I’m not sure we’re supposed to think Charlie’s a bad person. He was written as pretty responsible. He drank but he always took a taxi home. He had a lot of sex but he always used condoms. He didn’t always call the woman the next day but a lot of his sex was with hookers, or with women who weren’t looking for a relationship. He gambled but he paid his debts. He worked. He was generous. He had friends.
Alan though. I can’t even say he was a good father.
I don’t think Charlie was a bad person either. He was self obsessed, only cared about himself; was probably an alcoholic; but generally speaking a nice guy who fell ass first into money. Alan is despicable; and he is only getting worse as the show progresses. It used to be funny how he was a mooch; but I fell like it’s gone too far. How many times have they implied that he’d gladly be gay to continue mooching off Ashton Kutcher’s character? They used to at least pretend he had a job. Now not so much.
Regarding my favorite episodes: The witch coven episode was hilarious to me. That’s the one I immediately thought of when I saw this thread.
Oh, and Terr (Post #12), Selma Blair is leaving Anger Management after a fight with Charlie Sheen.
I confess I’m not much of a Two and a Half Men fan, but I am a big fan of Jon Cryer. He’s been working steadily since 1984, and I have no doubt that he will have plenty of work when the show is over if he wants it.
I saw that too, but that was in June and she’s still on the show in August. How many episodes ahead do they make?
The following is diary entry I made over 2 years ago (when it was still unclear if Charlie Sheen would be returning, IIRC) just musing on what CBS could do to save the franchise. Since this thread appears to be drawing fans of the show, I’m curious to hear your thoughts:
<start of notes>
How to Fix Two and A Half Men:
The show continues, but not as a sit-com… as a “mockumentary” (like “The Office”). A show about making the show “Two and a Half Men”. Charlie Sheen is out. Charlie Harper, the character, remains but remains completely unseen (every week some new reason why Charlie wasn’t able to report to the set is put forth, becomes a running joke). Jon Cryer (actor) will play Jon Cryer (the character) who plays Alan Harper on the show. But here’s the thing… Jon Cryer (character) is the complete opposite of Alan Harper… slovenly, a womanizer, (more like Charlie Harper) It would be great if he could pull off a convincing Jersey accent, or maybe Chicago (New York would be too cliche). He constantly has to be hassled by a frazzled production assistant (new character: something like Amy Adams’ character in “Talledega Nights”) to get into wardrobe, get into makeup, get on set…
Angus T. Jones (actor) plays Angus T. Jones (character) who plays Jake Harper. Likewise, Angus (character) is the complete opposite of Jake… a chlid prodigy, studious, well-spoken, etc… debased by portraying a dufus, but knows that its his ride to success. He doesn’t even want to be a career actor, but an environmental engineer. He already has two patents and can’t wait for the show to run its course so he can go to (some college) and return to having a normal life. He subtly tries to sabotage the show in lots of little ways (writers: go nuts), but the antics of Charlie Sheen (character) have given the producers almost supernatural patience for any shenanigans he pulls off. He can’t get himself fired but he doesn’t want to quit. But there’s more!
Holland Taylor (actress) plays Holland Taylor (character) who plays their mother. But Holland Taylor (character) is nurturing, warm, demure, etc. She’s been happily married to the same man for over 40 years, and brings in home baked goodies for the cast and crew (they affectionately call her Mrs. T). When not on set as Charlie and Alan’s mother, she dresses in sweatpants and is always correcting everyone’s manners.
It is revealed that the actress who plays Berta doesn’t actually speak a word of English… she is (some ethic) and only parrots her lines back in flawless english after much practice (comedy gold here as there are endless possiblities for misunderstanding and misspeakings.) She doesn’t really understand what she’s saying at all (perhaps Angus helps her with her lines sometimes…?). Sometimes she gets the words right, but the inflection or body language wrong (again, writers have fun with this one)
Similar things with the other cast members.
Another new character: the director/producer is a Michael Scott figure, totally clueless, thinks he is the best, but constantly screwing up. The show succeeds against all odds despite his bumbling.
