Starring Charlie Sheen alongside Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones, Two and a Half Men has been one of the most successful comedy shows. The 12-season-long show follows Charlie Harper, a wealthy and womanizing jingle writer whose life takes an unexpected turn when his younger brother, Alan, and his nephew, Jake, move in with him.
While the show undeniably features several flawed characters, some of them manage to display redeeming qualities. However, despite being the only original character to stick around, Alan Harper is widely viewed as an exception, often considered just as problematic and terrible as the worst of them.
Why Jon Cryer’s Alan Harper Might Be the Worst Character on Two and a Half Men?
Portrayed by Jon Cryer, Alan Harper in Two and a Half Men is introduced as a man who, after being kicked out by his wife following 12 years of marriage, moves in with his brother, Charlie Harper.
Despite initially considering moving out due to Charlie’s irresponsible behavior toward his son, Jake, Alan chooses to stay when Jake expresses a preference for Charlie. And throughout the 12 season-run of the show, it remains the same.
Alan Harper continues to live with his brother at his Malibu beach house with his son, while constantly moralizing about Charlie’s drinking, gambling, and womanizing.
However, Alan’s own behavior undermines his moral stance. He cheats on his girlfriend and squanders half a million dollars won at a casino, spending it all on Kandi and eventually returning to Charlie’s home.
And his reliance on Charlie has been one of the major reasons, he is often considered the worst character in the show. Despite having a chiropractic practice, he contributes nothing financially while hypocritically criticizing Charlie’s lifestyle
Even after Charlie’s departure from the series, Alan does not seek independence but instead finds another wealthy person, Walden, (Ashton Kutcher) to mooch off, convincing him that it’s best for him and Jake to continue living in the beach house.
Fans of the show argued the same on Reddit, stating that Alan Harper has zero redeemable qualities.
He is equal parts a hypocrite, a mooch, thereby unnecessarily cheap, pretentious, a piss poor excuse for a father, and in turn, someone who is seemingly physically incapable of taking responsibility for himself.
The Reddit user also suggested that Alan’s entitlement, hypocrisy, and overall lack of integrity make him an exceptionally unlikable character, even worse than the flawed Charlie Harper.
Jon Cryer Doesn’t Seem too Eager For a Two and a Half Men Reunion
Following Charlie Sheen and Chuck Lorre’s reunion for the comedy show Bookie, Jon Cryer was asked about a potential Two and a Half Men revival. However, the Emmy-winning actor expressed uncertainty about the possibility.
He shared that he enjoyed collaborating with Chuck Lorre, especially during the good times. However, he also noted that he has not spoken to Sheen in over seven years, acknowledging that while things got “super-duper weird,” the good times were really great.
In an interview with TVLine, he said,
I have loved working with Chuck — That being said, I haven’t spoken with Charlie in seven-some plus years, so I have no idea where he’s at… I loved working with those people when it was great — it was really great, you know? — and I’m sad that it got super-duper weird.
Not only do his remarks make the possibility of a revival uncertain, but the showrunner has also been cautious about bringing the show back. However, he has also not straight off denied the possibility, stating that it would be foolish to say never.
Two and a Half Men is availavle to watch on Peacock.
