Ep 18. The Real Thing

In season 2 episode 18 of The New Adventures of Old Christine, titled "The Real Thing," Christine’s attempts at finding her true love continue. In this episode, Christine finally meets someone she thinks might be "the real thing" – a sweet and charming man named Jimmy who seems to share her interests and values.

Christine is thrilled with her new relationship and decides to take things to the next level by introducing Jimmy to her son, Ritchie. However, Christine quickly realizes that things are not as perfect as they seem when Ritchie takes an instant dislike to Jimmy and starts behaving badly at school.

Meanwhile, Christine's best friend Barb has problems of her own when she discovers that her husband is cheating on her with their marriage counselor. Barb turns to Christine for advice and they come up with a plan to catch her husband in the act.

As Christine struggles to balance her new relationship and her family life, she becomes increasingly worried about Ritchie’s behavior and turns to a child psychologist for help. The psychologist suggests that Ritchie’s problems might be related to his father's absence in his life, leading Christine to reconsider her priorities and take steps to be more involved in Ritchie's life.

The episode also gives us more insight into the characters of Christine's ex-husband, Richard, and her brother, Matthew. Richard is struggling with the fact that he is getting older and is no longer the young, attractive man he once was, while Matthew is still trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life.

Overall, "The Real Thing" is a touching and realistic portrayal of the ups and downs of dating and parenting. The episode shows us the complexities of navigating relationships when children are involved, and the importance of putting family first. With its witty writing and strong performances from its talented cast, The New Adventures of Old Christine continues to be one of the most entertaining sitcoms on television.