S11.E22: The Monetary Insufficiency

[Bort]

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Sheldon goes to Vegas to win money for science. Also, Penny and Bernadette take Amy wedding dress shopping, but her terrible choice entangles them in a web of lies.

[Frost]

3 hours ago, kariyaki said:

Sheldon goes to Vegas to win money for science.

This is one of the best episode descriptions of any show, ever.

[Browncoat]

I'm inclined to think that Sheldon would be a Ravenclaw, not a Gryffindor.

[Driad]

When I read that Amy chooses a terrible wedding dress, I pictured the pink confection Kaylee in Firefly wanted so much.  Who knew it came in white!  But now that Sheldon has seen Amy's dress, doesn't that mean that she has to return it?

Sheldon might have been better off taking Penny to Vegas. She has probably done some gambling, and could at least distract some of the competition. 

[Spartan Girl]

For genuinely thinking Amy looked beautiful in that tacky dress, Sheldon gets three gold stars.

[Frost]

A pile of swans!  Sheldon's love for Amy is precious.  

I'm very glad he was kicked out of Las Vegas.  It would not be funny for him to lose $65,000.  I'm surprised he didn't ask Penny to contact Bill Gates to see if he wanted to chip in a few hundred million.

I laughed pretty much this entire episode, especially when Bernadette threw Penny under the bus.   It was sweet that Penny convinced Amy to trust her own feelings about what she wanted.

[shapeshifter]

19 minutes ago, Frost said:

A pile of swans! 

Best. Line. Ever.

[PinkRibbons]

A happy bride is a beautiful bride. And frankly I'd be happier getting married in something like Amy's favorite that than either of those other basic dresses she tried on. Those first two dresses were really boring. Maybe lose the gloves and/or about three rows of ruffles (and go super big with her hair to try and balance it out) and her chosen dress would be just fine.

I mean, no one buys a dress from a bridal shop without having alterations made, so I wouldn't be shocked if the gown is toned down for the actual wedding.

[Whimsy]

I was so annoyed with the funding storyline. Working with scientists who are constantly trying to get funded through NIH... that’s not how it works. 

I loved Sheldon’s reaction to Amy’s dress. I’m glad she wasn’t worried about the groom seeing the dress before the wedding. She loves it and he loves it. That’s all that matters. 

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, Frost said:

I'm very glad he was kicked out of Las Vegas.  It would not be funny for him to lose $65,000.  I'm surprised he didn't ask Penny to contact Bill Gates to see if he wanted to chip in a few hundred million.

That was my first thought too. Bill Gates is worth $90B, *and* he's a huge nerd. I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to be part of one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of our time.

1 hour ago, Whimsy said:

I’m glad she wasn’t worried about the groom seeing the dress before the wedding.

I loved that! For all the quirks those two have between them, superstitiousness isn't one of them.

[HyeChaps]

A tiara is just what that dress needs to be perfect. 

[Mystery]

Since the description started out with "Sheldon goes to Vegas," I expected that to happen before the last two minutes of the show. I guess the "terrible choice" was the secondary description just because it involved the women.  

[buffynut]

I think I'm tiring of TBBT, as I just don't seem to enjoy it the way I used to.  I've actually skipped a couple weeks, but did watch this episode, and I didn't really think it was all that funny. 

Maybe it's just that I still can't get on the "Sheldon is getting married" train.  I know all shows get "old" eventually, but considering this was my favourite show for years and years, it's odd to longer be obsessed with it.

[Trey]

I was pleased to see that The Comic Book Store still looked busy.

I have a hard time believing that any wedding gown shop would have a dress like that in the first place.

[MissLucas]

I would have liked to see the dress without the capelet - maybe that's what they'll be going for in the actual wedding ceremony. And we need the tiara - continuity rules! It was a sweet plot and the 'pile of swans' line was pure genius.

That casino looked awfully dingy for Las Vegas. And since I watched Numb3rs I knew that Sheldon was going to end in the arms of security.

Penny needs to stop wearing that Ted Baker top - every time it's on my order-finger gets twitchy.

[Gulftastic]

Sheldon's notion of who Lady Gaga is got big laughs, as did the reveal of Amy's chosen dress. I was shocked they didnt use Sheldon seeing it before the ceremony as a means of not using it in future episodes.

[vadare]

Not only do they need to add the tiara, I think it would be sweet if she wore the tiara Sheldon gave her a few years ago.

@Gulftastic I thought for sure that was the way we were going to get rid of it...he's seen me in it, now I can't wear it.

You mean, after all this time, Penny, Bernadette, and Amy don't have the kind of relationship whereby they can be totally honest with each other?

I enjoyed the episode, but I'm thinking Sheldon and Amy getting married might be the shark jump.

[libgirl2]

12 hours ago, Whimsy said:

I was so annoyed with the funding storyline. Working with scientists who are constantly trying to get funded through NIH... that’s not how it works. 

I loved Sheldon’s reaction to Amy’s dress. I’m glad she wasn’t worried about the groom seeing the dress before the wedding. She loves it and he loves it. That’s all that matters. 

I didn't think he would care, but his reaction was precious and sweet. 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Trey said:

I have a hard time believing that any wedding gown shop would have a dress like that in the first place.

 

1 hour ago, MissLucas said:

I would have liked to see the dress without the capelet...

It makes sense that IRL the gown exists without the cape thingy.
If so, kudos to wardrobe for being creative enough to make a "pile of swans."

[Ynicknan]

If you think this dress doesn’t exist in real life, let me introduce you to Say Yes to the Dress on TLC. That dress pales in comparison to a few of the atrocities on that show.

[CherryAmes]

1 hour ago, vadare said:

You mean, after all this time, Penny, Bernadette, and Amy don't have the kind of relationship whereby they can be totally honest with each other?

Amy still thinks Penny treasures that horrible painting she had done of the two of them many seasons ago.  

[sigmaforce86]

They didn't go for the joke I was expecting and I'm glad.  After Sheldon told Amy she looked beautiful and like a pile of swans I was very, very certain his next line was going to be something like "I can't wait to see what you wear on our wedding day".  Amy would have answered with a confused "this is the dress I bought for the wedding" and Sheldon would have done his usual clueless dismissal with a comment about how now that he saw her she can't wear it and he hopes she finds something just as nice to surprise him with.  Of course he probably doesn't buy into those superstitions but I was still expecting that to be the final joke which would have sucked so glad they didn't go there.

Can't complain, this was a regular episode, just as funny as the majority of the others, not top of the pack and not bottom either but honestly it's not fair to expect them to top themselves every single time.  

And if you think dresses like that don't exist I give you this real life monstrosity - I do wonder sometimes how brides who choose these or the opposite, where the dress is super tight to the mid-calf, ever manages to sit down at the reception (comfortably!)

 

[Frost]

That dress sure is a big pile of something!

[chaifan]

I can't wait to see what Amy picks out for the bridesmaids dresses!  That's where the old trope of the ugly dress usually comes in.  I hope they buck tradition there.

[Quark]

Sheldon's scream of "No" as he was carried out was hilarious.

Not a fan of bitchy Bernadette.

[NutmegsDad]

12 hours ago, chocolatine said:

13 hours ago, Whimsy said:

I’m glad she wasn’t worried about the groom seeing the dress before the wedding.

I loved that! For all the quirks those two have between them, superstitiousness isn't one of them.

Interesting that trope was inverted. Our thoughts were, "Now that he saw the dress, she CAN'T wear it." (yes, we hated Amy's dress)

[chaifan]

28 minutes ago, Quark said:

Not a fan of bitchy Bernadette.

What other Bernadette is there?  ;)

[LoneHaranguer]

1 hour ago, sigmaforce86 said:

I do wonder sometimes how brides who choose these or the opposite, where the dress is super tight to the mid-calf, ever manages to sit down at the reception (comfortably!)

It's been my (limited) observation that they change into something else after the necessary photos have been taken.

[Quark]

8 minutes ago, chaifan said:

What other Bernadette is there?  ;)

She got better when she had her kids, but now seems to have reverted back to her bitchy persona.

[HurricaneVal]

3 hours ago, vadare said:

You mean, after all this time, Penny, Bernadette, and Amy don't have the kind of relationship whereby they can be totally honest with each other?

I think...Penny and Bernadette are still very careful with Amy, and not because they think she's weird and unsocialized and sensitive, but because they know she is weird and unsocialized and sensitive and they love her anyways and are careful not to hurt her feelings.  A hurt Amy is a very, very sad Amy, and it would probably make them feel like they kicked a puppy while drowning kittens.

[iMonrey]

I would hope that the dress was designed specifically for this show, and for laughs, because I shudder to think that anyone would actually design a wedding dress that looked like that. Now that I've seen that monstrosity posted upthread, I'm not so sure.

I'm torn on the tiara addition too because Amy already wore that when she was maid of honor at Bernadette's wedding.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the Comic Book Store still had plenty of customers - I figured Stuart would go right back to being a loser after one episode. I still question whether he has the capital to buy Sheldon's comic books for any significant amount of money though. There was a much bigger, better comic book store that was his rival a few seasons ago, I wonder whatever happened to that.

[BlossomCulp]

1 hour ago, Quark said:

Not a fan of bitchy Bernadette.

Aww I loved her in this episode!  Totally bought her reactions and I liked that in the end she regretted throwing Penny under the bus and called Amy.  I appreciated what a balancing act it can be when you are shopping for something  like a wedding dress.  You're torn between your own personal feeling and not wanting to be the one who tells your friend her taste sucks!

