S10.E03: The Dependence Transcendence

[TheOtherOne]

Quote

 

"The Dependence Transcendence" - Tensions rise when the boys struggle to complete their government project on time and Sheldon tries an energy drink to stay awake. Also, Penny and Amy go to a "party" at Bert (Brian Posehn) the geologist's house, and Kooothrappali learns Bernadette's true feelings about her pregnancy when they clean out the future baby room, on THE BIG BANG THEORY, Monday, Oct. 3 (8:00-8:31 PM, ET/PT), on the CBS Television Network.

 

[Spartan Girl]

Well, what do you know? Sheldon is actually capable of showing some humility. The fact that he was willing to own up to the fact that he wasn't smart enough to get them out of that short deadline he boasted about is a huge step for him.

Liked Raj's dad being nice to Bernadette and assuring her it's fine for her to not be overly excited about being pregnant. Wished hadn't dissed Raj in the process though.

[anna0852]

Not pleased with Raj continuing to insert himself into Bernie's pregnancy. Way overstepping. But it was nice that he got his Dad to reassure her.

I'm fairly pleased with how they are handling her feeling's about being pregnant. Not every woman is excited about being pregnant.

I thought for sure Sheldon was going to Bazinga them. That kind of admission and humility is in unprecedented for him.

Edited October 4, 2016 by anna0852

[TheOtherOne]

I think Brandon W. Jones is adorable, but it would have been cool if they'd been able to get one of the multiple actors currently cast as The Flash--either from the TV show or movies--to play the character here. Kind of weird that they didn't go for the corporate synergy. Maybe DC wouldn't let them, hence the Marvel joke?

I loved Amy being popular.

Glad they finally revisited Bernadette's ambivalence about children. It was such a firmly established part of the character for years, and then once she found out she was pregnant it was all smiles and happiness, which didn't really mesh with what we knew about her. It took long enough, but this plotline was most welcome.

Edited October 4, 2016 by TheOtherOne

[indeed]

Amy's so popular, nobody wanted to go to a party she was attending...

[BlossomCulp]

Dammit I keep forgetting this show is on Monday nights.  Off to check and see if I can catch it later on one of the time shift channels.

[benteen]

Another awful episode with few funny moments and many unlikeable moments.

[possibilities]

I liked the geology jokes. And again, the vanity card.

I hope Bernadette doesn't have a personality change after the birth. I don't want her to dislike her kid, but I don't want her to be all schmoopy, either.

I hate that all the show does with Raj anymore is humiliate him and use him as a servile hanger on.

[DrScottie]

27 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I hate that all the show does with Raj anymore is humiliate him and use him as a servile hanger on.

Right. That was Stuart's job. 

[Cementhead]

I really loved this episode!  I enjoyed all of the story lines; they all felt very true to the characters and to the show.   It felt like an authentic, old school episode that reminded me what I loved about the show way back when.  I don't recall liking much, if anything, of last season so perhaps there is hope for this season!   

[Chaos Theory]

Although its not a bad episode I admit the only parts that made me really laugh were the Penny/Amy stuff.   Finding out how people saw them was fun and funny,. Hey Amy's the popular girl.   Leonard is the guy known for tricking a hot girl into marrying him.

Edited October 4, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[MissLucas]

I liked it - especially Sheldon not being able to pull off a last-minute genius move as I expected. I've noticed that Leonard seems to be more assertive when dealing with Sheldon's more annoying moments - good for him. To see Sheldon admit to failure was a good character moment. And I also like how they keep Bernadette's ambivalence about kids. It was a defining character trait and I'm glad they're not just dropping it because of the pregnancy. It will be interesting to see how things turn out once the kid is here.
Penny and Amy's subplot was sweet although not earth-shattering - yeah, showing myself out now.

[buffynut]

I missed the first 2 weeks of this season, so this was my first episode since the finale.  I didn't love it, but I didn't hate anything either, so I guess that's a good thing. 

[jmonique]

7 hours ago, possibilities said:

I hope Bernadette doesn't have a personality change after the birth. I don't want her to dislike her kid, but I don't want her to be all schmoopy, either.

I get you mean by not suddenly embracing the joy of motherhood and all, but on the other hand: If the Big Bang writers could throttle down from the "cute girl with the Minnie Mouse voice and a hair-trigger temper who's always yelling," that would be fab. 

Edited October 4, 2016 by jmonique

[BlossomCulp]

I just hope they can acknowledge that just because you're not crazy about kids that doesn't mean you won't be crazy about your own kid!  Not every parent out there is the type of person who wants to sit at the kiddie table - that doesn't mean they don't love their children and want to be with them.  It sounds like at least one of the writers is being realistic though about how women can feel about babies so hopefully that's a good sign.  I see no humour in them having Bernadette dislike her child or having her be a neglectful mother who expects Howard to do everything.

