S11.E08: The Tesla Recoil

[Bort]

Quote

Leonard and Wolowitz are furious after they learn Sheldon went to work with the military behind their backs. Also, while Bernadette is on bed rest, she asks Raj to do some digging when she suspects Ruchi is trying to steal her job.

[Spartan Girl]

If they were dumb enough to trust Kripke, they deserved to get screwed over.

[adhoc]

So, Sheldon was at work during the day and also working nights with geologist Bert for a while and also working with the Air Force presumably at the same time? Oookay....

[Driad]

If the Tesla-Edison documentary is real, what is it please?

All the characters came out looking bad except Amy and maybe Penny.

[displayname]

31 minutes ago, adhoc said:

So, Sheldon was at work during the day and also working nights with geologist Bert for a while and also working with the Air Force presumably at the same time? Oookay....

Well, he is a prodigy. :P

[shapeshifter]

10 hours ago, fan94 said:

Well, he is a prodigy. :P

Sure. But, IMO, either they should have given Howard and Leonard a line and a half in which they figured Sheldon was working on the geology thing, or they shouldn't have aired the episodes consecutively.

So is that it for Ruchi? 

Edited November 17, 2017 by shapeshifter

[Driad]

1 hour ago, adhoc said:

So, Sheldon was at work during the day and also working nights with geologist Bert for a while and also working with the Air Force presumably at the same time? Oookay....

Isn't Bert working with Leonard instead of Sheldon now?  Remembering Leonard's admiration of how Bert shut his office door in Sheldon't face in the previous episode.

[displayname]

17 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Sure. But, IMO, either they should have given Howard and Leonard a line and a half in which they figured Sheldon was working on the geology thing, or they shouldn't have aired the episodes consecutively.

 

Was just a joke.

[shapeshifter]

56 minutes ago, Driad said:

Isn't Bert working with Leonard instead of Sheldon now?  Remembering Leonard's admiration of how Bert shut his office door in Sheldon't face in the previous episode.

Oops. True. Still, Howard and Leonard could have shared a line or two about Sheldon going behind Leonard's back to work with Bert. Could've been a nice bit of continuity. 

[rmontro]

4 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

If they were dumb enough to trust Kripke, they deserved to get screwed over.

I was actually a little taken aback.  I didn't realize Kripke was that much of a jerk.  

It is a little odd there was no mention of the Bert situation.

Not sure if we'll see Ruchi again, but if we do maybe Stuart will get a shot a her.

[dungeonwriter]

Wow, Sheldon is a horrible person, take two. He could have at least invited his team. I know he's the kind of person who resents dinner parties where someone talks about how awesome his future wife is, but seriously? I'd end a friendship over this. That's a betrayal that goes one step too far for me. Although expecting Kripke to act any better is a long shot. 

Not a single laugh out of me. 

I really wished Bernadette had taken Sheldon down for stealing her Howie's work. That I'd pay to see. 

[Traveller519]

I LOVED the cold open. That really felt like a throwback to the early years. All the guys (and now Amy!) were legitimately stoked to be discussing something kinda nerdy but also incredibly interesting. And they let that fall over into the meat of the show. I'm not a big fan of what Bernadette's character has become, but I'm glad to see Raj back his friend, when Ruchi really hadn't given him any reason to put his blind faith in her.

[Gulftastic]

So, we now know that the guys were fired by the airforce. Does this mean Howard's money fears will come back, or that they are now forgotten, despite the cause of his concern being about to double?

And has Raj lost another woman? Is it reset for him and back to being practically a fringe character?

Otherwise, quite enjoyed it. 

[buffynut]

6 hours ago, Traveller519 said:

I'm not a big fan of what Bernadette's character has become, but I'm glad to see Raj back his friend, when Ruchi really hadn't given him any reason to put his blind faith in her.

