The eleventh season of Two and a Half Men premiered on CBS on September 26, 2013, and ended on May 8, 2014. This season marks another major change in the series as Amber Tamblyn joins the cast as Jenny, Charlie's illegitimate daughter. Tamblyn was promoted to series regular on October 2, 2013. This season is also the first and only season not to feature Angus T. Jones, who portrayed Jake Harper during the first ten seasons, in any capacity. He would return the following season as a guest star in the show's final episode.
Production
Angus T. Jones was originally downgraded to a recurring cast member this season while he attended college; however, on March 18, 2013, Jones officially confirmed that he would not return for season 11. In his absence, the series introduced Amber Tamblyn, who portrays Jenny, the illegitimate, lesbian daughter of Charlie Harper. It had been announced on May 30, 2013 that a female character was to be added to the show and that producers were looking for a woman to play the part. Tamblyn's addition to the cast was confirmed on August 7, 2013, and she made her first appearance in the season premiere. Although the role was initially announced as a series regular, it was later announced to be a recurring role, with the option to become a series regular later. On October 2, 2013, Tamblyn was promoted to series regular. Ashton Kutcher had nothing but praise for Tamblyn, calling her "amazing." Holland Taylor, who only appeared in one episode last season, appears in more episodes this season.
Amber Tamblyn joined the cast as the new "half man", replacing Angus T. Jones. This is also the first season not to feature an opening sequence with the three leads singing along to the theme song "Manly Men". Instead, the opening titles features the shortened version of the theme with the show's title against a black background (a slide that has been frequently used throughout the series).
Lynda Carter guest starred in the episode "Justice in Star-Spangled Hot Pants", playing a closeted lesbian version of herself. The episode's plot was inspired by a meeting Carter had with Jon Cryer, who is a fan of her. Country singer Brad Paisley, whose wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley had a recurring guest role during the season, appeared in the season finale. Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher's wife, guest starred in the episode "Lan Mao Shi Zai Wuding Shang".
Cast
Main
Ashton Kutcher as Walden Schmidt
Jon Cryer as Alan Harper
Amber Tamblyn as Jenny
Conchata Ferrell as Berta
Recurring
Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper-Pepper
Courtney Thorne-Smith as Lyndsey McElroy
D. B. Sweeney as Larry Martin
Clark Duke as Barry Foster
Kimberly Williams-Paisley as Gretchen Martin
Aly Michalka as Brooke
Odette Annable as Nicole
Brooke D'Orsay as Kate
Guest
Carl Reiner as Marty Pepper
Edie McClurg as Helen
Jennifer Aspen as Stephanie
Lynda Carter as herself
Mimi Rogers as Robin Schmidt
Jeff Probst as himself
Cal Worthy III as Kevin
Mike Cera as Nicholas
Madison Dylan as Laurie
Spencer Locke as Jill
Melanie Lynskey as Rose
Brian Stepanek as Arthur
Paula Marshall as Paula
Kate Miner as Nadine
Diane Farr as Rachel
Marion Ross as Margaret, Jeff Probst's grandmother
Brooke Lyons as Gwen
Tim Conway as Tim
Steve Lawrence as Steve
Garry Marshall as Garry
Marin Hinkle as Judith Harper-Melnick
Mila Kunis as Vivian
Jane Lynch as Dr. Linda Freeman
Ken Davitian as Mr. Mardirosian
Jamie Luner as Tracy
Alex Kapp Horner as Donna
Sandra Purpuro as Cynthia
Diedrich Bader as Dirk
Brad Paisley as Derek
Episodes
Critical reception
Sam Moore of Yahoo said: "Despite the criticisms and cast breakdowns, Two and a Half Men keeps surviving, and in my opinion, the show right now is the best it has ever been. Amber Tamblyn has helped breathe life into a show that always seems on the verge of the guillotine and her impact on the show, for me, has been huge and much welcomed." Due to Tamblyn's character being gay, the show received praise from the LGBT community who said "The folks who produce Two and a Half Men should be applauded for their efforts to raise some LGBT awareness amidst the often-madcap goings-on in their shows" and that "it keeps getting better and better".