Jenny McCarthy Returns To 'Two And A Half Men'

Former Playboy Playmate and actress Jenny McCarthy added her own two … eh … cents to Two and a Half Men since the Charlie Sheen debacle saw him replaced by Ashton Kutcher. The fourth episode of the season, entitled "Nine Magic Fingers" in reference to housekeeper Berta's (Conchata Ferrell) recurring lover, aired Monday night to ratings that have been gradually decreasing from the season premiere, but still prove the show to be wildly popular.

Kutcher continunes to bring in mixed reviews in his role as billionaire Walden Schmidt, despite his innocent charm and seeming constant inclination to remove his shirt, so the show piled on the star power, sprinkled with a little bit of old-time nostalgia, by scheduling guest appearances by both Courtney Thorne Smith, who plays Jon Cryer's character, Alan's, old flame, and McCarthy, who portrays the con-woman ex-girlfriend of Sheen's old character.

McCarthy returned to work her dubious magic on Walden, who lacks the jaded edge of the old Charlie, and therefore needed the savvy intervention of Alan to step in and save him from the infamous golddigger. Call it a thinly veiled plot device if you like, but it paved the way for Walden to realize he needs to keep "someone he trusts" around to help protect him from his own naivete. So Alan has solidly secured his position in the Malibu mansion he shared with his late brother, even though he's pulling one over on Walden just as much as any busty blonde bombshell who saunters through the door.

The episode led into the popular CBS show in the following time slot, Mike & Molly, which stars McCarthy's funny lady cousin, Melissa McCarthy.