‘Anger Management’ Review: “Charlie and Kate’s Dirty Pictures”

‘Anger Management’ continues on its 90-episode, two-year run with its 26th overall episode “Charlie and Kate's Dirty Pictures,” as Charlie tasks Nolan with uncovering information about Kate's apparent infidelity, while Lacey adjusts to her new prison lifestyle.

Last week’s episode “Charlie's Patients Hook Up” saw Charlie’s advice accidentally putting Lacey and Nolan in a relationship, though Charlie suspected Lacey to be using him for his car, so what will the latest episode bring?  Are there more laughs to be had in the twenty-sixth half-hour of ‘Anger Management,’ or do we just feel used?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about ‘Anger Management’ episode 26, “Charlie and Kate's Dirty Pictures!”

Charlie takes Nolan to interview for a job as Kate’s receptionist, though Nolan finds himself distracted by Lacey’s continued incarceration. Charlie convinces Kate to hire Nolan regardless, if only by allowing her access to his credit card. The next day at session, Charlie explains to the group that he’s arranged to lead a group in prison with Lacey, while Nolan reveals that he accidentally stumbled into Kate’s outgoing mail of naked pictures to a man named Bart.

Over in prison, Charlie leads the cantankerous group of women while resolving a conflict between Lacey and Donna (‘Glee’s Ashley Fink), whose girlfriend Lacey gave a makeover to. Charlie uses his conflict with Kate to talk through issues of jealousy, though the girls all insist he should take control of the situation.

After a session in Kate’s office, Charlie presses to make sure their relationship arrangement still includes telling the other of new boyfriends, but Kate insists she has nothing new to report. Turning to Nolan, Charlie pretends to be planning a surprise party for Kate and tasks Nolan with retrieving Bart’s address from her phone. Nolan later drops by to provide the address, still oblivious to Charlie’s ruse about the party. In the next room, Charlie questions Jen if she ever had the urge to confront women Charlie cheated on her with, though she relays it wouldn’t have made her feel better.

Charlie arrives to the address to find an attractive man answering the door, who professes to have seen the pictures, though isn’t the Bart in question, rather his nurse. Instead, Charlie enters the house to find Bart a quadriplegic speaking through a computer, who admits to have once been in a relationship with Kate, though she broke it off before his accident. Bart insists he’ll never get any better from Kate, and slyly tries to get Charlie to pull his life-support.

The next morning Kate confronts Nolan about going through her phone, showing him a video he accidentally took in the process. Nolan admits that Charlie asked him to do it, but still frets that he spoiled the party. Later, Kate confronts Charlie at his house over the invasion of privacy, though Charlie realizes she attempted to hide Bart and the pictures for fear someone would realize she was capable of caring for someone. Kate finally storms out, though Charlie sarcastically attempts to hug her for the revelation.

Later, the group meets at the bar to celebrate Lacey’s release from jail, as Nolan learns via text he lost his job. Nolan insists to Lacey that he waited for her, though she seems to have forgotten they dated.

We have to admit, we were surprised and impressed to see 'Anger Management' follow through on last week's episode by shifting Lacey to jail, while offering up another new dynamic with Nolan as Kate's receptionist. Of course, all seems back to square one by the end of the episode, with Lacey already released from jail and Nolan no longer employed, but we can at least appreciate that "Charlie and Kate's Dirty Pictures" put a toe in the water of serialization. This isn't the first time we've seen Charlie and Kate have a minor revelation either, but as per usual, very little seems to change from week to week.

Seriously, didn't Martin Sheen used to be on this show?

Did you enjoy the latest from ‘Anger Management’s ongoing run, or did it make you burn with rage? Join us next week for another all-new ‘Anger Management’ episode recap of “Charlie Lets Kate Take Charge” on FX!