Two and a Half Men
By Kari Croop,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Updated Odd Couple relies on jokes about sex, drinking.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
Where to Watch
Community Reviews
Based on 25 parent reviews
Pretty sexist
Report this review
Report this review
What's the Story?
While going through yet another painful divorce, uptight chiropractor Alan (Jon Cryer) reluctantly moves himself and his son, Jake (Angus T. Jones), in with his serially single brother, Charlie (Charlie Sheen), a hard-drinking, womanizing jingle writer who's living the bachelor's dream inside an oceanfront Malibu beach house. But as a newly formed, non-traditional family comprised of TWO AND A HALF MEN, the brothers can't help but clash over their glaring differences. In later seasons, Charlie's character dies (offscreen) and is replaced by Walden Schmidt (Ashton Kutcher), a heartbroken internet billionaire.
Is It Any Good?
It's an Odd Couple in today's world -- single dad, self-involved bachelor brother/uncle, and precocious kid. Add to that a soon-to-be ex-wife (Marin Hinkle) questioning her sexuality, an overtly emotional mother (Holland Taylor), and a neighbor (Melanie Lynskey) who's a full-time stalker, and you've got a real nut house packed into 30 minutes. With Mel Brooks' pen it might work, but instead, Two and a Half Men falls into the dreaded sitcom trap of predictable story lines about boys chasing girls, and lame jokes about hookers and phone sex. In fact, if it weren't for some scene-stealing secondary characters -- including Taylor's turn as the brothers' self-absorbed mother and Lynskey's spot-on portrayal of the bubbly stalker-next-door -- the show would be a total waste of time.
Maybe the creators were hoping for the same kind of success as Full House, with its admittedly cheesy yet occasionally poignant take on single parenthood. But Charlie Sheen is no Uncle Jesse, and the series is aimed so squarely at parents that the presence of an actual kid seems kind of strange. With Charlie Sheen's dramatic exit from the show, Kutcher's character takes over where Sheen left off.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the show's familiar Odd Couple formula. Would the show be better if it didn't rely on such clear-cut stereotypes? Why do most situation comedies rely on such predictable formulas?
Do you think the series paints an unfair picture of female behavior? Given the behavior and attitudes of his father and uncle, how must Jake, the young boy, view women?
Does playing Charlie's bad behavior for laughs make it seem any less "bad"? Is he an obvious example of what not to do, or does he function as a likeable antihero?
Does Charlie Sheen's real life misbehavior have any affect on how you view this show? Do you think an actor's work should be judged by itself, or taken into context with his real-life behavior?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 22, 2003
- Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Charlie Sheen, Holland Taylor, Jon Cryer
- Network: CBS
- Genre: Comedy
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: December 22, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Best Sitcoms for Your Next Family Binge-Watch
TV Shows for the Modern Family
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate