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S01.E18: A Mother, a Child and a Blue Man's Backside


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Of course Mary would be horrified by Watchmen. But Sheldon did make a good point about the scandalous content in the Bible, none of the ultra conservatives seem to mind...I digress.

"I can't picture myself living in California, I don't trust their carefree lifestyle." Hee. I love BBT anvils.

My mom and I thought for sure Georgie paid Sheldon to clean his room for him, so we were surprised to be wrong (though he did just throw all his clothes behind the door).

The tornado sequence was scary.

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The post-tornado scene reminded me of a scene in "My Name Is Earl" in which someone refers to a storm as God's Yard Sale because it leaves other people's stuff in your yard.  I was wondering if Meemaw's garden gnome got broken, but we didn't find out.

ETA:  I was surprised and disappointed that Sheldon just accepted the guidance counselor's opinion of the colleges.  Would think he would do his own research.  Also note that the computer is on his desk now.

Edited by Driad
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But Sheldon did make a good point about the scandalous content in the Bible, none of the ultra conservatives seem to mind...I digress.

There aren't pictures accompanying said stories in the Bible though.  Mary didn't appreciate the violence and nudity shown in graphic form like that.  

Quote

The tornado sequence was scary.

Yep. That's life in tornado territory. The sirens are an eerie and scary thing to hear, especially at night when you can't see what's headed your way.  

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I was on a training call today with someone in Minneapolis (I’m in Syracuse NY) and towards the end of the call you could hear the tornado siren in the background.  I was terrified on her behalf.  I’ve been in one tornado in my lifetime, in 1983, and I'm all set.

I loved Meemaw leaning in to George when they were in the bathroom and George kissing her on the head.  They are two loving adversaries.

Iain’s “aww” when he dropped the chicken was a perfect imitation of Jim.  It’s actually one of my favorite quirks of Sheldon’s.

3 minutes ago, greekmom said:

Was Mary kidding when you have to pay to apply?? I don't live in the States and I thought she was only doing so he wouldn't apply.

No, college applications cost money.  I applied in 1990 and it was 25-50 bucks per school.

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2 minutes ago, Runningwild said:

I laughed so hard I cried when George said he was going to take a cold shower. 

Did you see George holding his napkin in front of his crotch as he left the table?

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26 minutes ago, greekmom said:

Was Mary kidding when you have to pay to apply?? I don't live in the States and I thought she was only doing so he wouldn't apply.

My son recently applied to McGill University in Montreal and it  was about $110.  If Sheldon was applying, or wanting to apply, to several universities it would not be free in the normal course of events.  I'd expect though when the time comes for him to go to university it's going to be a case of multiple universities vying to get him and there will be lots of money thrown his way to make his choice easier - like the North Korean kid Sheldon was jealous of in an early episode of BBT.

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Such a great episode - every line of dialogue was on point. Missy telling Sheldon that he needed more science to open the jam jar had me rolling.

George having the hots for assertive Mary was very sweet, as was George comforting Meemaw during the tornado.

Spoiler

At this point, I hope this show ignores the BBT canon of drunk, womanizing George and lets the Coopers have a few more years of happiness before his early death.

 

2 hours ago, Driad said:

ETA:  I was surprised and disappointed that Sheldon just accepted the guidance counselor's opinion of the colleges.  Would think he would do his own research. 

 

I think he did his own research later on, since we know that 

Spoiler

he ended up going to Caltech and not Harvard. His disdain for MIT hasn't wavered though.

Edited by chocolatine
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13 minutes ago, LadyKenobi said:

I don't know what the average basement situation is in TX, but if the Coopers had one, their asses would be in it, not the bathroom.

No basements in Texas. You’re supposed to go to whatever room is nearest the center of the house. Closets are most ideal. That bathroom was by a window, which wasn’t a good place to go

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2 hours ago, mojoween said:

I was on a training call today with someone in Minneapolis (I’m in Syracuse NY) and towards the end of the call you could hear the tornado siren in the background.  I was terrified on her behalf.  I’ve been in one tornado in my lifetime, in 1983, and I'm all set.

No, college applications cost money.  I applied in 1990 and it was 25-50 bucks per school.

Experienced an F2 here in Connecticut in 1989 and I'll never forget it. One of the scariest things I've ever witnessed, and ours wasn't even the worst one that hit the state that day. 

And somehow I've gotten this far without ever hearing that colleges charge application fees!

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I didn't like it. If Sheldon was old enough to have to cook his own dinner, he was old enough to decide what he wanted to read. And what does having to get a signed permission slip have to do with anything? Usually I really like Mary, but I didn't like her or respect her at all tonight. 

