S01.E16: Killer Asteroids, Oklahoma, and a Frizzy Hair Machine

[formerlyfreedom]

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A disappointing loss at the science fair sends Sheldon’s life in a new direction.

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[Browncoat]

Dear Jason Alexander,

Stop trying with the Texas accent.  It's not working for you.  Or me.  Or, y'know, at all.

[dizzyd]

I'm confused. How do we go from that audition to Penny having to teach Sheldon improv. He always had it in him even if he didn't make it to the stage. Confused and disappointed, like Bill Gates on TBBT, who is lucky he's a lot of other good things because he was no Stephen Hawking as a guest actor. Jason Alexander was baaad.

[Browncoat]

It was kind of worth enduring Jason’s horrible accent to see him in the iconic red dress, singing “Tomorrow”.  

[Spartan Girl]

LOL at Sheldon locking the principal in the office so he could rant on the PA.

That kid playing Sheldon really is talented. Too bad he was thwarted by stage fright.

So his fear of birds came from watching The Birds. Yup, that explains it.

[BlossomCulp]

  On 3/30/2018 at 1:05 AM, Spartan Girl said:

So his fear of birds came from watching The Birds. Yup, that explains it.

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I've hated birds since I was a child and it stems from a relative dying (heart attack) while watching that movie.  

[SnarkAttack]

  On 3/30/2018 at 1:05 AM, Spartan Girl said:

LOL at Sheldon locking the principal in the office so he could rant on the PA.

That kid playing Sheldon really is talented. Too bad he was thwarted by stage fright.

So his fear of birds came from watching The Birds. Yup, that explains it.

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Straight from Shawshank Redemption!

I want more Missy!

[SparklesBitch]

Iain is just the cutest, he’s clearly in his element singing and dancing and acting. I love how younger Sheldon has the same confidence in his ability to master acting as older Sheldon did when Penny offered to teach him. Well, at least until the stage fright set in for younger Sheldon, anyway. 

I cracked up at Georgie’s science fair project, about which soda made him burp the loudest. It was perfectly him. 

I’m with Missy and Meemaw, nobody appreciates their sense of humor! lol! 

The biggest laugh for me, though, was the expressions on George and Mary’s faces after Sheldon said the play they were doing was Annie. I laughed out loud. 

[Runningwild]

I am definitely borrowing Missy’s line because nobody gets my sense of humor. Lol

Iain is just fantastic! What a treasure! And the actors playing his siblings are great too. 

I always LOL at this show. Good job, show!

[shapeshifter]

  On 3/30/2018 at 12:44 AM, Browncoat said:

Dear Jason Alexander,

Stop trying with the Texas accent.  It's not working for you.  Or me.  Or, y'know, at all.

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Aw, it worked for me. Most of the time. But then I've never lived south of Sacramento. 

I really appreciated how supportive Mr. Lundy was. It's been really rough at work and will continue to be (layoffs, hours cut). I want to be in Mr. Lundy's acting class. 

And I agree with Meemaw that Sheldon would've been a great Annie.

[Bobbin]

They could easily have called the play "Andy". Except for the copyright. And the girl orphans.

Somewhere out there, there must be a song and dance vehicle for Lain and Jason Alexander. Just, wow.

[rhys]

What? No kid understudy?

[Zoe]

So. CUTE.

[BitterApple]

Omg, I loved this episode. My only gripe is I wish they hadn't had Jason Alexander try to do a Texas accent. It wasn't believable and threw the character off a bit. Otherwise, it was awesome. The kid playing Sheldon is so talented.

[Lily H]

From what I saw of Sheldon's science fair project, he was lucky to get an honourable mention. It looked boring as hell, just a lot of fine print and absolutely no pictures or anything to liven it up.

[Gulftastic]

I felt have pleased/half ashamed that I recognised the Rocky 4 monologue almost immediately. Jason Alexander's remaining hair is suspiciuosly jey black.

[BlossomCulp]

  On 3/30/2018 at 7:39 AM, Lily H said:

From what I saw of Sheldon's science fair project, he was lucky to get an honourable mention. It looked boring as hell, just a lot of fine print and absolutely no pictures or anything to liven it up.

