S09.E19: The Solder Excursion Diversion

[PinkRibbons]

Sheldon shocks Amy with a startling revelation after she buys him a new laptop. Meanwhile, Raj throws Leonard and Howard under the bus after they lie to their wives and sneak off to an early screening of a movie.

 

[Spartan Girl]

I wanna go to an early screening of Suicide Squad!

Sheldon being a closeted hoarder makes a lot of sense. His reaction to his computer being replaced is something I can relate to: I dragged my feet about it as long as possibly, only to be completely happy when I discover how much better it works. So even when he's being a jerk, I identify with his quirks.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Spartan Girl

[vibeology]

Sheldon is going to lose it when he finds out Leonard and Howard know the Suicide Squad plot! Just lose it.

 

I'm pretty sure I saw the wireless router Sheldon once bought Leonard in the storage unit. Also, two guitars? Sheldon owned two guitars? I wish Amy had asked about that and not the pinecones. 

[theatremouse]

I wasn't looking closely, but the one I saw looked like guitar hero guitar not musical instrument guitar.

[possibilities]

I'm trying to figure out how Sheldon gets things to his storage unit. We know he doesn't take the bus. I guess he could take a taxi, but if he does, it becomes much worse that he expects hid friends to chauffeur him everywhere else.

[MakingBacon]

Sheldon does take the bus. He has special bus pants for the trip.

[PinkRibbons]

I kept expecting Amy to say something like, "I respect your feelings, but I really think you'd be happier if maybe we saw a mental health professional about OCD meds. There's no reason to torture yourself like this". I remember a girl online saying once that she had to stop watching the show after her own brother started treatment for OCD and improved so much that watching Sheldon struggle while knowing there was help to be had became painful. I know this show doesn't want to give Sheldon a diagnosis but this has now crossed the line into unfunny for me.

[OtterMommy]

While I didn't think this was an especially funny episode, I did find it touching and authentic (of course, this is a sitcom, so the non-funny part IS a bit of an issue).  

 

But, man, Raj has become about as relevant as Stuart at this point.

Edited April 1, 2016 by OtterMommy

[SmithW6079]

But, man, Raj has become about as relevant as Stuart at this point.

Raj hasn't been relevant for years. At least Stuart took care of Mrs. Wolowitz for a time.

It's time to send Raj back to India, since the show is about the three couples now, or pair him off with Stuart, because they discovered that they are gay after all, and that knowledge finally lets them be happy.

[K-9]

The Suicide Squad movie outing had to have taken at least two hours.  Had Penny and Bernadette not known all the while, the ladies would've been furious during their husbands' confession.  Bet Leonard and Howard decided to apologize because neither of them wanted to put on the spare tire!

[Big Mother]

I wanted to yell at Sheldon and Amy, "Sell this crap on ebay! You'll make a killing!!"

[tominboston]

The scene in the storage room was really poignant as Sheldon was able to bring himself to share his hoarding secret with Amy... credit to Jim and Mayim for pulling it off masterfully. Keeping in mind that this is a sitcom and not a drama, I thought it captured one of the saddest characteristics of metal health issues, that people often keep their illness hidden rather than seeking the help that is available. Sheldon so often comes off as an entitled jerk that it's appropriate for the writers to remind us now and then that there are deeper issues in his brain.

 

 

[anna0852]

I thought tonight's episode was pretty sweet. I was supremely impressed with the various levels of emotional maturity demonstrated by most everyone. Except Raj.

I did think Penny's method of dealing with Raj was particularly effective. I am glad that he is not being allowed to get away with being creepy.

[Trace]

Have we seen Bernadette in a dress without a short sweater before?

[mstar1125]

 

 

But, man, Raj has become about as relevant as Stuart at this point.

 

Raj never got great storylines, but they've become virtually non-existent since he started being able to talk to women. I always saw Raj and Howard to be secondary characters to the central storyline of Sheldon and Leonard (and Penny), but over the seasons they've given Howard quite a bit to work with, between the marriage, the death of his mother, and the astronaut plots. Raj got a storyline about his parents divorcing, but they never went anywhere significant with that. They need to give Raj a breakthrough in his career like they did with Howard or a viable relationship with a likable female character to bring him back into the story. 

[Chit Chat]

Bet Leonard and Howard decided to apologize because neither of them wanted to put on the spare tire!

 

Nailed it!

 

Well, Sheldon is the neatest hoarder I've ever seen.  He had everything nicely organized and labeled (shout out to a previous episode where they talked about his label maker.) 

 

Have we seen Bernadette in a dress without a short sweater before?

 

She was wearing a dress without a sweater when she & Howard had the dinner party in which they got Sheldon to organize their closet.

[Frost]

I think Leonard and Howard got off much too easily.  It's not like they felt guilty and walked out of the movie.  They stayed, enjoyed the entire thing, and then bought some measly flower bouquets afterwards.  Yes, they get points for at least fessing up.  But I wanted Bernadette and Penny to do something when they found out from Raj so that the guys wouldn't be able to enjoy the movie.  An ambiguous text so that Leonard and Howard spent the entire movie trying to figure out whether their wives knew or not.  As it played out, I'm sure they'd do the exact same thing again!

