, a wealthy, jaded jingle writer living a carefree life in his beachfront Malibu home. His world is turned upside down when his tense, high-strung brother,

The series begins with the sudden dissolution of marriage, forcing him to move into the luxurious Malibu beach house of his hedonistic bachelor brother, Charlie Harper . The "half" in the title refers to Alan’s 10-year-old son, Jake , who visits on weekends. The season explores their conflicting lifestyles: Charlie’s carefree, womanizing ways versus Alan’s uptight, neurotic personality. Key story arcs include: