Network: CBS
Time: Thursdays, 8:00-8:30pm
Cast: Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Kaley Cuoco, Melissa Rauch, Mayim Bialik
Summary: The gang deals with the fallout from Penny and Raj's night together. Amy counsels Penny when she considers moving back to Nebraska due to her failing acting career. Sheldon takes charge of the paintball team.
Review: I know critics were tough on her, but I think the addition of Amy Farrah Fowler was one of the best things that happened to Big Bang Theory. I love the way her character interacts with both Sheldon and Penny, supporting their stories while still developing as a character in her own right. I also love that the girls' story balances the boys' without changing the basic premise of the show. At its heart, BBT is about nerds (and Penny), and that doesn't change just because now they're sometimes girl nerds (and Penny).
This episode was yet another wonderful use of Amy, who really seems to be growing and evolving in her role as Penny's "bestie." Mingled with somewhat heartbreaking hints at her childhood ("I wish I could tell 13-year-old me it does get better!"), she acted as Penny's confidante while the latter tried to sort through the mess she'd made of her relationships with the guys.
Penny's side of the conversation felt more real to me than most things that happen on this show. Upset that she'd managed to hurt several of the guys she's come to really care about, she makes a decision to return to Nebraska, giving up on the idea of becoming an actress. While a last-minute commercial job eventually changes her mind, they actually had me a little worried that Penny might leave. Also, was I the only one who felt unbelievably happy that Penny got that part? I feel like we've been working towards her acting career since the show started, and even a little progress made me grin.
Meanwhile, Raj was also dealing with the fallout from the season finale. Both Leonard and Howard are mad at him, Leonard because Raj slept with Penny, and Howard because he found out Raj wrote poems about Bernadette ("marionette" also rhymes with Bernadette, BBT writers. I'm just saying). The strained friendship took its toll on everyone, and ultimately Sheldon paid the biggest price, when he stepped unarmed onto the field during the interdepartmental paintball game and insulted...everyone. The reunited friends raced forward to avenge his death.
I liked the way this story was handled, from Raj's belief that he and Penny were now a couple to the kicked puppy look on Leonard's face whenever he thought about it to Sheldon's on-field promotion of himself. But the real shining moment of both this story and the episode was the conversation Leonard had with his mother. His voice when he told her he didn't want to be with Penny (though is there anyone who actually believes that?) but that he didn't want Raj to be with her either was so sincere. I feel like they underused Leonard in the beginning of season 4, and it's nice to see him get to really shine every so often. And it's also good to see Christine Baranski reprise this role.
This was a solid episode to kick of season 5. In some ways, BBT reminds me of a geekier version of Friends, with the way the characters interact with each other. I'm looking forward to seeing the continuing evolution of these relationships as the season progresses.
Rating: 4/5
Favorite line:
Leonard (after telling his mother about Penny and Raj): Got any advice?
Beverly: Yes ... buck up.
Leonard: Excuse me, you're a world-renowned expert in parenting and child development, and all you've got is "buck up"?
Beverly: I'm sorry. (pause) Buck up, sissypants!
Showing posts with label show: Big Bang Theory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label show: Big Bang Theory. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Friday, December 10, 2010
Big Bang Theory - The Alien Parasite Hypothesis
Network: CBS
Time: Thursdays, 8:00-8:30pm
Cast: Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar
Summary: Amy finds she has sexual feelings for Penny's ex, while Koothrappali and Wolowitz try to prove who would be the better superhero. (from imdb.com)
Review: As with much this season, I liked exactly half of this episode of Big Bang Theory.
I’ll start with the good. I know there are a lot of critics who dislike Amy but I loved her in this episode, and I think it did a lot to separate her from being “a female Sheldon.” To begin, I think the odd little friendship that’s forming between Amy, Penny and Bernadette is wonderful. Bernadette seems to genuinely like Amy, and Penny is easy-going enough to roll with it. The scene in the restaurant had a comfortable feel to it, like they actually were three friends going out to eat (a significant change from the slumber party which felt like two women forced to hang out with a friend’s weird girlfriend). The change was that Penny and Bernadette didn’t make a big deal out of Amy’s quirks in this episode; they accepted them like they’d accepted her.
