S09.E14: The Meemaw Materialization

[vibeology]

I am not familiar with the actress who is Meemaw. Is she famous for something?

 

Yes. June Squibb is famous. She's not Betty White levels of famous, but June Squibb has been working in theatre since the 1950s. She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar just in 2013 for her role in Nebraska. She has been in Scene of a Woman, In & Out, Meet Joe Black and About Schmidt among other movies. She was a part of the original production of Gypsy on Broadway. She's a well respected working actor.

[3 is enough]

Count me in as being disappointed in the Meemaw episode.  Nothing against the actress-she did what she could with the lines they gave her, but it was just so...anticlimactic.  And the ending was very abrupt, almost like something was cut off..  No reaction about Sheldon losing his virginity to Amy?  Meemaw's expression did not change a bit.

 

I suspect they shaved a couple of minutes off because of the Superbowl hype segments.

 

No one mentioned this, but did anyone else notice that Howard and Bernadette's kitchen was renovated?  I guess she won...

Edited February 5, 2016 by 3 is enough

[smilestar]

My DVR cut off before the 30 second bit at the end.  Could anyone tell me what happened? Thanks!

[3 is enough]

Raj and Claire are at the comic book store discussing her screenplay.  Raj drifts off into a daydream.  A little boy is sitting on his lap and he says, "And that's how Mommy and Daddy met!"  Cut to Claire with a baby in her arms.  She asks Raj if he ever told Emily about them, and he gets exasperated and says "I will!"

Edited February 5, 2016 by 3 is enough

[Zoe]

Also, Meemaw did not react to that same statement which I'd think she would.... given Shelly's mom's Bible thumping.

Didn't he say at one point that she's a born again Christian?

[Homily]

Sheldon definitely says at one point that his mother dove into religion because her marriage was disintegrating around her - that may have been when he talked about his father going out with a bottle blond barmaid who tried to buy his love with action figures.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

Leonard did not react to Sheldon blurting out about his virginity being lost. Does Lenny or any of the dudes know Sheldon had sex?

I think it's safe to presume that Amy would have talked to Penny and Penny would have told Leonard.

 

 

Yes. June Squibb is famous. She's not Betty White levels of famous, but June Squibb has been working in theatre since the 1950s.

I'm not sure famous is the right word since theatre is below the radar of most people. From the looks of her IMDB filmography, she's one of those actors you see everywhere, but probably don't know their name. On TV, her greatest visibility seems to have been The Young and the Restless in 2008-9.

[ari333]

We know that Penny and Bernie knew about the coitus. It wasn't clear to me if the guys knew.

[TheOtherOne]

The guys know about the coitus. In the last episode, when discussing taking some time off from Sheldon, Howard notes that Amy took time off from Sheldon and it improved their relationship. Raj's reply: "As long as it doesn't end with us having coitus with him, I'm in."

[hnygrl]

That Kitchen remodel though...KILLER. That kitchen was enviably awesomely beautiful. Can't wait to see the rest of the house.

 

Other than that this episode was a bust and I hated seeing Raj (whom I admittedly have a crush on) so insecure. I think his immaturity stems from that "I'm totally unlovable and I can't believe someone this beautiful would even speak to me" syndrome. I really hope that give Kunal enough air time soon to address this, and if the the new girl (man, beautiful, smart, AND into comics? Perfect woman) is the one who will drag it out of him swell. Let's keep her.

 

But. I would love to see EMILY dump RAJ because he's so insecure and immature and all that. It would open the lines of communication for Raj's growth. When the other girl dumped him he finally got over his fear of speaking to women. Maybe if the  first girl to tell him she loved him dumps him he'll finally grow up. Raj is quite the catch all the way around if only he'd SEE it. He's smart, rich, funny, sensitive, giving, loving, etc. and any woman would be glad to have him (he gets a huge allowance from BOTH parents since they split up, so yeah, still Richie Rich-Rich.)

 

I didn't like this episode. Didn't really DISlike it either. It was one of those episodes that could've been so much more if they didn't have to pay the principles soooooo much money per epi they had to sell out damn near half the show time with commercials. Hard to get any good momentum going in 20 minutes or less...

[LaChavalina]

But. I would love to see EMILY dump RAJ because he's so insecure and immature and all that. It would open the lines of communication for Raj's growth. When the other girl dumped him he finally got over his fear of speaking to women. Maybe if the  first girl to tell him she loved him dumps him he'll finally grow up. Raj is quite the catch all the way around if only he'd SEE it. He's smart, rich, funny, sensitive, giving, loving, etc. and any woman would be glad to have him (he gets a huge allowance from BOTH parents since they split up, so yeah, still Richie Rich-Rich.)