On the other hand, at least MeeMaw and Georgie had a few moments. 

 

eta: As usual, I loved every second of Missy. 

Edited by Mystery
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1 hour ago, LadyKenobi said:

Normally I'm pretty good about rolling with inaccuracies and plot holes, especially in sitcoms, but I get really frosted when showrunners can't even bother to Google Tornadoes 101. This happens a LOT in popular media, and I don't understand why. The YS team probably put more work into how much RAM an average 1989 computer had.   

It pisses me off because it completely ignores what 90% of the rest of the nation experiences in the spring and summer. We don't freak out at tornado watches because, as Meemaw pointed out, those are thrown out like Mardi Gras beads on days when conditions are ripe for tornadoes. No East Texas mother would fly out of the kitchen to haul a kid out of his grandmother's yard on a freaking tornado watch. We do take tornado *warnings* seriously, though, because that means shit's going down-- there's a funnel, and the sirens blast. And funnels don't just come out of *literally* a blue sky. You kind of need a storm cell for that. Freaking "Wizard of Oz" was more accurate. 

That said, the scene in the bathroom was relatively realistic. Pretty much what it sounds like. I don't know what the average basement situation is in TX, but if the Coopers had one, their asses would be in it, not the bathroom.

Sorry to be all Sheldon here, but ffs. At least watch "Twister" or something.

Thank you I do not think a tv writer has even been in a a tornado watch or warning.   Mary's hair fluttered a bit in a  slight wind and a second later a tornado was barrelling down.

1 hour ago, kariyaki said:

No basements in Texas. You’re supposed to go to whatever room is nearest the center of the house. Closets are most ideal. That bathroom was by a window, which wasn’t a good place to go

It was probably was the inner most room ergo the mattress.

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Did not like rigid, sanctimonious Mary AT ALL in this ep. I mean, I get that she's supposed to be an over-the-top religious nut, but throwing out Casper the Friendly Ghost because it's not spiritual enough, or some such nonsense, along with everything else she dismissed as "filth" was going too far. I love that Sheldon had the strength of mind both as a child and adult to reject her brainwashing.

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We do take tornado *warnings* seriously, though, because that means shit's going down-- there's a funnel, and the sirens blast. And funnels don't just come out of *literally* a blue sky. You kind of need a storm cell for that.

I knew the show didn't have time to go through the full scenario for thunderstorm warning, to tornado watch, to tornado warning, to a tornado touching down, so that didn't really bother me. 

Having said that though, in 2011 when a tornado rolled through the town where my son was at college, they weren't having bad weather either, but to the west of them a monster tornado was headed their way (first reported as an F5, but some experts say it was a "high-end" F4 based on debri.)   He had time to leave campus and get to his apartment.  That tornado traveled 80 miles with a path over a mile wide,  and stayed on the ground well over an hour.   That was the "Super Outbreak of 2011."   Forecasters knew days ahead that it was shaping up to be that way for our state, but often times things happen quickly here and you're taking shelter within a matter of minutes.  

As for Mary and the comic books, while I thought she went to the extreme, I'm glad that she stood up for her convictions.  Instead of letting Sheldon pout and have a fit, and then give into him, she was the adult (as well she should be).  I don't like seeing Sheldon always getting his way.  Maybe she can make some kind of compromise when it comes to the kinds of comic books he's allowed to read.  YMMV. 

Edited by ChitChat
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I only watched once, so maybe I am remembering or heard incorrectly, but it bothered me that Mary was praying that the tornado would skip over their house and that God would protect everyone in that (bath)room. What about their neighbors, the community? I would feel horrible if I only prayed for my home and family, then found out that the tornado seriously injured someone two houses down.

Edited by hoodooznoodooz
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10 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

My son recently applied to McGill University in Montreal and it  was about $110.  If Sheldon was applying, or wanting to apply, to several universities it would not be free in the normal course of events.  I'd expect though when the time comes for him to go to university it's going to be a case of multiple universities vying to get him and there will be lots of money thrown his way to make his choice easier - like the North Korean kid Sheldon was jealous of in an early episode of BBT.

Very interesting. I live in Ontario and applied to 3 schools in my area and didn't have to pay a dime. Back that was back in 1990. 

I wonder if Mary was ok with some comic books after the tornado. 

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6 hours ago, Lily H said:

she's supposed to be an over-the-top religious nut, but throwing out Casper the Friendly Ghost because it's not spiritual enough, or some such nonsense,

Where I work, we have people complain every year about the Halloween display because it's teaching their children about "Satan worship" (it's usually black cats, Indian corn, a full moon and maybe a witch or a ghostly white sheet)!

