The American sitcom Two and a Half Men, created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn, premiered on CBS September 22, 2003. Lorre and Aronsohn are also its executive producers. The show initially centers on seven characters: the brothers Charlie and Alan Harper; Jake Harper (the son of Alan and Judith, his first ex-wife), Judith Harper-Melnick, Alan's first ex-wife, Jake and Milly's mother; Rose, one of Charlie's previous one-night stands who continuously stalks him; Evelyn Harper, Charlie and Alan's wealthy, five-time widowed, bisexual mother, and Jake's grandmother; and finally Berta, Charlie's sharp-tongued housekeeper, who later joins the main cast starting with season 2 after playing a major recurring role throughout the first season. In season 9, the show is revamped when Charlie is struck and killed by a moving train. Walden Schmidt replaces him as the new owner of the beach house. He is a recently divorced internet billionaire. In season eleven, Jake moves to Japan and leaves the series. To replace "the half-man", Charlie's long-lost-daughter moves into the beach house after looking for her late father.

Over time, several supporting characters have been promoted to starring roles: Berta (recurring in season 1, regular in seasons 2–12), Charlie and Alan's (and later Walden's) sharp-tongued housekeeper; Kandi (recurring in season 3, regular in season 4; guest in seasons 10 and 12), one of Charlie's former one-night stands and later on, Alan's second ex-wife; Chelsea (recurring in season 6, regular in season 7, guest in season 9), Charlie's second most notable love interest (after Rose), and ex-fiancée; Walden Schmidt (seasons 9–12), an internet billionaire who buys Charlie's beach house after his death; Jenny (seasons 11–12), Charlie's illegitimate daughter from a one-night stand twenty years before; finally, Louis (season 12), the 6-year-old boy that Walden decides to adopt. The show also features numerous supporting characters, each of whom plays a prominent role in a small group of episodes.

Overview

Legend = Main cast (credited) = Recurring cast (actor appears in three or more episodes that season) = Guest cast (actor appears in two or fewer episodes that season) Character Portrayed by Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Lead characters Charlie Harper Charlie SheenKathy Bates appeared as Charlie Harper in a single episode in season 9, and an uncredited actor appeared as the same character in the last episode of the series. colspan="8" colspan="2" Alan Harper Jon Cryer colspan="12" Jake Harper Angus T. Jones colspan="10" Walden Schmidt Ashton Kutcher colspan="8" colspan="4" Main characters Judith Harper-Melnick Marin Hinkle colspan="12" Rose Melanie Lynskey colspan="2" colspan="4" Evelyn Harper Holland Taylor colspan="12" Berta Conchata Ferrell colspan="11" Kandi Harper April Bowlby colspan="2" colspan="5" colspan="1" Chelsea Melini Jennifer Bini Taylor colspan="5" colspan="2" Jenny Harper Amber Tamblyn colspan="10" colspan="1" Louis Schmidt Edan Alexander colspan="11" Notes

Lead characters Charlie Harper

Charles Francis "Charlie" Harper (Charlie Sheen, Seasons 1–8; Kathy Bates, Season 9) is the series' original central character. He is a womanizing bachelor who tends to abuse his younger brother Alan (whom he loves dearly, although he would never admit it) and usually takes pleasure in any misfortune or trouble he runs into. Charlie is a jingle writer and a children's music performer under the name Charlie Waffles. He spends his days partying, sleeping, gambling, drinking alcohol, womanizing, and wearing bowling shirts. He has had many serious romantic relationships. Some of these are with his stalker Rose, a ballerina and dance teacher named Mia, and Chelsea. He is the opposite of Alan: wealthy, confident, and charismatic. He gives his nephew Jake advice (much of which is age-inappropriate). But the two increasingly trade barbs as well.

Charlie is killed sometime between seasons 8 and 9 when he is hit by a train. It is revealed that he had proposed marriage to Rose before his death. While Alan is in the hospital, Charlie's ghost appears to him (it is implied that this is due to a hallucinogenic reaction caused by the medication Alan was on). He explains that his spirit now lives on in Hell, forced to live eternally in a woman's body (Kathy Bates) as punishment for his womanizing behavior during his lifetime. He acts as his brother's spirit guide, though he later confesses that he really could not care less about what he does. Before returning to the afterlife, Charlie tries to reveal himself to Jake but fails. As a result of retroactive continuity, the series finale reveals that Charlie never dies but is held captive by Rose in a basement pit under her house in Sherman Oaks. He escapes, collects $2.5 million in royalty money from his children's songs, and sends Alan, Evelyn and Walden (who Rose has told him about) texts and emails promising revenge while also sending large checks to his former romantic interests, Jenny, and Jake. However, as he is about to enter the beach house, a grand piano being transported to the house by helicopter falls on him. This kills him and, thus, ends the show.

Alan Harper Dr. Alan Jerome Harper (Jon Cryer, Seasons 1–12), is Charlie Harper's younger brother by two years. He is well-meaning, but continuously makes poor choices and mistakes, while being bullied by Charlie, housekeeper Berta, and ex-wife Judith. Alan and Judith are Jake's parents. Alan is also possibly the biological father of Judith's second child, daughter Millie Melnick.

