This past year has been completely crazy for fans of “Two and a Half Men.” We saw Charlie Sheen go off the deep end, and the show go on hiatus for nearly seven months. As we watched his downward spiral, exchanges of words were fueling the already high fire. In the summer of 2011, it was announced that Ashton Kutcher would replace Charlie Sheen as the lead actor on the show. Fans were shocked at the news of Kutcher getting the role. As things unfolded and the new season began, everything changed. The show many loved was gone, and a new one began.
When Charlie Sheen had his very public meltdown, no one expected him to be fired from the show. Sheen has been loud and rude before, but nothing like this. His reputation for being a bad boy with a drug problem was flaunted out in public. It was obvious to all of his fans and the American public that he was losing his sense of control. After he was fired, he hosted rants on an internet channel for everyone to see. When it was announced that the show was suspended and Sheen would not return, fans were absolutely sure that was the end of “Two and a Half Men.”
There were speculations about who would replace Charlie, and how they would do it. Fans of the show were torn with the decision for it to go on. Finally, Ashton Kutcher was chosen to fill the big role. After much anticipation and hype, the season premiere was absolutely hilarious. Charlie Harper was not recast, and Walden Schmidt was born. The majority of fans would agree that the two-part season premiere was phenomenal. The subsequent episodes were only mediocre.
As 2011 wraps up, the show is still going strong. There were early predictions that it would fail, and CBS would cancel it. Before Sheen went off the deep end, the show was renewed up to Season 11. It looks like that will be a very likely possibility. The dynamic has changed greatly, but the new character has found his way into the mix. There are many possibilities with the show that could make it immensely popular again. Right now, there are no plans to cancel the show or change things up. Fans are still watching, even if it is not as funny as it was with Charlie. Hopefully 2012 brings luck to the show, and things go smoothly in the new year.
More from this contributor
Best Christmas Episodes from ‘Two and a Half Men’
Possibilities for Ashton Kutcher’s Character on ‘Two and a Half Men’
Best Male Guest Stars on “Two and a Half Men”