S10.E01: The Conjugal Conjecture

[TheOtherOne]

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"The Conjugal Conjecture" - After Sheldon's mother and Leonard's father share an evening together, everyone deals with an awkward morning the next day. Also, Penny's family arrives for the wedding ceremony, including her anxiety-ridden mother, Susan (Katey Sagal), and her drug dealing brother, Randall (Jack McBrayer), on the 10th season premiere of THE BIG BANG THEORY, Monday, Sept. 19 (8:00-8:31 PM, ET/PT), on the CBS Television Network. Dean Norris guest stars as Colonel Williams, an Air Force Representative from the Department of Materiel Command. Christine Baranski, Laurie Metcalf, Judd Hirsch and Keith Carradine return.

[Browncoat]

I really liked Amy's purple outfit for the wedding, but she should have worn her tiara, too. 

I'm not sure I even knew who Jack McBrayer was before this, but after this, I can safely say I'm not much of a fan.  I probably won't avoid him, but I won't seek out his work, either.

I absolutely despised Penny's hair horns in the final scene when she was taking her family back to the airport. 

Otherwise, meh.

[TheOtherOne]

I liked the wedding well enough, even if that set was ridiculously fake.

The first half was weaker. They didn't have enough time for Penny's family or to develop her mother and brother's characters, so all the jokes were one-note and forced. I did laugh at "What color trash would you like us to be?" though.

[Driad]

We still don't know the last name of Penny's family.  Wise?  Dreadful?  The promos gave away a lot of the jokes.

Amy reads a lot and may have encountered the custom that only married ladies wear tiaras (for some time and place of course).

[MaryMitch]

I suppose Amy only wears the tiara if she's a maid of honor.  The harp playing was lovely, though.

I LOL'd when Bernadette shut Howard up at the wedding. She's gonna make a great mother!

[Chaos Theory]

Not enough time for Penny's family.   The show could of had Penny and Leonards wedding be the entire storyline its a big enough storyline and put off Raj and Howard storyline until next week.  That just took up space as far as I'm concerned.  There was alot to be minded from Penny and her warm but  "what color trash would you like us to be" family interacting with the intellectual but cold Hofstadter family.    I actually tuned in for the first time in awhile because I was interested to see Penny's family especially Katey Sagal and there wasn't really all that much to see.  Honestly it was a waste.   Pity.  

Edited September 20, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[Accidental Martyr]

When did Leonard meet Penny's mother before this episode?

[wknt3]

There was at least one too many guest stars and not enough time. Personally I would have dropped Jack McBrayer as he didn't add much and they seemed to be writing Jack McBrayer rather than the character they have been referring to over the years. It would've been funnier if he wandered off as soon as they got there and was off screen getting into escalating hijinks. Loved Laurie Metcalf and liked Judd Hirsch, but they really seemed to have nothing new or interesting for Sheldon, Leonard, or Beverly to do. Not much to say about the rest of the cast or the Air Force plot. Good stuff, but not enough time to do it/them justice.

[TheOtherOne]

3 minutes ago, Accidental Martyr said:

When did Leonard meet Penny's mother before this episode?

Offscreen/not in an episode. Like how Penny supposedly had already met Alfred prior to the previous episode, though we never saw it (or him).

[Spartan Girl]

I do not buy Jack McBrayer as a believable drug dealer. He just reminded me too much of Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies.

Penny's wedding dress was cute. And her family was funny.

I like that Leonard's mom actually managed to say a nice thing about him at the wedding -- even if it had to be prompted by his dad. And Sheldon's speech was nice too.

[benteen]

Funny episode, I very much enjoyed it.

Terrific guest cast although Katey Sagal was wasted.

Was Jack McBrayer on 30 Rock?  I do know he was Fix-It Felix in Wreck-It Ralph.

[DrScottie]

15 minutes ago, benteen said:

Was Jack McBrayer on 30 Rock?  I do know he was Fix-It Felix in Wreck-It Ralph.

Yes, he was Kenneth Page on 30 Rock and Fix-It Felix. :)

24 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

I do not buy Jack McBrayer as a believable drug dealer. He just reminded me too much of Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies.

I don't know. That depends on what you think a drug dealer should be like. Remember these are Mid westerners from Nebraska so maybe it's different there. 

Edited September 20, 2016 by DrScottie

[mojoween]

I really pictured Penny's brother as a stereotypical methhead, not that gormy kid.

The director did a terrible job with Penny's entire family.  It was not at all believable, Penny acted not at all like herself and Penny's mother was shrill and annoying.

That was was too many actors for twenty minutes of show.

