Two And A Half Men: 10 Changes The Show Made After The Pilot Episode

Few TV shows have left as potent a legacy as Two and a Half Men. It has brought so many amazing characters to TV screens, such as the chaotic and philandering Charlie Harper, his endlessly unfortunate brother Alan, and their simple “half-man,” Alan’s son, Jake. It follows the day to day trials and tribulations of this more than dysfunctional family.

The show has gone through many changes in terms of story and characters but always managed to remain relevant and endlessly hilarious. Some TV shows aren’t able to survive massive changes, like a cast shift, but Two and A Half Men takes it all in stride.

10 Charlie Harper Is Killed Off

One of the biggest changes to the series is the decision to kill off one of the main characters, Charlie Harper. This, unfortunately, was due to Charlie Sheen’s contract being terminated after he made derogatory remarks about the show and the creator.

Instead of leaving it open-ended (like Charlie leaving for a long trip), they had Charlie Harper killed off at the end of the show’s eighth season. The premise is that he leaves for France to marry his frequent stalker, Rose and it is heavily implied that she murders him.

9 Charlie Harper Is Given A Serious Girlfriend

Before Charlie Sheen left the series, viewers watched one of Charlie Harper’s biggest character developments when he entered a serious relationship (and then engagement) with Chelsea Melini.

Charlie spends the first five seasons of the show reveling in his bachelor lifestyle and having every type of casual relationship. However, when he meets Chelsea in the sixth season, he finally finds a reason to settle down and commit. Unfortunately, due to commitment issues on both of their parts, their relationship doesn’t last.

8 Introduction of Walden Schmidt

For the concept of “Two and A Half Men” to work, there needed to be a replacement for Charlie Harper. That’s why, in season 9, the show introduces billionaire Walden Schmidt, played by Ashton Kutcher.

Walden comes into Alan and Jake’s life when Alan puts Charlie’s house up for sale, unable to pay the mortgages. Alan and Walden then begin to bond and eventually become best friends. He even lets them continue to live in the house with him.

7 Charlie Harper’s Daughter Revealed

Given all of his casual relationships, it becomes a running joke that it’s a miracle that Charlie hasn’t fathered any children (although there have been a few scares). But as it turns out, in season 11, it is revealed that Charlie Harper did father a daughter, Jenny, when she shows up in Malibu hoping to reconnect with Charlie.

Portrayed by Amber Tamblyn, she demonstrates some of Charlie’s personality traits, including a love of alcohol and intense sarcasm. However, she is much kinder and more grounded than her late father.

6 Walden And Alan Adopt A Baby

Walden has struggled a lot in the relationship department, particularly due to women only wanting him for his money. To cure his loneliness, he decides to adopt a baby. To make the adoption possible, Alan and Walden pose as a married couple (with Jenny’s help) and adopt a boy named Louis.

Shortly after the adoption, the pair “divorce” and Walden starts dating their adoption social worker. For Louis to live comfortably in the house, Jenny then moves out.

5 Berta Becomes A Main Character

Berta the tough-talking, abrasive, and endlessly sarcastic housekeeper for the Harper household was not meant to be a recurring character. Due to Conchata Ferrell’s performance, her run was extended until she became a main character.

Berta adds a lot of comedy to the Harper family dynamic as she is quick to speak her mind and is not shy to insult anyone that she looks down on. However, she is an integral part of the household, and Charlie and Alan ultimately care about her deeply.

4 Evelyn and Alan’s Relationship Improves

A recurring theme throughout the series is Alan and Charlie’s strained relationship with their mother, Evelyn. Charlie has even gone out of his way to call her “Satan” and insult her multiple times to her face. It is frequently implied that she made her children’s childhood difficult.

However, after Charlie’s death, Alan and Evelyn’s relationship seems to improve. She demonstrates (short-lived) sadness at Charlie’s death and she reveals that she cares for Alan because, at this point, he is the only son she has left.

3 Alan Marries Again After Judith

Although Alan struggles in terms of relationships throughout most of the series, he does marry again. His second ex-wife, Kandi, is an ex-girlfriend of Charlie. Shortly after they marry, Kandi divorces him because he doesn’t want another child.

With Judith’s help, she seduces their divorce lawyer and claims alimony for Jake, which only impoverishes Alan further. Despite everything, towards the end of the series, Alan reveals that she was the love of his life and she seems to appreciate his words.

2 Charlie Goes To Couple’s Therapy

Charlie has never been one to openly talk about his feelings, preferring to drown them in alcohol and women. However, after he begins to date Chelsea, he decides to mature in terms of his emotional life, including going to couple’s therapy.

Despite Alan’s hysterical tirade against therapy, he also gives it a try. While it doesn’t go well, mainly because Linda mentions that his fear of commitment is due to anger against his mother and a fear of homosexuality, it is still an important step in Charlie’s character development.

1 Alan Befriends Judith’s New Husband, Herb

Alan and Judith’s relationship is portrayed as acrimonious and very difficult (even when they were married). However, when Judith marries Jake’s pediatrician, Herb Meinick, Alan makes an effort to befriend him and the pair get along quite well.

Alan has come to Herb’s defense in the past, such as taking him in after he insults Judith during her pregnancy and she kicks him out. Before Walden, Alan doesn’t seem to have many friends, so his befriending of Herb is an important development.