S08.E12: The Space Probe Disintegration

[photo fox]

Wolowitz tries to distract Raj, who is anxiously awaiting data from a space probe he helped launch. Meanwhile, Sheldon and Leonard go dress shopping with Penny and Amy.

[shapeshifter]

I'm going to have to rewatch because there were some great, funny lines flying back and forth while Sheldon and Leonard were waiting outside the fitting rooms.

[BooksRule]

'I have excellent peripheral vision.  On a good day, I can see my ears.'

 

and

 

'Son of a biscuit!'

[MaryMitch]

It's nice to see an episode look into Raj's culture - at least a little bit.

[theredhead77]

Sheldon actually slept on the couch!!!

[abby1000]

My father (from Tennessee) used to say, "Son of a biscuit-eater".

[Gulftastic]

A nice episode, with some good character stuff. I liked Raj's speech about the Universe.

[buffynut]

Just a couple days ago I saw the syndicated episode where Leonard mentions Sheldon not letting him whistle, so it was a neat surprise to see whistling re-visited in this episode.

[DrSpaceman]

Wow I thought that Raj storyline was just dull and unexciting.  And it seemed like the writers did not even know what to do with it. Completely boring and anticlimactic.  It was like when they had Raj's dad in the story, then he basically just sat in a room for a party that was never happening.  What is the point? 

 

The rest was Ok, but Raj's part was just awful. 

[Isabella11]

OK, I've loved this show & the actors & the characters since the beginning-- but with Season 8 I think they're just messing with us.  I mean, what the H was that?  Are they letting the guy who cuts Cinnamon's hair write comedy scripts now?

 

And those cement blocks of dialogue!  The whole show was a slowwwww drive along Exposition Boulevard.  And not in a good way. 

 

The joke polish provided some laughs, it's true, but if anybody has insider info on what's going on over in that writers' room, I'd love to know. Because I rely on TBBT for my comedy fix every week.  And I'm worried.

Edited January 9, 2015 by Isabella11

[One Tough Cookie]

I blame it on Penny's haircut.

[azathoth]

That was pretty blah. I really don't need a whole episode of Sheldon justifying his assholery. The Raj plot was just dull. What happened to his girlfriend? We're halfway through the season and we've only seen her twice. Oh, and Amy taught Sheldon how to drive but he still makes Leonard chauffer him around? Dick.

 

The only line I really liked was Amy's about DVD commentary: "George Lucas can talk the whole time, but I say one word and I'm banished to the kitchen!"

[Qoass]

All I could think during the whole episode was, "Well, maybe they already went to see The Theory of Everything...".

[possibilities]

I actually liked this one, because it was abou character more than plot.

 

I liked Raj talking about his spirituality, especially with the nod to how so many people are "religious by convenience." And how often on TV do we get any exposition, wry or otherwise, about Hinduism? Also, I totally related to that "waiting as though I'm losing my mind" mood, so it seemed like a fair set up. I do agree they have been weirdly silent on the issue of his girlfriend. Is the actress unavailable? It makes no sense that they'd introduce her and then do so little follow up.

 

I liked Amy and Penny discussing who leads socially, and that Penny actually cared whether she was being domineering.

 

Leonard and Sheldon comparing "compromises" was irritating to me until they both broke down and Sheldon actually admiteed he realizes he's a challenge. It seemed for the first time that Leonard actually does stay out of empathy and compassion, not just doormathood.

[DrSpaceman]

I actually liked this one, because it was abou character more than plot.

 

I liked Raj talking about his spirituality, especially with the nod to how so many people are "religious by convenience." And how often on TV do we get any exposition, wry or otherwise, about Hinduism? Also, I totally related to that "waiting as though I'm losing my mind" mood, so it seemed like a fair set up. I do agree they have been weirdly silent on the issue of his girlfriend. Is the actress unavailable? It makes no sense that they'd introduce her and then do so little follow up.

 

I liked Amy and Penny discussing who leads socially, and that Penny actually cared whether she was being domineering.

 

Leonard and Sheldon comparing "compromises" was irritating to me until they both broke down and Sheldon actually admiteed he realizes he's a challenge. It seemed for the first time that Leonard actually does stay out of empathy and compassion, not just doormathood.

 

 

Right, Raj mentions Hinduism and his sudden spirituality, which could have been interesting.  But Wolowizt was completely correct.  Its totally out of left field, it has little to nothing to do with his storyline this week, and the worst part if once they get to the temple, they look at it but NEVER GO IN. They just make a cheap joke in the parking lot and .....story over.  No more need for his religion. 

