The sad decline of Two and a Half Men picked up pace this week as Kathy Bates (you had to see it to believe it) played Charlie, on a sabbatical from Hell, to torment Alan. To say this was wrong footed and unfunny is selling it short; but really it is indicative of the shows malaise.
We have already had to adapt to to total character change of Walden, once the long hair and beard disappeared he became a different person. Is this because Ashton Kutcher was struggling with the goofy Walden? Because frankly, he's struggling with the new one as well. As a comic actor Ashton Kutcher is Blue Square Conference up against Charlie Sheen's Premiereship. And don't get me started with Sophie Winkleman's Zoey! Her accent is so cut glass English that she makes Camilla Parker Bowels sound like Kat Slater.
The old ensemble cast struggles to get a look in; no doubt the half in Two and a Half Men now refers to the reduction in Jake's appearances. Also Alan's character has had to adapt to the, aforementioned, Walden change. So now we get Alan as prat fall king, Jon Cryer is a much better actor than the material he's given here and this sad shambles only makes me hark back to the brilliant chemistry between Jon Cryer, Angus T. Jones and Charlie Sheen. The show has become more about Walden, Zoey and her interminable kid than the Harpers.
"So why is this whinger still watching?" You are no doubt are asking yourselves. Well, I don't know, force of habit I suppose, or the vain hope that it will all magically fall into place and be half as good as it used to be.
Over
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