I was glad to see Raj back his friend too. But not impressed if the writer's did it just so they could break up his casual fling with Ruchi.  I hope that's not it for her, as I liked her.  And I was hoping their casual thing would eventually turn into a relationship.  Raj isn't perfect, but neither are any of the other characters and they all have significant others.  Even Sheldon!!!  So it's way past time for Raj to have a steady girlfriend. 

[CaliforniaLove]

Between Sheldon, Ruchi & Kripke, I don't think I've seen such a "villain laden" episode of this show. I usually don't walk away from an episode hoping to see people get major comeuppance on a future episode. 

And really? That's it for Raj/Ruchi? I was liking their dynamic. Raj was still Raj, but in an enjoyable & not creepy way. Even when he told her they were in a relationship, I couldn't help but to agree with him. I didn't expect that to end in a break up. 

Kaley Cuoco has the best job on tv right now. Isn't she the highest, if not one of the highest paid actresses? And all she has to do is sort of chill, chuckle, and spout off a couple funny lines per episode? Sign me up!! 

[theredhead77]

I was too distracted by the bag of Tim Horton's coffee on Amy & Sheldon's counter to pay attention to the rest of the show. Penny working at "The Cheesecake Factory" when it was obviously not The Cheesecake Factory still annoys me. There are no Tim Horton's in CA.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Quote

Kaley Cuoco has the best job on tv right now. Isn't she the highest, if not one of the highest paid actresses? And all she has to do is sort of chill, chuckle, and spout off a couple funny lines per episode? Sign me up!! 

Absolutely. And she gets to wear really cute clothes.  I covet that blue sweater ... it sells for $250, which is out of my league.  I hope she is managing her money well. The entire cast should be able to live off just the interest income alone.

[LoneHaranguer]

10 hours ago, dungeonwriter said:

I really wished Bernadette had taken Sheldon down for stealing her Howie's work.

He didn't. He came up with an idea for a communications system using the same scientific principles.

10 hours ago, rmontro said:

I didn't realize Kripke was that much of a jerk.

I'm reminded of the scene where the guys were ready to blow off schmoozing the tenure committee when Kripke walked in and Leonard said something like "we can't lose to that jerk". They should have gotten a written agreement like they did with Sheldon (who can also be quite a jerk).

1 hour ago, theredhead77 said:

I was too distracted by the bag of Tim Horton's coffee on Amy & Sheldon's counter to pay attention to the rest of the show. Penny working at "The Cheesecake Factory" when it was obviously not The Cheesecake Factory still annoys me. There are no Tim Horton's in CA.

According to the company's web site, they sell it through amazon.com

[Twilight Man]

14 hours ago, Driad said:

If the Tesla-Edison documentary is real, what is it please?

I'm not entirely certain but maybe one of these three:

 

The Current War

Cumberbatch as Edison and Nicholas Hoult as Tesla

(and yes, it says that it has not been released yet, but, at the time of filming this episode, it was going to be released around right now)

(The, ahem, "problems" featuring Harvey Weinstein has delayed the release of this film)

 

The Men Who Built America

Edison and Tesla play predominant roles in the third chapter despite not getting top billing alongside the "Titans of Industry".

 

and there is an episode of "American Genius" that features their war.

Edited November 17, 2017 by Twilight Man

[theredhead77]

24 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

According to the company's web site, they sell it through amazon.com

Well yes, and you can also buy it online directly from Tim Hortons. It just irritates me based on the premise that I am someone who enjoys Timmies but lives (or used to live) in CA and couldn't just go swing by and get some coffee and Timbits

[proserpina65]

26 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

He didn't. He came up with an idea for a communications system using the same scientific principles.

Without Leonard's original theory and Howard's work on adapting that principle into a guidance system, there wouldn't have been a basis for his communications system.  So, yes, in my book, he stole their work.  And this was after naming himself head of the team developing the guidance system and allowing a reporter to give him sole credit for the paper he and Leonard wrote about Leonard's theory.  Sheldon is, and has mostly always been, a self-absorbed ass, and by far my least favorite character on the show.

