Season 9 of Two and a Half Men premiered on September 19, 2011 and ended on May 14, 2012 in the United States and Canada. Season 9 is considered a reboot by both Chuck Lorre, Lee Aronsohn, who are the creators, Lesile Moonves and CBS and the fans alike. This is the first season without Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper. This season also marks the introduction of internet billionaire Walden Schmidt (Ashton Kutcher)
Plot[]
This season focuses on Alan (Jon Cryer) and his son Jake (Angus T. Jones) moving on with their lives after Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) unexpectedly dies off-screen due to a subway train while in Paris with Rose with the help of their new housemate, internet billionaire Walden Schmidt (Ashton Kutcher), who buys the Malibu Beach House which was put up for sale by Alan and Jake Harper. Walden, who is a dot-com billionaire, is in the process of being divorced by his wife. Alan temporarily moved in with his and Charlie's mother, Evelyn after Charlie's beach house was sold to Walden. Alan and Jake were invited to move back into Charlie's beach house permanently by Walden after Alan, with the help of Walden's ex-wife, Bridget saved him from a con-artist. Walden, Alan and Jake eventually bond and formed a surrogate family unit. Walden starts to date Zoey, a British woman he met at The Malibu Grocery Store. Charlie pays Alan a visit from the afterlife, as a ghost trapped in a woman's body (Kathy Bates) but his intentions for coming back are rather suspicious. Jake approaches adulthood fast pending his graduation from high school. He joins the army after graduation and leaves Malibu at the end of the season.
Cast[]
Note: The billing for the regular characters changed in the opening credits this season in that Jon Cryer and Ashton Kutcher are listed at the same time and Conchata Ferrell is listed before Marin Hinkle. The Complete Ninth Season DVD cover dropped Marin Hinkle's name and character from the cast list altogether, and CBS press releases for season 9 billed Hinkle as a recurring cast member.
Main[]
- Ashton Kutcher as Walden Schmidt (24 episodes)
- Jon Cryer as Alan Harper (24 episodes)
- Angus T. Jones as Jake Harper (22 episodes)
- Conchata Ferrell as Berta (18 episodes)
- Marin Hinkle as Judith Harper-Melnick (6 episodes)
- Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper (9 episodes)
Recurring[]
- Sophie Winkleman as Zoey Hyde-Tottingham-Pierce (12 episodes)
- Courtney Thorne-Smith as Lyndsey McElroy (10 episodes)
- Graham Patrick Martin as Eldridge McElroy (7 episodes)
- Judy Greer as Bridget Schmidt (7 episodes)
- Ryan Stiles as Herb Melnick (4 episodes)
- Taylan Wright as Ava Pierce (4 episodes)
- Macey Cruthird as Megan (3 episodes)
- Melanie Lynskey as Rose (2 episodes)
- Mimi Rogers as Robin Schmidt (2 episodes)
- Matthew Marsden as Nigel Pierce-Windsor (2 episodes)
- Patton Oswalt as Billy Stanhope (2 episodes)
- Georgia Engel as Jean McElroy (2 episodes)
Special Guest Stars[]
- Jenny McCarthy as Courtney Leopold (2 episodes)
- Kathy Bates as Charlie Harper
- John Stamos as Prospective Buyer
- Thomas Gibson as Greg Montgomery
- Jenna Elfman as Dharma Montgomery
- Gary Busey as Alan's Hospital Roommate
- Jason Alexander as Dr. Goodman
Pre-Series reports[]
Following Sheen's firing from the show, Chuck Lorre developed an idea of Two and a Half Men re-boot. In May 2011, Ashton Kutcher was hired as Sheen's replacement and Jon Cryer took on as lead role. In August 2011, Ashton Kutcher's character was named Walden Schmidt, an internet billionaire with a broken heart who buys Charlie's beach house after his death in a subway accident after "slipping" in front of a train while in Paris with Rose. Charlie Sheen's character would be killed off in the 2 part season premiere that aired on September 19 and 26, 2011.