[3 is enough]

Glad they haven't made Bernadette start showing yet.  I am guessing that will not happen until the fall. Only 5 new episodes left this season.

Last night was ok.  I also thought they handled Sheldon and Amy well.

Edited April 1, 2016 by 3 is enough

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I remember a girl online saying once that she had to stop watching the show after her own brother started treatment for OCD and improved so much that watching Sheldon struggle while knowing there was help to be had became painful.

Sheldon doesn't struggle with his OCD; his friends do, although it's sometimes worked to their advantage. I have a vague recollection of Sheldon saying that he didn't want to mess with his brain in another context (probably alcohol), so it's unlikely he'd be agreeable to medication.

[MaryMitch]

I was actually surprised that Leonard and Howard were allowed to keep their cell phones during the preview.

 

When Sheldon showed Amy the storage unit, I thought "well of course! Sheldon is an organized hoarder!"  I also thought that there's medication that could help him, but take it from someone with a family member who is a hoarder - hoarders seldom think they have a problem.

[beadgirl]

 

Raj got a storyline about his parents divorcing, but they never went anywhere significant with that. They need to give Raj a breakthrough in his career like they did with Howard or a viable relationship with a likable female character to bring him back into the story.

Speaking of storylines that fizzled, remember when he asked his parents to set him up for an arranged marriage?  He met the one woman and then they dropped that plotline, which was a shame.  They could have gotten some mileage out of him meeting different women, tension with his parents over what he wanted in a wife versus what they think he should have, discussions of the differences between American and Indian cultures and how different immigrants assimilate or not, conflict with the gang because the idea of an arranged marriage would be so foreign to them (although I bet Sheldon would find it logical), etc. But no, they keep his character stagnated.  It's a shame, because I think the character has potential.

[Big Mother]

They're didnt mention the pregnancy at all this episode. I guess they don't want it to be the focal point. We haven't seen any morning sickness jokes, no appt to see the ultrasound... c'mon, in real life it's a bigger deal than the way it's beng ignored. It usually becomes the main focus of a woman's life when she's pregnant.

[anna0852]

I was actually really glad they weren't focusing on the pregnancy. Bernadette is a secondary character and while being pregnant maybe a huge thing for her and Howard, it's not an everyday overwhelming thing for the friend group.

[CherryAmes]

Absolutely, Anna!  Especially in the early stages.  It's annoying enough having friends on FB who post something every week about the size of the fetus (this week it's the size of a rain drop) but let's face it there's just not that much to talk about - at least not constantly talk about - when you're barely pregnant.  I like that the show seems to be acknowledging that,

[OtterMommy]

They're didnt mention the pregnancy at all this episode. I guess they don't want it to be the focal point. We haven't seen any morning sickness jokes, no appt to see the ultrasound... c'mon, in real life it's a bigger deal than the way it's beng ignored. It usually becomes the main focus of a woman's life when she's pregnant.

 

I think if it were Penny or Amy pregnant, you would see more of that.  However, Bernadette and Howard are both supporting characters and I'm glad that their pregnancy isn't taking over the show.

[mansonlamps]

I thought this episode was both boring and annoying. I hate when Amy and Sheldon spend too much time delving into Sheldon's issues without any comic relief, it is a sitcom after all. And I hated that Leonard and Howard got away with no repercussion at all for lying and dodging their wives all afternoon. Yes ladies, flowers and dinner make up for everything, kind of patronizing IMO. And agree that Raj has become unnecessary, though the actor is making a killer salary for not being central to the show anymore.

Extremely UO, I find Amy extremely boring and I hate the was Miyam Bialik plays her character. The exaggerated earnestness drives me crazy.

[AriAu]

I thought tonight's episode was pretty sweet. I was supremely impressed with the various levels of emotional maturity demonstrated by most everyone. Except Raj.

 

I get all of that, and these are very good actors playing characters we have come to love, but it was not funny! YMMV, but I watch a comedy to laugh and I just didn't laugh much. I think I laughed once and that was Raj asking the women to leave so he could rub his genitals all over the project. Besides that, not a chuckle, smirk or grin, let alone an actual laugh.

It is still a nice show and worth watching, but there are not the belly laughs like there were in the first 2-3 seasons.

Edited April 1, 2016 by AriAu

[CherryAmes]

I just finished watching it (thank god for PVRs) and I liked it.  I laughed out loud a few times and generally enjoyed the way it all played out.  I particularly liked the storyline between Amy and Sheldon but the rest of the show was fun too.

 

I didn't mind Raj as much as I thought I would based on the comments above but it's sad that they seem to be turning him into Stuart.  He's an afterthought.  Now to be fair they've done that before, the very early episode where Penny sleeps on the couch and they turn out the light and everyone goes to bed and we see Raj standing in the kitchen area holding (I think) a sandwich comes to mind.  But back then it was funny.  Now, not so much.

