I wish I could put my finger on it, but I didn't hate this week's episode as much as I have hated the show this season. Perhaps this week just seemed to have more of a natural flow. Perhaps some on-screen chemistry is finally developing. Or perhaps I've just become numb and my bar has been lowered from the bottom-of-the-shit-heap episodes that we've seen lately.

Maybe it's the new drapes and other furniture in Walden's (Ashton Kutcher) house. It finally feels like he is moving in, though he has still been unable to carry the show on his shoulders alone like Charlie did.

Whatever the case, the weird thing is that the show didn't really delve into that much new joke territory either. Alan (Jon Cryer) was poor, broke, and a shmuck. Walden was immature, rich, and more immature. Nothing new, but perhaps not as annoying as usual.

On the plus side, Jake (Angus T. Jones) and Walden's screen time together gave me a glimpse into a possible hopeful future for the show. The pair seems to have developed a kind of two-dumb-strangers-in-a-strange-land thing, with one of the strangers being filthy rich and the other ignorant as bliss. I've been surprised by how little Jake and Walden have interacted thus far, and now I'm even more confused as to why. Alan is not funny as a lead or by his lonesome, but Jake and Walden seem to work off each other quite well.

Berta (Conchata Ferrell), as usual, had her great moments, mostly ripping on Alan. But, that's what Alan has always been there for, and perhaps if they take some of the limelight off him and put him back at the butt of the jokes again, we may really get cooking.

We even got not one, but two "Lord of the Rings" references, even if it was to the same "My Precious" line that every would-be comedic body under the sun has used at one point or another. I'll take it, though, especially considering it could have been Walden screaming or running around naked instead.

The only real story in the episode revolved around Walden taking a new girl out, before realizing that he just isn't over his marriage yet. Alan tried to pawn Walden's wedding ring, but ultimately decided he couldn't do it, only to have Walden throw it out into the ocean. The show ended with a somewhat warm moment between the two, Alan refusing to take any of Walden's money, and Walden affirming to Alan that he is actually a good person and friend to him.

A little sappy, and Alan ruined it quick enough when he realized how much Walden would have given him. It also seemed odd to have such a serious moment from Walden. I've been noticing more and more that Kutcher almost has an on-off switch for his character; he sometimes channels the whiney voice of the adolescent and other times seems to revert to a normal human being. I'm not sure if it's on purpose or not, but maybe Walden learned to grow up real fast.

Despite being more of the same on most levels, the show seems to have found a more balanced place to hang its hat, even if it isn't being consistent week to week. It's still nowhere near as funny as it used to be, but this episode just didn't feel as hopeless as usual.