 

It really shouldn't bother me this much, but it just seems like such a waste

 

Haven't hardly used his girlfriend in the stories at all

 

Penny's new job has hardly been mentioned and has not been used for any plots for any episodes since she met Stephen Root, which in itself is disappointing they couldn't at least bring him back. 

[Zoe]

Penny's new job has hardly been mentioned and has not been used for any plots for any episodes since she met Stephen Root, which in itself is disappointing they couldn't at least bring him back. 

But... they did bring him back?  It was the "Bernadette is mean" episode.

 

The car and Billy Bob plots both depended on her job too.

Edited January 9, 2015 by Zoe

[ari333]

Wow. I did not laugh once and this is my favorite show dammit.

[DrSpaceman]

But... they did bring him back?  It was the "Bernadette is mean" episode.

 

The car and Billy Bob plots both depended on her job too.

Is there another episode he appeared in before the one where they agree Bernadette is mean? Thats the only one I recall.

Even if if there is one I am forgetting, its just a complete waste of a pretty good casting decision. And maybe some plots depended on her job but we have seen little of her at her job. I recall now she did practice on Raj's girlfriend, but even that plot wasn't really about her job, they used it to bring up Emily being jealous and pretty much ignore her practice pitch to Emily. It mentioned her job but used it for a completely unrelated plot.

It just seems like a whole bunch of underutilized potential in all this : Emily, Penny's new job, Stephen Root, there is a whole bunch of potential there for new material and they just seem to be rehashing many old ideas and dynamics instead. THis was just the latest example.

[sinkwriter]

 

Is there another episode he appeared in before the one where they agree Bernadette is mean? Thats the only one I recall.

 

He was in the episode where he hired Penny and admitted that he was scared of Bernadette, and then he came back for the episode where Bernadette finds out that everyone at work thinks she's mean. Those are the two I can think of. Can't remember if he was in any others. I'm thinking not?

[bichonblitz]

So Leonard won't move across the hall to live with Penny full time because grown ass Sheldon can't handle it? C'mon......

[Quof]

I didn't get the distinction they were making "live with Penny two nights a week."  Did they mean "sleep at Penny's two nights a week?" Because surely they are doing that now, since the Roommate Agreement provided that amorous activities were to take place at Penny's apartment (the broken bed, homunculus discussion). 

[theatremouse]

What I really didn't get was the compromise at the very end. I was led to believe in earlier seasons of Penny and Leonard dating that Leonard often spent the night at Penny's. Now I realize "living there" is different than just sleeping/notsleeping there. But if we're talking "living there" two nights a week, how is that substantially different than must have been occurring before? When they first introduced the notion of Sheldon being so averse to change he didn't want Leonard to move out, I could buy it enough, but the second they made it this divorce style custody agreement, given that it's across the hall...they lost me. It's not like Leonard couldn't drive him to work when "living" with Penny. It's not like he's never not been home for name a meal due to dating someone. Emotional resistance I can buy, but there's too much bad logic in the concept as executed.

 

I want to love this show again, dammit. "Sheldon is a child"<>funny; "Sheldon misses social clues and genuinely thinks he's helpful but is wrong" sometimes funny. (I'm thinking of the vitamin episode.) 

 

Staley McStalenstein.

[CherryAmes]

Even if if there is one I am forgetting, its just a complete waste of a pretty good casting decision.

 

There have been some great guest stars on this show over the years and occasionally they come back for another episode or two but that doesn't mean they're ever going to become permanent members of the cast.  I don't see why that would be any different with this character. 

[DrSpaceman]

I don't expect to see Stephen Root or any of these guest stars every week or that they will be permanent cast members. 

 

However seeing as how he is Penny's boss, and this was a big career move and a big job oppurtunity for Penny, and a major shift in her life by changing to a completely new field, overall it just seems he has been underutilized and the storyline of her new job has been underutlized this season. 

 

And that doesn't have to do with this episode in particular but just seems to go in line with Raj's storyline this week, where the writers really just seemed to have run out of ideas on what to do with him and threw some disjointed stuff together.  These are just examples of the writers at times not knowing what to do with these characters that is new or original. 

Edited January 10, 2015 by DrSpaceman

[needschocolate]

I don't think we will ever see much of Penny at work, just like we don't see much of Bernie or Amy at work - it doesn't involve enough of the cast.  The times we have seen Bernie or Amy at work, they had another character with them.  We saw a lot of Penny working at the cheesecake factory, but other characters were eating there at the time. They spend a lot of time at the university, where the guys work, but that is because 4 of the characters work there.   