[proserpina65]

Sorry - duplicate post for some reason

Edited November 17, 2017 by proserpina65

[OtterMommy]

I have to admit that I missed most of this episode because OtterDaddy had to insert his own commentary re: Edison and Tesla.

More proof that I'm married to Sheldon.

[Trey]

Loved that they all told Sheldon that he's Edison, not Tesla.

Also loved Penny's line at the end, "you guys are more  the guy who didn't invent the electric car and less the guy who didn't invent the light bulb". 

Just from reading the plot summary I was angry with Sheldon and the episode didn't change that; so I was pleased to see him get his comeuppance.  You would think the guys would know by now that Kripke can't be trusted.  I don't know if the guys have any recourse in telling the army that Kripke stole their work.

The writers are sure trying to make us dislike Bernadette.

Edited November 17, 2017 by Trey

[LoneHaranguer]

9 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Without Leonard's original theory and Howard's work on adapting that principle into a guidance system, there wouldn't have been a basis for his communications system.  So, yes, in my book, he stole their work.

Technological developments are almost always based on what others have already done. Saying that Sheldon stole their work is like saying that the creators of the first laser printer stole the work of those who developed lasers, It would have been nice if he had invited the guys to be part of his new project, but he didn't need them and the military didn't want them.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Even when he told her they were in a relationship, I couldn't help but to agree with him.

Same here. She can call it whatever she likes - friends with benefits, whatever. They're sleeping together on the regular. That's a relationship. She's the one in denial, not him.

Quote

Kaley Cuoco has the best job on tv right now. Isn't she the highest, if not one of the highest paid actresses? And all she has to do is sort of chill, chuckle, and spout off a couple funny lines per episode? Sign me up!! 

Boy, no joke. Has anyone else noticed that Penny has had virtually nothing to do this season? I don't know if she's even been out of the apartment once. She shows up in the group scene where they're all eating and maybe one or two others standing behind the kitchen counter, and that's it. It's like the writers have completely lost interest in her (and they probably have). 

[Driad]

Re Tesla and Edison, the first(?) episode of Murdoch Mysteries features Tesla and a controversy about the safety of alternating current. No Edison, but who needs him?

[LoneHaranguer]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Has anyone else noticed that Penny has had virtually nothing to do this season?

No, but there hasn't been much centered around her. Being friends with Beverly was an exception. For some reason, Raj and Howard seem to have been in the forefront a lot.

[buffynut]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Same here. She can call it whatever she likes - friends with benefits, whatever. They're sleeping together on the regular. That's a relationship. She's the one in denial, not him.

That's why I'm hoping we'll see more of Ruchi.  

[CaliforniaLove]

9 minutes ago, buffynut said:

That's why I'm hoping we'll see more of Ruchi.  

Yeah, and I hope they redeem her a bit. Even though I'm not Bernadette's #1 fan, Ruchi's attitude about trying to take her job, plus dumping Raj when she did really didn't sit well with me. Why show, WHYYYYYYYY?

 

4 hours ago, MoreCoffeePlease said:

Absolutely. And she gets to wear really cute clothes.  I covet that blue sweater ... it sells for $250, which is out of my league.

I STILL want all of her earlier season hoodies!

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Technological developments are almost always based on what others have already done. Saying that Sheldon stole their work is like saying that the creators of the first laser printer stole the work of those who developed lasers, It would have been nice if he had invited the guys to be part of his new project, but he didn't need them and the military didn't want them.

Except that he was part of the original project, and had he not been, he wouldn't have been privy to Howard's work at all since it hadn't been published.  I stand by my opinion, and you are welcome to stand by yours.

[hnygrl]

Well. All rightie then.

Ruchi is not only trying to take Bernie's job, she's pretty much already done it. Sitting in her corner office, using her parking space, and bonus, she's NICE and not a bully. Bernie's toast. 

In real life that is. On this show, Ruchi will just.....cease to exist...like...fairy dust or something...one minute Bernie's on bed rest and worried about her job the next she's on bed rest and whatever they come up with next week.