"Wrinkly old rabbits" did make me laugh, though.

Chuck Lorre's dog is named Elmo.  Didn't see that coming.

[some1105]

Blech.  I have a really low bar where this show is concerned (as in, my affection for it is pretty uncomplicated and undemanding).  But I didn't buy a second of Penny's family.  They've done such a good job with everyone else's parents--Laurie Metcalf and Christine Baranski in particular.  But the usually fantastic Katey Sagal was completely undone in this role (and Jack McBrayer's role research couldn't even have gone as far as watching an episode of Breaking Bad).  Disappointment!

Edited September 20, 2016 by some1105

[Artsda]

That wedding set was horrible. Daytime soaps have better outdoor and real outdoor sets for parks and  the biggest primetime show can't?

I'm still enjoying Howard/Raj/Bernadette's story with the Air force after Howard. 

[Ms Lark]

They kept flogging Sheldon's interruption and Amy's reaction in the ads, so I knew it wasn't going to be a proposal. I figured it was going to be something totally self-serving, so glad it wasn't that. Pretty tactless, though, and should have been saved for the reception.

Not a great ep, agree Katy Sagal was totally wasted. It had its moments. Was shocked that Leonard's mother agreed with his Dad about him in a positive light. That was a high point.

Edited September 20, 2016 by Ms Lark

[anna0852]

I was just so glad to see Penny's family so welcoming for Leonard and so happy about their wedding. It must have felt really nice for Leonard in comparison to how his mother was behaving.

[shapeshifter]

2 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

I was just so glad to see Penny's family so welcoming for Leonard and so happy about their wedding. It must have felt really nice for Leonard in comparison to how his mother was behaving.

And a relief for us viewers from the constant put downs among characters.

I liked the wedding setting, Penney's dress, and the harp music, so this was a better episode for me than probably all of last season.

[ExplainItAgain]

Did not enjoy Penny's brother and wasn't too impressed with her mother either. Agree with some of you: that wedding set was TRAGIC. Season premiere, a wedding, for one of the most popular shows on TV and it doesn't even look 20% realistic?

I know there were way too many family members already, but I'm surprised they didn't try to shoehorn in Leonard's brother and sister.

Where did we leave off with Raj and his two girlfriends? Is he still dating both of them?

It doesn't sound like there is going to be an immediate time jump considering Howard's meeting. Maybe in a later episode, we'll find out several months have passed.

[chocolatine]

It wasn't a terrible episode, but I thought it had very low energy for a season opener. Jack McBrayer stuck out like a sore thumb, and I think the episode would have been much better if Penny's brother was still in prison and only her parents came to the wedding.

12 minutes ago, ExplainItAgain said:

Agree with some of you: that wedding set was TRAGIC. Season premiere, a wedding, for one of the most popular shows on TV and it doesn't even look 20% realistic?

The fake grass was killing me. It's like the show is spending most of its budget on actor salaries and there's not enough left for decent sets.

[minamurray78]

I kinda liked Penny's trashy family.

The drug dealing brother and the mother were not what I was expecting, but Susan not being "Peggy Bundy" levels of trash worked for me; she didn't want Leonard's parents to look down on her family but wasn't being really nasty about it. Which was a relief 'cause Beverly and Alfred filled that quota. Yikes.

As always loved Mary, and specially how she took a shine to Amy, as opposed to the (IMO) biggest let down cast-wise on this show, Meemaw. Glad she wasn't included.

Which brings me to: Penny's sister and Leonard's siblings. I wonder if we'll see them this season, or if they ever plan to write them in.

[anna0852]

I do think they tried to do too much in too little time. But I liked Penny's mom (did we get a name?). Not just the casting gag of Katey Segal but that her biggest worries were making a good impression on Leonard's family. Up until now, the premise has pretty much been that Penny is out of Leonard's league. Seeing those same worries from the other side was nice. And I know I said it up-thread but I'm so glad that Penny's family is nothing but welcoming, kind and proud to have Leonard marrying their daughter. That must just be a balm to his soul.

While I don't really buy Kenneth the Page as a drug dealer, I thought it was rather true to life that his mother was embarrassed by it and more than a bit irritated. I would have liked to have seen more interactions between Mary Cooper and Penny's parents. It feels like they all probably gotten along pretty well and while Mary is religious, she is certainly not judgmental. 

[Big Mother]

I kept seeing Kenneth the Page from 30 Rock... Jack McBrayer only has one acting style?

The Colonel from the Air Force gave me bad flashbacks to Under the Dome. Oy.

Bernadette still doesn't look pregnant... how long will it take?

