Men Of A Certain Age: "Let The Sunshine In"

What benchmarks of age do we as human beings pay attention to? Which ones really grab our attention, slap us in the face, and make us come to terms with the fact that we are getting older? MoCA has been dealing with the problems of getting older for its entire run (that's kind of the point of the series) but no singular event has been a traumatic for out guys as their decision to get colonoscopies. 

For the first few minutes of tonight's episode, I was worried that we were going to be subjected to watching the three men all stuck on their own paths yet again – something we've been over-subjected to this season. But this was soon remedied, as the three guys all decided to head to Palm Springs in order to get their colonoscopies together. (Weird, but I'll take it.) The diner scenes with the three of them have always been the best of the series, and I enjoy when the show expands on these scenes by taking them out into the world.

Yet despite the togetherness of it all, the show never lets these characters individual storylines. Owen is still dealing with the stress of running the business his dad ran into the ground, and taking shit from employees to whom he can't explain all the budget cuts. Joe seems to be reaching some sort of mental breaking point over his mental bets. And Terry seems primed to return to “classic Terry” mode, dismissing his new relationship with Erin as “just having fun.”

And it's here that I would like to take a moment to commend the cold open of tonight's episode. Lasting less that a minute, we see Joe just going nuts, yelling at himself out loud for failing to suceed at his latest mental bet. Because it was so short (and funny) it seemed at first to me a throw away gag. Yet this was in fact a brilliant thematic set up for the rest of the episode. Joe's yelling here serves to introduce us to the frustration all three men feel as they approach the depressing benchmark that it their colonoscopies.

After what essentially mounted to a group bitching session on the golf green, the men all gulp down the necessary colon cleanser, and seek to turn their attentions elsewhere while the medicine does its thing. Their plans are quickly foiled, as the drink works much faster than they were informed. (I could explain this metaphor further, but like the show, I like to keep things subtle.)

The following scene covering the colonoscopies was far more beautiful than it had any right to be, and it seems, for a brief moment or two the men are happy, now that their surgeries are done with. But here Joe's mind bets rear their ugly head, as a failed putting bet he lost while the other two were sleeping off their anesthesia, meaning he can't eat at the fancy steak place, which irks Owen almost more than it should.

Owen soon beat the shit out of a guy who steals Terry's seat (effectively relieving the stress of his job in the process), while Terry is outside trying to contact Erin, for Terry, it appears, is more invested in this relationship that he would have himself belief. Owen's brawl sucks in the other two (including Joe, he realizes the stupidity of his bets and comes into the restaurant to supposedly apologize) and they are thrown out.

The episode ends in one of the most emotionally honest scened the show has ever done, as Terry lets the guys in on his business troubles, Joe realized his mind bets are more self destructive than helpful, and Terry finally admits that he is in love. And so MoCA gives us a fitting reflective scened for us to go out on until the summer. I can't wait till the show comes back.

Additional Thoughts: 

- I know they've mocked Joe's music choices in the past, but the Hair soundtrack? That doesn't make sense.

- “I voted for your guy.” “Obama. He's talking about Obama.”

- “She's throwing me. She's keeps saying 'Nice one, Joe.'” “Bitch.”

- “We've got reservations!” “I don't even know what happened.”

- “Shit...I think I'm in love.”