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Yep, college applications get costly especially when you're applying for multiple colleges.

I'm on team Mary went too far as well.  Causing a scene at the comic book store? She could've had a normal conversation with the owner.  She just seemed to spiral out of control way too quickly.  

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13 hours ago, mojoween said:

I was on a training call today with someone in Minneapolis (I’m in Syracuse NY) and towards the end of the call you could hear the tornado siren in the background.  I was terrified on her behalf.  I’ve been in one tornado in my lifetime, in 1983, and I'm all set.

I loved Meemaw leaning in to George when they were in the bathroom and George kissing her on the head.  They are two loving adversaries.

Iain’s “aww” when he dropped the chicken was a perfect imitation of Jim.  It’s actually one of my favorite quirks of Sheldon’s.

No, college applications cost money.  I applied in 1990 and it was 25-50 bucks per school.

and now they're more.  Thankfully my daughter only wanted one school.  :)

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2 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

I only watched once, so maybe I am remembering or heard incorrectly, but it bothered me that Mary was praying that the tornado would skip over their house and that God would protect everyone in that (bath)room.

I think it was a call back to her praying for a "hedge of protection" around Sheldon in a prior episode.  Mostly a set-up so that Sheldon can tell her to pray harder.  As Sheldon said in the first episode, even though he doesn't believe in God and prayer, his Mother is his "Christian soldier" and I think it comforts him when she prays for him.   I'm sure in her thoughts she was including her community in her prayer.  

I was waiting for them all to huddle closer  together in that bathroom, but it was sweet that MeeMaw went to help protect Georgie and to hang on to George!   I know a family of 3 and their dog who survived a direct hit by laying in the bathtub.   The couple's dog laid down on their young child to protect her, with the Dad on top of all of them.  They could see the wall cracking around them, but they made it out safely.  It was sweet to hear the little girl talk about how her doggy protected her.  

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I was in an F4 in Huntsville, AL in 1989 and I thought the tornado part was realistic. Huntsville was discovered to have an outdated/ineffective warning system that day. It was kinda eerie feeling all day but not dark and stormy. My boss ended up sending us home early because of the tornado watch and the general eeriness of the day. I was at home and thinking nothing was going to happen and I opened the door to leave for church. There was a layer of clear sky topped by a layer of the blackest, scariest cloud ever. Coming down out of that was the tornado. And then I heard the “train.”  I shut the door and laid across three two door jambs since my tiny apartment had lots of windows. The tornado blew through. Followed by deathly calm as the electricity went out. Then the ambulance and fire engine sirens started blaring. Scariest night of my life. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_1989_tornado_outbreak

Edited by Runningwild
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I think Mary getting rid of all the comic books and finding excuses for why they were all bad wasn't because she truly objected to some like Casper but it was a power struggle.  She told Sheldon "No" to something she found objectionable, he pushed the boundaries and argued so she lost her temper and just grabbed everything.  

12 hours ago, Mystery said:

If Sheldon was old enough to have to cook his own dinner, he was old enough to decide what he wanted to read.

I can agree but at the same time there has to be a line - I mean when you think about it an 8yr old could cook but I wouldn't let mine read 50 Shades of Grey based on his ability to make a hot dog, mac & cheese and green beans.

They missed an opportunity with the colleges, CalTech and MIT but the counselor should have mentioned Princeton so Sheldon could have rejected it with a comment like "aren't I a little too smart for them" or similar.  

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12 minutes ago, sigmaforce86 said:

I can agree but at the same time there has to be a line - I mean when you think about it an 8yr old could cook but I wouldn't let mine read 50 Shades of Grey based on his ability to make a hot dog, mac & cheese and green beans.

I would not let my 8 year old use a stove w/out adult supervision.  They were sitting down to dinner while he was "cooking."  He was trying to cook chicken - he could've gotten salmonella poisoning.  Crap, I always tend to overcook my chicken because I'm afraid of it not being cooked enough and getting sick.

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14 hours ago, Driad said:

According to this worldwide survey  (now, not 1989), the best universities for physics are (1) MIT, (2) U. C. Berkeley, (3) Harvard, (4) Stanford, (5) Caltech. 

I remember Caltech being ranked #1 in the 90s, though I don't recall whether it was for physics or STEM in general. Plus, Sheldon's idol Richard Feynman had taught at Caltech.

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1 hour ago, sigmaforce86 said:

I think Mary getting rid of all the comic books and finding excuses for why they were all bad wasn't because she truly objected to some like Casper but it was a power struggle.  She told Sheldon "No" to something she found objectionable, he pushed the boundaries and argued so she lost her temper and just grabbed everything.  