 

I think breaking up with a girl would be personal growth for Raj... at least in the minds of the showrunners. I was just on a flight earlier today watching an episode of TBBT from two seasons ago where Sheldon points out to Raj that he thinks every woman he's dated is his soulmate. Last season Raj wanted to break up with Emily but chickened out because he doesn't want to be alone. I don't think Emily or this new girl is the one for Raj, but it would be a nice change of pace to see him with options.

[theatremouse]

Amy's reaction to the ring blurt didn't ring true to me, which is unusual because I usually live for Mayim's subtlety. Although in this case I do sort of blame the writing more than her. She had to react in a way that made sense with the text. Still, I hope this goes somewhere more interesting because what I think could have been a fascinating facial expression is not just Amy realizing he had a ring, but Amy realizing he already had a ring before she broke up wit him. It colors all sorts of interactions differently with her knowing that after the fact. Could've been so much more nuanced than just smiley-eager-ooh-a-ring-when-ya-gonna-propose.

Edited February 6, 2016 by theatremouse

[Mom x 3]

My alternate casting pick for Meemaw is Georgia Engel.  She would have been able to pull off rude/hostile to Amy in a sweet and nice way

Okay, that is inspired.  I wish this had happened.  

[babyhouseman]

My aunt went overly religious while my grandparents, her parents, weren't as religious. So it's possible Sheldon's mother can be much more religious than her mother. 

 

I just wished Meemaw had more Southern flair. 

[Eri]

My aunt went overly religious while my grandparents, her parents, weren't as religious. So it's possible Sheldon's mother can be much more religious than her mother.

 

I just wished Meemaw had more Southern flair. 

 

Times like this I miss Rue McClanahan. Nothing would shake Sheldon more than having a grandmother whose had her fair share of gentleman callers back in the day ;)

 

[P3pp3rb1rd]

 

The writers this season just seem "off" and are forgetting a lot of stuff from previous episodes.

 

Yes I think the show has 'way overpaid actors [looking at you, Miz Phone-It-In Penny] and too many commercials, among other flaws (for example, the constant strung-together references to sci-fi games, movies, and comics that now are so numerous as to undermine the characters' brilliant educated minds. They now seem like pre-teens living a grown-up fantasy in their careers).

 

And the Show ruined Meemaw, turning in lazy, unresearched writing that was hyped to be much more entertaining. IMO they also ignored continuity by avoiding a single mention by Meemaw that Sheldon is a TWIN. Sheldon has a twin sister, so one has to wonder: what kind of Grandma would be so adoring of one twin and not even mention the other, or compare the two?

 

Lazy, lazy writers.

Edited February 6, 2016 by P3pp3rb1rd

[Winston Wolfe]

 

One of the things I used to love about this show was the guest stars. They used to nail it everytime. Even small parts like police, nurses, co-workers, were written so well and played perfectly. That's why I tuned in tonight. Such a disappointment. Meemaw was a letdown. Everyone in this show now just seems to be going through the paces and in it for the money. No investment on their part. So sad.

In an odd twist, the comments on this board are more entertaining than the episode itself.  Brilliant casting ideas about Meemaw.  Polly Holliday could have killed, Dolly Parton, Doris Roberts, maybe even Rosanne. The late Rue McClanahan would have been a slam-dunk.  Might have been interesting to see what Celia Weston could have done with the role.  I also think Shirley Knight (As Good as It Gets) could have nailed the part too.  There were so many better choices out there...

 

Anyways, ITA, the casting on this show used to be so great, now its hit-or miss.  Seems like the best new characters, like to one played by Michael Rappaport, or Yvette the Vet, are one-shot and we never see them again.  That being said, I do like Claire.  Seems like the producers are reading the boards or have themselves decided that the Emily character just isn't working out.  We may see more chem tests with Raj and different actresses down the road.

 

I'm surprised they didn't cast Georgia Engel as Bernadette's mom.  Just seems like such a logical choice.

 

Also hard to believe the guys know about the Shamy sex.  I would think they'd be giving Shelly some pretty intense on-screen razzing about it.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Winston Wolfe

[SmithW6079]

Also hard to believe the guys know about the [sheldon and Amy] sex. I would think they'd be giving Shelly some pretty intense on-screen razzing about it.

Or they might be as grossed out as I was thinking about Sheldon having sex.

