The character Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) in the American sitcom Two And A Half Men was portrayed to have a fun lifestyle, at least the kind the men around him envied at times. Comparing his brother Alan Harper (Jon Cryer) who struggled financially despite his hard work as a chiropractor, Charlie stayed home composing jingles and drinking alcohol, and he was still way wealthier than Alan.
As much as the series showed the perks of being him and having that desirable Malibu beach house lifestyle, the downfalls were also shown. In that regard, there were times Charlie was overrated, and times he was not.
Overrated: Taking Care Of Chelsea
Among the many women that Charlie dated, Chelsea (Jennifer Taylor) was among the fewest with whom he had a real romantic relationship. Therefore, it is expected of him to take care of her when she gets sick. On that note, it is only normal for him to help her with her house chores and shopping when she got sick.
However, the show went on to portray him as if he were doing the greatest deed in the world with even Alan feeling proud of him. Besides, Charlie obviously had his own expectations of what he wanted in return for taking care of Chelsea.
Underrated: Getting Along With His Mother
Charlie's relationship with his mother – Evelyn Harper (Holland Taylor) – was not perfect. He always preferred not to talk to her or meet her. Therefore, the scene where Evelyn took him to a dinner party was the only time we see them get along. They both enjoyed each other's companies as they gossiped about the other people in the room. While that is definitely not the ideal way for a mother and son to bond, Charlie's good relationship with his mother is rarely brought up again. Even after his first death, Evelyn is more interested in selling his house than mourning for him.
Overrated: Called Off His Wedding
When Charlie and Mia (Emmanuelle Vaugier) are about to get married in Vegas, Mia mentions that Alan will be moving out of the house. Given the fact that he has repeatedly asked Alan to leave his house, we would expect him to agree with her. Surprisingly, he suddenly becomes protective of his brother and the wedding is called off. While it appears that he is ing his brother, we know from a later episode that Charlie only used Alan as an excuse, and the main reason that wedding ended is his commitment issue.
Underrated: His Funeral
Charlie was not exactly kind and nice to everyone around him. However, he still was there for the people he cared for. In that regard, he definitely did not get the respect he deserved at his funeral.
For instance, his mother announces about his Malibu beach house at his funeral and Jake Harper's (Angus T. Jones) reaction to the story of Charlie's death is to express his hunger just because Rose used the word meat. No one, except Alan, was sensitive about his death.
Overrated: Children's Rhymes Concert
After his career as a jingle composer goes downhill, Charlie gets a job in writing children's rhymes through his girlfriend Judge Linda Harris (Ming Na Wen). While there is no argument about his talent and the way children seem to love Charlie Waffles (his stage name), some things were overlooked. It may be show business but it is still inappropriate for a person to perform drunk especially when their audience is mostly kids. Moreover, why didn't anyone think it is weird for him to include the line "Bye Bye Boobies" in his lyrics and have the children sing it?
Underrated: The Mortgages
Charlie's Malibu beach house is seen as though it were a paradise also often seen as the main reason many women would be interested in him. That house is given so much appreciation that even Alan chose it over finding a place with his girlfriend, Lyndsey McElroy (Courtney Thorne Smith). However, the fact that Charlie pays three mortgages for that house is rarely mentioned. It is no doubt that it probably cost him a lot and he had to work for it.
Overrated: Hate For Walden
After Charlie's first death, the guy who replaced him, Walden never had any intention of doing so. In that regard, the way Charlie's anger and vengeance for Walden in the series finale was a complete exaggeration in Charlie's part. Charlie tried to kill Walden.
Underrated: His Good Heart
Throughout the series, Charlie is perceived as a womanizer which he is and there is no argument about it. However, there were instances when he was genuinely a nice person and tried. From sending a check every month for a boy he believes is his son to ing his daughter, Jennifer Harper (Amber Tamblyn), who he never mentioned about when he was alive, he tried to make amends. While money is not the answer to everything, he still made an effort. That is something about him that is forgotten because of his lifestyle.
Overrated: His Fashion
Charlie often critiqued Alan's fashion. At one instance, Charlie even took Alan shopping but truth be told Charlie's style was not great either. He wore a bowling shirt and shorts every day thus making his style blunt and boring.
However, Charlie often assumed he was cool and that he dressed better than Alan. Moreover, he also thought that dressing that way would make him look younger and the way he preferred to date only younger women reflects on his fear of growing old.
Underrated: What Really Happened In Paris
Following Rose's fake story in the first episode of Season 9, everyone believed that Charlie was dead until he escaped from Rose's trap to take revenge. With what he had to go through living in a pit at the mercy of his stalker, Rose telling everyone else the real story of his story in the form of animation didn't suffice. Besides, it was way shorter than he deserved. In other words, the back story of Charlie Sheen leaving the show affected his character, Charlie Harper significantly.
