*Originally published on 10/11/10
"The New Adventures of Old Christine" follows a single mom who tries to deal with the stresses of her life, including a slacker brother named Matthew who lives with her, snooty and mean-spirited moms who condescend to her on a regular basis, and a husband who is dating a younger woman with the same name as her, thus resulting in her being dubbed "Old Christine."
The show has been on for five seasons and has won several Emmy awards over those years. It's also notable in that it seems to have broken the "Seinfeld curse" that plagued the four main cast members after the classic show ended years ago.
While there are quite a few to choose from, here are five of the funnier episodes from the show's run.
5. The New Adventures of Old Christine (episode 3.6)
After feeling like a fifth wheel while attending a classical music concert, Christine agrees to let New Christine set her up on a date with a younger guy. New Christine's insistence that age is just a number is put to the test when it turns out that the guy she picked for Christine is significantly younger than her; that is to say, he's in high school.
Christine tries to rationalize it, each rationale becoming more and more ludicrous while her friends make fun of the fact that she's sunk this low.
The episode also features something of a running gag where she keeps returning to the concert over the course of the episode, each time being embarrassed in some way shape or form.
4. I Love Woo, I Hate You (episode 5.9)
Barb insists that Christine accompany her on a date as she is worried that her boyfriend is going to propose. She's happy with the status quo and doesn't want to have to end it with him. As it turns out, he hates her and wants to end things. Christine gets caught in the middle trying to keep the situation in order. She does this by telling him to propose as Barb has been going on about how she'd have to end the relationship if he did that. He complies and proposes, resulting in Barb agreeing to get married.
It's funny, but the B-plot steals the show as Richard tries to woo New Christine and get her back. As it turns out, his courting methods are sub par, and he doesn't seem to have any clue as to what he's doing. This leads to all sorts of ridiculous moments and half-hearted attempts to get her into bed (according to Richard, that's where he shines).
3. The Old Maid of Honor (episode 4.21)
Christine insists that she's fine with the wedding and has moved on. She's got a hilarious toast and even managed to get a date. In an attempt to show herself as strong and capable of getting over her divorce, she raises the stakes in her fictitious relationship to try and keep up. The ruse would work, were her date not a moronic jerk. The dissonance, as well as Christine's attempts to keep the illusion going make for several humorous moments and an entertaining episode.
2. Honey, I Ran Over the Kid (episode 4.16)
Christine freaks out when she finds out that her son got hurt at a skateboarding party. She becomes furious with Richard and says that he was irresponsible and should've taken better care to protect their son. She goes over the deep end trying to be protective and undercuts her argument when she accidentally runs Richie over with her car.
When Richard finds out, he takes the opportunity to gloat. We discover that Richie's gotten roughed up quite a bit through their parenting, nothing abusive or malicious mind you, just accidents and mishaps that seem to keep occurring. Each story gets more and more ridiculous and you wonder how the kid is as well balanced as he is all things considering. It's this fact that makes them both realize that they're good parents. At the very least, things worked out pretty well, all things considered.
1. Reckless Abandonment (episode 4.15)
Barb and Matt are both moving out, and as it happens, Richie will be going away to camp for a week. Both characters consider putting it off, but ultimately, Christine finds out and insists that she's OK with it. The others remain skeptical, considering how dependent she is upon them, but she insists she can handle it.
As it turns out, Christine isn't so good on her own. Through a series of mishaps, she locks herself out. Things get worse when her attempt to climb in through the bathroom window results in her getting her foot stuck in the toilet. The others return and discover Christine's predicament. They go back and forth between showing concern and offering to help and kicking her while she's down via merciless mockery.
We also see how Matt's attempt to move in with his girlfriend fares. That doesn't go so well either. She freaks out over how much space his stuff takes up (at this point, he's only brought in a suitcase or two) and has a rather bizarre relationship with her dog. The sheer oddity of it makes for good humor and gives Matt plenty of snark material.
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