Happy Hebraic Homeboy... lol

[anna0852]

Just now, Big Mother said:

I kept seeing Kenneth the Page from 30 Rock... Jack McBrayer only has one acting style?

The Colonel from the Air Force gave me bad flashbacks to Under the Dome. Oy.

Bernadette still doesn't look pregnant... how long will it take?

Happy Hebraic Homeboy... lol

Unless they blow their timing all to pieces, they are going to need to time skip soon and get her showing.  Bernie announced her pregnancy right around Valentines day, which mean she'll be due late October or early November. Which is a problem since the show generally sticks to to real time (we see Christmas eps right around Christmas, time is clearly passing, etc...).

[TVFAN]

1 hour ago, anna0852 said:

I was just so glad to see Penny's family so welcoming for Leonard and so happy about their wedding. It must have felt really nice for Leonard in comparison to how his mother was behaving.

Word.  I've always really liked Leonard.  He can be whiney, but he's a really nice person at heart.  He deserves some love.  I love the fact the Penny's Dad is still all about Leonard and even warned him not to loan money to her brother.  I'd like to see them give her family an episode where we get to know them a bit better.  

The whole Air Force storyline was out of place.  I would much rather have seen the families interact.  But I wonder if this cast has the same sort of deal the "Friends" cast employed.  I've read that the Friends cast agreed that the main characters would all have approximately the same amount of dialogue in each episode.  

[anna0852]

If that were true, I totally forgive them for trying to shoehorn in too much then. I know we'd probably get a better story if they cut back on certain characters at certain times but there is just something so heartwarming about the cast sticking together. I didn't always like Friends (they had a real run of Seasonal Rot from about 6-9) but I always loved how the cast stuck together.

[chocolatine]

10 minutes ago, TVFAN said:

I've read that the Friends cast agreed that the main characters would all have approximately the same amount of dialogue in each episode.  

I don't think that's the case here; based on salaries and award show categories (lead vs. supporting), only Sheldon, Penny, and Leonard are main characters. So there was no need to spend so much time on the military arc, since it didn't add anything to the episode, IMO.

[dungeonwriter]

The show is getting a bit painful. 

Sheldon slut-shaming his mother seemed horrificly unfunny to me. There's a line between uncomfortable and mean, and Sheldon crossed it two miles back. 

Terrible wedding set. 

Too many characters, could have trimmed the Air Force Plot till next week. 

[Bobbin]

I'm sorry to say it, but this was a poorly written episode. I'd criticize the direction and the pacing, but there was little to work with. All hype, no payoff. IMO.

[Lizzing]

7 hours ago, some1105 said:

and Jack McBrayer's role research couldn't even have gone as far as watching an episode of Breaking Bad)

Hell, he didn't even have to watch an episode; Dean Norris was on set and could have just told him about it!  I love 30 Rock and Kenneth the Page, but Jack McBrayer was not the right casting choice.  The one thing this show usually gets 100% right is casting, but this was a miss.  Too bad they already used DJ Qualls years earlier.

[BooksRule]

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I do not buy Jack McBrayer as a believable drug dealer. He just reminded me too much of Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies.

I totally agree.  Nothing against Jack McBrayer (he was good as Frankie's dentist boss in 'The Middle'), but he seemed out of place here.  I wish they had just showed Penny's mom and dad and made a passing reference to her brother still being in jail.  

I did like that her parents like Leonard.  I was also kind of surprised that I liked Penny's mom.  The fact that she wasn't defensive about the family but was worried about whether or not Leonard's parents would like them was kind of refreshing.  

[TigerLynx]

For a show that did such a good job of casting the characters parents, they did an unbelievably horrible job casting Penny's brother.

Bernadette's, "And the other husband that came with the apartment," was funny.

[tenativelyyours]

I like Katy Sagal but she didn't fit as Penny's mother for me.  The brother was ridiculous and felt like he was a character that was lifted from another show.

Overall this just showed how disastrous the writing has become.  Plenty of ripe material and not one joke that stood out and too many that were simply not funny. 

[Indy]

I feel like Jack McBrayer is only capable of playing a happy idiot.  If they hadn't set up Penny's brother as being a meth cook who was in jail, I might have been okay with him playing a happy idiot from Nebraska (especially if it would have involved some big-city hijinx). But there was zero believability with him being a meth cook with a record.  Katy Sagal was fine, I liked her banter with Penny's dad (whom I love) but Jack McBrayer killed all those scenes for me.

[abstractstuff]

I think it's funny that the Penny's family that was shown is considered to be white trash. Yeah, no. 

