Two and a Half Men (season 12)

The twelfth and final season of Two and a Half Men premiered on October 30, 2014.[1][2] It was announced that a one-hour series finale of the show would air on February 19, 2015, with the number of episodes aired being 262.[3] The season brought the show back to the way it originally began: two dissimilar men working together to raise a child.

Production
For the show's final season the focus was centered on the relationship between Ashton Kutcher and Jon Cryer's characters. The straight best friends decide to marry in order to fool the system and adopt a young child.

At the executive session panel at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills on June 19, 2014, CBS President Nina Tassler announced the story arc for the season. During this season, which has been described by CBS President Nina Tassler as a season-long event to conclude the show by Chuck Lorre, Walden (Ashton Kutcher) will experience a health scare in the opening episode and, "he wants to find a way to add more meaning to his life, so he decides he wants to adopt a child and in doing so, he starts the process and realizes that it's very difficult to adopt a child as a single, straight man," Tassler said. "So once and for all he decides, 'I'm going to propose to Alan (Jon Cryer) and we're going to get married and adopt a child as a gay couple."[9]

Show producer Chuck Lorre explains the future gay wedding as bringing the show to a full circle. Lorre says that the marriage is about raising a child with 'a great deal of love' and not their sexuality. "You're going to see two men who are not gay but are going to raise a child with a great deal of love and attention. Their sexuality is irrelevant to loving and caring for a child, which maybe that's the big story that we wind up telling: taking a kid out of the system and giving him a home. What's better than that?" he added. He promised that there will be a wedding and hoped no offense will be taken.[10] Lorre said that "this seems like the next logical step. Not romance, not sex, raising a child."[11] Jon Cryer was skeptical about the story line when he first heard it but was won over by the story line when it was explained to him and insisted the show is not cheapening same sex marriage instead they will do it 'tastefully'. He also said, "Obviously we've cheapened plenty of things over the decade that we've been on the air. But that is something we're not intending to do."[10] Cryer had nothing but praise for the storyline and the season, saying "it will be a heartfelt journey...there might be more of a heart to this season than ever before."[12]

Charlie's daughter Jenny (Amber Tamblyn), who was introduced in season 11 as the new 'half man', appears in only three episodes this season.

Along with other sitcoms, this season is airing from late October instead of the traditional September season starting month. This is because of Thursday Night Football. To avoid competition with the sporting event, some shows have been held back until after its conclusion so the ratings will not be hurt.[13]

Charlie Sheen who was a previous cast member on the show, expressed his interest to reprise his role of the deceased character Charlie Harper in the series finale, saying "'I just want to do it classy. I want to do it in a way that still services what the show is today, and also honors what it was when I was there."[14] He even stated that producers were interested in the idea, "I've reached out to them and they've reached back," and added that he was "just a meeting away," from making it happen.[15][16] However producers denied the statements, saying that no discussions had been made.[17] Nina Tassler has said that there were no plans to have him back.[18] In December, Sheen launched another attack on Lorre, nearly four years after the first time saying, "Here's what sucks. I got clearance from the whole cast. Les Moonves. All the suits. There's one guy who's blocking it, guess who that is?" He even told Lorre to "get out of his own way."[19] During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on December 12, 2014, Ashton Kutcher remained coy about whether Sheen would return for the finale, but gave provocative hints on the matter.[20] But Sheen again posted another bizarre, derogatory remark about the show on Twitter in January 2015.[21] Despite this, at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour on January 15, 2015, Chuck Lorre spoke about the show and had nothing but praise for Sheen, "It would be inappropriate to not acknowledge the extraordinary success we had with Charlie and how grateful I am, we all are, to his contributions. And there's nothing but great feelings for the eight-and-a-half years we worked together." He said he wanted the finale to honour both eras of the show, and that there were "no wounds," following what happened with Sheen, saying "What happened, happened. And I'm grateful for the time we enjoyed working together and I'm very grateful Ashton came along and kept the lights on. What do I got to complain about? I'm so blessed."[22]

On December 5, 2014, it was announced that the series' finale would be February 19, 2015,[23][24] and it would be an hour long episode to conclude the series. CBS announced that the new incarnation of The Odd Couple, the premise of which Two and a Half Men was based on, would take its place for the remainder of the television season.[25]

Main

 * Ashton Kutcher as Walden Schmidt
 * Jon Cryer as Alan Harper
 * Conchata Ferrell as Berta
 * Edan Alexander as Louis

Recurring

 * Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper
 * Amber Tamblyn as Jenny
 * Melanie Lynskey as Rose
 * Courtney Thorne-Smith as Lyndsey McElroy
 * Maggie Lawson as Ms. McMartin, the social worker
 * Deanna Russo as Laurel
 * Michael Bolton as himself
 * Ryan Stiles as Herb Melnick

Guest

 * Marin Hinkle as Judith Harper-Melnick
 * Aisha Tyler as Allison, an adoption lawyer
 * Clark Duke as Barry Foster
 * D. B. Sweeney as Larry Martin
 * Mimi Rogers as Robin Schmidt
 * Alessandra Torresani as Kathy
 * Jessica Lu as Jean
 * Laura Stone as Danielle
 * Brenda Koo as Julie
 * Richard Riehle as Santa
 * Bill Smitrovich as Rick
 * Gary Anthony Williams as Leo
 * David Denman as Jack
 * Vernee Watson as Karen
 * Arnold Schwarzenegger as Lt. Wagner
 * Angus T. Jones as Jake Harper
 * Jennifer Taylor as Chelsea
 * Emmanuelle Vaugier as Mia
 * Missi Pyle as Mrs. Pasternak
 * April Bowlby as Kandi
 * Judy Greer as Bridget
 * Sophie Winkleman as Zoey
 * John Stamos as himself
 * Christian Slater as himself
 * Bob Bergen as Porky Pig (cartoon sequence)
 * Chuck Lorre as himself

Episodes
Main article: List of Two and a Half Men episodes