It also makes me happy that they’re able to add a female component to Big Bang without changing the concept of the show. At its core, Big Bang is about geeks who hang out together. Penny has always been the exception to that rule. I was worried that a friendship ring that centered around her would lose the geek aspect (since she is not), but Bernadette and Amy are as nerdy as the guys, which is what makes this new thread work. It also takes some of the focus off the guys, whose stories have gotten a little stale this season.
Now that I’ve spent more time talking about the Big Bang women than they actually spent together in the episode, we come to the main story: Amy has needs (cue laugh track from any latent That 70s Show fans). Turns out, she’s not an automaton, which is a concept that troubles Sheldon so much that he almost walks out of Amy’s lab with the human brain she’s dissecting instead of his lunch (and can I just say ew?).
It was nice to see the writers finally making a distinction between Amy and Sheldon, more than just the gender thing. Yes, they’re still freakily similar, from the science brains to the general distaste for being touched to their complete inability to spot sarcasm. But just as we’ve occasionally seen Sheldon’s human side show (usually when his mother’s involved), we’re now getting a glimpse of Amy’s.
Also, I loved the modified version of “Who’s on First?”
Will this open the door for more touching in the future? Sheldon didn’t pull away when Amy held his hand at the end. I haven’t decided which side I’m on yet—the “Sheldon only loves science” team or the “Sheldon and Amy should do it” team—but I’m curious to see how this story moves along. My only request is that they take their time with it. Instead of forcing their relationship down our throats, insert Amy into the everyday activities, like they did with Penny at the beginning. Now that Amy’s starting to exhibit some unique characteristics, she can bring a different perspective to the group.
And now we’re going to move away from happy land and enter the most painful plotline to date. Howard and Raj were arguing about which one of them would be a superhero and which would be the sidekick. I liked absolutely nothing about this. First of all, I wanted to shake both of them and say, “You’re both sidekicks in this show.” Second of all, this felt more like a bit that would occur at the beginning or end of an episode, or be a running gag throughout, not the supporting plot. It sounded like something they’d snipe and tease each other about in between things that were important. Howard and Raj have always been silly, but this was ridiculous.
I didn’t even find the sight gags very funny. I know many people thought they were hysterical in the wrestling outfits at the end, but it did nothing for me. And I actually would have preferred if they’d actually fought, instead of just dancing around each other, wasting their time and mine. The only thing that evoked even a slight smile was the spider crawling up Howard’s arm, and him trying to blow it off his back.
My biggest problem, however, was the complete waste of Johnny Galecki in this episode. I know a lot of the previous seasons have centered around Leonard (and his relationship with Penny), but he’s done nothing but whine or look depressed in weeks. It might be time for Sheldon to step back and let Leonard have some of the spotlight again. The show is best when it’s balanced.
What did you think? Did the Raj/Howard superhero challenge work for you? Are you warming to Shamy? Leave a comment and let me know.
Rating: 3/5
Time: Thursdays, 8:00-8:30pm
Cast: Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar
Summary: Amy finds she has sexual feelings for Penny's ex, while Koothrappali and Wolowitz try to prove who would be the better superhero. (from imdb.com)
Review: As with much this season, I liked exactly half of this episode of Big Bang Theory.
I’ll start with the good. I know there are a lot of critics who dislike Amy but I loved her in this episode, and I think it did a lot to separate her from being “a female Sheldon.” To begin, I think the odd little friendship that’s forming between Amy, Penny and Bernadette is wonderful. Bernadette seems to genuinely like Amy, and Penny is easy-going enough to roll with it. The scene in the restaurant had a comfortable feel to it, like they actually were three friends going out to eat (a significant change from the slumber party which felt like two women forced to hang out with a friend’s weird girlfriend). The change was that Penny and Bernadette didn’t make a big deal out of Amy’s quirks in this episode; they accepted them like they’d accepted her.
It also makes me happy that they’re able to add a female component to Big Bang without changing the concept of the show. At its core, Big Bang is about geeks who hang out together. Penny has always been the exception to that rule. I was worried that a friendship ring that centered around her would lose the geek aspect (since she is not), but Bernadette and Amy are as nerdy as the guys, which is what makes this new thread work. It also takes some of the focus off the guys, whose stories have gotten a little stale this season.