[Chit Chat]

Also hard to believe the guys know about the Shamy sex.  I would think they'd be giving Shelly some pretty intense on-screen razzing about it.

 

I'm glad they didn't write it that way.  Maybe this comes from the time the group was playing that game and they embarrassed Amy & Sheldon by trying to force them to be somewhat intimate in front of the group.   I'm glad they didn't get juvenile about it with Sheldon.    Having said that, I don't mind a little but of that razzing between Howard, Raj & Leonard!   

 

I was disappointed in how they wrote MeeMaw's character.   I really didn't like that she was so mean to Amy.  I don't think that was necessary.  There were so many different ways to make MeeMaw's visit great, but that was a let down, IMO.    I know they can't please all of the viewers, but it looks like the general consensus isn't good.  

[theatremouse]

IMO they also ignored continuity by avoiding a single mention by Meemaw that Sheldon is a TWIN. Sheldon has a twin sister, so one has to wonder: what kind of Grandma would be so adoring of one twin and not even mention the other, or compare the two?

I don't think this is a definite continuity error. Meemaw didn't say anything that clearly indicated Sheldon had no siblings (he has a twin sister and an older brother). She just didn't mention her other grandchildren. Sure, if Meemaw had been anecdoting up the joint, it would've been fine if she mentioned something about little Shelly that also involved one or the other of his siblings, but her not mentioning them doesn't mean the writers forgot. Missy's not there. Sheldon is. So she didn't mention Missy. Not a big deal to me. Plus the episode is so short, it's not like we got documentary footage of a weekend long visit (or however long). We saw 18 minutes, some of which involved Raj's shenanigans. Meemaw mentioning characters who are not present and not relevant to the current plot just for the sake of mentioning them would be bad writing. For the needs of this plot, Meemaw mentioned Sheldon and her husband, and I think that was adequate. Edited February 6, 2016 by theatremouse

[ari333]

18 minutes on what is a 30 minute slot. That just annoys me so much. I know they need commercials, but come on...this is ridiculous.

[CleoCaesar]

They now seem like pre-teens living a grown-up fantasy in their careers).

 

They've seemed that way to me since the pilot. The only way I read these characters as "intelligent" is because of their jobs (theoretical physicist, engineer, astronaut). Take their jobs away and they're just manchildren playing with action figures.

[Homily]

For the needs of this plot, Meemaw mentioned Sheldon and her husband, and I think that was adequate.

 

Exactly.  For that matter it's the rare episode now where Sheldon's mother or Leonard's mother talk about their other children.  It came up in earlier episodes but not so much anymore, which is fine. 

 

I really didn't like that she was so mean to Amy.  I don't think that was necessary.

 

Fits in with the way they had Leonard's mother be so nasty about Penny when he told her they were engaged.  It made no sense because the times we saw her interact with Penny she seemed to like her (well as much as she likes anyone) and they actually bonded a bit in at least one episode.  But then it was like that never happened.  I guess the writers think it's funnier to have people being mean to each other and being needlessly nasty.

[needschocolate]

In an odd twist, the comments on this board are more entertaining than the episode itself.  Brilliant casting ideas about Meemaw.  Polly Holliday could have killed, Dolly Parton, Doris Roberts, maybe even Rosanne. The late Rue McClanahan would have been a slam-dunk.  Might have been interesting to see what Celia Weston could have done with the role.  I also think Shirley Knight (As Good as It Gets) could have nailed the part too.  There were so many better choices out there...

 

[snip]

 

I'm surprised they didn't cast Georgia Engel as Bernadette's mom.  Just seems like such a logical choice.

 

Also hard to believe the guys know about the Shamy sex.  I would think they'd be giving Shelly some pretty intense on-screen razzing about it.

 

Seems to me that they casted the character of Meemaw on looks more than anything else. She has that sweet little Mrs. Claus look.  I bet they thought that having a sweet looking little old lady tell Amy off would be hilarious. I think all of the actresses listed above would have been great as Meemaw but none of them would seem right playing Mrs. Claus, and they may not have been considered because of it.  

 

I think the whole joke of sweet little grandma telling someone off would have been better (though not any more original - it's been done many times before) if they would have devoted more time to showing us the sweet side to Meemaw. Have her dote on her little Moon Pie adn be sugary sweet and adorable when Sheldon is around, and have her real opinions come out when he isn't.  Of course, they don't have time to do that because they need to have 40% of their time slot devoted to commercials.  