 

Bernie and Amy used to talk about their work more - Amy's monkeys, Bernie's deadly bacteria.  I suppose Penny could discuss her work more, but I am not sure what she could say that would be funny.  They have already done the "Penny dresses sexy to sell more" and "Penny pretends to be single to sell more" and "Penny flirts with a doctor to sell more and the doctor falls in love with her."  They should have had Penny get a different job where she had more chance of interacting with other characters (She works at Bernie's company but Penny is out doing sales calls and Bernie is in a lab).  Maybe they should have had her get a job at the university, or at least at a comic book store.  

 

I didn't get the distinction they were making "live with Penny two nights a week."  Did they mean "sleep at Penny's two nights a week?" Because surely they are doing that now, since the Roommate Agreement provided that amorous activities were to take place at Penny's apartment (the broken bed, homunculus discussion). 

 

To me, living together one or two nights a week means that Leonard goes straight to Penny's after work, has dinner with her and they watch tv or whatever (wink-wink) and he picks up Sheldon in the morning.  If it were two consecutive days, it would make more sense, but Sheldon wasn't ready for that (and he is a flight risk).  One night per week probably didn't change things much.  

 

I think the difference was supposed to be that, if they are living together one night a week, they would be alone, Sheldon wouldn't be involved, but then he just ended up sleeping on the couch (that was the punch line). So, it was probably better before - Sheldon probably didn't sleep at Penny's apartment under the old arrangement.  

[KatWay]

That was...pretty unfunny for the most part. Come on show, step it up.

 

I'm also really bored with episodes asking me to feel sorry for Sheldon because he's oh-so-hurt about the eye-rolling and sarcasm. Maybe if he wasn't such an asshole most of the time and didn't care first and foremost about his own wants and needs, then that wouldn't happen. Since he just expects people to cater to him and follow his rules, he can basically deal with a few snide comments. For some of the stuff he's pulled, I would have murdered him in hsi sleep, so he can deal with a few sarcastic comments from Leonard.

 

And yes, sometimes he's socially clueless and doesn't get it, but a lot of times he fully well knows he's inconveniencing others and does it anyway, so...suck it. Not to mention he can be just as snide and sarcastic to the others as they are to him.

[SmithW6079]

Any episode with Raj as a story line is sure to suck, and this was no exception. Much ado about nothing, and Raj once again proves that he's an asshole. Still hoping he gets deported back to India and then is caught in a limited nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan.

 

I did like Sheldon and Leonard's talk in the dress shop. That's probably the most honest they've ever been with each other. I chalk up the strength of those scenes to Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki.

[Chit Chat]

However seeing as how he is Penny's boss, and this was a big career move and a big job oppurtunity for Penny, and a major shift in her life by changing to a completely new field, overall it just seems he has been underutilized and the storyline of her new job has been underutlized this season.

 

I agree.  We've waited so long to see Penny finally succeed at something, so it would be nice to have even the smallest of glimpses into her new working world.   

[CherryAmes]

But we have gotten glimpses.  Considering how few new episodes that I've actually seen so far I can still count at least 3 or 4 where Penny and her job are, if not the focus, are certainly part of the storyline or, at the very least are mentioned in some way.  Speaking only for myself I don't watch this show to see workplace humour, there are other shows that do that. 

Edited January 11, 2015 by CherryAmes

[Chit Chat]

Speaking only for myself I don't watch this show to see workplace humour, there are other shows that do that.

 

I don't necessarily need to see her in the actual workplace.  Maybe just a mention here and there by Bernadette such as "Wow!  She caught on quickly and is a great salesperson!"  Something along those lines just so I can see that Penny is happy with her job and is having more success than with her acting pursuits. 

[SmithW6079]

I don't necessarily need to see her in the actual workplace.  Maybe just a mention here and there by Bernadette such as "Wow!  She caught on quickly and is a great salesperson!"  Something along those lines just so I can see that Penny is happy with her job and is having more success than with her acting pursuits.

 

In the episode where Bernadette realizes everyone thinks she's a bitch, we're told that Penny has become one of the top 3 pharma reps.

[Pippin]

Colour me totally underwhelmed.  This felt like bits and pieces of several storylines tossed into a blender and belched out again and forced into an episode.

 

It would have been nice to have Raj's spirituality brought up before now.  As I personally have no trouble having spiritual beliefs and accepting science, I would have been pleased to see a representative of that mindset on the show.  But the whole conversation seemed arbitrarily shoehorned in, and went nowhere.

 

Sheldon -- since you're aware you're being "difficult" (translation: an asshole) why don't you make an effort to be less "difficult" (translation: less of an asshole).  THAT would be a compromise.