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I loved that they did this.  It was a bit of a shout out to grown up Sheldon who would behave like just getting the chance to listen to him should be exciting enough for anyone!

BTW was that the actual voice of the little boy who plays Sheldon?  If so he's a talented little kid!

[highway61]

I definitely found Sheldon to be jerkier than in previous episodes. From blowing off his father's story about the football game, to basically ruining the play for everyone else involved, he was not the sweet and naive kid he's been. Actually, he was a lot more like grown-up Sheldon.

And my wife feels exactly the same way Sheldon does about science fair judging, so he's not wrong there.

[Gothish520]

  On 3/30/2018 at 2:45 AM, shapeshifter said:

Aw, it worked for me. Most of the time. But then I've never lived south of Sacramento. 

I really appreciated how supportive Mr. Lundy was. It's been really rough at work and will continue to be (layoffs, hours cut). I want to be in Mr. Lundy's acting class. 

And I agree with Meemaw that Sheldon would've been a great Annie.

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I can forgive the accent, because Jason was just so funny in this ep. Mr. Lundy knows, the show must go on!

[anna0852]

  On 3/30/2018 at 2:28 PM, highway61 said:

I definitely found Sheldon to be jerkier than in previous episodes. From blowing off his father's story about the football game, to basically ruining the play for everyone else involved, he was not the sweet and naive kid he's been. Actually, he was a lot more like grown-up Sheldon.

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Well as we know from watching Big Bang, that is how Sheldon is going to turn out. Unfortunately the characterization of the adult Sheldon means we got to watch this fairly sweet kid develop into a bit of a jerk with a massive ego.

[Browncoat]

Georgie's burp project was better, scientifically speaking, than the frizzy hair machine.  He had a hypothesis, methods and conclusions.  What was the purpose of the frizzy hair machine project?

 

  On 3/30/2018 at 1:01 AM, dizzyd said:

How do we go from that audition to Penny having to teach Sheldon improv.

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Rehearsing lines and blocking and whatnot is entirely different than improv.  I totally believe that Sheldon could be good at acting and not at improv.  Also, if they went from auditions to performance in three weeks, they didn't have time to do any acting exercises -- it was all straight up rehearsal.

[AnnaRose]

Plus there are some child actors that actually get much worse as they get older.   Perhaps the increased self-awareness that usually accompanies maturation interferes with their ability to deliver their lines in a more natural manner.  I can think of a few child actors who seemed to become more self-conscious and lost their naturalness as they got older.

[CherryAmes]

  On 3/30/2018 at 5:28 PM, AnnaRose said:

Plus there are some child actors that actually get much worse as they get older. 

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Heh, I was just coming to post this!  I can see that over the years Sheldon will lose the cuteness and vulnerability of childhood and start to develop the stiffness, the lack of empathy and the massive ego we associate with adult Sheldon.  I can't decide at this point whether this journey (assuming the powers that be actually do do this) will make adult Sheldon a more sympathetic character or not.

[Bobbin]

  On 3/30/2018 at 5:31 PM, CherryAmes said:

Heh, I was just coming to post this!  I can see that over the years Sheldon will lose the cuteness and vulnerability of childhood and start to develop the stiffness, the lack of empathy and the massive ego we associate with adult Sheldon.  I can't decide at this point whether this journey (assuming the powers that be actually do do this) will make adult Sheldon a more sympathetic character or not.

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Young Sheldon has yet to be the recipient/victim of public accolades for his genius while overlooking his rudeness. I think that future path explains the adult Sheldon.

[ProudMary]

  On 3/30/2018 at 5:21 PM, Browncoat said:

Georgie's burp project was better, scientifically speaking, than the frizzy hair machine.  He had a hypothesis, methods and conclusions.  What was the purpose of the frizzy hair machine project?

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Now THAT would have made for a great plot line.  Can you imagine Sheldon's reaction had he lost the science fair to Georgie?