Now that I’ve spent more time talking about the Big Bang women than they actually spent together in the episode, we come to the main story: Amy has needs (cue laugh track from any latent That 70s Show fans). Turns out, she’s not an automaton, which is a concept that troubles Sheldon so much that he almost walks out of Amy’s lab with the human brain she’s dissecting instead of his lunch (and can I just say ew?).
It was nice to see the writers finally making a distinction between Amy and Sheldon, more than just the gender thing. Yes, they’re still freakily similar, from the science brains to the general distaste for being touched to their complete inability to spot sarcasm. But just as we’ve occasionally seen Sheldon’s human side show (usually when his mother’s involved), we’re now getting a glimpse of Amy’s.
Also, I loved the modified version of “Who’s on First?”
Will this open the door for more touching in the future? Sheldon didn’t pull away when Amy held his hand at the end. I haven’t decided which side I’m on yet—the “Sheldon only loves science” team or the “Sheldon and Amy should do it” team—but I’m curious to see how this story moves along. My only request is that they take their time with it. Instead of forcing their relationship down our throats, insert Amy into the everyday activities, like they did with Penny at the beginning. Now that Amy’s starting to exhibit some unique characteristics, she can bring a different perspective to the group.
And now we’re going to move away from happy land and enter the most painful plotline to date. Howard and Raj were arguing about which one of them would be a superhero and which would be the sidekick. I liked absolutely nothing about this. First of all, I wanted to shake both of them and say, “You’re both sidekicks in this show.” Second of all, this felt more like a bit that would occur at the beginning or end of an episode, or be a running gag throughout, not the supporting plot. It sounded like something they’d snipe and tease each other about in between things that were important. Howard and Raj have always been silly, but this was ridiculous.
I didn’t even find the sight gags very funny. I know many people thought they were hysterical in the wrestling outfits at the end, but it did nothing for me. And I actually would have preferred if they’d actually fought, instead of just dancing around each other, wasting their time and mine. The only thing that evoked even a slight smile was the spider crawling up Howard’s arm, and him trying to blow it off his back.
My biggest problem, however, was the complete waste of Johnny Galecki in this episode. I know a lot of the previous seasons have centered around Leonard (and his relationship with Penny), but he’s done nothing but whine or look depressed in weeks. It might be time for Sheldon to step back and let Leonard have some of the spotlight again. The show is best when it’s balanced.
What did you think? Did the Raj/Howard superhero challenge work for you? Are you warming to Shamy? Leave a comment and let me know.
Rating: 3/5
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Big Bang Theory - The Large Hadron Collision
Network: CBS
Time: Mondays, 9:30-10:00pm
Cast: Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar
Summary: When Leonard gets invited to see the CERN laboratory in Switzerland on Valentine's Day, Sheldon gets mad because he decides to take Penny with him.
Review: My affinity for Big Bang knows few bounds, but they're starting to do a few things that annoy me. First and most importantly, the Sheldon/Leonard relationship. When the show first started, Leonard regarded Sheldon with tolerant amusement. He accepted Sheldon's antics with good humor and patience. Now, he gets annoyed and lashes out and, more often than not, resembles a four-year-old have a tantrum because his little brother is getting his mother's attention. Out of all the things that I've noticed with Big Bang this season, this is the most troublesome. Where Leonard's comments to and about Sheldon were once light-hearted, they now seem barbed and aimed to hurt (though Sheldon often remains oblivious).
And Sheldon doesn't make it any better. He's always been a selfish character, but it seems like he's gotten worse as the seasons went on (and the writers realized that his selfishness is part of the amusement for the audience). He thinks nothing of bullying, annoying, and guilting his friends into doing what he wants. His selfishness before used to be due to a lack of awareness about his friends' feelings; now it seems to be driven by a lack of concern for them.
Another thing that's started to annoy me is the Howard/Raj relationship. Since Leonard's mother's first episode (and maybe before), there's always been a hint of homosexuality in Howard and Raj's relationship. It seems lately, however, that the writers are building that up so much that it's damaging the other aspects of their interaction. Howard has a girlfriend now, which leaves him with less time to spend with Raj. But he's started to rub that in Raj's face, which I think is both cruel and out of character for Howard. We've had no evidence to suggest that he would ever deliberately hurt his friend, so why is he starting to now?