 

If they are going to continue to have so many commercials, then I say it is time for them to be "revolutionary" and get rid the B plot.  Just have one story line per episode, but do it well.  And shorten the opening - we all have the song memorized anyway.  But, don't get rid of that shot of the universe they have when they come back from commercial (and when they switch scenes) - it helps me know when to stop fast-forwarding.

 

I'm glad they didn't write it that way.  Maybe this comes from the time the group was playing that game and they embarrassed Amy & Sheldon by trying to force them to be somewhat intimate in front of the group.   I'm glad they didn't get juvenile about it with Sheldon.    Having said that, I don't mind a little but of that razzing between Howard, Raj & Leonard!   

 

 

I can easily imagine Penny and Bernie telling their husbands about the Shamy sex and then telling them "If you say anything to Sheldon, he may never have sex with Amy again, and, if that happens, I will never have sex with you again!"  Would have only taken 15 seconds to have this scene, but that's half a commercial.

[Homily]

On the subject of Sheldon and Amy having sex I'm glad they didn't have it be a big deal with the other members of the group.  In an early episode when Sheldon and Amy are trying to spread gossip they have Leonard, believing that Sheldon and Amy have had sex make some pretty inappropriate comments "you dog you" being the least of them.  These are 30 somethings and it's a sign that they are letting the characters grow up, at least a little bit, that they avoided replaying this kind of conversation when the Shamy really did "have coitus" as Sheldon would say.

[Chit Chat]

I can easily imagine Penny and Bernie telling their husbands about the Shamy sex and then telling them "If you say anything to Sheldon, he may never have sex with Amy again, and, if that happens, I will never have sex with you again!"  Would have only taken 15 seconds to have this scene, but that's half a commercial.

That's brilliant, needschocolate!   I like it!

[CherryAmes]

Ah, I loved it! Meemaw was perfect, and Sheldon standing up for Amy was amazing!

 

And is Raj going to get a new girlfriend? I like this one!

I loved Meemaw too!  Loved that she got Sheldon's seat on the sofa and that he served her a whiskey just the way she likes it  "a lot, in a glass" :).  It also made perfect sense to me that she was so protective of her Moonpie.  My grandparents if informed that I'd set fire to an orphanage, on Christmas Eve ( a nod to Everybody Loves Raymond here) would immediately have told everyone that I must have had a good reason!

 

I liked the new girl too and especially that she wasn't trying to pick up Raj. 

Edited February 7, 2016 by CherryAmes

[CherryAmes]

It's not hard to pull off a reasonable fake southern accent, even if you've never lived south of the Mason Dixon line. Did they not tell the actress her backstory?

 

We're told in an earlier episode that Meemaw is from Oklahoma.  I don't know if we're ever told how long she has lived in Texas.  Considering Sheldon and his mother don't have strong accents (even though Parsons is actually from Texas) I can see that they didn't think she needed to affect a Southern accent.

Edited February 7, 2016 by CherryAmes

[P3pp3rb1rd]

 

We're told in an earlier episode that Meemaw is from Oklahoma.  I don't know if we're ever told how long she has lived in Texas.  Considering Sheldon and his mother don't have strong accents (even though Parsons is actually from Texas) I can see that they didn't think she needed to affect a Southern accent.

 

Whoo dogies! Those Oklahomans have got some pretty good Southern accents too! Check out Reba MCEntire! Or The Pioneer Woman cooking show.

 

Any yes Sheldon has a perfect East Houston/East Texas drawl that is light but always present. I lived for years in Houston, and I recognize it.

 

Ps. CherryAmes, I love the Cherry Ames books, and grew up on 'em.

Edited February 7, 2016 by P3pp3rb1rd

[CherryAmes]

Any yes Sheldon has a perfect East Houston/East Texas drawl that is light but always present. I lived for years in Houston, and I recognize it.

 

I live in Canada and to me Sheldon sounds pretty much like every one else on the show.  He uses expressions sometimes that indicate the writers are highlighting his Texan background but otherwise the only cast member with an accent to this undiscerning viewer is Raj (and the late Mrs Wolowitz who always sounded incredibly New York even though she was supposed to have lived at least all of Howard's life in Southern California).  I suspect if you come from a specific area of the country or are very familiar with it things like this would rankle a bit but the typical viewer just isn't going to notice or care.

 

CherryAmes, I love the Cherry Ames books, and grew up on 'em.

 

I inherited a bunch of the older ones from my mother and then between my mother and my grandmother got the whole series ( well the whole series up to the point where I outgrew them anyway).  I loved Nancy Drew too but always had a preference for Cherry Ames :).

