S05.E14: A Free Scratcher and Feminine Wiles

[DanaK]

Quote

Sheldon butts heads with Dr. Lee (Ming-Na Wen), a new scientist in the lab. Also, Mary is given a lotto ticket, on the CBS Original series YOUNG SHELDON, Thursday, Feb. 24 (8:00-8:31 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+

 

[BitterApple]

I adore Ming-Na. I hope the show makes good use of her talents. 

[Ms Lark]

Interview with Ming-Na about working on Young Sheldon. It's a one-off episode specific, so posting here:

https://www.tvinsider.com/1030940/young-sheldon-ming-na-wen-dr-lee/

[ProudMary]

Ming-Na Wen makes every show/movie better! 

Loved her end scene with Wendie Malick.

[Spartan Girl]

Ming-Na Wen as Dr. Lee for the fucking win! She not only got Linkletter and Sturgis to stop their (hilarious) bickering, but she also outsmarted Sheldon! Loved that the three of them bonded over Sheldon annoying them.

Yes, Mary is a stick in the mud. Being such a ninny over a lottery ticket?! 

Edited February 26, 2022 by Spartan Girl

[Katy M]

Interesting that Sheldon said that Missy tried to strangle him with her umbilical cord when MeeMaw said that Missy was the one who almost died.  At the time, I said maybe it happened, but to Sheldon.  However, when it was established that Sheldon was born first, I figured that Missy was the one who almost died.  My best friend is a twin, she was born first and she's the one who tried to strangle her sister.  So, now I'm confused.  Either MeeMaw lied to Missy (like I first suspected), OR someone lied to Sheldon AND the second born twin was somehow able to perform the strangling procedure.

1 minute ago, Spartan Girl said:

Yes, Mary is a stick in the mud. Being such a ninny over a lottery ticket?! 

I would probably not worry about it if someone gave it to me. But, it is kind of a grey area. I can see why she stress over it.

[Chit Chat]

Yay for a pleasant episode for a change!  It was nice to see George & Mary being nicer to each other at the end.  I remember how our family was so in awe when we first got a microwave oven (way back in the day), and how my dad yelled at me not to stand too close to it because he didn't know how safe it was!!  That family scene around the dishwasher brought back fond memories of times like that with my family and our reactions to new and "state-of-the-art" appliances!  

I'm glad that George got some much-needed advice, and Mary did too.  Please, show, let them quit arguing and return us to a funny and not so depressing comedy.   Ming-Na looked great!  I've always liked her.  

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

I would probably not worry about it if someone gave it to me. But, it is kind of a grey area. I can see why she stress over it.

The result was already determined and she didn't risk anything, so I'm not clear how that counted as gambling.

[Kiddvideo]

Sheldon should’ve been tossed from the experiment if not the university. He is such an asshole. Mary forcing her beliefs on everyone? Check. George having a conversation he should’ve been having with Mary with someone else? Check. You can tell where his head is bc he called the divorced principal instead of his happily married assistant coach.

[hoodooznoodooz]

“You speak Klingon?” How cool would that have been?

So MeeMaw can actually see the big picture with George.

I loved how much the dishwasher delighted George, Mary, Georgie and Sheldon. 
 

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by hoodooznoodooz

[Katy M]

8 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

The result was already determined and she didn't risk anything, so I'm not clear how that counted as gambling.

Well, sure lottery ticket results are all already determined.  You just don't know them until you scratch them off, or the balls finish coming out.  The fact that she didn't gamble any of her money on it is what makes it gray.  I probably would have gone ahead and used the money (less the $50 tithe).

[mammaM]

10 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Ming-Na Wen makes every show/movie better! 

Loved her end scene with Wendie Malick.

Coming here to post this exact sentence.😂😘😎

[mammaM]

And here's a question for the real life Mary's out there........after the Mandarin/French scene I really want to see a three-way between the professors, am I going to hell?😂

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

Well, sure lottery ticket results are all already determined.  You just don't know them until you scratch them off, or the balls finish coming out.  The fact that she didn't gamble any of her money on it is what makes it gray.  I probably would have gone ahead and used the money (less the $50 tithe).

I get that it looked like gambling, and might have encouraged the kids to want to buy tickets when legally able to, but the $500 was actually a gift from the state, and I bet that Pastor Jeff would have gladly accepted the money on behalf of the church.

Actually, one would have expected Mary to discuss the situation with Pastor Jeff. He would have probably agreed that the money was a bounty from heaven that she could freely accept after tithing to the church. 

 

[Chit Chat]

7 hours ago, Kiddvideo said:

You can tell where his head is bc he called the divorced principal instead of his happily married assistant coach.

He talks to the other coach on a daily basis and sees how great his marriage is (sometimes over the top affection between he & his wife), so it's probably better to talk to someone who is divorced and get their take on the reality of it rather than someone who can't relate to having marital issues. 

I think the principal's input actually helped George.  I thought it was very sweet of him to insist on Mary getting a dishwasher, rather than him buying something for himself.  That gesture alone gets George a big kudos from me!!

I noticed that Sheldon is now just about the same height as Prof. Sturgis.  All three kids are growing up too fast!!

 

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, mammaM said:

And here's a question for the real life Mary's out there........after the Mandarin/French scene I really want to see a three-way between the professors, am I going to hell?😂

Maybe, but you could always buy a lottery ticket just to make sure.

[Katy M]

57 minutes ago, ChitChat said:

  I thought it was very sweet of him to insist on Mary getting a dishwasher, rather than him buying something for himself.  That gesture alone gets George a big kudos from me!!

Me, too.  But, I wish instead they had used it for a getaway for just the two of them.  That would have had more benefit for both of them and the family as a whole.

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

But, I wish instead they had used it for a getaway for just the two of them.  That would have had more benefit for both of them and the family as a whole.

It was funny though to see their excitement about the dishwasher:  "It sounds like the ocean!"  "Ooh, a beep!  Look that up!"  Even Georgie was impressed.   :) 

[HurricaneVal]

The delight over the beep made up for the other more depressing parts of the episode.

I love that the only word in Klingon that Dr. Lee looked up and learned was "no."

[Katy M]

25 minutes ago, ChitChat said:

It was funny though to see their excitement about the dishwasher:  "It sounds like the ocean!"  "Ooh, a beep!  Look that up!"  Even Georgie was impressed.   :) 

But, Missy, not so much.  However, I find it hard to believe that Sheldon would have let them connect the dishwasher without having read the entire manual first and he would have remembered everything in it and not had to look up the beep.  But, I'll forgive that, because yes, it was so great.

[Chit Chat]

7 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

I love that the only word in Klingon that Dr. Lee looked up and learned was "no."

I loved how she just clapped her hands and the guys fell right in line!  Wendy Malick is a great addition to the show too.  

[freeser]

14 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Yes, Mary is a stick in the mud. Being such a ninny over a lottery ticket?! 

Although it is (in my opinion) over the top stick in the mud behavior when she forbids her family from scratching off the ticket - at least that is something she feels she has the right to do.  However, I know some very religious people who always are buying lottery tickets plus I do think Pastor Jeff would have welcomed a $500 donation to the church with no problems.  

But telling the gas station attendant he couldn't scrape off the ticket and grabbing it from him was too much.  I think her extremely narrow view of right and wrong makes her way too controlling as she tries to influence everyone around her with no room for diverging opinions.   It seems to turn most of her family off as they just try to put up with her.  

[Traveller519]

5 minutes ago, ChitChat said:

I loved how she just clapped her hands and the guys fell right in line!  Wendy Malick is a great addition to the show too.  

Ming-na, rightfully, gets a lot of attention for her appearance in her 50s, but i was amazed to see Wendie Malick is 71. And her face is as expressive as ever!

I think the show is very realistically handling a marriage that falls apart. There's still lots of love there, but the challenges of the real world. It can't be easy to write in a comedy, so I appreciate these moments that still show the love and positivity.

[proserpina65]

11 hours ago, Kiddvideo said:

You can tell where his head is bc he called the divorced principal instead of his happily married assistant coach.

What would've been the point of asking the guy who's already said he and his wife only argue about who loves each other the most?  George talked to the right person, the one who'd lost a lot because of an unhappy marriage.

 

[Welshman in Ca]

5 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I get that it looked like gambling, and might have encouraged the kids to want to buy tickets when legally able to, but the $500 was actually a gift from the state, and I bet that Pastor Jeff would have gladly accepted the money on behalf of the church.

Actually, one would have expected Mary to discuss the situation with Pastor Jeff. He would have probably agreed that the money was a bounty from heaven that she could freely accept after tithing to the church. 

 

Of course he would have accepted it, they will accept money from any source and then justify it, god's will don't you know.

[Katy M]

12 minutes ago, Welshman in Ca said:

Of course he would have accepted it, they will accept money from any source and then justify it, god's will don't you know.

Money from a scratch ticket?  Probably.  Money from a bank heist?  No way.

[treeofdreams]

Loved the two women bonding at the end.  And loved the computer booby-trapped to prevent sabotage!

[proserpina65]

47 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Money from a scratch ticket?  Probably.  Money from a bank heist?  No way.

If Pastor Jeff is anything like the pastor of the Baptist church my relatives attend, he'd take bank heist money, too, as long as it couldn't be traced.

[Sarah 103]

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

However, I find it hard to believe that Sheldon would have let them connect the dishwasher without having read the entire manual first and he would have remembered everything in it and not had to look up the beep.  But, I'll forgive that, because yes, it was so great.