Raj himself has become a rather pathetic character. Perhaps he always was, but he's doubly so now that his (more normal) friends have girlfriends, and he's left alone more often than not. I miss the days when the boys used to hang around playing geek games and horrifying Penny. Now Howard and Leonard are with Bernadette and Penny, Raj is noticeably absent, and Sheldon is in his own world unless it suits him to come out. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm almost sorry Leonard and Penny got together in the first place.
This episode had some funny moments, but it's far from the hilarious episodes of last season or even the beginning of this one. Sheldon's antics are always funny, and I really like the Leonard/Penny interaction, which was appropriately sweet for Valentine's Day. I wasn't crazy about the end, as well as the things I mentioned before, but I can only hope that some of these things will resolve themselves with time.
Favorite line:
Sheldon: I believe you know why I'm here.
Penny: I always figured it was to study us, discover our weaknesses, and report back to your alien overlords.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Time: Mondays, 9:30-10:00pm
Cast: Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar
Summary: When Leonard gets invited to see the CERN laboratory in Switzerland on Valentine's Day, Sheldon gets mad because he decides to take Penny with him.
Review: My affinity for Big Bang knows few bounds, but they're starting to do a few things that annoy me. First and most importantly, the Sheldon/Leonard relationship. When the show first started, Leonard regarded Sheldon with tolerant amusement. He accepted Sheldon's antics with good humor and patience. Now, he gets annoyed and lashes out and, more often than not, resembles a four-year-old have a tantrum because his little brother is getting his mother's attention. Out of all the things that I've noticed with Big Bang this season, this is the most troublesome. Where Leonard's comments to and about Sheldon were once light-hearted, they now seem barbed and aimed to hurt (though Sheldon often remains oblivious).
And Sheldon doesn't make it any better. He's always been a selfish character, but it seems like he's gotten worse as the seasons went on (and the writers realized that his selfishness is part of the amusement for the audience). He thinks nothing of bullying, annoying, and guilting his friends into doing what he wants. His selfishness before used to be due to a lack of awareness about his friends' feelings; now it seems to be driven by a lack of concern for them.
Another thing that's started to annoy me is the Howard/Raj relationship. Since Leonard's mother's first episode (and maybe before), there's always been a hint of homosexuality in Howard and Raj's relationship. It seems lately, however, that the writers are building that up so much that it's damaging the other aspects of their interaction. Howard has a girlfriend now, which leaves him with less time to spend with Raj. But he's started to rub that in Raj's face, which I think is both cruel and out of character for Howard. We've had no evidence to suggest that he would ever deliberately hurt his friend, so why is he starting to now?
Raj himself has become a rather pathetic character. Perhaps he always was, but he's doubly so now that his (more normal) friends have girlfriends, and he's left alone more often than not. I miss the days when the boys used to hang around playing geek games and horrifying Penny. Now Howard and Leonard are with Bernadette and Penny, Raj is noticeably absent, and Sheldon is in his own world unless it suits him to come out. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm almost sorry Leonard and Penny got together in the first place.
This episode had some funny moments, but it's far from the hilarious episodes of last season or even the beginning of this one. Sheldon's antics are always funny, and I really like the Leonard/Penny interaction, which was appropriately sweet for Valentine's Day. I wasn't crazy about the end, as well as the things I mentioned before, but I can only hope that some of these things will resolve themselves with time.
Favorite line:
Sheldon: I believe you know why I'm here.
Penny: I always figured it was to study us, discover our weaknesses, and report back to your alien overlords.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Big Bang Theory - The Psychic Vortex
Network: CBS
Time: Mondays, 9:30-10:00pm
Cast: Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar
Summary: When Leonard and Howard go on a double date with Penny and Bernadette, Leonard is troubled to learn that Penny believes in psychics. Meanwhile, Raj and Sheldon go to a university mixer.
Review: I loved exactly half of this episode. The Raj/Sheldon storyline was great, from Raj's desperate pleas to get Sheldon to do something with him to the bribes that finally worked to the girls they eventually met (Danica McKellar!). Pairing Raj and Sheldon together has been a comedic victory in past episodes (let us never forget when Raj started working for Sheldon), and it doesn't fail this time either. Pegging them as the two "girlfriend-less" members of the group sets them up for future moments together too, which is something I await with eagerness.