[meep.meep]

  On 3/30/2018 at 1:54 AM, SparklesBitch said:

Iain is just the cutest, he’s clearly in his element singing and dancing and acting. I love how younger Sheldon has the same confidence in his ability to master acting as older Sheldon did when Penny offered to teach him. Well, at least until the stage fright set in for younger Sheldon, anyway. 

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Isn't one of Parson's Emmies for Sheldon getting drunk to overcome stage fright?  So, a little continuity.

[atlantaloves]

Best episode of the season, I love this show, and that little kid is just a big ole Texas bucket full of talent! ?

[Chit Chat]

  Quote

From what I saw of Sheldon's science fair project, he was lucky to get an honourable mention. It looked boring as hell, just a lot of fine print and absolutely no pictures or anything to liven it up.

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Instead of letting Sheldon give up on Science (temporarily), it would've made more sense for either Mary or George to help Sheldon understand how a Science Fair works now that they've all experienced one: Glitzy wins!  He doesn't have to stoop to the "mediocrity" of it, but maybe next time he could jazz up his presentation a little bit.  Present the facts in a fun way.  Just a thought.  I know that Sheldon thinks that everybody should automatically bow down to his intellect, so he probably wouldn't take any advice from his family on the matter. 

If was funny when Sheldon yelled out "Fiddle Faddle" once he got home, and Connie said something along the lines of "Yeah, he's pretty mad.  He used the 'F' word!"  

[Pepper the Cat]

So Mr Lundy just happened to have a full costume set to play Annie..

ok then.

Edited March 31, 2018 by Pepper the Cat

[Bobbin]

  On 3/30/2018 at 10:10 PM, ChitChat said:

Instead of letting Sheldon give up on Science (temporarily), it would've made more sense for either Mary or George to help Sheldon understand how a Science Fair works now that they've all experienced one: Glitzy wins!  He doesn't have to stoop to the "mediocrity" of it, but maybe next time he could jazz up his presentation a little bit.  Present the facts in a fun way.

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Like "Leverage: The Fairy Godparents Job," when the team turned a school science fair into a musical, a doubly entertaining (and educational!) episode.

[anna0852]

Mary is really indulgent of Sheldon! George is absolutely correct in that learning the lesson of not always winning and losing gracefully is a *critical* skill and Sheldon has to learn it. And we know he doesn't! We've met the Adult Sheldon and he's the sorest loser and biggest ego out there.

Would Mary have reacted the same way if it has been Missy or Georgie upset over that honorable mention? Or taken then to a therapist? I'm betting 'no.' It's grating on me a bit to see how much she allows Sheldon to get way with and knowing what kind of adult that indulgence is going to turn him into.

Also, Georgie might have picked an asinine subject but he really did follow through with the project. Theory, hypothesis, testing method and results. I don't think Georgie is nearly as stupid as Sheldon makes him out to be. He's maintaining good enough grades to stay on the football team (cheating in algebra not withstanding), which is probably around a 'C' average. He's not going to set the world on fire but he's not going to sink out in the world either. And unless Missy has personality transplant during puberty I don't know why Mary referred to her as 'dumb as soup' on BBT.

Edited March 31, 2018 by anna0852

[shapeshifter]

  On 3/31/2018 at 3:03 AM, anna0852 said:

And unless Missy has personality transplant during puberty I don't know why Mary referred to her as 'dumb as soup' on BBT.

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I don't recall that description, but it could have been in reference to life choices. One of my three is as intelligent as Sheldon but seriously lacking in common sense, especially when it comes to finances.

[SparklesBitch]

  On 3/30/2018 at 12:48 PM, BlossomCulp said:

I loved that they did this.  It was a bit of a shout out to grown up Sheldon who would behave like just getting the chance to listen to him should be exciting enough for anyone!

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Me too, I thought it was right in line with eventual adult Sheldon. He assumed he’d win and that everyone would be in awe listening to him, so why would he add any extras like other people? I think he’d see it as beneath his project. 