My guess is that they may have connected it while he was away/out of the house. 

Overall, I enjoyed the episode. This is the kind of Sheldon based school-based storyline that works best. I liked seeing the two women bond. 

Mary and George are going to have thier ups and downs, but he is trying and I don't think he's ready to call it quits on the relationship yet. It's shame based on time/place/culture they can't see a real marriage counseor who might be able to help and do some real good for the couple and thier relationship.  

[Chit Chat]

1 minute ago, Sarah 103 said:

It's shame based on time/place/culture they can't see a real marriage counseor who might be able to help and do some real good for the couple and thier relationship. 

Also, professional counseling isn't cheap!  

[kwnyc]

6 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I bet that Pastor Jeff would have gladly accepted the money on behalf of the church.

I thought that would happen...and it would not have pleased George. So the dishwasher was both a moral and spiritual victory for the family. :-)

[Driad]

Dr. Lee is a gem and I hope to see her back soon.

Who has been washing the dishes up to now?  The kids are plenty old enough to have chores.

[Kiddvideo]

4 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

What would've been the point of asking the guy who's already said he and his wife only argue about who loves each other the most?  George talked to the right person, the one who'd lost a lot because of an unhappy marriage.

 

The assistant coach has given him solid guidance on making things better. George wasn’t interested in getting advice from him, because he thinks he might be headed for divorce. That’s where his head is. “You’re trapped unless you want to lose half your money so get used to being miserable” isn’t going to make things better — and that’s not what George wanted.

Edited February 25, 2022 by Kiddvideo

[HurricaneVal]

I suspect when it comes to counseling, Mary would insist only on counseling from the church.  And since she operated in that counselor role for her church when she stood in for Pastor Jeff that time, she considers herself to be qualified to be the counselor for their marriage, therefore she is right, George is wrong, so sayeth the marriage counselor. 

[OlderThanDirt]

I was surprised that the idea of tithing $50 of her winnings to the church didn't occur to Mary.

[tennisgurl]

The only person who can keep Sheldon, Dr. Linkletter and Dr. Sturgis in line is Ming-Na Wen! That checks out. She's so awesome, I loved seeing her take charge of the project, bonding with Linkletter and Sturgis about how annoying Sheldon is, and outsmarting Sheldon via Home Alone. I especially loved her chat with President Hagemeyer at the end, I hope she pops back up again. 

Mary really does need to get that stick out of her butt more often, but its nice that George went with the appliance she wanted. I really like seeing them getting along, even if its sad that we know it wont last. I loved everyone but Missy being absolutely riveted by the washer, even Georgie. "It sounds like the ocean."

Edited February 25, 2022 by tennisgurl

[shapeshifter]

I'm glad they got the dishwasher, but only because there is no vacation they could have used the money for that wouldn't have had more miserable memories than great memories.

This episode seemed like it had a more positive tone than the others this season. I hope that continues. 🤞

[AD35]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

The only person who can keep Sheldon, Dr. Linkletter and Dr. Sturgis in line is Ming-Na Wen! That checks out. She's so awesome

I'm sure after dealing with rogue agents from S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA and Inhumans, putting Sheldon in his place was a piece of cake. Another person thrilled with seeing Min-Na Wen and already looking forward to her next appearance.

[Chit Chat]

2 hours ago, Kiddvideo said:

The assistant coach has given him solid guidance on making things better. 

Unfortunately, George isn't as romantic as the other coach appears to be.  He always gives him the stink eye whenever he talks about how great things are with his wife (he does go into too much detail sometimes).  It got George's attention when he saw Mary & the youth pastor outside the church having a laugh.  He really wants to be that way with her too, but they don't seem to know how to talk to each other about the issues.  It's sad because they could probably make things better if they could communicate better.

I'll enjoy the little moments of happiness the show gives us though.  

[Sarah 103]

5 hours ago, Driad said:

Who has been washing the dishes up to now?  The kids are plenty old enough to have chores.

We haven't seen the dishes in a big pile in a sink so someone has been washing them, but it's much easier to fill the dishwasher and press a button than to wash and dry everything by hand. 

I'm sure the kids have chores. 

[HurricaneVal]

MeeMaw also touched on this when she was (rather gently for MeeMaw) reminding Mary that she used to be different--read: more fun--ehen she was younger.  She used to be a bit of a good-time girl.  Remember, Georgie was conceived out of wedlock.  Mary used to party.  But then there was the problematic birth of the twins, and she swore to dedicate her life to God if everything came out OK.....and here we are.

Somewhere, down deep, that good-time girl still exists.  Mary smokes in occasion.  She can have easy, borderline flirty conversation with the youth pastor.  She can drink wine coolers in parental solidarity with her neighbor.  But somehow....and I think this is more indicative of the souring of her marriage....she can't share that looser, more fun, Mary with her husband.  Maybe after all these years of sanctimonious and judgy Mary, she just can't walk that back with George.  Maybe after all those years of that, George can't accept that from Mary.

