Which era of the show do you prefer the most?
I keep wondering about this because I imagine a lot of people prefer the first three seasons, especially when Jake was still cute, Charlie actually liked having Alan and Jake living with him, and Alan still had some dignity. On the other hand, Berta was always great.
Another thing, especially about the first two seasons, is that they really felt more like a traditional sitcom in the sense that they had more moments that were taken seriously—like when Charlie argued with Jake, when Evelyn was depressed after her breakup, and especially when Jake hugged Alan after the divorce. After Season 4, almost nothing was taken seriously anymore. Even Alan contemplating suicide became a recurring joke, and Charlie trying to kill himself after breaking up with Chelsea was also treated purely as a joke.
Even so, I prefer seasons 4 through 8. I think they were funnier the more depraved the characters became—except for Jake, who got pretty annoying. But Charlie, Alan, Judith, Herb, Evelyn, and Berta only became funnier to me over time