  On 3/30/2018 at 2:28 PM, highway61 said:

I definitely found Sheldon to be jerkier than in previous episodes. From blowing off his father's story about the football game, to basically ruining the play for everyone else involved, he was not the sweet and naive kid he's been. Actually, he was a lot more like grown-up Sheldon.

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Definitely jerkier. It was much easier to see shades of adult Sheldon in this week’s younger Sheldon for these reasons. I felt so bad for poor George, trying to help and getting blown off. The not hearing what he just said comment made me cringe in sympathy.

  On 3/30/2018 at 6:57 PM, ProudMary said:

Now THAT would have made for a great plot line.  Can you imagine Sheldon's reaction had he lost the science fair to Georgie?

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OMG this would have been GOLD!!! I wish they would have done that now!! 

  On 3/30/2018 at 8:13 PM, meep.meep said:

Isn't one of Parson's Emmies for Sheldon getting drunk to overcome stage fright?  So, a little continuity.

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Oh, maybe! Didn’t think of that!  

  On 3/31/2018 at 3:03 AM, anna0852 said:

Mary is really indulgent of Sheldon! George is absolutely correct in that learning the lesson of not always winning and losing gracefully is a *critical* skill and Sheldon has to learn it. And we know he doesn't! We've met the Adult Sheldon and he's the sorest loser and biggest ego out there.

Would Mary have reacted the same way if it has been Missy or Georgie upset over that honorable mention? Or taken then to a therapist? I'm betting 'no.' It's grating on me a bit to see how much she allows Sheldon to get way with and knowing what kind of adult that indulgence is going to turn him into.

Also, Georgie might have picked an asinine subject but he really did follow through with the project. Theory, hypothesis, testing method and results. I don't think Georgie is nearly as stupid as Sheldon makes him out to be. He's maintaining good enough grades to stay on the football team (cheating in algebra not withstanding), which is probably around a 'C' average. He's not going to set the world on fire but he's not going to sink out in the world either. And unless Missy has personality transplant during puberty I don't know why Mary referred to her as 'dumb as soup' on BBT.

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Yes to ALL of this!!! As for the “dumb as soup” comment, I always assumed that BBT Mary was either just exaggerating (because most people would seem “dumb as soup” next to Sheldon) or referring more to any life choices adult Missy has made rather than just referring to her as “dumb as soup” in general because she’s clearly not. Both child and adult Missy are delightful. 

That being said, this is one of the reasons BBT Mary cracks me up. Like, when you think of the phrase “dumb as...”, the word “soup” to finish it would never, ever have occurred to me before hearing it on the show. Now I use it all time time just because I think it’s so hilariously absurd. 

Also, Meemaw wanting to teach Sheldon how to swear after his “fiddle-faddle!” outburst was awesome. So funny!! 

[Chit Chat]

  On 3/31/2018 at 5:08 AM, SparklesBitch said:

As for the “dumb as soup” comment, I always assumed that BBT Mary was either just exaggerating (because most people would seem “dumb as soup” next to Sheldon) or referring more to any life choices adult Missy has made rather than just referring to her as “dumb as soup” in general because she’s clearly not. Both child and adult Missy are delightful. 

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She said it when she went to help grown up Sheldon with a personal issue (I think it was when he quit his job at the university.)  She told Leonard "The Lord never gives us more than we can handle.  Thankfully he blessed me with 2 other children who were dumb as soup." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e8cOhB0nVk

Edited March 31, 2018 by ChitChat

[vibeology]

  On 3/31/2018 at 1:11 PM, ChitChat said:

She said it when she went to help grown up Sheldon with a personal issue (I think it was when he quit his job at the university.)  She told Leonard "The Lord never gives us more than we can handle.  Thankfully he blessed me with 2 other children who were dumb as soup." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e8cOhB0nVk

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Maybe she was rounding down for Georgie? Missy seemed like a typical person, smart in many ways and less so in others. She was quick witted and emotional intelligent but wasn't into science to the point that she didn't really know what Sheldon's job was. 

