S10.E02: The Military Miniaturization

[TheOtherOne]

 

Quote

 

"The Military Miniaturization" - Colonel Williams (Dean Norris), an Air Force representative from the Department of Material Command sits down to talk with Wolowitz, on THE BIG BANG THEORY, Monday, Sept. 26 (8:00-8:31 PM, ET/PT), on the CBS Television Network.

I liked it. Some good laughs--Sheldon reacting while trying to keep from saying anything, the colonel being an engineer and MIT alum, Amy regretting getting Bernadette a Happy Meal (and seriously--apple slices?). Hit some good notes about the effect of a pregnancy on a professional woman's career and her co-workers' and superiors' attitudes. As always, wish it was longer--it was less than 19 minutes, and that includes 40 seconds for the previouslies--but I enjoyed what was there.

Edited September 27, 2016 by TheOtherOne

[anna0852]

While I'm not a fan of Bernadette the Shrew, I was intrigued and pleased that they didn't just go for the blanket 'hormones' excuse. It was great to hear the girls discussing something other than the boys. Bernie's fears about being taken seriously in the workplace and potentially losing out on opportunities due to being pregnant are very real and shared by many, many women. Of course they ruined it with her whole lawsuit thing about 30 seconds later but it was good while it lasted.

[Artsda]

That already felt like a filler episode, so pointless.

[benteen]

Good lord, this was an absolutely unfunny episode in almost any way.

Hard for me to feel sorry for Bernadette, especially when she admitted she used the same tactic on her co-worker.

[minamurray78]

Bernadette did bring interesting points about a woman's career and pregnancy. Too bad they ruined it all when she confessed to have been the one to babble about her coworker's pregnancy which costed that woman her project. Kinda hard to sympathise with her professional hardships when she's sabotaging colleagues and exploiting the very aspects she's afraid will be use against her. I was kinda hoping they would kick her from wathever project she was working on.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, TheOtherOne said:

 

I liked it. Some good laughs--Sheldon reacting while trying to keep from saying anything, the colonel being an engineer and MIT alum, Amy regretting getting Bernadette a Happy Meal (and seriously--apple slices?). Hit some good notes about the effect of a pregnancy on a professional woman's career and her co-workers' and superiors' attitudes. As always, wish it was longer--it was less than 19 minutes, and that includes 40 seconds for the previouslies--but I enjoyed what was there.

The Happy Meal was an LOL for me. I'm a tough audience, so even one laugh is good.

My main complaint was the lack of even one line stating whether they would retain any rights to future profits, unless I missed it?

[possibilities]

I enjoyed the vanity card.

[chocolatine]

I thought the guys goofing around with the military lab's retina authentication security system was funny. It felt like a genuinely nerdy moment (i.e. this is totally something my colleagues and I would do), which unfortunately have been few and far between in the past few seasons.

[Quark]

I really liked that episode. Bernadette calling Amy a lunatic was probably the best part. Also loved the guys getting all excited with the retinal scanner.

It's also interesting to note that in the past two episodes, Sheldon has had no aversion to touching people. Last episode there was that group hug between him, Leonard and Penny. This episode Sheldon and Leonard touching faces and holding Howard up. Love it!

[ae2]

7 hours ago, Artsda said:

That already felt like a filler episode, so pointless.

I don't know if you're being serious... 

But if so, what does a show have to do to not be called a 'filler' episode?

Unleash a virus that turns the world into zombies?

Have Amy stab Sheldon dead?

Reveal Penny's last name? 

Stuart accidentally gets frozen and wakes up in the year 3016 in New New York?

Three of the main cast members reluctantly made a deal with the government to build a top secret project that they're worried will be used for weapons. Bernadette revealed a deep insecurity that she has been struggling with. They've setup Raj to be less visible over the next few episodes, or to have a plot thread where he struggles to see how he fits into the group any more.

What more can you ask for in regards to plot from a sitcom?

Since when do we expect plot from a sitcom anyway? If we come out of our meager 18 minutes with a few chuckles we're doing pretty good. Things like plot and character development are arguably what ruin shows like this.

[PinkRibbons]

I was a bit disappointed that Amy wasn't the one to bring up the possibly of a discrimination lawsuit. We know that she is very aware of what female scientists face in the workplace. (Which reminds me how insanely pissed off it makes me that they never resolved or even mention that fight she and Bernadette had about the sexualization of female scientists and whether that would negatively impact the entirety of women in the field.)

[LoneHaranguer]

Remember back in the third season when Raj brought in his lawyer cousin to negotiate for jet skis and Howard said to "prepare for shock and awe" if he too were to bring in cousins who were lawyers? The writers of this episode clearly didn't.

This episode wasn't bad for something that set up so many story arcs at once; they probably shouldn't have done that. I really liked the retinal-scanner bits.