[LoneHaranguer]

I was expecting more of a reaction from Leonard at the mention of SDI, considering that he was supposed to be working on that a few years ago.

How do you put a timeline on something you can't do? Doesn't CalTech have any mathematicians, engineers, or physicists Sheldon could have talked to for inspiration? What about Barry? The guys would have to be careful because the project is top secret, but worst case, they'd have to bring another person on board. I don't know how DOD contracts work; will the guys get more money, or are they stuck with some lump sum already established?

[Gulftastic]

Loved the pay-off after the guys got the two year extension. 

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, LoneHaranguer said:

What about Barry?

John Ross Bowie's new show, Speechless, has just been picked up for a full season, so I doubt we'll be seeing much of Kripke this season.

Edited October 4, 2016 by chocolatine

[Traveller519]

The show is kind of setting up well to put Howard in a Stay-at-Home Dad role, which would be cool. A sort of Fatherhood finally forces him to take responsibility.

[wknt3]

2 hours ago, jmonique said:

I get you mean by not suddenly embracing the joy of motherhood and all, but on the other hand: If the Big Bang writers could throttle down from the "cute girl with the Minnie Mouse voice and a hair-trigger temper who's always yelling," that would be fab. 

Unfortunately they can't. Once you show a particular flair for any type of joke they will run with it and push it further and further until they are there with a truncheon and the last bits of decaying horseflesh left on the bone are spraying through the air. Just as Stuart once was more than just a sad sack and bitchiness was just one part of Christine Baranski's character Bernadette is now always mean and yelling at people. I think that the proof that Simon Helberg is probably the best actor in a very good cast is that his is the only secondary character that still regularly displays multiple character traits and has different kinds of punchlines.

[shura]

11 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

How do you put a timeline on something you can't do? Doesn't CalTech have any mathematicians, engineers, or physicists Sheldon could have talked to for inspiration? What about Barry? The guys would have to be careful because the project is top secret, but worst case, they'd have to bring another person on board. I don't know how DOD contracts work; will the guys get more money, or are they stuck with some lump sum already established?

That was my question too - if you see that you can't do the math now, what makes you think you'll be able to do it in two years? Why not a year? Or five? And since the Colonel agreed to the two-year extension, he must have been bluffing about MIT pledging to do it in four months, right?

Also, good thing they never cancelled and are still waiting on that Reagan's laser order. It might still be useful, the way things are going with Russia now.

[Whimsy]

20 hours ago, BlossomCulp said:

I just hope they can acknowledge that just because you're not crazy about kids that doesn't mean you won't be crazy about your own kid!  Not every parent out there is the type of person who wants to sit at the kiddie table - that doesn't mean they don't love their children and want to be with them.

This is me.  Basically, the only kids I've ever liked were my own.  I have very low tolerance for other kids- including my own nieces and nephew.  I know that makes me sound like a really horrible person, but it's just the way it is.  I hide it to the best of my ability because I know that no one else, who thinks sunshine shoots out of the kids' butts, will understand.  So, I would be totally ok with Bernadette seeing the baby in the flesh and falling hopelessly head-over heels in love with it and embrace everything about being a mother.  That's what happened to me.

[BlossomCulp]

I don't think you're alone in that GenL!  My mother loved her children but she was never the Kool Ade mom!  She went back to work in a time when women who could afford to stayed home.  She was no high flyer like Bernadette but she had a career in nursing and stayed with it even after she had children.  Nothing wrong with that and I hope that BBT makes it clear that neither parent has to be a full time stay at home parent these days, and there's nothing wrong with that either.  I didn't like it a few years ago when they acted like if they had kids one of them would have to stay home - I know very few parents who can afford to do that and it would be nice if BBT acknowledged the reality of most of their viewers where this is concerned.

Edited October 5, 2016 by BlossomCulp

[needschocolate]

On 10/3/2016 at 5:37 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Well, what do you know? Sheldon is actually capable of showing some humility. The fact that he was willing to own up to the fact that he wasn't smart enough to get them out of that short deadline he boasted about is a huge step for him.

Of course, Sheldon was sleep deprived and going through "Withdrawals" when he admitted not knowing something and blaming himself for the trouble they were in, so they can easily have Sheldon go back to being his obnoxious know-it-all self next episode.  Because...

On 10/4/2016 at 10:52 AM, wknt3 said:

 Once you show a particular flair for any type of joke they will run with it and push it further and further until they are there with a truncheon and the last bits of decaying horseflesh left on the bone are spraying through the air. Just as Stuart once was more than just a sad sack and bitchiness was just one part of Christine Baranski's character Bernadette is now always mean and yelling at people. I think that the proof that Simon Helberg is probably the best actor in a very good cast is that his is the only secondary character that still regularly displays multiple character traits and has different kinds of punchlines.