[BlossomCulp]

She also said it when it was just a throwaway line about offscreen people who might never have shown up on the show.  Wasn't that "dumb as soup" comment made in the first season?  Anyway I won't hold them now to things the writers said back then!  

[Chit Chat]

  On 3/31/2018 at 4:54 PM, BlossomCulp said:

Wasn't that "dumb as soup" comment made in the first season?  Anyway I won't hold them now to things the writers said back then!  

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It was season one, and I agree, the writers couldn't know at that time that there would be a 'Young Sheldon' show!  I can overlook the inconsistencies, but it's interesting to watch Missy and realize that no, she wasn't "dumb as soup!"  I don't think Sheldon ever said what Missy did for a living.  We know that he went home for the birth of her child, but I don't recall him saying if she had a career, or what she had been doing.  I love Missy's sense of humor.  "Maybe he'll learn to act normal" was the best line of the night to me!  

Having heard that line from Mary on TBBT, I did not have much hope for Missy when this show started, but seeing her street smart savviness,  I think she's going to turn out just fine! 

[Ina123]

With people mentioning how talented the young star is, go here and watch his reviews of Broadway shows:

https://www.youtube.com/user/LeeArm1/videos

I'm sure in some he must be about 4 years old. His mother is a theatre producer.

I'm also assuming most of us know he was in the well-received HBO show, Big Little Lies. 

Edited March 31, 2018 by Ina123

[Katy M]

  On 3/30/2018 at 1:05 AM, Spartan Girl said:

So his fear of birds came from watching The Birds. Yup, that explains it.

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That's where my fear of birds came from.

[Chit Chat]

  On 4/1/2018 at 12:15 AM, Katy M said:

That's where my fear of birds came from.

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That was a scary movie back in the day.  Still is!  I'm so glad we're seeing how Sheldon's phobias began.  It's fun to connect all of the dots!  I'm curious as to what happens to Tam once they part ways at some point.  It would be nice if TBBT gave a shout out to him in a future episode.  Just a nod to all of us watching both shows.  If they have mentioned him, then I missed it.  

[possibilities]

I have decided that I hope they don't follow the BBT universe strictly, because I like George and I don't want to see him become a terrible father/husband. It's fun when they sneak in little things, like how Sheldon began to hate geology, but I am happy enough to just forget about things like Missy being stupid or George being horrible.

I agreed with Sheldon that the science fair winner didn't deserve it. Her project wasn't original, it was all show, and it wasn't really anything the least bit special.

[Chit Chat]

  On 4/1/2018 at 12:24 AM, possibilities said:

I have decided that I hope they don't follow the BBT universe strictly, because I like George and I don't want to see him become a terrible father/husband. I

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I'm thinking that it may be somewhat of a disadvantage for those of us fans of TBBT and this show.  Some of the things that have been said on TBBT, like "dumb as soup," are things I remember, so I'm happy that Missy doesn't seem that way on this show.  Granted, she seems to struggle a little bit in school, but I think she's doing better than Georgie is, whom I expect not to do well.  Again, I'm fine with the inconsistencies, and I expect them, but sometimes it's difficult not to reference what I already know from TBBT.   

I'm with you possibilities.  I'm hoping this show goes a different route with George.  It's going to be difficult to see him tear the family apart.  They're all so cute in their little world, and I don't want to see that change.  I really don't think this show will make it if they do that.  I'd guess that nobody really wants to see that happen.  

It was fun seeing the psychologist again.  Alright, alright!   

[Sarah 103]

  On 3/30/2018 at 5:28 PM, AnnaRose said:

Plus there are some child actors that actually get much worse as they get older.   Perhaps the increased self-awareness that usually accompanies maturation interferes with their ability to deliver their lines in a more natural manner.  I can think of a few child actors who seemed to become more self-conscious and lost their naturalness as they got older.

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Child actors are not usually cast for their acting ability but for thier presence/vibe and ability to follow directions as well as stay focused. Many child actors miss out on typical life experiences, common problems, or situations. Adult actors who have gone through them draw on them later in thier career, but child actors who never had them cannot. 

