In this whole bizarre spat with Warner Bros., CBS and “Two and a Half Men” boss Chuck Lorre, Charlie Sheen has boasted that his life is all about “winning.” To borrow a line from “The Princess Bride,” he keeps using that word, but after news that Warner Bros. has fired him from the show, he may have to realize that it doesn’t mean what he thinks it means.
In the latest twist to the ugly mess, Warner Bros., the studio that produces “Men,” put out a statement this afternoon stating that, “After careful consideration, Warner Bros. Television has terminated Charlie Sheen”s services on ‘Two and a Half Men’ effective immediately.”
Sheen was under contract through next season, so I imagine things are going to get litigious. And I have to wonder if this move – made on the same day in which the Sheen-friendly Radar published a story (presumably leaked from Sheen’s camp) about the idea of the show going back into production with Lorre taking a hands-off role – suggests that Warner Bros., CBS and company are finally considering doing the show without Sheen.
After all, if they just said they were canceling the show, what could Sheen do? (Other than record a 17-part webcast about it in which he blames the whole thing on warlocks and trolls.) He’s fired, but in the same way every actor on every canceled series is fired. Doing it this way singles him out while at the same time treating “Two and a Half Men” as an ongoing entity.
Maybe this is just Warner Bros. keeping its options open, or maybe the rumors about John Stamos or whomever coming in to replace Sheen are true. But other than feeling the need to respond to the Radar story immediately (and in the most direct, toughest manner possible), I can’t understand doing it this way if they didn’t still hold out hope on continuing the show sans Charlie.