It doesn't have to be this way, but most sitcom characters don't show a lot of growth over the course of the series.  Lucy was still getting herself into trouble with her crazy plans and Ricky was still yelling at her for it when I Love Lucy came to an end, and Lucille Ball continued playing a very similar character in every series sh made afterwards.  

BBT is like the vast majority of sitcoms in that each of the characters has his/her trait.  What has helped this show succeed is that most of the characters have more than one trait - Sheldon is is obnoxious, a know-it-all, a chicken, blunt, childlike, etc... The problem lies when one trait takes over and gets blown out of proportion.  I think they were in danger of this happening with Sheldon a season or two ago when he was so obnoxious all the time that he was just mean.  

Being a supporting character, Bernie has never had a lot of traits and now the only one we ever see is her being angry and hurtful.  They are treading very close to her becoming a caricature of her former self.   

Edited October 5, 2016 by needschocolate

[Cherry Cola]

8 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

Whether Bernadette is pregnant or not, she just is an awful human being.  She was turned into a jerk before she got pregnant, she is a jerk now that she is pregnant.  I don't know why anyone can stand to be around her.  I am waiting for her to chase Howard around the house with a rolling pin.  She is unfit to raise a child.  She is just about on every level awful.

This show just isn't funny anymore. 

I agree! I can't stand Bernadette! She is so mean!! Raj is a sweetheart, and may overstep boundaries, but doesn't deserve to be treated like shit.

My favorite part was when Penny made the geology joke, and the guy said they better leave, because he is in love with both of them now! Too funny.  

[anna0852]

In this episode I do not mind Bernadette so clearly being irritated. Raj was working my last nerve from the get-go. Letting himself into the house and insinuating far too deeply into their lives is crossing into the very creepy place. Announcing that he's going to be in the delivery room is even weirder, especially when he wouldn't take the very clear no for an answer. He wasn't being nice to Bernadette, he was pushing and pushing and pushing his own agenda. She made it clear that she would get to the baby's room and such in her own good time, he's the one pushing the point. It is not his kid and he needs to back off! This is the same guy that was lusting after her very openly right before she and Howard got engaged. Just all around weird and in this scenario I'm cool with Bernadette snapping at him all she wants.

[Big Mother]

With regards to the sleep deprivation / energy drinking storyline, I wanted to scream at the characters that pulling all nighters will not help their project but only make it worse. Leaving the lab EARLY and getting a good night's sleep and coming back early in the mornign with a clear mind wouldve been much more effective! The more they were wearing down Sheldon and the more they were dragging him and admonishing him to work, work, work, the less productive he was getting. Trust me, I know from personal experience. When I need to finish my housework at night when I'm exhausted, it takes 3 times as long. Even just a 20 minute catnap wouldve refreshed them, not staying awake and slogging on with bleary eyes.

[LoneHaranguer]

5 hours ago, Big Mother said:

With regards to the sleep deprivation / energy drinking storyline, I wanted to scream at the characters that pulling all nighters will not help their project but only make it worse.

That might be true of the other guys, but an altered mental state might have been just what Sheldon needed.

[Mrs OldManBalls]

Where's Stuart? 

[mansonlamps]

On 10/5/2016 at 8:06 AM, BlossomCulp said:

 I hope that BBT makes it clear that neither parent has to be a full time stay at home parent these days, and there's nothing wrong with that either.  I didn't like it a few years ago when they acted like if they had kids one of them would have to stay home - I know very few parents who can afford to do that and it would be nice if BBT acknowledged the reality of most of their viewers where this is concerned.

But who cares what Chuck Lorre makes clear about child rearing?  Especially in this day and age when most families have two working parents and no one bats an eye about it.  If they have to feature a kid on the show, I just hope they do something funny with the storyline.

[BlossomCulp]

On 10/5/2016 at 2:32 PM, anna0852 said:

 

In this episode I do not mind Bernadette so clearly being irritated. Raj was working my last nerve from the get-go. Letting himself into the house and insinuating far too deeply into their lives is crossing into the very creepy place. Announcing that he's going to be in the delivery room is even weirder, especially when he wouldn't take the very clear no for an answer. He wasn't being nice to Bernadette, he was pushing and pushing and pushing his own agenda. She made it clear that she would get to the baby's room and such in her own good time, he's the one pushing the point. It is not his kid and he needs to back off! This is the same guy that was lusting after her very openly right before she and Howard got engaged. Just all around weird and in this scenario I'm cool with Bernadette snapping at him all she wants.

 

Just saw this episode and completely agree with you.  The only decent thing Raj did was call his father to help reassure Bernadette.  Aside from that he had one hell of a nerve even expecting to get to help do the baby's room let alone be in the delivery room!  IMO Bernadette wasn't mean enough!

