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Two and a Half Men lasted 12 seasons and 262 episodes. In truth, it was almost less than that, as Chuck Lorre thought about ending the series once Charlie Sheen decided to part ways.
Others were also considered for the replacement role prior to Ashton Kutcher, including Hugh Grant. Ultimately, the actor declined the role given a lack of script at the time.
The finale contained both good and bad. Fans were delighted to see the return of Jake, aka Angus T. Jones. However, despite the hype of Charlie’s return during the episode, fans were letdown with the way the series came to an end.
We’ll take a look at what went down behind the scenes, and why Sheen’s return was halted. It seems like creative differences played a major role, with Charlie having one outlook, while Chuck Lorre had something entirely different planned.
Charlie Sheen Regretted The Way He Handled His Two And A Half Men Exit
According to Charlie Sheen, he traded in a “hashtag for an early retirement.” Looking back at what transpired between himself and the show, years later reflecting on it, Sheen holds a lot of regret. The actor stated that there were several ways to handle the situation back then, and he decided to pick the wrong one.
“There was 55 different ways for me to handle that situation, and I chose number 56. And so, you know, I think the growth for me post-meltdown or melt forward or melt somewhere — however you want to label it — it has to start with absolute ownership of my role in all of it,” he said. “And it was desperately juvenile.”
Sheen would also admit there was a chance to make things right by jumping on a private plane, but he decided against it, something that he again would do differently if given the chance.
However, despite all the hardships, there was chatter about a return for Sheen during the finale. In fact, the last episode was designed around his return. Charlie was open to a return, but wasn’t into what Lorre had planned.
Charlie Sheen Wanted An Emotional Reunion With Jon Cryer And One That Would Set A Spin-Off, The Harpers
There was communication from both sides, all in an effort to give fans closure, according to Chuck Lorre. However, speaking with TV Insider, Lorre revealed things didn’t go to plan.
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“There was so much really earnest and heartfelt demand from the fans of the show to have some kind of closure.”
“When we found a way that we felt was workable and appropriate, we reached out to him a month ago and pitched it out to him. He didn’t like it, and he pitched his alternative and we didn’t like that. We shook hands and went our separate ways… It was not meant to be.”
According to Sheen, had things gone his way, he would’ve done the finale and showed up to set early. Lorre revealed that Sheen had a different ending in mind, and one the fans may have preferred.
“He wanted us to write a heart-warming scene that would set up his return to primetime TV in a new sitcom called The Harpers starring him and Jon Cryer.”
Similar to what we saw during the final episode with a piano, Chuck Lorre had something different in mind.
Chuck Lorre Wanted A Piano To Fall On Charlie Sheen During His Return
Fans of Two and a Half Men were generally disappointed with the finale, given that the real Charlie doesn’t make a return. Lorre wanted the finale return, however, it wasn’t meant to be on his terms. Here’s what Lorre had in mind for the finale.
“Our idea was to have him walk up to the front door in the last scene, ring the doorbell, then turn, look directly into the camera and go off on a maniacal rant about the dangers of drug abuse,” Lorre wrote on the card.
“He would then explain that these dangers only applied to average people. That he was far from average. He was a ninja warrior from Mars. He was invincible. And then we would drop a piano on him. We thought it was funny. He didn’t.”
Both scenarios weren’t meant to be, particularly this one, as some might understand why Sheen opted against a finale return.