[emma675]

I don't know, y'all, I liked it. I actually cracked up so much at lines in the wedding that I kept having to rewind to catch things I missed.

I do think Penny's brother was miscast, but I liked that her family was a nice contrast to Leonard's. They might argue with each other, but at least they were all pleasant to be around and they actually liked each other. Unlike Beverly and Alfred. 

[OtterMommy]

I have to admit that this wasn't my favorite episode, but it was far from the worst (it was still worth my post-cable CBS all-access subscription).  There were some good jokes and, as always, I liked the Sheldon/Leonard interplay.

I did feel that Penny's family didn't quite "work" for me.  Keith Carradine seemed to be playing a different character from the last time he was on.  I love Katy Sagal, but--as some of you said--she was wasted here.  I think there were just too many guest stars.  I would love to see her and (Carradine) come back, though.  Jack MacBrayer just did not work for me.  For about the first third, I thought it was because he was miscast (I'm pretty sure he can only play one role), but then I realized it was just an ill-conceived part.  It as like the writers wanted to put MacBrayer in the show, so they just put him in--instead of writing the role of Penny's brother.

I guess they just tried to put too much into 20+ minutes....for Christine Baranski, Keith Judd Hirsch, Laurie Metcalf, Katy Sagal, Keith Carradine, and--if they must--Jack MacBryer, they either needed an extended episode or a multi-episode arc.

[MissLucas]

Since I hated how everybody brought their drama to Howard and Bernadette's wedding and pretty much ruined their moment I really appreciated Bernadette telling them all to STFU.

[AriAu]

Did I watch the same episode as the rest of you? I laughed about as much as I have at any episode in the last 3 or 4 seasons-not sure if that is a comment on this episode or the last few seasons. They had some genuinely funny lines (related to a lot of the characters), the main characters acted true to form and they moved the story along so we can be done with this. I liked that the brother was not a stereotypical scummy guy and instead was just a simpleton (and he does have new teeth and clothes).

If, and only if, I were to quibble, I'd say:
1. Katey Sagal was really wasted-she did not have a single funny, interesting or snarky line....so she can't really be Penny's mother. And why isn't she fat. I think Roseanne would have been an inspired choice! I do love the relationship that Penny has with her father and loved that he called her "slugger", harkening back to Beverly's first appearance.

2. If Beverly is so smart, how come she cant come up with any insults of Alfred that don't involve the worlds "wrinkle" or "bastard". I love Christine Baranski as an actress and she has been really funny on the show, but not this time.

3. By the way, they made Laurie Metcalfe not funny and that is hard to do.

4. Yes, the park set for the wedding was weak, but they have not exactly spent much on any sets for this show, ever, so what did you expect.

5. Why does Chuck Lorre always have to turn women into shrews-this time Bernadette.

[terrymct]

I enjoyed this episode. It was particularly nice to see the contrast between Penny and Leonard's families. Leonard's is supposed to be a "better" class of people but they fight constantly and are highly disfunctional. Penny's family is supposed to be "white trash" but they love each other and are essentially normal. Even good families can have that one black sheep sibling. I'd rather spend time with Penny's parents than with Leonard's. Sheldon's mother has come a long way since they first introduced her. She's much more interesting than the one note Bible thumper she originally appeared as.

[Lovecat]

4 hours ago, Lizzing said:

 I love 30 Rock and Kenneth the Page, but Jack McBrayer was not the right casting choice.  The one thing this show usually gets 100% right is casting, but this was a miss.  Too bad they already used DJ Qualls years earlier.

 

1 hour ago, Indy said:

I feel like Jack McBrayer is only capable of playing a happy idiot.  If they hadn't set up Penny's brother as being a meth cook who was in jail, I might have been okay with him playing a happy idiot from Nebraska (especially if it would have involved some big-city hijinx). But there was zero believability with him being a meth cook with a record.  Katy Sagal was fine, I liked her banter with Penny's dad (whom I love) but Jack McBrayer killed all those scenes for me.

I wasn't thrilled when I heard the casting for Penny's meth-head brother (they should have just said fuck it all and gotten Aaron Paul), and I don't think McBrayer was really right for the role, but I have to admit that "Thank you for my new teeth!" followed by a gigantic grin to show off those enormous white choppers, absolutely slayed me. 

52 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

Keith Carradine seemed to be playing a different character from the last time he was on. 

I actually found myself squinting and wondering if it was the same actor.  Sometimes I am bad with faces ;)

[Quark]

I thought it was a really good episode. I do hope we see more of Penny's family though.