[tenativelyyours]

This was actually a better episode than most (I include last season).  But it also hammers home how ridiculous it is to try and make a show like this work with a cast they feel they have to include in both an A plot and a B plot in less than 18 minutes of show.  Nothing really happens because nothing really can happen.  We did get a shift to them working for the military but it felt like the entire plot moved the same distance as a single scene did in the show's first several seasons. 

I think the main reason I thought this was a bit better was because the split between genders in plots has almost always fallen flat for me.  This one felt like a little work was put into it.  And I actually found the plot to be more interesting.  There was a slight shift in how Bernadette comes off too that I wish they would build on and not fall back on the women are mean nasty creatures when crossed.  There is a real reason why Bernadette has to push so hard in the corporate world of research, development and sales.  I would like to see more of the hit first before being hit Bernadette as a professional and Penny's co-worker and see her actually be somewhat human with the people she simply loves and likes.  I think the show could easily do it if they wanted to and didn't fall on the stupid tropes they seem to write themselves in for certain characters that make no sense based on the traits those characters had established early on.  I still don't know when Sheldon decided it was okay to lie and do so with ease.

 

I guess the military development story line is a way to bring in new people to bounce Sheldon off of.  At this point though, looking at how harmless I saw this episode in terms of entertainment, I guess I am hoping that the season ends with Sheldon being a stubborn know it all, pushing a button he is told not to and they all go up in a small but intensely fiery mushroom shaped cloud. 

[anna0852]

Sheldon's physical reactions to the colonel we're absolutely priceless! I also like him and Penny genuinely bonding and regretting their inability to keep their mouths shut.

[Chaos Theory]

Bernadette's story is very real for a lot of women.  When you are in your twenties you don't really think about a lot of these things and might take advantage of someone's weakness but when you are in your thirties you suddenly find yourself in that very same position and find that twenty year old you used to be vying for your position.  

Edited September 27, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[LoneHaranguer]

3 hours ago, tenativelyyours said:

We did get a shift to them working for the military

Technically, Leonard already had been; he was supposed to be figuring out how to shoot down missiles with lasers. Without anything to show for it, the military was presumably taking his work about as seriously as Sheldon did. That just changed.

[MissLucas]

I really appreciated that they shed some light on Bernadette's pushiness. I do have a friend who is about Bernadette's size and she has complained to me that people tend to be condescending to her and treat her like a child despite her holding a leading position. Very often she has to fight to get the respect that someone a couple of inches taller would get as normal courtesy. If you're short you often have to be uber-assertive just to get people to listen to you. Obviously Bernadette's characterization veers often towards caricature (i.e. lying about the co-workers pregnancy) but she's not the only character on the show suffering from that affliction.

[PBSLover]

I actually thought Sheldon wasn’t going to get cleared.  This show is just so bad now.  Penny’s outfits were great though.  Unfortunately, that is best thing I can say about the show.

[mojoween]

17 hours ago, possibilities said:

I enjoyed the vanity card.

I laughed throughout most of it, definitely one of his better ones.

I'm so glad Kaley's hair is growing back out.

Amy's "didn't you already know" about Bernadette being pregnant made me laugh.

Actually there was a lot that made me laugh, fuck of a lot more than last week, that's for sure.

[Chit Chat]

Quote

I thought the guys goofing around with the military lab's retina authentication security system was funny. It felt like a genuinely nerdy moment (i.e. this is totally something my colleagues and I would do), which unfortunately have been few and far between in the past few seasons.

I love it when Sheldon & Leonard are goofing around together.  Although Sheldon is frequently annoying,  I get tired of seeing Leonard get so frustrated with him.  He can be rude in his remarks to Sheldon (although sometimes well-deserved!)  When they put their faces together and stepped up to the retinal scanner, well, their expressions just cracked me up!  I liked this episode.   I'm so happy to have this show to look forward to on Monday nights. 

[shapeshifter]

10 hours ago, anna0852 said:

Sheldon's physical reactions to the colonel we're absolutely priceless!...

I agree, but it was almost like Parsons was trying too hard to get nominated for another Emmy and/or that he might be feeling he has lost some of the respect he had in the earlier years of the show. I haven't heard or read anything to indicate that Parsons feels this way; it was just my interpretation of the scene. 

[Driad]

An exchange I enjoyed that has not been mentioned:  The guys are skyping with a lawyer.  Sheldon is being especially annoying.

Leonard [to lawyer]: If I'm ever arrested for murder, I'll call you.

Sheldon: No need, I'll defend you.  [not realizing that he is Leonard's most likely victim]

[SmithW6079]

There were a couple of funny parts -- I liked the retinal scan shenanigans -- but Sheldon was his usual douche with a capital Bag, and Bernadette was a bitch with a capital "C." I'm supposed to have sympathy for her concerns about being sidelined by pregnancy when she made sure a co-worker was? Penny's telling someone about Bernadette's pregnancy was a mistake, but Bernadette made it clear she deliberately set out to sabotage her co-worker by telling of her pregnancy.