Alan moves in with Charlie after losing his house to Judith in their divorce settlement. He is generally a pleasant and supportive man, but he seems to have an attraction to women who treat him poorly. This may have stemmed from his relationship with his non-nurturing mother Evelyn. In the season 4 episode "Repeated Blows to His Unformed Head", it is revealed that Alan has a pregnancy fetish. He says this is due to Judith, varying from her sexless marriage policy only while being pregnant with Jake. Also, in the Season 6 episode "She'll Still Be Dead at Halftime", he confesses that he likes feet (see foot fetish).

In the season 3 finale, Alan marries 22-year-old dumbbell Kandi, one of Charlie's former girlfriends. After Charlie cancels his wedding with Mia, Alan and Kandi get married instead. However, in the season 4 premiere, four months into the marriage, Kandi throws Alan out of her condo and divorces him. This now leaves him paying alimony to two ex-wives.

In season 6, Alan starts his first serious relationship since his second divorce. Alan begins dating his receptionist, Melissa. The relationship gets serious when she has him move in with her and her mother, but their happiness is short-lived. Melissa walks in after her mother gets Alan high on brownies and seduces him. But Alan is too high to explain what happened. Melissa breaks up with him and kicks him out. In the season 6 finale, while Judith is giving birth to what is probably Alan's daughter, Alan and Melissa meet up and have sex in a closet, ultimately getting back together.

Their relationship goes into season 7, when Melissa wants to move into the beach house with Alan, Charlie, and Chelsea. At first, Alan is happy to live with Melissa. Eventually, Melissa and Chelsea take over the house, resulting in Alan and Charlie staying at a hotel. Alan and Charlie call Evelyn to fix everything. Evelyn tells Chelsea about Melissa's short-lived romance, resulting in the girls getting into a fight and Melissa moving out.

Alan and Melissa are now forced to have sex in their car, since she will not let Alan see her mother at her house and does not want to see Chelsea at Alan's house. Melissa tells Alan to get his own house. So, Alan steals keys to a house Evelyn is selling, and tells Melissa he owns it. When Alan and Melissa get caught at the property, they sneak out of a window. However, the cops find Alan in nothing but his briefs. When he tries to explain what happened, he turns to Melissa only to find she is gone.

Toward the end of season seven, Alan starts dating Lyndsey McElroy, the mother of Jake's friend Eldridge, and Judith's neighbor. Alan and Lyndsey date for the last three episodes of the seventh season, and their relationship goes into season 8. Lyndsey and Alan get serious, and she has him move in with her. After moving in, Alan goes to the liquor store, where he runs into his ex-girlfriend Melissa, and the two begin an affair. However, the affair is short-lived, and Alan decides to move on from Melissa, and continue his relationship with Lyndsey.

At Lyndsey's house, Alan smokes a pipe which Lyndsey finds sexy. She takes him upstairs to have sex. But Alan does not realize he has put the pipe down while it is still lit. This results in him burning down Lyndsey's house. She stays mad at him for most of the next episode. But when she finally forgives him, her ex-husband Chris steps in and makes up with her. This leaves Alan brokenhearted and alone again. Several episodes later, Lyndsey breaks up with her ex-husband when she realizes she has lost feelings for him. Alan and Lyndsey get back together and date for rest of the eighth season.

Walden Schmidt purchases the beach house and lets Alan temporarily stay after Alan helps him accept the end of his marriage to Bridget. Walden later insists that Alan stay with him permanently when Alan, with Bridget's help, saves him from Courtney (Jenny McCarthy), a femme fatale who previously had a relationship with Charlie and was out to get Walden's money. Alan and Walden became best friends after that. This friendship eventually earns Alan a position as a board member of Walden's company and his name on the deed of the beach house. Walden also renames his company "Walden Loves Alan Enterprises" in honor of his best friend. Alan continues his romance with Lyndsey during season 9, only for her to break up with him again after she finds out about all of his lies.

While Walden is dating Zoey, Zoey sees right through Alan and knows that he is sponging off Walden. Walden and Zoey go on a date one night and reluctantly take Alan with them. At dinner, Alan sees his ex-girlfriend, Lyndsey. The two reconcile at the end of the episode. Alan dates Lyndsey throughout the rest of season 9. He reveals to Jake that Lyndsey and he have no intention of getting married.

In season 10, Walden starts to grow tired of Alan living with him, but nevertheless allows him to sponge off of him for money. Alan and Lyndsey continue their relationship. But she starts to fantasize about other people when seeing Alan. In "Something My Gynecologist Said", Lyndsey asks Alan for a commitment since her gynecologist has asked her out. Alan is reluctant, resulting in Lyndsey breaking up with him again. That night, Alan goes over to Lyndsey's house and proposes to her. Alan tells her that as soon as he has enough money, he will put a deposit down on a ring.

Not too long after getting engaged, Alan gets an email from his second ex-wife Kandi, who's in town and wants to get coffee. Kandi tries getting back together with Alan. But he refuses due to his relationship with Lyndsey. Towards the end of season 10, Lyndsey breaks up with Alan after she concludes that all the spark in their relationship is gone.

In the final episode, Alan tries to take the $2.5 million in back royalties from Charlie and ends up fleeing from a very angry dungeon escapee (Charlie). He is back, as always, living at the beach house since Lyndsey doesn't appear to be marrying him. Lyndsey is seen getting a pawn shop evaluation of the ring received from Alan.

Jake Harper