And with regard to the baby's room, Bernadette is barely pregnant - not sure what the show is saying  but she's not showing yet and they haven't even reached a point where they'd know the baby's gender.  A lot of people don't want to even start buying baby gear and they certainly don't want to set up a nursery until they are a lot further along because there's always the worry they might lose the baby in those early months.  Even without that concern there's no need to set up a room you aren't even going to use for months.

Edited October 8, 2016 by BlossomCulp

[LucyEth]

Wow, they are really turning Bernadette into an terrible person.  Not sure why.

[BlossomCulp]

More terrible than Raj who is so entitled he expected to be in the delivery room?  Nothing Bernadette said or did equaled that IMO!

[CherryAmes]

Yeah I agree that at least in this episode they gave Bernadette good reason to be angry.  Frankly I'd have been tempted to ask Raj to leave after he got so pushy but then that's why I don't write for sitcoms!!

[LucyEth]

6 hours ago, BlossomCulp said:

More terrible than Raj who is so entitled he expected to be in the delivery room?  Nothing Bernadette said or did equaled that IMO!

Yes!

[stuckin60s]

I wish they would take this pregnancy as an opportunity to let Bernadettes voice change.  She was intended for an episode or two, everyone loved her so she stayed and she was stuck with that voice.  Perfect time to go to her regular voice

[SmithW6079]

On 10/9/2016 at 10:58 AM, LucyEth said:

Wow, they are really turning Bernadette into an terrible person.  Not sure why.

 

On 10/9/2016 at 11:30 AM, BlossomCulp said:

More terrible than Raj who is so entitled he expected to be in the delivery room?  Nothing Bernadette said or did equaled that IMO!

Bernadette has been terrible person for a long, long time, as has Raj.

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, stuckin60s said:

I wish they would take this pregnancy as an opportunity to let Bernadettes voice change.  She was intended for an episode or two, everyone loved her so she stayed and she was stuck with that voice.  Perfect time to go to her regular voice

IIRC, she didn't have that voice right away, only after a couple of episodes. Or am I confusing her with Karen Walker on Will & Grace?

[Indy]

16 hours ago, chocolatine said:

IIRC, she didn't have that voice right away, only after a couple of episodes. Or am I confusing her with Karen Walker on Will & Grace?

I recall the same thing you do. Her voice in the beginning was high, but not nearly as shrill as it is now. I'm not sure when it started, but definitely the first episode we met her in, her voice was different. And she was a bit dingy with not understanding Howard's sense of humor either. Her personality has changed drastically since the first few episodes she was in. 

[Anothermi]

I seem to recall her voice started changing after she met Howard's mother - which makes sense as sounding like his mother made him listen to her.

[Indy]

29 minutes ago, Anothermi said:

I seem to recall her voice started changing after she met Howard's mother - which makes sense as sounding like his mother made him listen to her.

I feel like the yelling started after she first spent the night over at his mother's house, but the squeaky octave was present after the first few episodes with her. 

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, Indy said:

I feel like the yelling started after she first spent the night over at his mother's house, but the squeaky octave was present after the first few episodes with her. 

That's how I remember it, too. And, IIRC, the meanness came much later, when she finished her PhD and started working at the pharma job. The yelling, when it first started, was just to get Howard's attention, without being mean-spirited.

Edited October 11, 2016 by chocolatine

[Babalooie]

Regarding Bernadette, the bottom line is it's like Howard married his mother.  That relationship was always creepy, then the actress doing his mother's voice passed away, so they ramped up Bernadette's traits to become similar to Mrs. Wolowitz.

[anna0852]

17 minutes ago, Babalooie said:

Regarding Bernadette, the bottom line is it's like Howard married his mother.  That relationship was always creepy, then the actress doing his mother's voice passed away, so they ramped up Bernadette's traits to become similar to Mrs. Wolowitz.

I think Bernie certainly has some traits similar to Mrs. Wolowitz, but she is much less inclined to put with Howard's crap. She clearly expects him to pull his weight around the house and she doesn't treat him like a child. Nor does she guilt trip him the way his mother did. Howard might have been acting the man-child for quite sometime but his mother was clearly encouraging it. No way does Bernie go for that.

I'm really hoping they have a girl though.

[huahaha]

10 hours ago, Indy said:

I feel like the yelling started after she first spent the night over at his mother's house, but the squeaky octave was present after the first few episodes with her. 

If I'm remembering correctly, Melissa Rauch auditioned with the chirpy voice (not her real one), which got her the part. She cracked up the set by switching to her own version of Mrs. Wolowitz during that first sleepover, and then that was written into her part more and more.

Edited October 12, 2016 by huahaha