‘Anger Management’ Review: “Charlie Breaks Up With Kate”

‘Anger Management’ continues on its 90-episode, two-year run with its 30th overall episode “Charlie Breaks Up With Kate,” as Charlie's relationship with Kate grows increasingly complicated, while the group puts time in at a soup kitchen and Jen gets back with her ex-boyfriend Sean (Brian Austin Green).

Last week’s episode, “Charlie, Kate and Jen Get Romantic,” saw Martin play matchmaker with Charlie and Jen, confusing Kate, while Nolan helped Ed cope with his anger issues, so what will the latest episode bring?  Are there more laughs to be had in the thirtieth half-hour of ‘Anger Management,’ or does it fail miserably?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about ‘Anger Management’ episode 30, “Charlie Breaks Up With Kate”!

With Nolan depressed about his relative failures, Charlie chimes in that he too has failed in the past to get grants for his research, before suggesting the group focus less on themselves by volunteering at a soup kitchen. After the session, Michael invites Charlie to roller derby, pointing out that Charlie no longer has Kate to occupy his time, but should play the "ignore" card if he wants to win her back.

Later, Charlie arrives to Jen’s house to find that his ex has gotten back with the arrogant Sean, whom Charlie detests for taking Sam on her first driver’s lesson. Later that night, Charlie fumes about a late pizza, before Kate drops by as a friend to offer her sympathy over Jen. Thinking his tactic of ignoring her paid off, Charlie puts the moves on her before she promptly shuts him down.

The next day at the soup kitchen, Ed is quickly mistaken for one of the homeless, while another cozies up to Patrick claiming to have been bounced out of the fashion industry. Back at his apartment, Charlie fends off a hangover as Michael rubs in that he lost Kate. Jen arrives, and urges Charlie to go for a drink with Sean to smooth things over at her expense, given Sean's career loss.

Charlie and Sean bond at the bar over their abusive fathers, but Sean quickly spills his plan to move in with Jen, upsetting Charlie. Meanwhile at the soup kitchen, Ed continues to enjoy the treatment he gets pretending to be homeless, while Patrick continually offers his new fashion friend money out of sympathy. After Patrick walks away, the homeless man changes gears and reaches out to Ed, pretending to have served in Vietnam.

At his next session with Kate, Charlie continually slips into venting his frustrations over their breakup, ultimately leaving in a huff. A short while later Charlie counsels his inmate group in prison, and realizes Kate will never change. Charlie takes the revelation back to Kate, and definitively breaks up with her, only to learn that they’d been accepted for a grant working together over the next six months.

You might have heard that declining ratings for 'Anger Management' have led to FOX airing the series on Mondays in June, two of which will be first-run episodes, though declining ratings won't necessarily alter the 90-episode run the series currently maintains. The process certainly hasn't fazed FX either, given the recent order for a George Lopez sitcom under the same model.

In any case, it was nice to see tonight's 'Anger Management' again attempting to follow through on its bigger decisions, keeping Charlie and Kate's relationship at an awkward distance, though Jen and Sam continue to register as non-entities. We also liked the idea of seeing the group out on their own without Charlie, but as per usual 'Anger Management' has a difficult time juggling its multiple characters with enough competence to allow a filling resolution to any of the side-stories.

Did you enjoy the latest from ‘Anger Management’s ongoing run, or did it make you burn with rage? Join us next Monday for another all-new ‘Anger Management’ episode recap of “Charlie & His New Therapist” on FOX!