CBS's Two and a Half Men made for such an interesting and realistic watch because almost all of the characters on the show were flawed. No one was depicted as unrealistically perfect, every character had grey sides which they struggled with. However, some of the characters were obviously smarter than others.
Take Charlie, for instance. For someone who’s so worldly and self-aware, he was quite naive in certain aspects. Then again his brother Alan was perhaps the shrewdest person on the show. So, who was dumb and who was quite wise on the stellar comedy? Let’s rank them out.
Kandi
Alan’s ex-wife Kandi was much younger than him and no one really understood why they decided to marry each other. Kandi was an aspiring actor and perhaps one of the less educated people on the show. However, Kandi was also one of the least bitter people on the show and was surprisingly devoid of personal hang-ups.
She was depicted as someone who is clearly dumb and has messed up priorities, hence fans were shocked when she asked Alan if he would like to have a baby with her because that would only add to Alan’s ever-evolving list of problems.
Jake
Jake may be adorable and also the least toxic person in his family but he’s not very bright. It doesn’t help that his family has been mocking his intelligence since he was a kid, and quite publicly so.
Fans have also pointed out that the fact that his parents, his uncle, and his grandma were so dismissive of his aptitude and intellectual growth, which took a toll on Jake’s intelligence and academic performance. Jake grows up to be a balanced individual who makes quite a few dumb, directionless decisions, however, he also proves himself to be surprisingly self-aware.
Walden
For a tech millionaire, Walden is surprisingly dense and quite simple-minded, be it in his professional life or personal relationships. When Walden is introduced in the show, he’s quite scrambled as he is mending a broken heart and is not thinking straight.
But as time es he comes across as someone who’s grounded and a decent person. But he does prove to be a bad decision-maker who does not think ahead and is often impulsive and naive. Walden is also too trusting and easily exploited, not just by Alan, but by other people too.
Charlie
Charlie is not exactly naive or stupid in the traditional sense but is someone who can be easily deceived or misled. This is almost inconsistent with his character because Charlie’s zen-like approach to life has been applauded by fans, and he has always proved that he’s worldly and not out-of-touch with his own reality.
But Charlie has been heedless and gullible on several occasions which has made it easier for the people in his life to take advantage of him. That includes the time when Teddy’s ‘daughter’ Courtney blackmailed him into buying a Ferrari from her, or how Berta would constantly exploit him.
Rose
Rose was one of the most curious people on the show, simply because she was almost too delusional. She had gone to some pretty extreme levels to manipulate Charlie, from faking a wedding to faking her new life in London, but the fact remains that she was sometimes too naive to understand how Charlie perceived her and how he had led her on since he has known her.
Moreover, all of her ruses to get closer to Charlie were pretty poorly set up and were only able to fool Charlie because he isn’t always looking in the right direction.
Herb
Herb has always been a fan favorite, despite his flaws. But fans have often wondered why he goes ahead with his marriage to Judith despite being aware of all the red flags. It was clear that Herb was uncomfortable with how bossy and domineering Judith is, and wanted more out of that relationship.
Plus, he is aware of how miserable she had made Alan back when they were married, and still dismisses her traits only to regret his decision later. He was also quite ignorant and slow in reading people around him and was simply too trusting.
Chelsea
Chelsea is perhaps one of the most self-aware people on the show, and even Charlie had often wondered why she would want a future with him long-term, given his history with women. But even though she was kind, generous, and clearly quite intelligent, Chelsea would often be shocked at how little Charlie cared for people around him and also regarding certain aspects of his lifestyle.
This is quite dumb because Charlie had never made a secret of his past, and had been very transparent with her. It was as if Chelsea was under the delusion that Charlie was in some way or the other, better than he appeared to be.
Judith
Judith was easily one of the shrewdest people on the show and understood how to push people’s buttons to get exactly what she wants, especially the people in her family. Though she’s a good mom to Jake, she harbors a lot of resentment against Alan, even though Alan has tried to keep things civil.
But although Judith is obviously sharp and can totally recognize opportunity when she sees one, she’s also surprisingly dim at times especially as she cannot understand that the biggest problems in her life are not created by others but by herself.
Evelyn
Evelyn is one of the most interesting characters on the show, and in spite of being criticized relentlessly for being a bad mom and a questionable human being, Evelyn has always come across as someone who recognizes her own strengths and doesn’t regret her decisions.
Evelyn is smart enough to channel her career as an excuse for her lack of social ethic; she’s a real-estate agent and a single mom who’s had to make her own way in the world, so she often uses her cut-throat profession and her past struggles to justify why she’s overly narcissistic and critical.
Alan
Alan had the most complex character arc on the show, which was why it was so enthralling to watch him go towards the dark side. Alan slowly turns into the man his family always accused him of being, and the transformation is actually done very smoothly (one of the perks of being a long-running series). He started out as a struggling single parent who’s hapless but honest.
But by season 4 Alan realizes that mooching off of Charlie has its perks, and quickly realizes things will work in his favor if he disassociates from the shame of it all, especially since he knows how morally questionable his family really is. So, by the time the show ends, Alan is able to off his familial trauma as an excuse for who he has become, which takes brains to do.