Go Inside the Controversial 'Two and a Half Men' Gay Wedding

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ETONLINE

The stars of Two and a Half Men are going to say, "I do" before their official adieu from the series. To each other.

The long-running CBS comedy is poised to debut their 12th and final season Thursday, Oct. 30, with a walk down the aisle when its two heterosexual leads Walden (Ashton Kutcher) and Alan (Jon Cryer) get married. That's right — we said it: married.

ET's Rocsi Diaz was behind the scenes on Walden and Alan's big day to witness all of the smiles, tears, and wedding day surprises. We even tested the co-stars' knowledge with our version of The Newlywed Game and dug deep into the ET vault to shock Cryer with a Pretty in Pink flashback — his very first interview with Entertainment Tonight!

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Diaz talked to the grooms about taking their relationship to the next level. "We've had a wedding almost every season, yet I've managed to remain single," Cryer remarked with a smile. "This might be the one that sticks."

So why is Two and a Half Men opting to kick off the season with these sudden, platonic nuptials? “Walden is going to have a major health scare and it is going to give him a bit of an existential crisis,” CBS Entertainment chairman Nina Tassler told reporters this summer at the Television Critics Association. press tour.

"He wants to find a way to add more meaning to his life, so he decides he wants to adopt a child., Tassler continued. "And in doing so, he starts the process and he realizes that it’s very difficult to adopt a child as a single, straight man… So once and for all, he decides, ‘I’m going to propose to Alan. We’re going to get married and adopt a child as a gay couple.'"

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Although reporters immediately asked about potential negative backlash from the LGBT community, Tassler defended Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre's creative vision for the final season. "I think it’s a very positive statement,” she countered. “[Walden believes he is] going to adopt a child as a gay couple, and the reality is he can do that. In a universe where at one point you couldn’t do that, and now you can, I think that’s a much more positive statement that he’s making."

GLAAD credited the show with having good storylines about gay issues in the past. But President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis also commented, "We hope the show will acknowledge not only the progress made in acceptance of gay and lesbian couples, but also the fact that — in many areas of the country — same-sex couples are often under greater scrutiny or still barred from adoption options that straight couples have."

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In the premiere, legendary singer Michael Bolton serenades Walden and Alan with a slightly tweaked version of the smash song, "When a Man Loves a Woman." Not to be outdone, we at ET also brought a special gift to the stars' faux wedding.

Back In 1985 ET was on the set of John Hughes' cult classic Pretty in Pink, talking to a babyfaced Cryer about his now infamous role as Duckie Dale. At first glance, the Two and a Half Men actors immediately burst into laughter — and Kutcher noticed something very interesting about his co-star's young self. "You have the same comedic timing!" Kutcher exclaimed.

"I do!" Cryer said with a laugh, "With the wierdness and stammers it was all there." And for all you meta-lovers out there, Cryer will also be dressing up as Ducky in Two and a Half Men's premiere in celebration of Halloween.

Go behind-the-scenes of Two and a Half Men's wedding-filled season premiere in our full video above and bask in all of Cryer's Ducky Dale glory while you're at it.

Two and a Half Men's 12th and final season premieres Thursday, Oct. 30, at 9 p.m.

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