I thought Amy got in the best lines, but I think that's thanks to Mayim Bialik's skill as an actress.

[BlossomCulp]

20 hours ago, MissLucas said:

 

I really appreciated that they shed some light on Bernadette's pushiness. I do have a friend who is about Bernadette's size and she has complained to me that people tend to be condescending to her and treat her like a child despite her holding a leading position. Very often she has to fight to get the respect that someone a couple of inches taller would get as normal courtesy. If you're short you often have to be uber-assertive just to get people to listen to you. Obviously Bernadette's characterization veers often towards caricature (i.e. lying about the co-workers pregnancy) but she's not the only character on the show suffering from that affliction.

 

I haven't seen this episode yet but this makes a lot of sense.  Gotta give BBT some credit for finding a plausible excuse for a lot of Bernadette's behavior.   I'm on the short side myself and for years looked way younger than my actual age (sadly not so true anymore!) and it was harder for me to be taken seriously in some situations.  I could just sense the urge people sometimes had to pat me on the head -- grrrr.

[Pippin]

Will someone please explain to me why oh why these people allow themselves to be run roughshod over by this obnoxious man-child Sheldon Cooper?  What hold does he have over them?  Or are they all masochists? 

Sheldon's character tics which were once occasionally amusing (and kept under control by the writers) are 99.9% of the whole damn show.  I've gotten to the point that as far as I'm concerned, Sheldon can go piss on a plate. 

I'm sorry he's such a pivotal character because he sets my teeth on edge and is turning a show I used to enjoy into an exercise in hate watching.

[BlossomCulp]

I was surprised to see this episode turn up on the Comedy Channel this afternoon (I assumed they only showed older episodes) but am not complaining.  I thought it was actually pretty good!  It didn't seem to run as short as some episodes although I guess it probably is.  Liked the guys storyline best but I thought Bernadette's storyline was handled fairly well too.  Bearing in mind this is a Chuck Lorre show of course.

[jumper sage]

On 9/27/2016 at 1:28 PM, anna0852 said:

Sheldon's physical reactions to the colonel we're absolutely priceless! I also like him and Penny genuinely bonding and regretting their inability to keep their mouths shut.

I am hoping this season keeps up the laughs.

[HouseofBeck]

One thing I can't shake about this ep that I enjoyed are the retinal scanner hijinks. Wouldn't they have had to have been retinal scanned in the first place for the machine to instantly recognize them at the door to their new lab? I did love how they were clowning around with it, it was hilarious, yet they would probably already have gotten some of that out of their system beforehand...which would also have been a funny scene. 

[MaryMitch]

16 hours ago, HouseofBeck said:

One thing I can't shake about this ep that I enjoyed are the retinal scanner hijinks. Wouldn't they have had to have been retinal scanned in the first place for the machine to instantly recognize them at the door to their new lab? I did love how they were clowning around with it, it was hilarious, yet they would probably already have gotten some of that out of their system beforehand...which would also have been a funny scene. 

Obviously they had a retinal scan done previously. Maybe it's done routinely, like fingerprinting at some jobs.

[Browncoat]

And I suspect their previous retinal scan was done while they were surrounded by Serious Military Types so they couldn't fool around.

[theatremouse]

It ruined the scene for me that they seemed surprised by the retinal scanner. Certainly the hijinx could've been funny. But if they know they've been scanned, there should not be surprise at the presence of the device. Excitement, sure, but not surprise. It's the difference between "is that a retinal scanner?!" and "there's the retinal scanner!"

Edited October 4, 2016 by theatremouse

[LoneHaranguer]

1 hour ago, theatremouse said:

But if they know they've been scanned, there should not be surprise at the presence of the device.

They may have been scanned when they were first hired, in case any of them ever needed to visit a secure facility. That would be at least 11 years ago for all of them as that's when Leonard moved into the apartment. With the possible exception of Leonard's CERN visit, they probably haven't given it a thought since.

[theatremouse]

I was accounting for the possibility the scanning took place long before the current project. I still think, even if they didn't think about it since, they still shouldn't be shocked by the existence of the scanner. Especially Sheldon who seems to remember every detail of every moment be it 5 days or 5 years ago, if there were an excitement factor, it doesn't jive for me there'd be surprise because he'd be anticipating the day he finally got to use it. Or whathaveyou. It just didn't ring true to me.

[HouseofBeck]

That's it exactly.

[Miss Dee]

It's like any other cool toy one might come across. No matter how often you've seen one, you get excited and have to play with it - commercial drone, new iPhone, military-grade retinal scanner, yada yada yada....

[BlossomCulp]

I really liked seeing them get excited about the retinal scanner.  Their behavior was exactly what I'd expect from them.  Hell they get excited about "mint in box" action figures and they've all got loads of those already.

[HurricaneVal]

I took their excitement over the retinal scanner to be partly pure geeking out over gadgetry and partly being thrilled that their little project is really, really "big time" enough to rate the necessity of a retinal scanner.