Ep 1. Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt

In season 9, episode 1 of Two and a Half Men, titled "Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt," the show welcomes a new lead character, played by Ashton Kutcher. The episode opens with a funeral for the beloved Charlie Harper (formerly played by Charlie Sheen), who has died off-screen after falling in front of a train in Paris. Alan Harper (Jon Cryer) and Jake Harper (Angus T. Jones) mourn the loss of their brother and uncle, respectively, while trying to figure out their financial situation since Charlie left his beach house to them in his will.

Enter Walden Schmidt (Kutcher), a billionaire internet entrepreneur who is going through a rough patch in his personal life. He attempts suicide by jumping off the balcony of his mansion, but falls into the ocean and washes up on the beach in front of the Harper house. Alan and Jake rescue him and bring him inside, where they realize that he is extremely wealthy and can potentially solve all of their financial problems. However, Walden is also emotionally unstable and needs a place to crash while he figures out his next move.

As Alan tries to ingratiate himself with Walden in the hopes of securing his fortune, Walden begins to bond with Jake and develops a crush on Alan's ex-wife, Judith (Marin Hinkle), who makes an appearance in the episode. Meanwhile, Berta (Conchata Ferrell), the Harper housekeeper, is skeptical of Walden and wonders why he would want to hang out with a bunch of losers like the Harpers.

As the episode progresses, Walden's backstory is revealed: he has been divorced and has lost his company, and is feeling lost and alone. He becomes friends with Alan and Jake and decides to buy the beach house from them, much to Alan's delight. However, just as the deal is about to be finalized, Walden has a change of heart and decides to stay in the house with the Harpers for a while longer.

"Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt" sets up the new dynamic for the show, with Kutcher joining the cast as a new lead character. The episode has its share of laughs and bittersweet moments as the characters move on from the loss of Charlie and begin to navigate their new relationships with each other. It's a promising start to a new era for Two and a Half Men.