Netflix has caused people to become obsessed with “binge-watching” TV series, and people nowadays have smaller attention spans for waiting for new episodes. This retroactively has made completed shows become binge-worthy since these are all laid out for you, available for viewing.
Two and a Half Men requires the most commitment from you to watch at a stretch considering it has all of twelve seasons. We can make life easier for you, though, by suggesting you watch them based on the best quality of entertainment. With that in mind, here are all the seasons of Two and a Half Men ranked from worst to best.
Season 12
This season was actually supposed to “fix” the show by making it once again about two men raising a kid, but instead spiraled completely into inappropriate jokes and the characters’ various pratfalls.
We hardly got to see the “half man” either, and episodes were filled with how Alan and Walden were hiding their true orientation. None of it was funny, especially not seeing Alan and Walden hook up with the same girl. This season (and the finale) were a total waste.
Season 10
This was the season where we said goodbye to the notion of liking the characters we were watching. In Season 10, the novelty of the new setting that had come the previous year wore off, and we were now placed in the middle of rehashed stories from Charlie’s times - such as Rose and Walden having a fling or Walden liking much older or younger women.
Jake’s characterization fell to its very lowest, to the point the actor himself complained that the show had become awful. Meanwhile, Alan simply continued being a mooch.
Season 11
We at least got something different in this season, where Charlie’s previously unknown daughter appeared in their lives and integrated herself into the show. Unfortunately, the initial hilarity of seeing Jenny be a copy of Charlie in personality ran thin soon.
Later on, it was like seeing Jenny be the female Charlie, and one would question if this was just Chuck Lorre trying to jab Charlie Sheen about how he could easily replace him. If that’s what he was thinking, then he was wrong.
Season 9
It was just the first few episodes that managed to capture our interests, as Two and a Half Men saw a major revamp that brought in the character of Walden Schmidt. While the initial episodes were funny enough, the problem was the show didn’t know what was Walden’s character.
He would act like a total bonehead, which conflicted with him being a millionaire genius. Jake’s reduced role did nothing to help proceedings, although Alan and Walden’s friendship was a highlight.
Season 8
In the Charlie Sheen era, this was easily the weakest season. After the previous ones had brought some character development, this one threw it all away and made Charlie look like an idiot.
The majority of the stories came with Rose fooling Charlie into loving her by pretending she was married (her “husband” was actually a mannequin). The funnier bits came from Alan running his Ponzi scheme, but these storylines were all cut short due to real life drama.
Season 4
There’s no doubt this was a funny season, as the individual episodes based on Charlie’s debauchery were as comedic as you’d expect; however, the season suffered from a lack of clear storyline.
The only recurring angle we got was of Alan trying to keep Kandi from running away from his money, but in true Alan fashion, he kept messing things up. Jake grew into his lazy-minded personality, although at this time it didn’t feel annoying.
Season 3
The first time the show tried to hand Charlie an actual storyline was in this season, where we saw him pursue Mia, a woman who wasn’t interested in him unlike the rest of them. The season mapped out the progression of their relationship, with Charlie’s attempts to take it slow providing the comedy.
The shortfall for Season 3 was Alan’s relationship with Kandi, which began Alan’s descent into being a mooch and lacking morals; Kandi’s airhead personality wasn’t funny all the time. Still, the season didn’t lack in the jokes department.
Season 1
The season that started it all still remains one of the strongest ones we’ve seen yet. Two and a Half Men kicked things off by being a very well-meaning show, and there wasn’t a trace of provocativeness it became known for later.
The one thing that hasn’t aged well is the season’s big difference compared to the rest of them, as this one had a lot of serious moments that don’t make any sense in of continuity. However, we do appreciate those times for what they were.
Season 2
Two and a Half Men found the right balance between comedy and heart in Season 2, and we had a fun-filled year worth of episodes to enjoy. Charlie’s character was set as a womanizer who had a bit of a conscience, while Alan found his funny bone but still retained his nice-guy persona.
The concept of the show came out here too, as Jake was shown to be taking in Charlie’s mannerisms, and episodes focused on the boy learning what is and isn’t appropriate.
Season 7
The continuation of Charlie’s love story with Chelsea culminated in Season 7; and while it wasn’t how we hoped it would end, it did entertain us. It was inevitable Charlie would mess things up with her, but the relationship deteriorated with no sad moments and only hilarious ones to accompany us.
Alan and Jake’s stories with Lyndsey and Eldridge weren’t that strong, but thankfully these were kept in the back without much focus. Charlie’s continuing mess-ups were what kept proceedings lively, and all of them have a charm of their own.