Being recognized by TV Land as one as a “future classic,” it was a shame to witness what Two and a Half Men went through this year when their leading man Charlie Sheen went, well crazy would be an understatement. For months America was left with Sheen-tics and after the tiger blood and winning, one question was left…Would Two and a Half Men go on?
Yes, it was slated to return for the fall season. And the new face taking over the beach house, Ashton Kutcher, didn’t hurt the ratings. About 28 million people watched to see if Men would sink or swim, but can they keep it up for years to come? Even though Men and Kutcher have their own fan bases, the novelty of Kutcher’s shirtless (amazing) body will fade and the absence of the chemistry between Jon Cryer and Sheen will be missed, so Men could be looking at one more season before they say goodbye to Mondays at 9pm.
Even if it’s hard to believe, people didn’t just watch Men for Sheen. There are fans out there that love the other characters just as much, my mom excluded. So it’s no surprise that Men’s been able to keep the fire going. But again, there’s only so much one can do with a lowly chiropractor…Does Cryer even have a job anymore? And the “half” has long passed blossomed into a full blown man. So with the repetitive storylines and the kid not the awkwardly adorable kid anymore, one more season is needed to close out the plots and give fans peace of mind, but to go past the 2011/2012 season would do even more damage than their leading man did when he said adios.
And what about Kutcher? Is his recent tabloid escapades with “pregnant” youths (well compared to his wife) just to pull in more attention for the ratings…One can only wonder. Kutcher made the small screen world fall in love with him years ago on FOX’s That 70’s Show and since then he’s made the effort to translate to box office gold. He’s more like a copper tone in that department despite that No Strings Attached, or whatever it was with Natalie Portman. While it’s nice to see Kutcher’s body every week (so damn good), it’s not going to keep people interested in a plot, coming back. Not to mention his character, Walden, verges on annoying. We get it, he misses his ex. How much longer can they focus on that? Dear Chuck Lorre, you have The Big Bang Theory, let’s just move on from Men. It’ll be okay if you put it out to pasture come May next year.
Two and a Half Men still causes laughs because when you have good writers and talent in front of the camera, that’s bound to happen, but when you’ve lost a key element and have worn out the story lines thinner than an elderly man’s hair…It’s time to say good bye to the beach house. With the OG characters coming to the end of their development and Kutcher’s “Walden” being a bore with only a good physique to back it up, they should go out with a bang instead of letting it fizzle. Because the ratings are still off the charts, but with the TV legacy it’s already created, it’d be best not to jump the shark and derail seasons down the road.