I always enjoy Sheldon in episodes of Big Bang Theory, but I do feel he can get over-the-top sometimes. This wasn't one of those cases, though. I thought Jim Parsons played his part perfectly in this episode. Sheldon actually put in some effort to help Raj find a girl at the mixer, even if he wasn't good at it, and he didn't treat the women (or Raj, actually) as inferior to him in intellect, which was a somewhat refreshing change. He actually managed to participate in a group activity without being excessively weird or freaking out, which was really fun to see.
Meanwhile, the double date could have been... better. I think it's the Leonard/Penny relationship that's bothering me. Since the previous season finale, they went from "just friends" to "established, practically married couple" with no middle ground. I mean, there was that one episode where they were really awkward, but they never seemed to have that cute, honeymoon period that most couples (at least fictional couples) have. Maybe it's because they were friends for so long before they dated, but it just seems like there's nowhere for the relationship to go now except down... or into marriage, but I hope the writers agree with me when I say it's far too early for that.
In this episode, Leonard and Penny fight publicly about psychics (Penny believes, Leonard doesn't... in case you weren't sure). Meanwhile, Howard and Bernadette are just kind of hanging out. Actually, this was the first time I was really amused by Bernadette, and her honest answers to basically rhetorical questions (an example of which is in my favorite lines at the bottom). While this aspect of the story had a lot of funny lines, I didn't enjoy the premise. I thought Leonard was very clearly a jerk, mocking what Penny believes. It's not like he didn't know that she believed in things like that before he started dating her, so why does it come as a surprise to him now?
For someone who waited so long for the Leonard/Penny relationship to pan out, I've been very disappointed with how they've been handling it over the course of the season. I don't really know what I want from them, but it's not what they've been doing. I'm afraid that they're setting them up on a path to implode by the end of the season, and that would be terribly sad, especially since Big Bang's high ratings have pretty much guaranteed it as many future episodes as it would like. I would like them to revisit the idea of Howard and Leonard double dating again, though, because I think it raises some interesting potentials. Plus, the idea of them dating together just amuses me.
Favorite lines:
Leonard: Look at us, getting ready for a double date with actual women who publicly acknowledge they're our girlfriends.
Leonard: Howard, Bernadette, you're both scientists. Help me out here.
Howard: What do you think? Want to jump right into the middle of another couple's argument?
Bernadette: No, thank you.
Howard: Sorry.
Waiter: How is everything tonight?
Bernadette: Really uncomfortable.
Penny: That's all you've got after you were the most obnoxious person on a double date that included Howard Wolowitz?
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Time: Mondays, 9:30-10:00pm
Cast: Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar
Summary: When Leonard and Howard go on a double date with Penny and Bernadette, Leonard is troubled to learn that Penny believes in psychics. Meanwhile, Raj and Sheldon go to a university mixer.
Review: I loved exactly half of this episode. The Raj/Sheldon storyline was great, from Raj's desperate pleas to get Sheldon to do something with him to the bribes that finally worked to the girls they eventually met (Danica McKellar!). Pairing Raj and Sheldon together has been a comedic victory in past episodes (let us never forget when Raj started working for Sheldon), and it doesn't fail this time either. Pegging them as the two "girlfriend-less" members of the group sets them up for future moments together too, which is something I await with eagerness.
I always enjoy Sheldon in episodes of Big Bang Theory, but I do feel he can get over-the-top sometimes. This wasn't one of those cases, though. I thought Jim Parsons played his part perfectly in this episode. Sheldon actually put in some effort to help Raj find a girl at the mixer, even if he wasn't good at it, and he didn't treat the women (or Raj, actually) as inferior to him in intellect, which was a somewhat refreshing change. He actually managed to participate in a group activity without being excessively weird or freaking out, which was really fun to see.
Meanwhile, the double date could have been... better. I think it's the Leonard/Penny relationship that's bothering me. Since the previous season finale, they went from "just friends" to "established, practically married couple" with no middle ground. I mean, there was that one episode where they were really awkward, but they never seemed to have that cute, honeymoon period that most couples (at least fictional couples) have. Maybe it's because they were friends for so long before they dated, but it just seems like there's nowhere for the relationship to go now except down... or into marriage, but I hope the writers agree with me when I say it's far too early for that.
