S08.E15: The Comic Book Store Regeneration

[zxy556575]

I forgot all about the subplots with Nathan Fillion, and Amy helping Kwipke. Amy is such a better scientist than any of the guys or Bernadette.

 

On a lighter note, it's so funny to get glimpses into Amy & Sheldon's weird little world:  giving people puzzles to solve; their flag show.  I like it when they have these "behind the scenes" kind of stories.

 

Those scenes of theirs are great. One of their first interactions was them playing Counterfactuals ("Devastated, the Danes never invent their namesake pastry.") This time was similar to when they were plotting to spread gossip: "Then we'll track its progress through our social group and interpret the results through the competing academic prisms of mimetic theory, algebraic gossip and epidemiology." I'd forgotten about foods tasting "moth-y"! Leonard is so trusting/gullible.

 

Now you mention it, we never have heard where Stuart's family is. Didn't we only recently find out his last name is Bloom?

 

Howard and his mom's over-closeness reminded me of of Ray and Marie Barone.

[DrSpaceman]

It was sad at the end, thought it was a pretty mediocre episode other than that though.

The two other storylines just struck me as pretty weak, especially when they seem like rehashed versions of things this show has done before.

It had its moments, but pretty Meh to me overall.

I did like Penny at the end stating "I thought he was going to say let it go"

[anna0852]

I don't find Howard's issues about the relationship between Debbie and Stuart to be strange. Howard has pretty much spent his entire adult life looking after his mother. They might have yelled at each other the whole time but he was the one driving her around, making sure she took medication, keeping her entertained and pretty much staying at her beck-and-call. Yes, there was a large element of 'mamas boy' to the whole thing but he was there.

 

And within a few weeks, Stuart has displaced him.

 

Of course he's ticked, I'd be ticked too.

[needschocolate]

My recording cut off before the very end - what was Chuck Lorre's message at the end (the white screen that I usually ignore)?

[CherryAmes]

All round good episode.  As an aside I thought it was a nice touch that the furniture from Howard's mom's family room looked worn and dated.  I liked all the stories but the Nathan Fillion one was especially funny to me - I can imagine how often a celebrity must lie about who they are in order to grab 5 minutes of anonymity in a public place and of course I think it makes sense that we think someone is "someone" but then keep second guessing ourselves. 

[CleoCaesar]

A very strong episode thanks to the touching, and unexpected, end. Odd that they didn't have a "In Loving Memory" card at the end.

 

A part of me is also glad that they can finally stop it with the vicious fat jokes.

[buffynut]

Look carefully at Sheldon and Leonard's refrigerator during the toast scene at the end and you will see a tiny photo of Carol Ann Susi.

 

I missed it when I watched it on tv, so went and watched the end online, and you're right - just a tiny photo that you would only see if you were looking for it.  Thanks for mentioning it.

 

My recording cut off before the very end - what was Chuck Lorre's message at the end (the white screen that I usually ignore)?

 

Also read this on the online. It was something about Chuck Lorre getting his 2nd grade report card and that he was a clown and when he showed his father, he hugged him and then they watched The Honeymooners on tv. 

 

Edit to add:  here's a link to the complete thing:   http://www.chucklorre.com/index-bbt.php?p=490

 

Edited February 21, 2015 by buffynut

[shapeshifter]

...I did like Penny at the end stating "I thought he was going to say let it go"

I hated it. I couldn't tell if Penny/Kaley was laughing or crying, and I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be sad or funny, and I was sobbing.

[sinkwriter]

I saw it as both. Kind of like that moment in Steel Magnolias, when Sally Field's character is weeping and angry at the loss of her daughter, saying how she just wants to hit something really hard, and in the midst of it one of her friends grabs another of their friends and shoves her in front of Sally and says, "Here! Hit her! Knock her lights out!" And in the moment, it's shocking and inappropriate, but also really funny, and exactly what Sally's character needed. To laugh through her tears for a moment. As the friend said to Sally's character, "Things were getting entirely too serious. We needed to laugh." I love that.

[theatremouse]

Could have been clever for the show to actually plant a couple of Amy's puzzle scenes with Penny throughout this season.  Then recap them in this episode for the storyline.   Would've made a powerful moment, as though Amy even fooled the audience.

True, but would have required that they think of this plot point in advance of the week they wrote this episode and/or go back to already written episodes and insert it, and therefore, very unlikely.

[CherryAmes]

Could have been clever for the show to actually plant a couple of Amy's puzzle scenes with Penny throughout this season.  Then recap them in this episode for the storyline.   Would've made a powerful moment, as though Amy even fooled the audience.

 

Well if they had done that I can only imagine what some of us would have had to say about "why the heck are they having these pointless moments with Penny and Amy the writers have really lost the plot now" :).

[Chit Chat]

This was a real shark-jump moment; the show will never be as good.

 

Respectfully, I disagree.  Even if Carol Ann Susi hadn't passed away, I think her role would've gradually diminished.  I don't think they could've continued on long term with Stuart living in her house.  I think her character would've naturally faded to the background, much like Laurie Metcalf's did.  There are still many, many stories left to told with this group!

 

Having said that, RIP Carol Ann Susi.  You will be missed.  No other voice could compare to yours, and like Sheldon said after Leonard offered to yell at him, "it wouldn't be the same." 

 

To sinkwriter, that scene from Steel Magnolias is one of my favorites too!  Thanks for quoting it.

