S04.E06: Freshman Orientation and the Inventor of the Zipper

[Sarah 103]

On 1/25/2021 at 7:26 AM, shapeshifter said:

I think the objection by some viewers is using his character to ridicule those who are mentally challenged. 
I’m not sure they’re doing that here. It was more like the smarter kids were becoming aware of Billy’s limitations. 
But I only watched it once. 

I think they go both ways with Billy. Sometimes it seems he is there to be made fun of, but other times he seems to Sheldon's counterpart in a two sides of the same coin kind of way. What happens in this kind of community to someone who is developmentally different-Sheldon who is advanced for his age, and Billy who is a bit behind his peers. 

I was thinking about Billy's limitations during the episode. Was tracking still something that was done in schools? I know it was a big part of schools in the 1950s and 1960s, but was it still around in the early 1990s? Will Billy wonder why he isn't in any of the same classes as Missy anymore? I am curious to see what will happen when people start teasing Billy. Knowing the kind of family she is from and the way she was raised, I imagine she should defend Billy, but I could be wrong. 

On 1/25/2021 at 7:21 PM, WinnieWinkle said:

I really liked this episode - especially the way Mary fit in at college.  One thing that struck me though was how little used Georgie was.  If they keep the focus on Sheldon and move more of the scenes to a college setting I guess that makes sense.  Even if they don't, he's so much older than the twins that it also makes sense that he wouldn't interact as much at home.  I hope I'm wrong though, I like the Georgie character!

I think Georgie is a fantastic character. Just because he didn't get a subplot this week doesn't mean he will never get a subplot again. He's still at home interacting with Mee-Maw, Mary, George, and Missy. Sheldon is still living at home, so you could do stories with Georgie and Sheldon that take place on the weekend. Something this show has done well is constantly putting different characters together in subplots. We may see Georgie and the Pastor in a subplot again because they are neighbors. 

[Browncoat]

9 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

Was tracking still something that was done in schools? I know it was a big part of schools in the 1950s and 1960s, but was it still around in the early 1990s?

It was still around in the mid-80s, so there's a good possibility that it was.  Especially in a small town in Texas.

[TheLastKidPicked]

A brilliantly written Georgie line:

"I can't believe somebody so lame even owned a bike like this!"

When the kids stumble into something we own that is cool (like a motorcycle) or a picture of us doing something cool, we remind them,  "You know, we weren't BORN this age!"

There are some fun websites "proof that your parents were cooler than you" and others.  Check them out-- they are a lot of fun.

 

[John Potts]

I was trying to work out how old Mary is at this point (somewhere in her 30s?) and how likely an East Texas University would be to have mature students. It would be interesting to see her investigate the possibility.

Spoiler

Sure, we know she isn't going to in light of what we know about Mary from TBBT, but it would be interesting to see her broadening her horizons.

 

On 1/22/2021 at 1:32 AM, Spartan Girl said:

Connie, you can’t be upset that John didn’t tell you when you’re not together anymore. But his letter to her was very sweet. Just dump Dale already and get back with John!

I thought her reaction was very believable (particularly after breaking up with the guy she left him for). Unfair to expect the guy you rejected to consider your feelings though! Also, while Missy (sorry, Melissa) is usually the emotionally mature one between her and Sheldon that she was utterly oblivious to Meemaw’s not-so-subtle hints about her break up. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that whilst she might be more emotionally mature than Sheldon, she is still a self centred adolescent.

On 1/22/2021 at 1:32 AM, Driad said:

Didn't Sheldon have money? He could have gone back to the bookstore and bought a big T-shirt to cover his clothes.

He probably budgeted for the books and didn’t allow for extravagances (like a T-shirt). And he did say to his fellow student that he was poor.

On 1/22/2021 at 2:20 PM, Katy M said:

Mary drove Sheldon to school and then waited around for him to finish, because of course, it's too far to make two trips.  But, is she planning to do this every day?

I was wondering if Sheldon expected his mom to just sit there in the car until he was done!

On 1/24/2021 at 4:24 PM, Gulftastic said:

Sam was a welcome returnee. I loved her helping Mary fit in better than Sheldon managed.

I didn’t remember her, but I loved her “rolling with the punches” and advising Mary to buy a T-shirt purely because it would annoy Sheldon. And it did!