Season One left Joe (Ray Romano), Terry (Scott Bakula) and Owen (Andre Braugher) in some odd places. Joe, the owner of a local party store and amateur golfer, is going through a divorce because of his gambling problem and has just moved out of his house. Owen has just been handed the reigns of his father’s (Richard Gant) Chevy dealership and Terry, the actor that has problems getting work, has just been hired by Owen as a salesman.
All three characters find themselves faced with some tough problems. Not only is Joe having to keep himself away from gambling, but he has decided to try out for the Seniors Tour qualifiers that are coming around and should hit the local area just after his birthday, just in time to meet the age requirement. This is, of course, an added stressor that he puts on himself, so he delegates some of the store's responsibilities to his employees. Joe has a few rough spots this season, and living near his former bookie, Lawrence (Matt Price) isn't helping. At first, Joe is able to stay away, but when he finds out that the man has come down with cancer, he just can't. At first, he just spends some time with the bookie, but he finds himself slipping down a bad path, and things get worse before they get better.
Meanwhile, Owen's supposed control over the dealership means little at first. His father still comes in everyday and takes over the big office. He still finds ways to interject himself into various business dealings and when Owen decides to make a major change to the dealership, he learns that the accounting books he has been mulling over aren't as on-the-level as they seem. Owen doesn't give up, though. He tries many tactics to keep the business rolling. He does everything from re-hiring the cocky young top-salesman who left the store in the last season, to offering free car washes and even a new slew of commercials. When a rival dealership approaches Owen about a chance to sell the store, he and his wife, Melissa (Lisa Gay Hamilton) have some talking to do.
Terry also finds himself on a bit of a roller-coaster this season. As he tries his hand at a "normal" job, he begins to think that he doesn't have what it takes to be a salesman. That is, until a heart-to-heart with Owen Sr. convinces Terry to put his acting skills, not to mention his ladies man tendencies, to use on the showroom floor. Terry also stops going after the 20-somethings and one-night stands when a woman from his past comes back into his life. During a hazing campaign, the other salesmen find an old commercial of Terry’s for a TV dinner and put it up on YouTube. When the video goes viral, Erin (Melinda McGraw), the woman in the same old commercial shows up. At first, they just become friends, but when the TV dinner company wants to take advantage of the renewed success of the old commercial, Erin and Terry start spending more time together.
The season's special features include deleted scenes (including one from Season One) and a gag reel as well as the rap video released by the rival dealership. There is also a behind the scenes featurette and one about the show's origin and why Romano and Mike Royce made the show.
Men of a Certain Age: The Complete Second Season is also the last season of the show. While it doesn't wrap up the various storylines, it also doesn't leave you begging for more …which is probably why it wasn't renewed for a third season. The show is billed as a comedy/drama, but it is much more of the latter with a light sprinkling of the comedy to keep things from getting too deep. Each character finds themselves in some rough spots, and that's outside of the various normal problems that come up around 50 (like various medical procedures). In the end, the show is filled with good actors and interesting stories, but it just doesn't have the staying power to really keep you hooked. Fans of Romano, Bakula or Braugher probably want to check this series out, but be warned that it only lasts two seasons for a reason.