I agree, the comic books weren't actually the hot issue, it was about Mary asserting herself as knowing what's best for Sheldon, despite him thinking he's mature enough to decide for himself.

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While I laughed quite a bit at this episode, it still made my mothering senses crawl.  I do understand Mary thinking that the comic book was inappropriate for a 9 year old, but beyond that I was just shaking my head.  It really wasn't the fault of the comic store owner--unless there is some sort of rating/restriction on the books, he can sell it to whoever has the money.  If it were such a big problem to Mary, maybe she shouldn't let her son go to the comic book store unattended.  Then, the weird power play.  This seems to be something that television comedies like to do--a power play between parent and child and the child wanting to be grown up and it's just..tired.  I get that the whole story sort of depended on it, but I still felt like I had seen it a million times before.  In fact, the most entertaining part of the whole thing was Georgie's reaction to it all.

Now, I did like the play between George and Mary and George getting turned on when Mary was more assertive.  And I thought Meemaw was well used in this episode--sometimes I think she's just sort of thrown in there, but not this time.

And, finally, Missy....Missy is everything.

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1 hour ago, OtterMommy said:

While I laughed quite a bit at this episode, it still made my mothering senses crawl.  I do understand Mary thinking that the comic book was inappropriate for a 9 year old, but beyond that I was just shaking my head. 

I think Mary was shocked to learn how graphic and violent some comic books were.  She was probably kicking herself for never looking at what he was reading.  IMO, she didn't handle it very well, but on the other hand, she is the Mom and if she tells Sheldon that he can no longer have those kinds of comic books, then that's her prerogative.  YMMV.   As I said earlier, maybe they'll address this again and there will be a compromise that works for both of them, without completely giving into Sheldon's temper tantrum.  

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4 minutes ago, ChitChat said:

I think Mary was shocked to learn how graphic and violent some comic books were.  She was probably kicking herself for never looking at what he was reading.  IMO, she didn't handle it very well, but on the other hand, she is the Mom and if she tells Sheldon that he can no longer have those kinds of comic books, then that's her prerogative.  YMMV.   As I said earlier, maybe they'll address this again and there will be a compromise that works for both of them, without completely giving into Sheldon's temper tantrum.  

Oh, I definitely agree she is well within her rights to tell Sheldon that he can no longer have those comics.  My issue was with her going after the comic store owner, who isn't responsible for Sheldon's reading choices.  Well, that and the way she handled things with Sheldon.  

Personally, I don't think Sheldon should have been "punished" for having that comic.  My assumption is that, up until Missy told Mary about the comic in question, comics were perfectly acceptable.  And we know that not all of Sheldon's comics were objectionable (given the mention of Casper) and, my guess, is that very few actually were.  To me, the whole thing just seemed like a bit of knee-jerk parenting, spurred on by the knowledge that it was turning her husband on, that led to a rather predictable sit-com situation.

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8 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

My issue was with her going after the comic store owner, who isn't responsible for Sheldon's reading choices.  Well, that and the way she handled things with Sheldon.  

I agree.  Yelling at the comic store owner was not the right thing to do.  She should've kept her argument at home!  Mary does tend to run off half-cocked when she gets upset about something.  Missy sitting there calmly reading a Cosmopolitan was just so funny!  The look on Mary's face upon seeing that was funny too.  Talk about adding insult to injury!  

I love your little Otter picture, OtterMommy!  All of the little animal pictures just make my day!

Edited by ChitChat
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I’m also on Team Mary Went Too Far, but I agree with other posters who said it was about the power struggle. Also, I agree that she was shocked at the content....which I think lead to her overreacting a bit. For me, it was worth it just to see George’s reaction to Mary putting her foot down. Him being so turned on cracked me up. Everyone’s grossed out “ew” reactions to it at the dinner table was icing on the cake. 

Missy always makes me smile, and after this episode, I’ve decided that I need to work the phrase “I don’t think that was enough science” into conversation. I work in a lab, so that shouldn’t be too hard. Lol! 

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If Sheldon had used one of those grippy things, that might have been enough science to open the jar of jam.  I science the shit out of jar lids, and still need the grippy thing.  Or, since I also work in a lab, a nitrile glove in lieu of a grippy thing.  (What are those things called, anyway?)

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8 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

If Sheldon had used one of those grippy things, that might have been enough science to open the jar of jam. 

Running hot water on the lid to expand it always works, but you need to have something ready to grip it while it's still hot.

