Half-man Angus T. Jones plans to leave, and will be replaced by Charlie Harper’s daughter
Two and a Half Men will encounter another major casting change when Angus T. Jones leaves next season. Jones, the half-man of the show, is going to be replaced by a young woman.
Two and a Half Men, which could now be retitled Two Men and a Lady, has already dealt with one major casting change in the recent past. In 2011, after Charlie Sheen left the show amidst an internet tirade and public scandal, CBS was forced to find a second leading-man to replace him. The solution was simple: Sheen’s character was killed off, and Ashton Kutcher stepped in to play Walden Schmidt, a computer millionaire who became Alan Harper’s new roommate.
The viewership for Two and a Half Men has dwindled slowly but steadily since Sheen left the show. While it was renewed for a 10th season, the future is unclear for the once-dominating sitcom. Charlie Sheen’s public battle with the show’s writer, Chuck Lorre, caused bad publicity in 2011, and Angus T. Jones continued this streak last year after posting a video criticizing the show’s writing. The video went viral and Jones made headlines. While his discontent may be publicly known, Jones’ reason for departure was not specified.
While the young woman who will be filling in his shoes has not been announced, the storyline is fairly straightforward. A woman will appear as Charlie Harper’s long-lost daughter. She will move in with Alan Harper and Walden Schmidt, and continue as a series regular.
Some would say that Two and a Half Men is not the same after Charlie Sheen left, while others would argue that Ashton Kutcher is doing what he can to make the show a success. The departure of Angus T. Jones could be the last straw, or the entrance of a fresh-faced young woman to the cast could boost the show’s viewership in the same way it spiked after Charlie Sheen left. Still, if this casting change doesn’t work, it might be time for CBS to drop Two and a Half Men once and for all.