Sheldon betrayed his friends and got mad at his fiance` when she called him on it. Got downright insulting.

And he's the star of the show....why....again....?

This is the first episode of this season that I wholeheartedly hated. Just despised. This was a shit episode all the way around. 

Oh goody...we get..two...?...more seasons of this. 

Yay

(well don't watch then! nobody's putting a gun to your head hnygrl...just quit watching).

Okay...think I will.

[BlossomCulp]

I loved that Raj chose Bernadette over Ruchi but that he also pointed out to Bernie that her getting mad at what Ruchi is doing was hypocritical.  Nice when they didn't handwave away  her past behavior to make us more sympathetic to her now.  

Also liked that Kripke did the same thing to the guys that Sheldon did.  A shout out to earlier episodes where we learn that Kripke is just as smart as Sheldon and just as self centred.

Edited November 17, 2017 by BlossomCulp

[LoneHaranguer]

4 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Except that he was part of the original project, and had he not been, he wouldn't have been privy to Howard's work at all since it hadn't been published. 

Not published, but available to anyone with sufficient security clearance, including Kripke apparently, since the guys had no problem bringing him in, and he had a contact at the DOD to do an end-run. If the guys hadn't put in a special effort to one-up Sheldon on his idea for an offshoot of the prior work, someone at the DOD or another university might have.

[amaranta]

On ‎11‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 9:45 PM, Driad said:

If the Tesla-Edison documentary is real, what is it please?

 

10 hours ago, Twilight Man said:

I'm not entirely certain but maybe one of these three

There's also one called The Electricity War.  That's close in title to The Current War, so maybe the same?  There was a PBS one, Master of Lightning, a long time ago; there's tons of stuff on YouTube. I almost went down the rabbit hole...

[Driad]

Thank you folks for the video suggestions.  Maybe we can have a marathon viewing.  

Edison really did electrocute an elephant  and other animals.  I learned this from Bob's Burgers.  TV is so educational! 

[rmontro]

11 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

I'm reminded of the scene where the guys were ready to blow off schmoozing the tenure committee when Kripke walked in and Leonard said something like "we can't lose to that jerk". They should have gotten a written agreement like they did with Sheldon (who can also be quite a jerk).

I'm wondering if someone can give an example of Kripke actually being a jerk.  It's one thing for the show to tell us he's a jerk, it's another thing to show us.  

I saw an episode tonight where he wouldn't give Sheldon and Leonard access to some helium, unless they put his name on their research paper.  I guess that qualifies, but it seems fair in some way - they couldn't do their experiment without the helium, he had something they needed.  It might be jerky, but not on a huge scale.

[shapeshifter]

11 hours ago, Trey said:

Also loved Penny's line at the end, "you guys are more  the guy who didn't invent the electric car and less the guy who didn't invent the light bulb".

Whoever wrote that line should get a promotion, and kudos to Kaley Cuoco (try saying that three times fast) for delivery.

[holly4755]

any time Kripke sees a woman, he is a jerk. 

[Snarklepuss]

On 11/16/2017 at 9:43 PM, adhoc said:

So, Sheldon was at work during the day and also working nights with geologist Bert for a while and also working with the Air Force presumably at the same time? Oookay....

I know Sheldon has a license but does he use it?  And where would he get the car to sneak away on a gov't project like that?  We know he doesn't like to take cabs.
 

18 hours ago, buffynut said:

I was glad to see Raj back his friend too. But not impressed if the writer's did it just so they could break up his casual fling with Ruchi.  I hope that's not it for her, as I liked her.  And I was hoping their casual thing would eventually turn into a relationship.  Raj isn't perfect, but neither are any of the other characters and they all have significant others.  Even Sheldon!!!  So it's way past time for Raj to have a steady girlfriend. 

I know, color me disappointed too.  I'm hoping Ruchi realizes the error of her ways and comes groveling back.  At least this time it wasn't Raj that was the asshole, though.  I LOLed at his line about their "caramel bodies intertwined".
 