Other new character(s) possibliities: Cameramen, handymen, talent agents. How about a runnng gag of guest stars (real A-list TV stars… Will Farrell, Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Bruce Willis) who are dying to do a guest spot on the popular show, but who ulitmatley turn it down when they get a look at the dysfunction?
The entire set and crew is the epitome of a non-engaged work force… they all have incredible disdain for the show and can’t understand why its so popular, but no one wants to give up the gravy train. <end of notes>
I was a fan off the show during the Charlie years, gave it a shot when Ashton came on board but it wasn’t the same. Of course, the above wouldn’t have been the same at all, but I would have liked to see it and I bet others would too.
Of course, it’s not too late…
turtlescanfly, I would totally watch that show.
You should try to contact Chuck Lorre, because I can’t see the show continuing much longer, not even with Charlie’s hot lesbian love child as a new character next season.
I agree, but it’s the same way a kitten is cute. It makes me feel weird that she’s five years older than me. I guess it’s just because she acts so much like a little kid.
The best episode was when Charlie met his old friend Bill, who use to be his lover Jill. His mother Evelyn then has a one-night stand with Bill without knowing this. Berta says “If you let me tell her, I’ll work free for a year.”
It was hysterically funny.
You know what was one of the worst things they did? When Evelyn slept with Ashton. Ewww.
On another note, I think it was hilarious when they brought Charlie back as Kathy Bates.
I too really enjoyed the Candy episodes, in particular the one where she was rehearsing for the lead in a TV crime series where she played a brain surgeon-detective or something like that. Funny stuff!
And yes, she was the most attractive woman to ever appear on that show, IMHO. I also found Alan’s first ex attractive.
April Bowlby’s a comely lass, but she’s no Paget Brewster.
I also liked the one where Charlie’s friends came over for poker, and one of them was the actor who played Jon Cryer’s love interest’s dad in Pretty in Pink and he was playing himself. I wish they would have made some slight/stealth correlation, that would have been so cool.
Coroner, I think. Or some other CSI-fake positio. What the hell - it could be brain surgeon-detective! 
And yeah, Judith was the best looking woman on the show. The one where she stayed with the guys for a week or so and was sunbathing in the bikini…Wowzah!
“I’m pretty sure it’s for-NEH-sics” and “We’ll just have to do what the killer did and take a STAB at it.” (or something like that) 
want2befree, re Evelyn sleeping with Waldon – I felt bad for Holland Taylor. Let the character have some dignity. Having her sleep with Jon Lovitz was bad enough.
My favorite woman for Charlie was Herb’s sister, one of the few love interests on the show with some personality.
Saw a couple episodes when Sheen was on it. Good God that was wretched. Seriously bad, even by sitcom standards. Watched a rerun recently with Kutcher where he was pretending to be poor. Cryer had about five minutes airtime, the rest was Kutcher, his poor girlfriend, his boss at the Christmas tree lot (Joel Murray), and Patton Oswalt. Who’d have thought? All they had to do to make a good, funny sitcom was change the setting and the characters. That episode was quite funny and enjoyable.
Conchata Ferrell deserves better.
Any sitcom that’s been on for 8 (9?) years is going to have a lot of crap episodes. The early seasons weren’t terrible.
What sucks about most tv is that they start with a sort of coherent theme, then it becomes a hit and they throw that out and work towards a new goal: syndication. That’s what killed “My Name Is Earl.”
With “Two and a Half Men” the idea was that Charlie’s one redeeming character trait was his love for Jake, and his desire to be a better mentor to Jake than he was to Alan, as he saw that while a lot of Alan’s issues can be traced to their mom, not a few were the result of him. Somewhere along the line, they said “Eff that” and made Jake a doof. It’s got some funny eps (the only one I have is the one where Alan’s cooking teacher believes in Santa), but they took what little heart the show had.
I always rolled my eyes when Alan talked about wanting Charlie to be a protective, mentoring “big brother”, but you’re right.
One of the best examples of Charlie trying to do better by Jake is the ep where Jake is reluctant to go to a make-out party. When it sinks in to Charlie that Jake’s just not ready, he’s supportive and understanding, no teasing or putdowns.
Harry Dean Stanton. I’ve always liked him in anything I’ve seen him in.
Elvis Costello was another one of Charlie’s friends, IIRC.