Men of a Certain Age Review - "You Gonna Do That the Rest of Your Life?"

It all starts with a sigh. Owen’s two sons think their daddy is going to get diabetes and that his legs will fall off - they were told as much about people with diabetes at school. While this story builds on the overarching issue of Owen’s overeating and the underlying issues that cause it - this week he claims it’s a “control issue” - the trust between a father and his son is more at the heart of this episode, and the decision dreaded by all men “of a certain,” if you will, to eat healthier.
As per usual, the two other “Men of a Certain Age,” who we love to watch bungle through their lives on script, find themselves at a crossroads, looking for something more. In Terry’s case, it would be more accurate to say that he’s looking for less: less work, less travel, less responsibility.
Just three days after his 80-year-old building manager Alice dies, Terry takes over as building manager, which not only allows him to move into her much larger 1,500 sq. ft. apartment, but to do so for free. With no rent to pay, he quits his job at an accounting firm so he can, “finally relax,” a statement that turns a few hard-working people sour during an otherwise warm toast at his house warming party. But Terry, whose least offensive quality is his sketchiness, can’t cope with his fellow tenants’ plumbing, sanitation and laundry problems. Too bad the landlord already sold his old apartment and that it would cost $3,000/month to live in this one without the responsibilities of building manager. Maybe the out-of-work actor with a Peter Pan complex doesn't have it all. Then again, maybe he does.
But, as is becoming customary for TNT’s comedy-fused drama series, a personal revelation and some inspirational background music are just enough to make Terry, as well as Owen and Joe, push through their, at times minor, crises.
Now, let’s talk about Joe: the everyman, middle-class, divorced father of two, small business owner. He’s that guy Sarah Palin and the republicans are always talking about; you know the one, Joe six-pack. Don’t tell Sarah, but this week Joe’s ordinariness is contrasted with his superior golfing skill – I fear it may disillusion her to know he's one of those elitist golfers. I think we’ll be ok either way though, because that contrast is so gently defined by the truly inglorious bastard himself, Ray Romano. From where I'm sitting, his performance this week was that good.
Joe’s bookie – have I mentioned he has a gambling problem – takes him to an exclusive golf course after finding out that he is a “scratch.” I had never heard of a “scratch” before, so for your benefit, it’s a really good golfer. Manfro (that’s his bookie's name; I know, right?) wants to sucker two executive types into a little wager, then let Joe’s scratchy balls – golf balls, I meant golf balls – do the rest. Unfortunately for Manfro, Joe has a crisis of the conscience, that is, until the two executives they’re playing make fun of a sweet little Asian man. It sets him off and directly into game-face mode.
They didn’t win, although an 18th-hole birdie ended it in a tie. But Joe did take something more from the outing; a choice. However, the camera leaves Joe before it grows into that something more. For now, we’ll just have to watch the two remaining episodes of this compelling first season to find out what happens.