TV Review: TWO AND HALF MEN 9.1, Nice To Meet You, Walden Schmidt

By D.J. Haza / September 20, 2011

rating: 3

So how has creator Chuck Lorre written out Charlie Sheen and written in Ashton Kutcher? Plenty of plot spoilers here, so if you haven't seen the Season 9 Premiere do not read on! So it begins with the obvious funeral. Charlie ran away to Paris to meet Rose and wanted to marry her, but fell in front of a train. A host of women hurt by him turn at the funeral to bad mouth him. Alan is left the house, but with all the mortgages he can€™t afford to keep it. So... Evelyn tries to sell it to a host of people; some from other US shows like Dharma and Greg. As Alan is about to sprinkle Charlie€™s ashes Ashton Kutcher appears on the balcony and Alan throws the ashes everywhere. Kutcher has apparently been trying to drown himself, but didn€™t realise how cold the water would be. Kutcher has apparently been dumped by his wife and Alan talks to him, when it turns out Kutcher is minted. Alan introduces himself properly and Walden Schmidt is introduced to us as Kutcher's character. He doesn€™t like the taste of alcohol, but drinks anyway. Alan convinces Walden to talk to some girls in Pavlov€™s and he bursts into tears about how he loves his wife. The two girls find this so sweet, so Alan follows suit with his own tears and they get them back to the house. As Alan makes drinks the two girls take Walden up stairs and Alan misses the party. As always. The following morning Walden comes down naked and tells Alan that he is going to buy the house. The demise of Charlie was pretty obvious, but Kutcher's Walden seems in a very different direction to Charlie. He doesn€™t appear to be the bed hopping booze addled player who is switched on and a scheming two-timer like Charlie. Walden is good looking and hung like an elephant, but isn€™t smooth or charming. He€™s a bit of a bumbling idiot, but still manages to attract ladies. He shares some of Alan€™s qualities, but gets Charlie like results as he takes both the girls up stairs to Charlie€™s bedroom and leaves Alan alone in the living room. With Walden being a different type of character to Charlie its clear that Lorre wants to take the show in a slightly different direction by creating a different dynamic between his main characters. Not only will this draw a line under Charlie Harper/Sheen after the amount of trouble Sheen has caused of late, but could also see a bit more longevity from the show. I think that if Kutcher€™s Schmidt had been just like Charlie it could have drawn comparisons and some negativity, but by creating something different it avoids that and also gives audiences something new that they can get to know and then hopefully love so they can squeeze a good few more series out of the show. The King is dead. Long live the King. As Two And A Half Men live to fight another day. Whether or not Walden can fill Charlie€™s shoes may be another story and only time will tell, but€ That€™s how Charlie goes and Walden arrives.