12 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Boy, no joke. Has anyone else noticed that Penny has had virtually nothing to do this season? I don't know if she's even been out of the apartment once. She shows up in the group scene where they're all eating and maybe one or two others standing behind the kitchen counter, and that's it. It's like the writers have completely lost interest in her (and they probably have). 

Yes, I've noticed that Penny has even less to do than Leonard.  I posted about him being pretty plot vacant last week.  At least this week he did more than just stand around and nod (like Penny does).

[Snarklepuss]

13 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Technological developments are almost always based on what others have already done. Saying that Sheldon stole their work is like saying that the creators of the first laser printer stole the work of those who developed lasers, It would have been nice if he had invited the guys to be part of his new project, but he didn't need them and the military didn't want them.

It wouldn't just have "been nice" if he invited the guys to be a part of the project, in this case IMO it would have been the ethical thing to do since they were part of the foundation work that lead to his new breakthrough.  I know the implicit social contract idea is out of style and it's basically every man for himself out there these days but IMHO that's regrettable.  YMMV.

[Sile]

14 hours ago, Twilight Man said:

I'm not entirely certain but maybe one of these three:

 

The Current War

Cumberbatch as Edison and Nicholas Hoult as Tesla

(and yes, it says that it has not been released yet, but, at the time of filming this episode, it was going to be released around right now)

(The, ahem, "problems" featuring Harvey Weinstein has delayed the release of this film)

 

The Men Who Built America

Edison and Tesla play predominant roles in the third chapter despite not getting top billing alongside the "Titans of Industry".

 

and there is an episode of "American Genius" that features their war.

I think the one I saw maybe a few years ago was The Men Who Built America.  It was a series on the History Channel or American Heroes Channel, or one of those type channels.  It was a series that featured famous feuds among titans of Industry.  Some I remember are Vanderbilt v. Fisk/Gould/Rockefeller, Carnegie v. Frick, Edison v. Tesla, and a few others that I can't recall at the moment.  Great series!  I learned so much watching those.  I'd never realized how much of a role JP Morgan played in the Edison/Tesla deal.

Now that I think about it, it was probably on H2, because I used to watch that constantly.  I loved that channel, more off the beaten path stuff than H1 aka The Nazi Channel.  

Haven't thought about that series for some time I might have to check and see it's available if only to remember the name of the guy that sold coke (not that kind!) to make kerosene.  Anybody remember who I'm talking about?

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

It wouldn't just have "been nice" if he invited the guys to be a part of the project, in this case IMO it would have been the ethical thing to do since they were part of the foundation work that lead to his new breakthrough.  I know the implicit social contract idea is out of style and it's basically every man for himself out there these days but IMHO that's regrettable.  YMMV.

And it would have worked out better for him (Sheldon) in the end. I wonder if that is supposed to be the Moral of the Story, or if it's just a comedy plot device.

[MissLucas]

Whatever happened to the guys freaking out their technology would be used for military applications? Did it go to the farm upstate where continuity goes for retirement? Also: how many times do they need to get screwed over issues of intellectual property either by the system or by a co-worker until they learn their lesson? Zach was right after all.

I did not feel one bit of sympathy for Bernadette - Raj was absolutely right. This is exactly what she would have done - or rather has done already. Remember Barbara Chen? She's a nightmare in her workplace and deserves whatever Ruchi is throwing her way. (I actually like Bernadette as a character but I never liked how the show treated her remorseless bullying of colleagues as a joke. Yes, she's tiny and having to fight all her life for the respect she deserves is a valid reason for being tough - but it's no excuse for being mean-spirited.)

I can't believe what I'm about to type but I actually liked Raj in this episode. He stood up to Bernadette calling her out on her BS. And he did not lie to Ruchi about Bernadette either. He was also right in calling her out on her BS. They were in a relationship even if she wasn't willing to admit it. I do hope she stays around because somehow she manages to make Raj interesting.