Edited February 7, 2016 by CherryAmes

[Calamity Jane]

We're told in an earlier episode that Meemaw is from Oklahoma.  I don't know if we're ever told how long she has lived in Texas.  Considering Sheldon and his mother don't have strong accents (even though Parsons is actually from Texas) I can see that they didn't think she needed to affect a Southern accent.

People from Oklahoma (can) have a considerable Western twang, not that different from Texas, really.  Sheldon has been out of Texas for decades, apparently, and his mom does have a Texas twang.  Meemaw just straight up didn't.  I don't object to what they had her say or do, I just don't think she had the je ne sais quoi to pull it off in a way that entertained me, the way so many of the actresses mentioned above could have.  I still believe it was a mistake to introduce her at this late stage anyway. 

[Homily]

I liked the new girl too and especially that she wasn't trying to pick up Raj.

 

Apparently she will be in the next episode but it doesn't sound like she's going to be a recurring character. Too bad if so as I thought she was very good and I like the idea of finally have a female character  who is into comics and some of the other supposed "guy" stuff stick around for awhile.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Homily

[aemom]

Add me to the chorus of people disappointed with Meemaw. I was really hoping for Carol Burnett. She would have killed it.

[Meushell]

At first, I forgot Raj had a girlfriend, so I thought Howard's reaction to Raj's flirting was being weirdly jealous.

The managed to ruin Meemaw. Aside from the Amy bit, I liked her, but she was too rude to Amy to be liked. If she had issues, she needed to take it up with Sheldon, not send him away so that she can play bully.

Never liked the engagement ring. Its introduction seemed to be a way to gain audience sympathy for Sheldon. Now it seemed to be a way for Amy to pressure Sheldon to move forward. They seemed to (finally!) to be in a healthy relationship. No constant pressures from one side. No assholeness from the other. Sheldon seems to have grown, but it looks like they are putting Amy back into the "needs more than she's getting" camp. I mean, if she's unhappy about it, that's not the fault of either her nor Sheldon, but it doesn't make for a healthy relationship either.

[ari333]

Oh Lord Carol Burnett could have nailed it with the Eunice accent and all. Or Vicki Lawrence. Holy crap what if Eunice were Meemaw? heh I thought the plot had hilarity written all over it and then boom, it fell short for me.

 

I want Raj to have a gf, but this one didn't wow me at all. It's weird. I loved Amy and Bernie immediately  from the start. I cant get on board with any of Raj's dates/gfs so far, except I did like the vet lady. So of course that didn't last.

Edited February 8, 2016 by ari333

[The Kings Foot]

Raj needs to have his internal dialogue.  Howard got his with Starbuck and Sulu. Sheldon has his with Bob Newheart.  Raj is still the same guy that drove off Lalita Gupta into the arms of Sheldon. And then he did  the weird thing of cringing on Bernadette. Something has to happen to Raj and getting another hot GF isnt it. 

[SmithW6079]

Something has to happen to Raj and getting another hot GF isnt it. 

He needs to go back to India and off the show.

[Catlyn]

I don't know. I was kind of disappointed in MeeMaw. She looked like a MeeMaw, but I missed the accent and something was off. I guess I imagined her more like Vicki Lawrence's character in "Mama's Family"  sweet and sugary to those on her good list, but snippy and mean to those who weren't. Especially since we met Sheldon's mother. She has a strong streak, and she's nicer than Mama, but you'd have to be to have both a difficult son and father. Her husband sounds like he was also.  

 

I do think Raj has more chemistry with the new girl than Emily.

[ari333]

He needs to go back to India and off the show.

 

Awwww.. I like Raj.

[needschocolate]

People from Oklahoma (can) have a considerable Western twang, not that different from Texas, really.  Sheldon has been out of Texas for decades, apparently, and his mom does have a Texas twang.  Meemaw just straight up didn't.  I don't object to what they had her say or do, I just don't think she had the je ne sais quoi to pull it off in a way that entertained me, the way so many of the actresses mentioned above could have.  I still believe it was a mistake to introduce her at this late stage anyway. 

 

Me too.  What are they going to do next, have a flashback where we get to see Howard's mom? And given the casting of Meemaw, Howard's mom would probably be played by John Goodman in drag.  

Edited February 9, 2016 by needschocolate

[shapeshifter]

Awwww.. I like Raj.

Sometimes I like him and sometimes he's awful, but that's why I do like the character. He's probably the most complex and realistic of the bunch.