Edited April 1, 2016 by CherryAmes

[Mama No Life]

The need to keep and arrange stuff is very typical of people on the spectrum.  My son would have a closet like that if I didn't sneak behind him and get rid of stuff. When he gets a new comforter we have to keep the old one in the closet "to visit" until he forgets about it.  Seemed spot on to me. The only issue with Sheldon's depiction is their refusal to just come out and say he is autistic.

[J-Man]

So if no one else knows about the storage unit, how did Sheldon manage to get all that stuff there by himself? He doesn't drive. Did he hire people? And without Leonard knowing about it?

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

I liked that Amy told Sheldon she'd be there for him if he ever wanted to move on from his problem. She was nonjudgmental and patient. He took a big step in addressing it by sharing with her, if she'd pushed him to see a therapist or get medication he probably would've put the walls back up and retreated.

[wendyg]

BBT taking from FRIENDS again - Monica's closet. I believed it of Monica, not of Sheldon.

[CherryAmes]

I dunno, it actually does make sense that Sheldon would have a hard time giving anything up and that it would be Amy he finally shared his problem with.  I wonder if this will be another dining room table though, something that's key in one episode and then never mentioned again.

[wonderwoman]

"Have we seen Bernadette in a dress without a short sweater before?"

The better to see such a pretty dress.

[AnnaRose]

This wasn't the funniest BBT episode for me, but I thought the Sheldon/Amy story was sweet.   I don't understand the impulse to lie to your spouse, so I was glad that the guys fessed up and apologized.

 

I loved the vanity card at the end of the episode, though - http://www.chucklorre.com/index-bbt.php?p=524

[TV Anonymous]

Alienware has 4K display now? Since when?

 

As well, even if he had a laptop with 4K display, if Sheldon was really a scientist he would have known that he could not make video call with Amy in 4K because:

1. Current internet bandwidth at home was not big enough for 4K transmission.

2. Amy would have needed a 4K camera on her laptop.

[shapeshifter]

I loved the vanity card at the end of the episode, though - http://www.chucklorre.com/index-bbt.php?p=524

Wow. Did he just get a stage IV cancer diagnosis (like me) or something? Anyway, yes, loved it too.

[Capricasix]

I'm sorry, shapeshifter :(

[AnnaRose]

Wow. Did he just get a stage IV cancer diagnosis (like me) or something? Anyway, yes, loved it too.

 

Aw, Shapeshifter, I'm so sorry about your diagnosis! {{Hugs}}

 

I don't often read the vanity cards, but I do remember being shocked before at how touching, inspiring and enlightening they sometimes were.

[Trey]

Wow. Did he just get a stage IV cancer diagnosis (like me) or something? Anyway, yes, loved it too.

I am so sorry, shapeshifter.

[DrSpaceman73]

I think what Sheldon is doing is beyond run of the mild hoarding. It's like hoarding combined with OCD.

Raj has been kind of a waste for several seasons.

Why didn't the guys just tell the girls about the movie and say they didn't have to stay at the university, they will work on the project another time and meet them later? Not funny to that way I guess.

[OtterMommy]

Wow. Did he just get a stage IV cancer diagnosis (like me) or something? Anyway, yes, loved it too.

 

So sorry to hear that!  Sending positive thoughts your way....

[MDL]

 

Wow. Did he just get a stage IV cancer diagnosis (like me) or something?

That's a tough one. Sending good thoughts

[anonyposter]

They definitely could have done something really funny with Penny and Bernie knowing about the lie.  But they didn't for some reason.  Seriously wasted opportunity.

[CherryAmes]

When you only have 18 minutes or so of script something has to give.

[Ina123]

Funniest scene was Sheldon taking the golf ball out of the box. He dumped the box but rolled the golf ball back into the storage unit. Amy didn't catch the move at all.

[benteen]

Another example that Sheldon needs some kind of professional help although I will say, at least his storage room was clean and organized.  I remember the first time I went over a hoarders house years ago.  I didn't think much of it at the time, I just assumed that they were reorganizing.  When I came back months later, the place was still an absolute mess and when I really looked at it, I realized the couple was hoarding. 

 

I got a laugh with how pleased with himself Wolowitz was when he told Leonard "Yeah.  I like a lot."

[Driad]

With less than 20 minutes per episode, it might make sense to have one story instead of two, at least in some episodes. This way they could give the A story the time it needs, and not have to shoehorn in a B story that may be dull. If contracts require showing all the main characters in every episode, maybe the ones who are not in the big story of the week could just be leaving at the beginning or returning at the end.

[deSchenke]

I was disturbed by the laugh track at the warehouse hoarding reveal.  It was misplaced and made the scene feel "icky" - for lack of a better word.  Amy's reaction was wonderful and caring.

[Ouisch]

Funniest scene was Sheldon taking the golf ball out of the box. He dumped the box but rolled the golf ball back into the storage unit. Amy didn't catch the move at all.

 

My immediate thought was "....but he threw away a perfectly good little box that he could use for something....", which probably shows that I have a bigger problem than Sheldon.  :)