After last spring’s constant bickering between Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen, fans of Two and a Half Men wondered how Charlie Harper would be written out of season nine. Tonight, millions of viewers found the answer they were seeking.
As some might have suspected, Charlie Harper died. It is explained through the season premiere that while in Paris with Rose, he lost his footing and fell in front of a train. Rose, being there with Charlie, described the accident. “His body just exploded like a balloon full of meat,” she told the family.
A very painful ending to one of the most loved characters on TV. It is clear to see that Chuck Lorre is having the last laugh.
During the premiere, Lorre’s storyline continues to display his vision for the show’s future. At one point during the episode, Alan Harper’s reaction to seeing Walden Schmidt, (new cast member Ashton Kutcher’s character) and spills his brother’s ashes on the floor, prompting Schmidt to make his way into the room, walking all over Charlie’s remains. Think Lorre is driving home his point, that his hit show is on to bigger and better things!
There were lots of other big names in the season’s opener tonight. Many rumors surfaced about John Stamos taking the open lead in the show. While he denied the rumors of becoming a new cast-mate, Stamos did appear as a potential buyer of the Harper home. His storyline contains a back story about the house he remembered upon arriving, prompting him to not make the purchase.
Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson reprised their characters from the long-running Lorre hit, Dharma and Greg . They two were potential buyers of the house, allowing one more comical fight before their exit.
The method of Charlie Harper’s death, as well as the fate of the show, have been a major buzz all summer long. Fortunately, for the anxious fans, the answer to these questions played out during the first few minutes of the show. Tonight’s episode was aired on CBS at the exact same time that Comedy Central aired their roast of Charlie Sheen. It is unclear just yet which show had more viewers. It would seem that Charlie Sheen is still at war with Lorre. What does Charlie Sheen say about this?
After months of feuding and “winning”, Charlie told Matt Lauer during an interview on NBC’s Today Show “I’m really curious about what happened to me. Because I don’t look at it as just what they’re doing forward, I look at it as what I left behind for them to continue, and how they’re going to figure all that off. So really, my hat’s off to them, if they can pull it off.” Even with the knowledge that his character has been killed off, he told Lauer that he would be willing to return to the series in the future to “help provide better closure.” I am sure this offer will be an opportunity that Lorre will jump at.
Two and a Half Men can be seen Mondays at 9/8 central on CBS.