I love this show.  But I also think the way it is all turning a little dark is really well written, though painful.  

[possibilities]

7 hours ago, Katy M said:

Money from a scratch ticket?  Probably.  Money from a bank heist?  No way.

Now I want to see Mary rob a bank. 

[shapeshifter]

Just now, possibilities said:

Now I want to see Mary rob a bank. 

With the youth pastor or with George? (trick question)

[Sarah 103]

37 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

With the youth pastor or with George? (trick question)

As soon as I read this, I could totally picture a movie (but with slightly different characters based on the Young Sheldon characters). It's with the youth pastor. An uptight highly judgemental southern Christian and the cool youth pastor team up to rob a bank because it's the only way to get the money they need to save the church (because of plot reasons I haven't figured out yet) and along the way she learns to loosen up and participating in the heist brings out a side of her she thought she'd lost. It also saves her marriage. 

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, HurricaneVal said:

Maybe after all these years of sanctimonious and judgy Mary, she just can't walk that back with George. 

That's a good point.  I think she's stuck in this role of who she thinks she should be in order to atone for her past wild ways that she can't loosen up just a little bit.  She needs to forgive herself (if that's what she's still struggling with) and realize that she can be a good Christian without being so rigid about certain ideals.   

[Bobbin]

23 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

I loved how much the dishwasher delighted George, Mary and Sheldon. 
 

Many decades ago, my uncle got a reel-to-reel tape recorder for his birthday. Everyone in the family was so fascinated by it and wanted to play with it, that my poor uncle couldn't get near it.

[Katy M]

9 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

With the youth pastor or with George? (trick question)

With Missy. And they trick Sheldon into doing something "sciency" that helps them.

[freeser]

8 hours ago, ChitChat said:

I think she's stuck in this role of who she thinks she should be in order to atone for her past wild ways that she can't loosen up just a little bit.  She needs to forgive herself (if that's what she's still struggling with) and realize that she can be a good Christian without being so rigid about certain ideals.   

Think of the marriage from George's point of view.  When he first met Mary, she was a wild child according to MeeMaw.  She smoke, drank, snuck out of the house, etc.  That is the person George knew and married.  They had Georgie obviously within the first year of the marriage.  The twins didn't come along until 5-ish years later. So if we assume Mary was the same fun loving looser person up until Missy was born, George and Mary had about 6 years together being of much the same personalities and values.  

After the twins birth, Mary chose her straight and narrow path to thank God for letting Missy live.  That is fine, nothing wrong with that at all as far as Mary.  But for George, he now is married to and living with someone who is totally different from the woman he knew. I don't think there is any doubt that if Mary was the person she is now when she was in her teens, George and her would not have gotten together.  So we now have a husband and wife who are on very different paths and it is hard to see them getting any closer over time.  

[Chit Chat]

One thing to consider with Mary is that since she's become a mom, her priorities have shifted.  She takes care of most things within the household (not saying that George doesn't contribute), but she's always making comments like "I have to do this, and I have to do that.....", and as a wife and mom myself, I understand what she's saying.  Seems like we run circles around our husbands on a daily basis.  There are so many "behind the scenes" things that have to get done that most times they're not even aware of it all! 

Having said that though, I wish Mary would loosen up with George.  It doesn't mean that she has to revert to her wild days, but rather to spend some alone time together.  Things may have been different if she didn't have a kid like Sheldon to deal with.  She needs to focus some of that attention over to her husband, and George needs to communicate better.  They both have stuff they could work on within the marriage.  

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, freeser said:

Think of the marriage from George's point of view.  When he first met Mary, she was a wild child according to MeeMaw.  She smoke, drank, snuck out of the house, etc.  That is the person George knew and married.  They had Georgie obviously within the first year of the marriage.  The twins didn't come along until 5-ish years later. So if we assume Mary was the same fun loving looser person up until Missy was born, George and Mary had about 6 years together being of much the same personalities and values.  

After the twins birth, Mary chose her straight and narrow path to thank God for letting Missy live.  That is fine, nothing wrong with that at all as far as Mary.  But for George, he now is married to and living with someone who is totally different from the woman he knew. I don't think there is any doubt that if Mary was the person she is now when she was in her teens, George and her would not have gotten together.  So we now have a husband and wife who are on very different paths and it is hard to see them getting any closer over time.  

This👆 all seems typical of marriages in which couples "grow apart." Back when women tended to eventually die in childbirth or men died by 50 of heart attacks, the situation resolved itself without necessitating divorce. So this all makes sense for the time period, except that 12 or 13 years seems like a long time for it not to have been long ago resolved either by divorce or some other means (murder? counseling? suicide? George having an outside interest?).