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3 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

Do they have those grippy things in the 80's? We were poor and used a dish rag so I was surprised Shelden didn't try that.

Yes  they did!  I remember using one as a child (which let's just say was before 1989...._)

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22 hours ago, kariyaki said:

No basements in Texas. You’re supposed to go to whatever room is nearest the center of the house. Closets are most ideal. That bathroom was by a window, which wasn’t a good place to go

We had tornadoes in NC in 1984 when I was 11. My father was working night shift, and my mother and I got in the hall. We didn't even realize there were tornadoes a few miles away until a friend called. I remember the lightning was so bright through the window, and my mother said it sounded like a train. Being hearing-impaired, I couldn't hear it. Luckily, our house was fine, and my father got home OK. But there was so much loss of property and life. 

 

It would be interesting to see how Mary feels about Halloween. My religious aunt wouldn't let her boys participate in Halloween. The youngest is 24 now. Adult Sheldon dressed up on BBT, but I doubt young Sheldon would like trick or treating(candy could be poisoned or dirty). 

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On 4/12/2018 at 9:20 PM, Spartan Girl said:

My mom and I thought for sure Georgie paid Sheldon to clean his room for him, so we were surprised to be wrong (though he did just throw all his clothes behind the door).

That was my first thought, followed by where did Georgie get the money from. Missy is quite advanced reading Cosmo, but not really having a clue what she is reading about. Also, once again Missy totally sold out her brother. 

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On 13.04.2018 at 4:10 AM, greekmom said:

Was Mary kidding when you have to pay to apply?? I don't live in the States and I thought she was only doing so he wouldn't apply.

In my country you also have to pay to apply... Depending on a chool it's about 70-100$ per school

On 13.04.2018 at 5:40 AM, chocolatine said:

I think he did his own research later on, since we know that 

  Hide contents

he ended up going to Caltech and not Harvard. His disdain for MIT hasn't wavered though.

WELL...

Spoiler

We know he works at Caltech but did he study there? I thought it was some other university..

 

On 13.04.2018 at 6:13 AM, LadyKenobi said:

That said, the scene in the bathroom was relatively realistic. Pretty much what it sounds like. I don't know what the average basement situation is in TX, but if the Coopers had one, their asses would be in it, not the bathroom.

I actually came here to find out if hiding in the bathroom is the accurate thing to do. I assumed they should have rather some basement or bunker..

4 hours ago, babyhouseman said:

It would be interesting to see how Mary feels about Halloween. My religious aunt wouldn't let her boys participate in Halloween. The youngest is 24 now. Adult Sheldon dressed up on BBT, but I doubt young Sheldon would like trick or treating(candy could be poisoned or dirty). 

In BBT Sheldon actually once told about having Halloween as a kid:

Spoiler

He said when he was kid he dressed up as Stephen Hawking for Halloween once, so apparently Mary let them to celebrate it :)

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7 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

I always just hit the edge with a butter knife, around the circumference, three or four times.  That pretty much always works.

Releasing the air lock by gently pulling out the edge of a jar lid with the pointed end of an old fashioned bottle opener works every time.  You need a bottle opener with a thin enough edge to do it.  Some are too thick.  You just wedge the point into one of the more open spots and use the curve of the point to gently pull up until you hear the "whoosh".  It takes some leverage to do it without bending the lid too much, but I've been doing that since I was at least Sheldon's age.  I've also seen it done with a spoon but I think the bottle opener is easier.

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4 hours ago, lorbeer said:

I actually came here to find out if hiding in the bathroom is the accurate thing to do. I assumed they should have rather some basement or bunker..

If no basement, some say that the bathtub is one of the safest places because the wall is reinforced with the pipes; some say under a stairwell; some say the center room of a house away from windows.  Thing is, having talked to people over the years who've experienced a direct hit (they all picked a different spot in the house), I think sometimes it just boils down to it wasn't their time to go.  People have drowned in their basements from pipes bursting.  One couple found out that their engineered safe room wasn't so safe.  Each time we had to take cover, you just hoped you were in the right spot. One time we put on motorcycle helmets and got in the pantry!

I thought that Mary and her family should've all squeezed into a closet.  They weren't "huddled" together enough, IMO.  You huddle and lay under the mattress.  Strength in numbers if you're being sucked out of the house (and I don't say that glibly.) 

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I'd say it's no wonder Sheldon eventually went to Caltech.  Between the cold, snowy weather here in the Northeast and the threat of tornadoes in Texas, it was an easy choice.  By comparison, he'd find putting up with a few "freewheeling types" in California not so bad after all.

Edited by Yeah No
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