“Then you’ve got a brother who’s a gorilla”: Ashton Kutcher’s Scathing Dig at ‘Two and a Half Men’ After Show’s End is Unsettling Yet Many Might Agree

Two and a Half Men, a creation of Chuck Lorre, was one of the most popular sitcoms of its time between 2003 and 2015. The show initially revolved around the wild and often immature antics of Charlie Harper, played by Charlie Sheen, and his down-on-his-luck brother, Alan Harper, played by Jon Cryer.

But things changed when Sheen was fired from the show in 2011 and Ashton Kutcher joined as Walden Schmidt, a billionaire who wanted to start a new life after a rough divorce. Initially, Kutcher’s arrival was intended to change the show’s dynamics, but instead, the show started receiving mixed reviews.

Ashton Kutcher’s Dig at Two and a Half Men and Fan Criticism

Even after Two and a Half Men ended, Ashton Kutcher appeared not that happy as many already suspected. During an interview on WTF with Marc Maron, Kutcher voiced his dissatisfaction with the creative control of the show.

Kutcher took a dig at an episode of Season 9 where his character’s childhood friend turned out to be a gorilla. He said,

I’ve been on shows where you keep going, and you keep going…And then you’ve got a brother who’s a gorilla.

The dig also aimed at the storylines of that show, which seemingly became absurd at times after Charlie Sheen‘s departure. This big change got mixed reception from the show’s audience. There were criticisms about Walden Schmidt because his role as a wholesome man seemed like a mismatch to the unapologetic Charlie Harper.

This oftentimes gave the impression of a lack of continuity. Fans online have expressed many times that the original edgy humor got replaced by slapstick, repetitive jokes. Many even feel that the show should have ended earlier.

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Kutcher’s comments about the gorilla episode also mirrored fans’ feelings in a way. However, despite character-related conflicts and criticisms made on the show, he had remained grateful for the opportunity as the cast and crew supported him through difficult times, including the divorce of Demi Moore, as he admitted in his conversation with Marc Maron.

Charlie Sheen’s Exit and Ashton Kutcher’s Response to Trolling

After Sheen got removed from Two and a Half Men due to his public disagreements with Lorre and struggles with substance abuse, he often criticized the new direction of the show. Sheen went after Kutcher in interviews, mocking him and discussing changes to the show’s new storylines.

Sheen’s criticisms stirred up online backlash towards Kutcher. Fans were divided between their loyalty to Sheen and the character he played and skepticism toward Kutcher’s Walden.

Although Kutcher rarely replied to troll comments, he decided to respond to Sheen’s words and online trolls on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2014. Kutcher expressed his frustration and said (via Glamour),

Dude, shut the f–k up! Seriously, like… enough already. Like it’s like three years later and you’re still blowing me up on Twitter. Like come on dude, really?

Earlier, in an interview with TMZ, Sheen agreed to have difficulties with the team and offered an apology to Lorre and the show. He also admitted that Kutcher had to carry the bad writing of the show. Nevertheless, Sheen was fired at the peak of the show, which altered the sitcom massively and became one of the reasons for its ending.

Two and a Half Men is available to stream on Prime Video.