relationship with Mia. Introduce a terrible character and just watch how terrible things get. I'm not saying there isn't any fun to be had in these episodes, but the bad starts to outweigh the good even with the dimwitted Kandi entering the picture.

Adding to the negatives are boorish guest appearances by Cloris Leachman ("Madame and Her Special Friend") and Jon Lovitz ("The Unfortunate Little Schnauser") that only serve to annoy and make one reflect back on and wish for the brilliant Charlie, Jake and Alan-based episodes that start off the set. If anything, season three tries a bit too hard and over complicates a simple formula that hasn't hit its expiration date yet. Generally, the problematic episodes are fine enough when seen on TV where they don't play in order and quick succession of one another but in an environment where they do their weaknesses are quickly punished.

CONCLUSION:

If you love Two and a Half Men, then you're going to buy all the seasons regardless of what you read, but I can't lie to myself about the backwards step season three takes when trying to make its characters more complex. All I can hope for is season four fairs better in package form than this and actually comes with an episode guide.

Overall Score: 7/10