In this episode, Leonard and Penny fight publicly about psychics (Penny believes, Leonard doesn't... in case you weren't sure). Meanwhile, Howard and Bernadette are just kind of hanging out. Actually, this was the first time I was really amused by Bernadette, and her honest answers to basically rhetorical questions (an example of which is in my favorite lines at the bottom). While this aspect of the story had a lot of funny lines, I didn't enjoy the premise. I thought Leonard was very clearly a jerk, mocking what Penny believes. It's not like he didn't know that she believed in things like that before he started dating her, so why does it come as a surprise to him now?
For someone who waited so long for the Leonard/Penny relationship to pan out, I've been very disappointed with how they've been handling it over the course of the season. I don't really know what I want from them, but it's not what they've been doing. I'm afraid that they're setting them up on a path to implode by the end of the season, and that would be terribly sad, especially since Big Bang's high ratings have pretty much guaranteed it as many future episodes as it would like. I would like them to revisit the idea of Howard and Leonard double dating again, though, because I think it raises some interesting potentials. Plus, the idea of them dating together just amuses me.
Favorite lines:
Leonard: Look at us, getting ready for a double date with actual women who publicly acknowledge they're our girlfriends.
Leonard: Howard, Bernadette, you're both scientists. Help me out here.
Howard: What do you think? Want to jump right into the middle of another couple's argument?
Bernadette: No, thank you.
Howard: Sorry.
Waiter: How is everything tonight?
Bernadette: Really uncomfortable.
Penny: That's all you've got after you were the most obnoxious person on a double date that included Howard Wolowitz?
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Big Bang Theory - The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation
Network: CBS
Time: Mondays, 9:30-10:00pm
Cast: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar
Creator: Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady
Review: Season 3 of Big Bang is off to a, well, bang. The guys are back from the Arctic, and they're finding their own ways to keep warm. There are some mild spoilers ahead, but nothing you don't find out in the first five minutes of the episode.
Spoiler/Major Plot Device #1 - Sheldon. Turns out, the guys lied to him about the results they were finding on his study. In other words, he had squat. Too bad he'd already told everyone about his miraculous findings. Oops. Well, after he finds out his friends had destroyed his dreams of a Nobel Prize, he takes off running all the way to the opposite of the Arctic. That's right, Sheldon goes home to Mama Cooper.
Spoiler/Major Plot Device #2 - Leonard and Penny. That's right, 'shippers, it's finally happened. Leonard comes back from the frozen tundra of the Arctic circle to see that Penny's clearly missed him... a lot.
Now, I'm as big a fan of Leonard and Penny as anyone, and I've certainly been rooting for their relationship since episode 1, but I had some problems with that aspect of this episode. When the boys left, there was a moment. You remember, Penny shut the door to her apartment and said, "Don't go," to the air? And then they've probably had no contact for three or four months while Leonard was in his own personal frozen hell? Then... they're making out? It seemed a little fast to me, despite the fact that we've been waiting for this for two years. And then, to make matters worse, it's awkward. For a fan who's been anticipating this relationship, the actual situation was a bit of a let down.
However, there were certainly more positives than negatives about this episode. The writing, as always, was stellar. The timing between the actors was great, and Sheldon, as usual, could not be matched. Jim Parsons has a way of taking already-good dialogue and pushing it up a notch with his spectacular grasp of Sheldon's character. In this episode, he alternated between the affronted, superior scientist who looked down on his friends, and the teenage boy he must have once been when dealing with his mother. Parsons played both parts brilliantly.
All things considered, Big Bang is clearly making a move to become a top-rated CBS sitcom. Up until now, Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother have been the Monday night draws. Big Bang Theory was something you watched because it was in between (well, not me, but, you know, other people). But with the new time change came a new attitude, and Big Bang clearly wants to be a ratings frontrunner now. Personally, I think they've got a good chance. For a program about really smart people (which, let's face it, is rarely a selling point for a sitcom), there is something about this show that appeals to people of all intellects... whether you understand the geek-speak or not.
Rating (for this episode):
[1] Run in the other direction
[2] Don't bother
[3] Worth a watch if you've got nothing better to do
[4] Definitely try it out
[5] A total keeper
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