Episodes[]
| Image | Title | Air Date | Prod. Code | # | Summary | Title quotation from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt | September 19, 2011 | 3X6951 | 9.01 | After the death of Charlie Harper, Alan faces the reality of moving out of his brother's beach house - until he meets a depressed internet billionaire whose wife just left him. | Alan | |
|
People Who Love Peepholes | September 26, 2011 | 3X6952 | 9.02 | Walden has Alan come along for the ride when he tries to get his ex-wife, Bridget, to take him back. | Alan |
|
Big Girls Don't Throw Food | October 3, 2011 | 3X6953 | 9.03 | While preparing for a romantic dinner with his ex-wife, Walden accidentally talks Jake into dropping out of school. | Walden |
|
Nine Magic Fingers | October 10, 2011 | 3X6954 | 9.04 | Alan begins working on getting Lyndsey back, but his days at Walden's place may be numbered after Walden hooks up with Charlie's gold-digger ex-girlfriend, Courtney. | Berta's boyfriend |
|
A Giant Cat Holding a Churro | October 17, 2011 | 3X6955 | 9.05 | Lyndsey dumps Alan after he agrees to be completely honest about his past, and a stoned Walden tries to cheer him up by throwing him a party. | Walden |
|
The Squat and the Hover | October 24, 2011 | 3X6956 | 9.06 | Alan convinces Walden to see Charlie's old shrink after he gets his divorce papers from Bridget, but his spirits are soon lifted after he meets a lesbian who looks like her. | Kiki |
|
Those Fancy Japanese Toilets | October 31, 2011 | 3X6957 | 9.07 | Jake has a crush on his chemistry tutor, who has a crush on Walden. Meanwhile, Alan obsesses over the journal his brother left him in his will. | Walden |
|
Thank You For The Intercourse | November 7, 2011 | 3X6958 | 9.08 | When Walden begins redecorating the beach house, Alan becomes overly emotional. | Walden |
|
Frodo's Headshots | November 14, 2011 | 3X6959 | 9.09 | Upon his return from the "stress clinic," Alan finds out that Jake got his girlfriend pregnant, Walden and Lyndsey are sleeping together, and he has to move out immediately. | Jake |
|
A Fishbowl Full of Glass Eyes | November 21, 2011 | 3X6960 | 9.10 | After Jake talks Walden into asking out a woman he meets at a supermarket, Alan considers pawning Walden's incredibly expensive wedding ring to get out of debt. | Sid |
|
What A Lovely Landing Strip | December 5, 2011 | 3X6961 | 9.11 | Just as Walden appears ready to pursue a new relationship with Zoey, Bridget returns and says that she wants him back. | Walden |
|
One False Move, Zimbabwe! | December 12, 2011 | 3X6962 | 9.12 | Walden's mother arrives for Christmas and Alan is smitten with her, even as she reveals a secret about a "pet" from Walden's past that sends him into a downward spiral. | Walden |
|
Slowly and In A Circular Fashion | January 2, 2012 | 3X6963 | 9.13 | When Bridget and Walden's mother try to take control of Walden's company, Walden puts Alan on the board. But can he be trusted once Walden's mother gets to him? | Alan |
|
A Possum on Chemo | January 16, 2012 | 3X6964 | 9.14 | While Zoey pressures Walden into shaving and cutting his hair, Alan discovers that Lyndsey is dating a younger man. | Alan |
|
The Duchess of Dull-in-Sack | February 6, 2012 | 3X6965 | 9.15 | Walden looks for ways to spice up his lackluster love life with Zoey, including a batch of Berta's "special" brownies. | Berta |
|
Sips, Sonnets and Sodomy | February 13, 2012 | 3X6966 | 9.16 | Alan and Walden are stuck at home with their feuding girlfriends on Valentine's Day because of a torrential storm. | Alan |
|
Not In My Mouth! | February 20, 2012 | 3X6967 | 9.17 | When Zoey doesn't return his "I love you," Walden retaliates by immediately picking up on another woman. | Alan |
|
The War Against Gingivitis | February 27, 2012 | 3X6968 | 9.18 | Walden's estranged ex-business partner comes to him with a billion-dollar business idea, and another secret or two. | Alan |
|
Palmdale, Ech | March 19, 2012 | 3X6969 | 9.19 | Alan and Lyndsey introduce their mothers to each other, while Walden spends the night hanging out with Jake and Eldrige since Zoey is still out of town. | Evelyn |
|
Grandma's Pie | April 9, 2012 | 3X6970 | 9.20 | Zoey is upset when she finds out that Bridget is a business partner in Walden's latest venture, while Alan and Lyndsey have an awkward dinner with their moms, who are now lovers and are planning to move in together. | Eldridge |
|
Mr. Hose Says "Yes" | April 16, 2012 | 3X6971 | 9.21 | Walden's commitment is tested when Zoey and her daughter come to live with him. Meanwhile, Alan gets more than he bargained for when he moves in with Lyndsey. | Alan |
|
Why We Gave Up Women | April 30, 2012 | 3X6972 | 9.22 | Charlie's spirit returns from Hell in the form of a middle aged woman to tell Alan to make some changes to his life after his heart attack. | A doctor in the hospital |
|
The Straw In My Donut Hole | May 7, 2012 | 3X6973 | 9.23 | Alan decides to take advantage of the guilt felt by his family and Walden after his heart attack, but Zoey knows that he's just milking it and sets out to prove it. | Alan |
|
Oh Look! Al-Qaeda! | May 14, 2012 | 3X6974 | 9.24 | Jake and Eldridge make an important decision about their future after they graduate from high school and get fired from their jobs at Walden's new company. | Alan |
Trivia[]
- This is the first season to not feature Charlie Sheen due to his firing on March 7, 2011. Thus making Alan Harper the only character to appear in every episode of the show and Walden Schmidt the second character to appear in every episode of this season. The "Charlie Harper" character, however, was re-cast and made an appearance in the episode Why We Gave Up Women portrayed by Academy Award winner, Kathy Bates. Charlie's bizarre new physical appearance is explained to be part of his eternal punishment in Hell. Bates' portrayal of Charlie was well-received from fans and critics alike, earning her an Emmy for her performance. The producers were considering bringing back Charlie Harper as a recurring character with Bates in the role, but this never occurred as she didn't appear in Seasons 10 or 11.
- Ashton Kutcher and Jon Cryer are listed at the same time and Conchata Ferrell is listed before Marin Hinkle.