TheTwo and a Half Menfinaleis much darker and more mean-spirited than the average sitcom finale.
The final episode ofThe Officeis a celebration of the shows past and how far all the characters have come.
Around the eighth season of the show,there was a bitter falling-out between Sheen and Lorre.
The seasons order was cut short and Sheen was fired and replaced by Kutcher.
AsTwo and a Half Mencontinued with a new lead, the feud between Sheen and Lorre continued.
When it came time to wrap upTwo and a Half Men, Lorre reopened those old wounds.
Two and a Half Men follows the Harper family: Charlie (Charlie Sheen), a womanizing, hedonistic jingle writer who enjoys his lazy lifestyle from the comfort of his large beach house; Alan (Jon Cryer), Charlie’s neurotic, far less successful brother; and Jake (Angus T. Jones), Alan’s impressionable son. When Alan’s marriage falls apart, he moves in with Charlie, much to the older brother’s dismay. After bonding with his nephew, Charlie reluctantly embraces Alan’s presence, paving the way for one of television’s most dysfunctional family environments.
The camera pulls back to show Lorre in a directors chair.
He turns to the camera and mockingly quotes Sheens catchphrase Winning!
before another piano is dropped on his head.
As one of those long-time fans who loved the Harpers and wanted closure, I was pretty outraged.
However, this arguably only makes theTwo and a Half Menfinale even more disappointing for fans like myself.
Whereasshows likeSeinfeldandThe Officehold up to countless repeat viewings,Two and a Half Menis much more disjointed.
As far as Im concerned, those early seasons will never get old.
Butonce Charlie is written out of the series, things change dramatically.
Whatever the strengths of early seasons, the final episodes remain as crushing as Chuck Lorre’s piano.
Two and a Half Men follows the Harper family: Charlie (Charlie Sheen), a womanizing, hedonistic jingle writer who enjoys his lazy lifestyle from the comfort of his large beach house; Alan (Jon Cryer), Charlie’s neurotic, far less successful brother; and Jake (Angus T. Jones), Alan’s impressionable son. When Alan’s marriage falls apart, he moves in with Charlie, much to the older brother’s dismay. After bonding with his nephew, Charlie reluctantly embraces Alan’s presence, paving the way for one of television’s most dysfunctional family environments.
