1. That Joan of Arcadia chick is gay.

Last we saw Amber Tambyln her she was talking to an Emily Dickinson-quoting God and doing the right thing for the world. Now she’s the daughter of the now-deceased Charlie Harper, and she’s a chip off the old block: drinking, gambling, swearing, and bedding attractive women. But it’s a lot more fun watching a lesbian do that then some entitled rich white guy, right? Even more, she adds a needed depth, feminism, and snark to a show that has become — in Charlie Sheen’s absence — a bit too safe, sane, and sentimental. Oh, and it’s always nice when  a TV series features beautiful women turning down hunks like Ashton Kutcher in favor of another woman. Tamblyn was originally a small guest arc but audiences love her so much the network just announced she’s the series regular (perhaps she’s the “half” man from the title?).

Georgia Engel and Holland Taylor 

Sure this season she’s bedding a 95-year-old movie producer (played by comedy legend Carl Reiner) instead of the girlfriend she had two years ago, but we’ll take this hilarious lesbian actress in any role we can get. Taylor took off a season or two from the show to do her one-woman Broadway production about Texas governor Ann Richards, but she’s back and the scenes with her and Tamblyn crackle with wit.

The butchy biker housekeeper played by Conchata Ferrell has always had great one-liners. Now with Tamblyn on the cast, she's getting more play this year. Berta counts as a queer character, too, because even if we don’t see her in bed with another woman, she’s constantly reminding us which sexy woman she would do. She’s a total lez waiting for someone to show her the ropes. (Where’s Susie Bright when you need her?)

So much of what women hated about this show is completely exorcised from it’s current season. Without Sheen’s Charlie Harper bedding all of Malibu, many of the sexist and stereotypical tropes are gone; the writers are pushed to create stuff around Ashton Kutcher’s Walden, a feminist man-boy who doesn’t sleep around, doesn’t pick up women, and is quick to point out the idiocy of other men around him. Oh, and he’s a tech millionaire. You know how evolved those guys are right? Walden leads us to...

Ignore the ridiculousness of the setup, of Charlie Harper’s brother Alan managing to stay living in the same beach house after his brother dies and another stranger moves in. But after a while, Walden and Alan have developed into what even they admit is a pretty good domestic partnership and Alan has made it repeatedly clear that he’d be willing to take the relationship into the bedroom. We’re supposed to believe it’s because Walden is rich and Alan is that much of a mooch, but honestly, you aren’t a Kinsey 1 if you’re willing to entertain the idea of gay sex. Last episode, though Alan was sleeping with his ex-girlfriend, he was planning his life (including retirement homes, matching robes, Fire Island, et all) with Walden. Gay. We just need creator/showrunner Chuck Lorre to totally go there.