photo: cbs
Tonight’s series finale of the show that turned a John Hughes’ favorite into a primetime star and brought out the demons of a once wonderful actor has been a dozen weeks of pain and suffering that should’ve ended when they killed off the main character. While a few new additions were brought in to make things better, it was just a bandaid on something that needed major surgery.
After being hit by a train while on his honeymoon with his stalker Rose (digest that for a moment…), Alan is left homeless when Charlie’s house goes up for sale.
Welcome in Ashton Kutcher, first introduced to us with no name and looking like a murderer on the run. In reality, he had just been served with divorced papers wanted to die. After talking to him, Alan finds out that Mr. Murderer is named Walden Schmidt, a billionaire tech genius who buys the house in cash. Jake is still at home and Alan is still with Lindsay off and on at this point and after several not-so-funny back and forths, Alan and Jake stay at the house and Walden does a nice remodel, putting a computer and desk where the piano was, updated the design but one thing stayed the same – our favorite high housekeeper never left.
In the final season, Jake is no longer around as he joined the military and doesn’t come home (aka the drama of Angus T. Jones calling his own show disgusting and telling his fans to not watch it). He was replaced eventually by the cutest little boy, Louis. Who is this boy? Well he’s Alan and Walden’s of course! Alan already had his chance at fatherhood and Walden is afraid no woman would stay around long enough to marry him and make him a dad. As a best friend, Alan stepped in and the two got married and were actually so close, they passed the initial tests.
Eventually, Alan started a relationship with the social worker then broke up with her to get back with Lindsay, who had been in rehab after a ton of bad decisions (see every season she was in). The crazy social worker was comforted by a caring Walden and she agreed to keep the adoption going. She went crazy again, eventually realized that Louis was being cared for by so many people and the adoption was finalized.
There are a few new characters like Alan’s niece/Charlie’s daughter, played by Amber Tamblyn, one of Walden’s former employers who took place of what would’ve been Jake at his current age (played by Clark Duke) and Lindsay’s ex-fiance, who now hangs out with the gang, along with Herb.
Hope this recap helps you tonight when you bid farewell (or say thank goodness…) to one of TV’s longest running shows.
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