With Charlie Sheen out and Ashton Kutcher in, that just leaves two major questions to be answered for Two and a Half Men: How will Ashton Kutcher’s character be introduced to the show, and how will Charlie Harper disappear from the series? There’s a rumor that Sheen’s character’s exit may be as final as it gets for a TV show (excluding soap operas, series involving time travel and/or vampires). Possible spoiler ahead!
Rumor has it, Sheen’s character Charlie Harper may be killed off when Men returns next fall. This news comes from TMZ, which offers a vague “sources tell us” explanation for their intel, however given Men showrunner Chuck Lorre’s well publicized distaste for Sheen’s on and off-set behavior, it’s entirely possible that the idea of killing him off is on the table. “Although the first show won't be filmed until August 5, producers have been kicking around scenarios, which include Charlie driving a car over a cliff,” the gossip site reports.
While I consider Harper dying a possibility, I’m not sure how likely this rumor is to be true. I don’t watch Men, so I have no emotional attachment to any of the characters, however I have a hard time picturing a sit-com killing off a main character and trying to make a joke of it, regardless of the drama surrounding the series. I’d even go as far as to say the writers would be doing a disservice to the fans by ending the Harper’s story that way. Sheen or no Sheen, people who have stuck with the series for eight seasons deserve a better ending than the guy driving off of a cliff.
If the funny-death angle isn’t what they’re aiming for with this idea, and they are planning to make the death a serious occasion, then Charlie’s character would likely be mourned by Jake and Alan, and I have just as hard of a time picturing an episode or more dedicated to grieving a character that’s being written out of the show because the actor who plays him caused too many problems. I would think Lorre would want to focus the premiere's attention on introducing Kutcher’s character.
My guess is that this rumor is based on quotes that were either taken out of context or not meant to be taken seriously at all. Either that, or Harper’s death is really just one idea of many final ideas. No matter what they decide to go with, hopefully Lorre and the writers will put the interest of the show’s integrity, quality and humor, as well as the fans, above a grudge against Charlie Sheen or concern that he might some day return to the series.