Edited February 22, 2015 by ChitChat

[needschocolate]

Kind of like that moment in Steel Magnolias, when Sally Field's character is weeping and angry at the loss of her daughter, saying how she just wants to hit something really hard, and in the midst of it one of her friends grabs another of their friends and shoves her in front of Sally and says, "Here! Hit her! Knock her lights out!" And in the moment, it's shocking and inappropriate, but also really funny, and exactly what Sally's character needed. To laugh through her tears for a moment. As the friend said to Sally's character, "Things were getting entirely too serious. We needed to laugh." I love that.

 

OT - So many women I know will refer to Steel Magnolias that I have come to realize that Steel Magnolias is to women what The Godfather is to men - the movie that gets quoted, the movie somehow relates to so many moments in real lives, the movie that provides lessons in how to deal with events.  

 

I need to watch Steel Magnolias again.  

[wendyg]

Lordonia: that particular line from Counterfactuals (which is otherwise brilliant) drives me *nuts*. Danish pastry did not originate in Denmark. There, it's called "Wienerbrod", literally "Vienna bread". It was a *Viennese* pastry that was imported when out-of-work bakers there came north looking for work. Sheldon would absolutely know something like that, so every time I've seen that bit I wince because it's so obviously the *writers'* ignorance showing through.

[jjj]

I'm disappointed they didn't continue the character.  I wish they'd found another actress to voice her. 

They could have used the Bernadette voice -- sometimes, off-screen it really was hard to tell her from Howard's mother.  But I'm glad they decided to honor Carol Ann Suzi by retiring the character.  I did not know this was coming, but as soon as I heard Howard take a call from his mother, who has not been present in the recent episodes, I thought, oh, no, this will be her last show.  I'd bet they have a end-of-show picture and farewell in the next episode.

 

Where on the refrigerator was her picture?  I saw a dark sheet in the center, about 8 1/2 by 11 inches -- but was there something else?  Everyone is saying "small" -- do you mean wallet-size? 

[SmithW6079]

Where on the refrigerator was her picture? I saw a dark sheet in the center, about 8 1/2 by 11 inches -- but was there something else? Everyone is saying "small" -- do you mean wallet-size?

Yes, I think it was that small, and off to the right as you faced the refrigerator.

[buffynut]

If you Google Carol Ann Susi and fridge, you'll find several articles that mention the picture, which they had a prop person find and put on the fridge the morning she passed away.

http://www.inquisitr.com/1858204/how-carol-ann-susi-has-been-in-every-big-bang-theory-episode-since-she-died/

http://www.glamour.com/entertainment/blogs/obsessed/2015/02/big-bang-theory-wolowitz-tribute

[WickedTuna]

I feel evil but for another part of the show. I didn't buy Howard's reaction when he got off the phone with his aunt. I don't think the writers went the right way. I think Howard would have at least teared up and stammered a little. It's like Howard and Bernadette's emotions should have been switched. I guess I'm selfish but I wanted them to find someone else to do Mrs. Wolowitz. I liked Howard and his mother together and loved her with Stuart.

I floved the puzzle part. The flashbacks were hilarious. I did feel sorry for Penny but loved that she beat all but one of the monkeys and got the banana out of the box when Leonard couldn't. It was almost as good as her beating him at chess.

I don't remember Nathan Fillion being so, well, so fat. He really looked bloated to me. I wonder if he would have been pissy like that IRL.

[ub40fan]

I just hope we get to see more of Stuart. I really like the character and I loved when he was taking care of Mrs. Wolowitz. He felt needed and he reveled ( is that the word I want?) in it. I could relate to that.

[sinkwriter]

 

I just hope we get to see more of Stuart. I really like the character and I loved when he was taking care of Mrs. Wolowitz. He felt needed and he reveled ( is that the word I want?) in it. I could relate to that.

 

I agree. I really enjoyed seeing him find something that made him happy. I don't want him to go back to hating himself or his life, now that he's reopening the comic book store. I hope his friendship with Mrs. Wolowitz has given him new energy.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I did feel sorry for Penny but loved that she beat all but one of the monkeys and got the banana out of the box when Leonard couldn't.

I guess that means if Amy lost the bet, it was Leonard's fault.

[Chit Chat]

I didn't buy Howard's reaction when he got off the phone with his aunt

 

I thought about this too, but then I remembered that Howard had a similar reaction when he got the call that there was an accident at Bernie's lab and she was in isolation.  Granted, she didn't die, but he didn't know how serious the situation was at that moment.  Everybody handles these types of situations differently, so I can see it being in Howard's character not to get over emotional at that moment.  It will probably catch up with him at some point though.

[sinkwriter]

I think sometimes the person getting the bad news is too shocked to react. You just find yourself feeling completely blank, like "Is this really happening?" I didn't mind his reaction at all. I imagine that no matter how many jokes the show has made about her weight and health, her son never believed he'd be getting such a phone call about her, not yet.

[anna0852]

I thought Howard looked like he was tearing up when he and Bernadette were hugging. And I totally buy that sort of blank shock beforehand. It was the same reaction I had when a good friends's father died out of the blue. I'd just seen them the night before and his death came out of nowhere. 

[John Potts]

I really like this - I realise it's a case of "Real Life Writes the Plot" but it struck me as true to life - all the petty shit suddenly gets dropped when a real disaster happens. Sure, Howard was the one throwing out most of the insults toward his mother, but I never got the impression he didn't (at heart) love her, (I was also slightly surprised we didn't get another "In Memoriam" card at the end, but obviously we need those Promos!

 

Everything else - kind of meh. You'd've thought they'd ask Nathan Fillion to turn up to the Comic Book opening (even if he said no, you could still ask!)