[CherryAmes]

I liked Meemaw but I agree with those who are saying enough already with the random family members showing up.  I really miss the interplay that used to happen when Raj's parents would be on Skype.  That was a brilliant way to keep the parents involved without having to come up with reasons for them to travel all the way to California for 18 minutes :).

[indeed]

I'd still like to see Sheldon's brother on the show. I didn't mind Meemaw so much, but didn't think we'd ever get to see her on the show.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

 

 

Meemaw was too generic; she needed a LOT more Southern or East Texas flavoring like Sheldon or his Mom. She seemed like a Yankee! Where was the deep Southern Baptist or Evangelical mode in Meemaw?

Could they NOT have gotten somebody with a twang? A Texas twang or an Oklahoma twang? She's not a grandmother, she's a MEE MAW. Totally different if you've lived in the South. And that woman did not say "Bless Your Heart" once! I thought MeeMaw would have been one of those stereotypical passive aggressive older Southern ladies - you know "His teeth are so buck he could eat corn through a picket fence, bless his heart". And no Southern-isms? No offers to make biscuits and gravy? My dream MeeMaw from the git go would have been Polly Holliday or even Kathy Bates who could play a mean Southern Meemaw. or Vicki Lawrence! (think Mama from Mama's Family - now there's a Meemaw type) 

 

Having lived in Alabama for years and now living in South Florida - all the New Yawkers like Howard's mom STILL sound like New Yawkers. 

[AnnaRose]

I lived in the South for many years and a large segment of the population has no discernible accent, at least in the states/cities in which I lived.  MeeMaw could have been raised elsewhere and moved to Oklahoma/Texas later in life, perhaps after she was married.  I have an aunt like that - she is similar in age to MeeMaw and pretty much sounds just like her.  She moved to Texas and raised her family there and now lives in Oklahoma.  No accent.

 

I thought the actress hit the right notes as the doting grandmother who both adores her grandson and also understands how difficult and challenging he is.  And of course she was wary of the woman who broke his heart, now that they're suddenly back together.   She's only heard Sheldon's side of the story.

 

I really liked how sweet Sheldon is with her.  Aw, he even let her sit in his spot.  It was enjoyable to watch a character who is normally so befuddled by social interactions and emotions be so open and loving with his MeeMaw.

[CherryAmes]

I lived in the South for many years and a large segment of the population has no discernible accent, at least in the states/cities in which I lived.

 

IME especially true if they live in the city. I come from Newfoundland originally and that's probably the closest Canada comes to having a really strong regional accent (there are others but NFLD is pretty unmistakeable) but even so that doesn't mean everyone who lives there has a strong accent.  Far from it.  Some have almost none while others, well you practically need a translator to figure out what they're saying.  It's another one of those "it depends" kind of things.  Anyway I too liked the way they wrote Meemaw and the way she was portrayed.  It was nice to see someone take Sheldon's side, even if they were a little misguided about it, while at the same time being able to keep him in line.  Making him apologize to Leonard was a nice moment!

[RustbeltWriter]

I like Emily but I would like to see Raj split up with her just so that he could exert some power over his love life. The guys on this show have all done well for themselves, romantically, but each situation has been set up as them being lucky someone would even want to date them. Leonard basically worshiped Penny, Howard married a younger, perkier version of his mom and Raj got lucky with Emily. The thing is, though, that Raj has a lot to offer. He's smart, has a good job and he needs a little confidence so if he's attracted to this new girl, he should act on it.

[Sara2009]

Loved the new girl. I hope she becomes a love interest. I like the girl who plays Emily fine in other shows but in this one she (or the writing) just tanks.

Meemaw was just okay. Her dialogue came off wooden to me, much like if she were reading cue cards just over Amy's shoulder. I'm not sure if that was the writing or the actress. I do like that they cast an unknown though. Betty White would

have been too over the top, in my opinion. Although I would never say no to Carol Burnett or even Mary Tyler Moore. I think either of those ladies would have knocked it out of the park. Perhaps they were too tall for the role, though.

I wouldn't really call June Squibb( MeeMaw) an " unknown." She was nominated for an Academy Award back in 2013 and has had a long career.

[ari333]

Well at least Meemaw got us talking, so there's that; :-)  and I enjoy reading all the comments.

[TV Diva Queen]

Anyone woman who has ever worked for Mary Tyler Moore would have been perfect as memaw, this includes Suzanne Plessette, Rhoda, Phyllis, Betty, Carole  (assuming their all alive)