Television writers, directors, or producers find a clever way to write off a troublesome actor/actress that usually establishes that the character has left the series but may eventually return if the backstage relationship improves. If the actor really ticked off the producer or has decided to pursue other acting gigs, the writer will kill him off the show to ensure no chance of ever coming back.
Given the train wreck that was Charlie Sheen in CBS' sitcom"Two and a Half Men (airtime to be determined)" consisting of badmouthing series creator Chuck Lorre and culminating on a one man show of mixed results and Ashton Kutcher serving as a replacement for Charlie's character, it's natural that the time to write off has finally come for Charlie Harper as played by Charlie Sheen playing Charlie Sheen.
According to the celebrity tabloids including OK!, Popeater, and Perez Hilton, the loveable bachelor Charlie Harper is scheduled to die. It seems that the writers are planning to drive Charlie's car off a cliff akin to when Charlie Sheen lost two cars off a cliff. With Charlie Harper dead, younger brother Alan (Jon Cryer) and nephew Jake (Angus T Jones) will likely inherit Charlie's beach house but will need a roommate to help pay the bills. So enter Ashton Kutcher.
It definitely is a way for Chuck Lorre to have the final laugh on Charlie Sheen and put the drama to death (though I'm sure Charlie Sheen will still stir things up if this really comes to pass). But the whole set up feels immature and petty. It reminds me of drama between webcomics and their critics. Unable to take criticism well, the webcomic artists instead decide to turn their critics into straw men and spend time poking fun at them. It increases viewers as they watch the equivalent of a train wreck, but the immaturity is just flagrant. At this point, we get it. "Two and a Half Men" will continue without Charlie Sheen. Now get back to making the show funny again.
Another problem of killing Charlie Harper off is the fact they might actually kill Charlie Harper off. Killing main characters works great in dramas and sci-fi shows. But "Two and a Half Men" is a sitcom. Sitcoms usually kill one-shot characters so that main characters can have a chance to reflect their own mortality in a humorous way. Offing a main character will seriously change the tone for several episodes and it may never bounce back. It would take some very good writing to turn Charlie's supposed death into dark comedy. If they want to kill Charlie, perhaps a better way would be to have him get eaten by a great white shark he was trying to jump over while pulling the plug on the series.
Because at this point, "Two and a Half Men" has certainly jumped it.
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