Charlie Harper is a successful and respected advertising career-man living out a luxurious, sun-soaked lifestyle in Malibu. Times have been good for Charlie up until recently with women falling at his feet, a tranquil beach house and a shiny new Mercedes in the garage, until his brother Alan and Alan's son Jake crash into his life. Uptight, geeky Alan has divorced his neurotic wife, Judith and lost his home, leaving them no choice but to move in with Charlie...

Two and a Half Men is an American sitcom that started in 2003 and is currently (as of October 2008) in its sixth season.

The basic premise is fairly straightforward. Charlie Harper is a wealthy man who lives in a gorgeous apartment on the seafront. His brother, Alan, is a chiropractor who has very little money - as most of it goes to his ex-wife in alimony payments - and ends up living rent free in Charlie's large property. Jake, Alan's son, spends his time living between his mother's house and in his own room at Charlie's. Charlie and Alan are very different. While Charlie is a womaniser and likes to live life to the full, Alan is awkward around the opposite sex and is very boring in his outlook on life. Jake is a good kid who likes his food, but isn't academically gifted.

The titles of the episodes mean very little, being obscure lines that one of the cast has uttered in that episode. Highlights in Season Four include:

Working for Caligula: After Alan and Kandi get married, almost immediately they fall out. Charlie's plans of getting his bachelor pad back are blown as Alan moves back in.

Who is Vod Kanockers?: The show's title is also possibly the funniest line in this season. Charlie confides in Alan why he didn't marry Mia (because she wanted to kick Alan and Jake out) and Charlie falls out with his new neighbour, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.

The Sea is a Harsh Mistress: While trying to impress a young beach babe, Charlie almost drowns while trying to surf. He has a near death experience in which he sees his dad, who tells him to "take care of your mother". Charlie becomes a changed man and tries to get closer to his mother.

A Live Woman of Proven Fertility: Alan is overjoyed as his first ex-wife, Judith, is getting married. This means he will no longer have to pay her alimony. Alan and Charlie wind up taking Judith's future husband out on an impromptu bachelor party.

I Merely Slept With a Commie: Alan and Charlie's mother, Evelyn, has recently attended a funeral where everyone hated the deceased. Alan and Charlie also realise that they might be losing their mother to her new best friends, a gay couple with a genius adoptive Chinese son. Both Alan and Charlie suck up to their mother without the other knowing.

Tucked, Taped and Gorgeous: Alan has started attending a single parent support group. When Charlie meets one of Alan's new friends from the group the two get on really well... until Charlie finds out the guy is gay. What's great about this episode is that at first Charlie comes across as having serious issues about homosexuality, but as the episode progresses the reasons are not as negative as they first appear.

Prostitutes and Gelato: Having a quick bite to eat in a cafe Charlie, Alan and Jake are surprised to see Evelyn walk through the door with a new boyfriend (played by Robert Wagner). The three quickly hide in the toilet until she is gone - but she's already spotted them. Charlie and Alan get to know Evelyn's new boyfriend and really like him - especially when he invites them to Vegas on his private jet to see a boxing match with ringside seats.

To be honest, there isn't a bad episode in this collection and there's plenty here to keep fans of the show amused.

Extras include two audio commentaries (one for Tucked, Taped and Gorgeous with the show's creators Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn and another on Mr. Mcglue's Feedbag with actors Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones); Gag Reel (8 min, 05 secs of outtakes. This works better than the usual gag reel, as the show is taped in front of a live studio audience); and Two Men Talking About Two and a Half Men (13 min, 15 sec featurette that sees the show's creators, Lorre and Aronsohn talking about the show).

All in all, the fourth season of Two and a Half Men is pretty enjoyable.

7

Nick Smithson