I have been a fan of CBS’s hit TV show “Two and a Half Men” for a long time, so I was upset to hear about Charlie Sheen’s departure, even though the events leading up to his announcement were hilarious. When I heard that Ashton Kutcher would be Sheen’s replacement, I was nervous for a few reasons. I’d never considered Kutcher to be a particularly good actor, and all of his roles always seemed the same; I really didn’t think he would fit the show’s dynamic of the show.

But I was completely blown out of the water. Not only does Ashton Kutcher blend in with the show in a completely different way than Charlie Sheen ever did, but I was most impressed with the fact that his character was so different than anything I’d ever seen Kutcher play. Though I was very apprehensive about the introduction of a new character into a show with such a great dynamic already established, but Kutcher’s character, Walden Schmidt, is sad and adorable but funny to boot. Though Kutcher’s character was meant to replace Sheen’s, Walden is definitely not a cookie cutter replacement at all – in fact, he and Charlie are opposite ends of the same spectrum.

Walden is a recently divorced Internet tycoon worth billions of dollars who buys Charlie’s house. Walden’s wife, Bridget, kicked him out for being irresponsible; much like all the people in Charlie’s life, she considered drinking and inappropriate activities to be signs of immaturity. Both Walden and Charlie are man-children who let Alan live with them, rent-free, for the foreseeable future. But one thing that Walden has that Charlie did not is a sweetness about him that makes people like him, regardless of his fortune (even though he has more money than Charlie ever did.)

All around, I find Walden to be a much more enjoyable character. He’s someone that I look forward to seeing throughout the season, and someone I can really root for. With Charlie, this wasn’t the case; he was a huge jerk, and he had a total disregard for everyone. Even before Charlie Sheen went off the deep end, his character was on a similarly disastrous downward spiral that was completely out of control, even considering the character’s personality. Also, the show was beginning to get old – it was just the same recycled storyline for eight seasons in a show that doesn’t normally get fresh, new characters.

Kutcher’s character is a breath of fresh air, and he has a personality that’s very different from anyone else’s in the show. He has a childlike quality, he’s quirky, and most of all, he’s an all around nice guy; you saw none of these qualities anywhere in the show prior to Kutcher’s arrival.

I’m not the only one who feels that Ashton Kutcher is just what the show needed. Since Kutcher joined the cast, “Two and a Half Men” has gotten more views than it did in the entire first season. Though Charlie was a funny character and did remind me of the drunken uncle that everyone has, there is only so much ‘drunk uncle’ I can take.
One character I will defiantly miss is Rose; while she was creepy and invasive, she was also sweet and funny. So, though I was definitely doubtful at first, I look forward to seeing more of Walden, and if I had to choose “Two and a Half Men” with or without Charlie Sheen, I would probably prefer Kutcher’s quirky but sweet Walden.

Charlie Sheen might be winning, but just not anymore with me, or with the viewers of “Two and a Half Men.”