 

My Sheldon despising doth not grow any less with his confession.  When I see Sheldon attempting to behave like a grown-up person who occasionally thinks about other people, it might.  It would start with him getting off Penny's couch.

 

Leonard -- maybe you are being empathic.  Or maybe you're being an enabler.  It would start by kicking Sheldon off Penny's couch.  Some food for thought, perhaps?

[Calamity Jane]

It makes me sad to remember how happy I was that this show was renewed for three (right?) years.  Now I'm just wondering how awful it will get before the end....

 

Also, just rewatched the original M*A*S*H* and was quite startled at how much Radar's whole persona reminded me of Leonard, right down to mannerisms.  Very weird!  

[Chit Chat]

In the episode where Bernadette realizes everyone thinks she's a bitch, we're told that Penny has become one of the top 3 pharma reps.

 

Thanks!  I will try to pay closer attention in future episodes!  It is nice to see Penny dressing a little nicer.  Seemed like they were making her quite the slob for a while. As I've said many times, I just wanted to see her succeed at something, so I'm happy that she's taking this job seriously and appears to be more confident and upbeat. 

[Miss Scarlet]

Haven't we already covered the whole "Leonard and Sheldon fight about what a pain Sheldon is" to death?

 

So Penny and Leonard are really end-game material. I've known this for the whole show, but have been in denial since they're such an awful couple. I get that TPTB are really into having a mismatched pairing of the nerd wit the hot girl, but they need to write them a hell of a lot better than they have been. I actually think they're one of the worst couples I've seen on TV.

[Actionmage]

I missed this the first time and tried to watch  it all tonight. I couldn't.

 

I still can't get over that the only reason Leonard hasn't moved in with Penny is Sheldon.

 

I know--Stewart can move into Sheldon and Leonard's apartment (because why let Amy have a moment of happiness twice in two weeks) and Leonard can move into Penny's.  Or even they can rent the floor below or above and keep their space, but treat the situation as the floor is a suite for them, if Penny is still a bit phobic about having her fiancé move in with her.

 

How old are these folks supposed to be? 

[LoneHaranguer]

 

How old are these folks supposed to be?

It's late enough in the season that I expect Penny is 29 now. It's somewhere around Leonard's 34th birthday. I'm fairly sure Sheldon is in his early 30's too, but don't have an exact number.

[CherryAmes]

The only one's whose ages I can remember being specifically addressed are Penny (aged 22 in the first episode) and Howard (aged 27 in at least a few episodes around the 2nd or 3rd season).  We aren't ever given any reason to believe anyone is significantly older than that so I've always assumed the guys are all around that same age with Penny the "baby" of the group.  Mid-30s sounds about right for all the guys and possibly Amy as well while I think Bernadette is probably closer to Penny's age. 

[LoneHaranguer]

 

The only one's whose ages I can remember being specifically addressed are Penny (aged 22 in the first episode)

In the first episode Penny says she's a Sagittarius but doesn't mention her age. She tells Sheldon she's 22 in The Barbarian Sublimation in the second season, so she would have been 21 when she moved in.

[CherryAmes]

I could have sworn she said she was 22!  Anyway I guess it's just that pilots often diverge from the way the show goes afterwards but in the pilot she definitely tells the guys that she had been living with her boyfriend for 4 years, which if she's only 21 at that point doesn't make any sense.  She would have only been 17 when she moved to LA if that's true and we do know she graduated from high school (it took her 4 whole years) so somewhere the math is wonky!

[LoneHaranguer]

It's not unusual to graduate from high school at 17. Has anything been said to rule out the possibility she moved in with Kurt in Nebraska before she graduated, and they moved to California together?

[CherryAmes]

I don't think anything was ever said that really confirms she actually lived with Kurt for 4 years in the first place!  There are numerous references to Penny's wild and varied sex life which doesn't really jibe with her having lived with someone for what had to be the entire time she lived in California prior to moving in across the hall from the guys.  Sure she had her share of boyfriends before and between her relationship(s) with Leonard but nothing that would account for some of the supposed encounters she was supposed to have had over the years.  If most of her wild running around was in high school they certainly never made that clear!  It's just another example of not really giving any thought to a character's back story and just making stuff up for the sake of a joke in any given episode.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I don't think anything was ever said that really confirms she actually lived with Kurt for 4 years in the first place!

The time period of four years seemed pretty emphatic, but she may have meant "lived with" more in the sense of him being in her life/putting up with, rather than living in the same apartment for that whole period. That means it could have been an off-again on-again relationship like she's had with Leonard, during which she saw other guys, with the four years being from when she first got together with Kurt.