Ep 17. The Buzz Identity / Two and a Half-Man

In the 17th episode of Mad's first season, the episode titled "The Buzz Identity / Two and a Half-Man," viewers are treated to two distinct segments of parody and animation.

In "The Buzz Identity," the first segment, Mad takes aim at the Bourne Identity franchise of films, imagining what might happen if the super spy Jason Bourne was perhaps a little less competent than he is usually portrayed to be. As Bourne wanders through a crowded marketplace, he quickly discovers that he doesn't seem to know who he is or what he's supposed to be doing. Instead of exhibiting the endless depths of skill and instinct that Bourne usually possesses, here the spy-in-question bumbles about with the grace of a baby deer. He can't remember his own name, can't seem to recognize his own face, and is generally not very much help in accomplishing the mission that he's ostensibly there for.

All the while, the segment plays on the usual tropes of the Bourne Identity franchise, with chase scenes and fights and suspiciously well-timed appearances by various characters. Fundamentally, though, the humor of "The Buzz Identity" comes from poking fun at the often-inscrutable nature of the Bourne movies. The segment transforms this into a more palatable form by playing up Bourne's confusion and lack of confidence. In the end, our hero may be a mess and have no idea who he is -- but at least he's alive.

The second segment of the episode, "Two and a Half-Man," parodies the popular sitcom Two and a Half Men. This segment features an animated Charlie Sheen as he runs afoul of the show's producers and ends up getting fired for his hard-partying ways. Mad takes this opportunity to poke fun at both Sheen and the show itself, with jokes that hinge on the differences between the fictional version of Charlie Sheen and the real-life figure.

At one point in the segment, a towering, CGI-enhanced Charlie Sheen demands to know why his television character can't just be a "lovable scamp," like many other sitcom protagonists. Despite his protestations, though, the producers stick to their guns and kill off his character, sending him to heaven (or, as it turns out, his version of it). From there, the segment goes on to explore what might happen if Sheen's character were to haunt the set of Two and a Half Men, trying desperately to regain his place in the showbiz spotlight.

Overall, the humor of "Two and a Half-Man" is a little more biting and critical than that of "The Buzz Identity." The segment takes aim not just at the sitcom, but at the culture of celebrity that had developed around Charlie Sheen in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Viewers who are familiar with the publicized struggles of actor will likely enjoy the segment's numerous references to his substance use and public meltdowns.

Taken as a whole, "The Buzz Identity / Two and a Half-Man" is a nice representative slice of what Mad had to offer through its five-season run. A mixture of pop culture parodies, animation, and humor that appealed to both adults and kids alike, Mad was a unique show that never shied away from taking bold swings when it came to making fun of the world around us.