October 5, 2013
Two And A Half Men - The Complete Tenth Season
Michael Cox READ TIME: 2 MIN.
In "Two and a Half Men: The Complete Tenth Season" Walden Schmidt (Ashton Kutcher) pretends to be a struggling writer to get a woman into bed. During pillow talk, the woman asked him what his novel is about, and he's forced to make-up something.
Uninspired, he tells the story of his own life and consequently the premise of the show.
"It's about this guy named Alan (Jon Cryer)," says Schmidt, "and he lives with his brother in this fabulous Malibu beach house."
"And?" she asks.
(There's really nothing to this premise, yet it sustained the show for eight very successful seasons. Of course, they had the help of Alan's son, the little "half-man," who over the course of time grew into an adult.)
Schmidt goes on, "And the brother dies. He falls in front of a train in Paris."
(What we as an audience know is that former co-star Charlie Sheen went crazy, and they fired him.)
"Anyway this billionaire named Wal... ter comes along," Schmidt explains, "and he buys the house. And Alan continues to live there."
His bedtime companion is confused. "With a complete stranger? Are they gay?"
"No. There just friends," says the billionaire incognito.
(Since the show had great ratings, and they were desperate for this lucrative enterprise to continue, they hired Kutcher to be Sheen's replacement.)
"That's a bit far-fetched isn't it?" asks his female companion.
"No it's totally plausible," says this rich internet entrepreneur (who has lots of money but never seems to do any work.) "They have these adventures together. It's funny..."
"It's a good thing you're pretty," says his lover.
Against all odds this non-formula formula has kept the long-running series a huge hit. Because even though it isn't about anything, lots of things happen. And some of those things are so filthy and shocking we can't keep ourselves from watching.
For instance, somehow Walden and Alan get themselves into a three-way; Miley Cyrus shows up craving to take her top off; there's a spectacular musical number and a cameo performance by Michael Bolton.
If this show is an odd couple comedy how can it survive without the hard-living womanizer that Charlie Sheen played? Ashton Kutcher's character doesn't replace Sheen's smarmy qualities.
Perhaps it's because in his earnest quest for commitment and monogamy, Walden Schmidt happens to get laid all the time.
And it's a good thing he's pretty.
The three-disk set includes all 23 episodes, with subtitles in French, Chinese Portuguese and Spanish, a behind the scenes look at the show's first-ever musical number and a gag reel.
"Two and a Half Men: The Complete Tenth Season"
Warner Home Video DVD
$44.98 SRP