While Two and a Half Men was one of the most successful sitcoms in the 2000s, time hasn’t been kind to the Charlie Sheen-led show. Skeptics have often called out the show for its misogynistic and sexist undertones, which further aggravated with time, and its lead, Charlie Harper, was often associated with most of the issues that plagued the sitcom.
One episode that has been highly criticized for its regressive themes is episode 16 of season 6, where Charlie is shown to be harboring the thought of taking advantage of an unconscious lady.
This Two and a Half Men Episode Shouldn’t Have Left the Writers’ Room
To this date She’ll Still Be Dead at Halftime remains one of the controversial episodes of the sitcom, which sees Charlie Harper battling against his urges of potentially r-ping an unconscious woman in his bed. Although the show is no stranger to cringeworthy moments, especially with its extreme portrayal of both sexes, the idea of spinning Harper’s devious thoughts for comedic purposes is downright deplorable.
In the absence of his girlfriend Chelsea, who is attending her mother-in-law’s funeral, Harper seemingly entertains the idea of taking advantage of his ex-girlfriend, Wanda, who shows up drunk at his house, and blacks out in his bed. While he doesn’t end up doing the deed to the unconscious woman after much deliberation, thanks to Alan, this idea shouldn’t have been made out of the writers’ room in the first place.
Although some arguments in its defense might deem it as a product of its time, even without the benefit of hindsight, the episode does little to justify its existence, given the sitcom’s huge influence at the time.
Chuck Lorre Rekindled His Friendship With Charlie Sheen
Apart from onscreen issues, the sitcom made headlines in the early 2010s following the controversy surrounding its lead Charlie Sheen. Despite being one of the highest-paid TV actors of the time, following the actor’s struggle with substance abuse and his rant against co-creator Chuck Lorre, Sheen was eventually fired in the aftermath of his statements. However, it seems the two no longer hold a grudge, and with Sheen in a much better place mentally, Lorre recalled the duo made peace with their troubling history.
I was nervous, but almost as soon as we started talking, I remembered, we were friends once. And that friendship just suddenly seemed to be there again. I don’t want to be too mawkish about it, but it was healing. And he was also totally game to make fun of himself. When he came to the table read of that episode, I walked up, and we hugged. It was just great.
Given how big Two and a Half Men was at its peak, it’s reasonable to see why many weren’t thrilled by the show’s insensitive undertones following its influence on its viewers.
Two and a Half Men is available to stream on Max.