[holly4755]

now i didn't mind the Penny's family so much as thought Leonard's mother agreeing and complementing him at his wedding was wrong, the woman felt praise was wrong especially praise for nothing. She just ruined her whole experiment on raising Leonard that spanned so many seasons. Penny's family was passing through and will probably not be the same unit the next time we see them. Also I was waiting for Sheldon to start making warm beverages for everyone he insulted, but weddings stress everyone. Had a relative where the father of the bride (no license) stole the bride's car to buy liquor the morning of the wedding and got into  and accident and she had to get there to claim to have been in the accident or he would have been in jail and then catch a taxi to get to her own wedding.  families are messed up. 

[LoneHaranguer]

12 hours ago, Artsda said:

That wedding set was horrible. Daytime soaps have better outdoor and real outdoor sets for parks and  the biggest primetime show can't?

I presumed that was intentional and they were supposed to be in some sort of wedding chapel.

[possibilities]

I really thought the guy who showed up in uniform looking for Howard was Bernadette's dad. I sometimes have facial recognition problems, but I was truly shocked when he actually turned out not to be. Did they recast the same actor for a different role, or am I just 100% wrong yet again??

The show has always been low budget for sets, and I thought the writing was about on par with all the other episodes. I was glad they didn't make a big deal out of the wedding because I think the generally overblown commercialized hysteria over wedding production is annoying and basically antithetical to what a wedding is supposedly about. Just having closest family and friends witness some vows and say nice things about the couple is more affecting to me than a fancy party with an 18 piece band and a banquet.

Loved Amy's dress.

[SmithW6079]

13 hours ago, TVFAN said:

Word.  I've always really liked Leonard.  He can be whiney, but he's a really nice person at heart.  He deserves some love.  I love the fact the Penny's Dad is still all about Leonard and even warned him not to loan money to her brother.  I'd like to see them give her family an episode where we get to know them a bit better.  

I agree. Leonard and Penny are my favorite characters on this show.

There were a few laughs -- I did like the brother's question about "What color trash should we be?" but I hated Jack McBrayer as Kenneth the Page, so I wasn't pleased to see him here (although I like him as a voice actor). And there were one or two other instances, mostly in the interactions  between the parents, and surprisingly with Raj and Howard.

Katey Sagal was wasted. I didn't expect Penny's mother to be such a neurotic mess. And she seemed too East or West Coast to be a lifelong Midwesterner. Maybe it was her accent (or lack of). Wyatt and the brother both had accents of sorts. 

I hate when shows do weddings but one of the friends becomes an Internet minister so they don't have to pay for another actor to do the marrying. 

So when Bev and Alfred agree that Leonard is one thing they did right, did they forget about his siblings? 

The sex jokes and references to coitus and genitalia Sheldon makes have to stop. They're just gross when he says them.

[DkNNy79]

It was an okay episode.  I liked Penny's dress.  I loved Sheldon's little speech at the end and their group hug at the end (Leonard, Penny & Sheldon).

[kat165]

McBrayer wasn't as awful as I expected him to be - I really dislike him as an actor, he's so one note, always playing the same 30Rock character. But he was still terribly miscast. Not enough time was given to the families.
As many have said we could have done without the Howard story.

I agree that the set was awful, but I think they've had some pretty good sets in the past - Stuart's old store, Stuart's new store, the rival comic book store, many of the street scenes - one springs to mind, when Sheldon & Penny visit the psychic; the school cafeteria, the dinner where Sheldon shows off the dark side of the moon. They've had some really nice restaurant sets, like for Amy & Sheldon's anniversary dinner where Raj invited himself along. For a sitcom I think their sets are general pretty good, often impressive even.

Sheldon has become increasingly unlikeable. I wonder just how bored & over this Jim Parsons is. He's the reason I started watching this show in the first place.

Any word on if this is defintely the last season?

[Chaos Theory]

Now that I've been thinking about it Penny and Leonards wedding should have actually been an hour episode.  I liked the brother. He had that awe shucks thing you could see coming from the Midwest.  A guy who just happened to fall into making meth which is notoriously easy to make.  I actually found it funny that both Penny and her brother sold drugs for a living and would have loved a few more jokes on that.  

This show has been building for years on this relationship and to have them elope and then to have their wedding be shoo horned in with two other storylines feels like a major cheat.  There was so much more that could have and should have  been done.  Hell even Howard and Bernadette's wedding got more respect.

[OtterMommy]

23 minutes ago, kat165 said:

Any word on if this is defintely the last season?

No official word.  However, I saw an interview with Parsons right after the most recent renewal (which was, I think 2 or 3 years ago as CBS renewed it for more than one season) and he said something along the lines that if the show went past the renewal, they'd have to do it without him.