Charlie is starting to resent Alan, seeing him as the reason why he had to lose Mia. Alan finds out that Charlie gave up Mia for him and Jake, and his attempts to suck up to Charlie to express his gratitude just make things worse. A famous rock star moves next door to Charlie's house, and his practicing for his upcoming tour further grates on Charlie's worn nerves.
Tropes
- Apology Gift: After realizing that his hapless life situation cost Charlie the woman he loved, Alan starts sucking up to his brother by buying him a sandwich, a pie, and a hat. They just serve to irritate Charlie and if anything make things worse.
- As Himself: Steven Tyler plays himself, his second appearance on the show (although his first appearance was voice only), as a new neighbor of Charlie whose singing practice annoys an already upset Charlie. The two eventually come to blows.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: The "fight" with Steven Tyler sends Charlie to the emergency room.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Charlie is drinking more than usual after he had to call off his wedding with Mia because of his brother's presence in his life. Rose calls him on it, saying that he's throwing himself into his vices to try to suppress his feelings of sadness over losing a woman he loved.
- Funny Background Event: Inverted. When Alan and Charlie are quarreling at the dinner table over Charlie's motivations for cancelling his marriage to Mia, Jake is sitting between the two, doing various comedic poses with the hat that Charlie had just given him. However, the perspective of the scene is mostly focused on Jake, with the argument being largely just audio.
- The Gambling Addict: Charlie starts throwing around large sports bets recklessly, not even particularly caring what he's betting on as long as he's betting on something. It's another way to swallow his feelings over losing Mia.
- Imagine Spot: Twice, Charlie imagines himself physically beating up Alan, including one where he rips Alan's arm off and uses it to pummel him. Both times, it cuts back to the moment right before Charlie began using violence, and Charlie just makes a dismissive comment.
- Innocently Insensitive: Alan doesn't know why Charlie and Mia broke up, and starts lecturing Charlie about how stupid he was to let her go. Charlie has tried to hide the truth, but this finally makes him snap. He tells Alan that Mia had demanded that Charlie kick Alan and Jake out of his house when they got married, and Charlie broke up with her because he couldn't bring himself to do it.
- The Name Is Bond, James Bond: Parodied. During the dinner argument between Charlie and Alan, Charlie makes a reference to his mother's "vodka knockers". Jake thinks he's saying "Vod Kanockers" as a name, and says "The name's Kanockers. Vod Kanockers."
- That Came Out Wrong: When Alan returns home and hears Steven Tyler practicing his vocals at a neighboring house, he remarks that he lost his virginity to him. After a moment, he clarifies that he meant he lost his virginity while listening to his music.
- What Is This Feeling?: Charlie goes on a detox from alcohol, sex, and gambling for a week, accepting that it was all a coping mechanism to get over losing Mia. He starts experiencing wild mood swings, laughing way too hard at a bad joke from Jake, getting way too sad at accidentally ruining the punchline of the joke, and then getting in a fistfight with Steven Tyler over some harmonica playing. However, he does finally admit the truth, that he didn't actually want to marry Mia and just used Alan as an excuse.