[madpsych78]

I have another perspective on the "Sheldon doesn't listen to George" scene:

Sheldon was probably in a place where he was so consumed with thought and emotion over what happened at the science fair that he wasn't able to devote any extra attention to George. Attentional capacity is finite in all of us, even Sheldon. When Sheldon told George that he didn't hear anything he said, he was speaking the truth without a filter that individuals who are more socially aware are more likely to use. I would have to rewatch, but I don't believe that George asked him to listen to him first, I think he just walked in and started talking.

[formerlyfreedom]

Just a reminder - there is a topic to discuss TBBT vs Young Sheldon, and that's the place to talk about the continuity (or lack of) between the shows. This topic should be strictly for actual episode discussion. Thank you!

[Chit Chat]

Mea Culpa, Mods!  ;)

  On 4/1/2018 at 1:48 AM, madpsych78 said:

Sheldon was probably in a place where he was so consumed with thought and emotion over what happened at the science fair that he wasn't able to devote any extra attention to George.

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We've seen Sheldon be somewhat rude to his Dad in other episodes and there was no reprimand, so that bothers me.  However, in this particular case, I think Sheldon was just so focused on his perceived failure that he tuned out everything and everybody around him.  That's too bad.  George gave a pretty good little motivational story!  

[AnnaRose]

I was surprised by the comments from people complaining about Jason's Alexander's Texan accent.  I watched this episode twice, and I'm still not sure what that's about.  He sounded fine to me, and I tried to pay closer attention to it during my second viewing, and the accent didn't seem particularly pronounced or off in my opinion.  (Disclaimer:  I lived in the south for many years, but never Texas.) 

I thought Jason was great with Iain, and loved the singing and tap dancing.  Missy was hilarious as usual (I want to see more of her!) and MeeMaw cracks me up with every line and every look. 

I got a kick out of Bad Boy Sheldon being sent to the principal's office, and his quickly added "Ma'am" when the assistant gave him that look.  And then using the chair to trap them in the office while he made his announcement encouraging rebellion by the student body:  "Chew gum in class!  Use a number one pencil!"  Haha.

This show makes me laugh and leaves me with a big, stupid grin on my face.

ETA:  Oh yeah, I wanted to mention another favorite scene - with MeeMaw going on about how theater people just want to see each other with their clothes off, and she and Missy commiserating on how nobody gets their sense of humor.  (Missy was so cute patting MeeMaw on the shoulder at the end of that scene.)

Edited April 1, 2018 by AnnaRose

[Browncoat]

  On 4/1/2018 at 2:41 AM, AnnaRose said:

I was surprised by the comments from people complaining about Jason's Alexander's Texan accent.  I watched this episode twice, and I'm still not sure what that's about.  He sounded fine to me, and I tried to pay closer attention to it during my second viewing, and the accent didn't seem particularly pronounced or off in my opinion. 

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It was inconsistent at best -- New York/New Jersey came through more often than Texas.

[Chit Chat]

  On 4/1/2018 at 2:41 AM, AnnaRose said:

"Chew gum in class!  Use a number one pencil!"  Haha.

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Classic Sheldon on how to be a rebel!!  

[Bobbin]

  On 4/1/2018 at 12:50 PM, Browncoat said:

  On 4/1/2018 at 2:41 AM, AnnaRose said:

I was surprised by the comments from people complaining about Jason's Alexander's Texan accent.  I watched this episode twice, and I'm still not sure what that's about.  He sounded fine to me, and I tried to pay closer attention to it during my second viewing, and the accent didn't seem particularly pronounced or off in my opinion. 

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It was inconsistent at best -- New York/New Jersey came through more often than Texas.

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But not nearly as noticeable as Bert Lahr's memorable Brooklyn accent ("If I only had the noyve!"). The only authentic, pronounced Texas drawl on the show is Georgie's -- and that's because Montana Jordan is Texas born and raised (and hasn't been around long enough to be coached out of his endearing drawl). I thought this ep was the best so far, too good to nitpick a guest star's accent.

.

Edited April 1, 2018 by Bobbin
Correction.