MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE “Same as the Old Boss” Season 2 Episode 2 - Owen’s work problems spread to his home life while Joe struggles to make time for golf and Terry learns the perils of You Tube in the “Same as the Old Boss” episode of Men of a Certain Age. I was lucky enough to preview this solid outing and I’m very happy with how the new season is shaping up so far.
While the season premiere did an excellent job re-introducing the three guys, this episode starts folding back in the other characters. We spend time in Joe’s Party Depot (I missed that in the premiere) and Joe’s son Albert has a significant storyline, as does Owen’s wife Melissa.
Owen is learning over and over again that running a car dealership isn’t as easy as it looks, and when he takes some of his frustration out on Melissa, he inadvertently causes himself a new potential complication. Owen and Melissa’s marriage feels so real to me–the dialogue is true and the problems are relatable, while their love shines through. They have a sweet, easy chemistry together, and I’m thrilled that we also get to see some of Melissa’s daily life away from Owen.
It’s great to see Terry really trying at Thoreau Motors, and I’m glad it isn’t coming completely easily for him. His subplot is the comic relief tonight, filled with funny moments, but there’s still plenty of emotional depth beneath the humor as Terry must deal with the teasing of his co-workers.
Joe’s storyline is a bit scattered tonight, just as Joe is scattered as he tries to decide how serious to get about the senior tour pre-qualifier. His kids Lucy and Albert are in the episode, and we revisit Albert’s anxiety storyline from last season. Joe and Albert’s relationship is another one that feels particularly authentic and they share some nice moments tonight. Lucy is mostly only seen in relation to Albert here, so I hope she will be explored more in future episodes. This episode gets major bonus points for a terrific Ferris Bueller homage, by the way.
As always, the best scenes are the hike and breakfast with the men simultaneously supporting and mocking each other and with Joe getting a wake-up call from an unexpected source. Time is a recurring theme in Men of a Certain Age and “Same as the Old Boss” zeroes in on time lost and finding time, exploring those universal ideas with its usual quiet thoughtfulness. This episode flows particularly well with dovetailing storylines and excellent character interaction.
Once you’ve seen Men of a Certain Age tonight on TNT at 10pm eastern/9pm central, please come back and post your thoughts. Whose storyline most interests you so far this season?
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