Two and a Half Men went out with a few bangs in 2015.
The popular CBS sitcom came to an end in season 12, airing its finale, "Of Course He's Dead," on Feb. 19, 2015. Like good finales do, the episode brought back former cast members and gave fans a warm sendoff — for the most part, that is.
Here's how the finale wrapped up, with a bizarre plot involving the return of "Charlie Harper," body doubles, and a shoutout (of sorts) to Charlie Sheen in his "Winning!" era.
Two and a Half Men: The Finale in season 12
Following the death of "Charlie" in season 9, Ashton Kutcher's "Walden Schmidt" assumed a main role alongside Jon Cryer's "Alan Harper." But the showrunners brought "Charlie" back for the finale. Only, Sheen himself didn't return for the episode, as he and the creators couldn't agree on the episode's direction.
The episode ended up revolving around news that "Charlie" was still alive, and had escaped after being kept in captivity. "Charlie" then threatens "Walden" and "Alan," leading them to go to police (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) with fears that "Charlie" is back seeking vengeance.
"Charlie" is also caught at one point in the episode, but it turns out to be a body double played by Christian Slater. "Charlie" also sends notes to his many exes, who cameo in the episode, as well as "Jake Harper," producing a memorable reappearance for actor Angus T. Jones.
At the end of the episode, "Walden," "Alan," and "Berta" (Conchata Ferrell) fear that "Charlie" is approaching their home when they see a helicopter carrying one of his pianos. A body double resembling "Charlie" approaches the door, but he's crushed by a piano that falls from the sky.
The scene then cuts to series creator Chuck Lorre on set, where he says Sheen's catchphrase, "Winning!," before being crushed by a piano himself. The bizarre conclusion appears to jab at Sheen's off-screen personality, while equally allowing the actor revenge on the boss who fired him several years earlier.
Charlie Sheen's Two and a Half Men absence explained
Following the piano death scene, a text card revealed why Sheen didn't appear in the episode: "I know a lot of you might be disappointed that you didn't get to see Charlie Sheen in tonight's finale," the card began.
"For the record, he was offered a role. Our idea was to have him walk up to the front door in the last scene, ring the doorbell, then turn, look directly into the camera and go off on a maniacal rant about the dangers of drug abuse.
"He would then explain that these dangers only applied to average people. That he was far from average. He was a ninja warrior from Mars. He was invincible.
"And then we would drop a piano on him. We thought it was funny. He didn't. Instead, he wanted us to write a heart-warming scene that would set up his return to primetime TV in a new sitcom called The Harpers starring him and Jon Cryer. We thought that was funny too," the note concluded.
The episode received mixed reviews from critics, some of whom appreciated the daring approach, unexpected guests, and meta qualities. But fans were less forgiving, voicing their dislike for the out-of-left-field conclusion to the series they once loved.
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