I was a fun episode on the surface but I fear none of the lessons being handed out will stick - too bad.

[BlossomCulp]

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

And it would have worked out better for him (Sheldon) in the end. I wonder if that is supposed to be the Moral of the Story, or if it's just a comedy plot device.

Well Sheldon has referenced more than once that he is growing as a human being -  even says something last night IIRC :) .  For me one of the best things about the way they write Sheldon is Amy's reactions to it.  First I love that the writers aren't making her blind to his faults, especially his more glaring faults, but it's the way Mayim Bialik delivers her lines and the expressions on her face that do it for me.  Of course I've loved her since Beaches and Blossom so am not surprised she can more than hold her own on this show,

Edited November 18, 2017 by BlossomCulp

[theatremouse]

11 hours ago, rmontro said:

I'm wondering if someone can give an example of Kripke actually being a jerk.  It's one thing for the show to tell us he's a jerk, it's another thing to show us. 

His whole "doing this just to stick it to Sheldon makes it better" moment was pretty jerk-like.

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

23 hours ago, hnygrl said:

well don't watch then! nobody's putting a gun to your head hnygrl...just quit watching).

Okay...think I will.

Glad to know I have at least one companion in the I’m Not Watching Anymore section. Sheldon verbally abusing Amy; Amy so ovary-whipped  that his abuse/anger stimulates her; Leonard so dumb he’s ready to blather out secret details to anybody; Bernadette being vindictive, bitter and insecure; — all I felt from this episode was anger and hatefulness, spite and rejection (Ruchi’s refusal to share anything other than her body with Raj — oh, wait! — until she shares her smug satisfaction at her ruthlessness, and then ditches him because of his affection for Bern)! 

I do get that there could be a theme of the cutthroat side of science thru the ages — from Edison being Edison*  to the Pasadena crew being what they are. But it’s not in any way enjoyable for me to watch and I’ve officially stopped. If a ninja chooses to watch an upcoming ep and tells me it’s back to being funny and not painful, I’ll watch. Otherwise, no. 

* Only recently got up to speed on Tesla & Edison (through an excellent documentary, as it happens), and learning about Edison’s modus operandi turned me right off; now, knowing that he electrocuted an elephant, he’s off my good list. 

So there. 

Edited November 18, 2017 by BckpckFullaNinjas

[chocolatine]

The Bernadette/Ruchi storyline is completely unrealistic, because of course Bernadette's projects are getting reassigned if she's on leave for several months. Projects have deadlines; the show must go on. It makes sense for Ruchi as the new hire to take over some of the projects, and if she legitimately does a better job than Bernadette, that's fair game. The trope of women being catty and cut-throat in the workplace is so tired.

I do dislike Ruchi in the context of her relationship with Raj. I hate the TV double standard that a man who only wants sex is a selfish, shallow jerk, but a woman who only wants sex is empowered and desirable. It's selfish and shallow in both cases.

[Intuition]

23 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I know Sheldon has a license but does he use it?  And where would he get the car to sneak away on a gov't project like that?  We know he doesn't like to take cabs.

That's a good question.  Did I miss something?  Does anyone know how he's been getting there?

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

5 hours ago, chocolatine said:

The trope of women being catty and cut-throat in the workplace is so tired.

I do dislike Ruchi in the context of her relationship with Raj. I hate the TV double standard that a man who only wants sex is a selfish, shallow jerk, but a woman who only wants sex is empowered and desirable. It's selfish and shallow in both cases.

In both cases, misogynistic dreams!

And I’m glad you pointed them out, not only for readership at large, but because it gives me a chance to say something I forgot to say in my original post:  This episode was just so *dark* to me.

Negativity ruled; the only positive was Raj’s loyalty to Bernie.  Started to say that Penny’s observation about the guys being Tesla-like was clever but the poor guy died broke and broken. Nope, just too danged dark. 

As I said, I’m out. Srsly. No really, I am!