[kili]

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Amy still thinks Penny treasures that horrible painting she had done of the two of them many seasons ago.  

That is what totally took me out of this episode. If Penny can politely accept that horrible painting and display it in her home without giving Amy a truth bomb, why would Penny feel the need to drop a truth bomb on that dress? Amy was so obviously delighted about the dress and it is her wedding. If Penny won't stand up for her house (with respect to that creepy picture), why stand up for fashion for a dress that is worn once? Seems horribly inconsistent. Plus, Penny is the one with social skills. She's certainly learned the lesson when white lies are more appropriate than the truth. Having Penny be the one unable to keep up the lie makes zero sense.

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I liked that Amy’s dress was true to the establishment that she likes all things Victorian. That was pretty close

That dress doesn't look Victorian to me. It's like she got caught in a doily factory explosion.

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I appreciated what a balancing act it can be when you are shopping for something  like a wedding dress.  You're torn between your own personal feeling and not wanting to be the one who tells your friend her taste sucks!

There is absolutely no balancing act required. You sit there and say you love the dress the bride obviously likes. Wedding dresses don't make sense. They are often the results of a lifetime of dreams percolating in your subconscious.  Even if it looks like they just got caught in a doily factory explosion. I had a friend that looked like she was wearing a misshapen tent. Everyone said it was beautiful. You always say it is beautiful. That's the rule. And babies are always beautiful too even when they look like Winston Churchill merged with a Pug.  No truth is ever necessary with either of these subjects.

[BlossomCulp]

5 minutes ago, kili said:

You always say it is beautiful. That's the rule.

After it's been purchased, sure.  While you are dress shopping?  Not so much IMO.  If the bride doesn't want honest feedback then she should shop alone IMO.  Where the balancing act comes in is when it's obvious the bride has fallen in love with the dress - then it may be too late to say anything - but a true friend should at least try.  Tactfully of course.  I liked the way Penny apologized, she conceded that she wasn't thinking about how Amy would feel about the dress but rather how she felt about it and that wasn't the way it should be.  

Edited April 27, 2018 by BlossomCulp

[kili]

Quote

After it's been purchased, sure. While you are dress shopping?  Not so much IMO.  If the bride doesn't want honest feedback then she should shop alone IMO

Shopping with others is fun. It's a social event. They can help celebrate you finding the "perfect" dress.

Quote

Where the balancing act comes in is when it's obvious the bride has fallen in love with the dress - then it may be too late to say anything - but a true friend should at least try. 

We'll have to disagree. If the bride loves it, no truth is necessary. It's their dream costume. If they love it, what possible thing can one say against it? Why rain on their parade? What possible difference does it make if somebody is wearing a dress that isn't currently fashionable if it is the dress they love? What should they do? Pick a dress they don't like or wear the dress they love knowing their maid-of-honour thinks is horrible?

I've seen a few episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress" and I'm always shocked when the bride comes out beaming and some grouch in the group says its ugly. If you think the dress is ugly, don't wear it for your wedding.  The scope of available wedding dresses is a clear signal that "anything goes" when it comes to wedding dresses. If the bride is beaming, then you tell them it is beautiful and congratulate them on the perfect dress. If they are not sure about the dress (and almost seem to be saying they think they should like the dress, but don't), then you can offer some advice.

I do believe that Amy had already purchased the dress by the time Penny finally commented. She told Sheldon she was going to return it.  So, Penny was way off the mark criticizing the dress and I don't think it was true to her character who is usually not so socially oblivious.

[sinycalone]

I felt Penny believed  there was still time to find a better dress...and she saw it as her duty to give her true opinion to Amy.  The fact that Amy said she could return it means there was still time.  However, when she and Bernadette realized that Amy absolutely  adored the dress....time to just zip the lips, IMO>

[DkNNy79]

Sorry, but if someone asks my opinion I'm going to give them the truth.  I think that is being a true friend.  My friends know this and I would want my friends to reciprocate. 

At the end of the day, Amy is the bride and her opinion matters most.  If she likes the dress, she likes the dress and should stick with it. 

[BlossomCulp]

1 hour ago, kili said:

Penny was way off the mark criticizing the dress and I don't think it was true to her character who is usually not so socially oblivious.

I know what you mean and mostly I would agree with you, but that dress?  Oh my god.  When I was dress shopping with my daughter  no way on earth would I have wanted her looking like that on her wedding day and I would have had to say something I think.  In the interest of full disclosure I did not really like the dress she did choose - but she loved it and I know when to smile and nod with the best of them.  But not when it's a concoction like the one Amy picked!

Edited April 27, 2018 by BlossomCulp

[CherryAmes]

I was surprised  Raj didn't go along for the dress shopping expedition.

[HurricaneVal]

Raj bumps into Howard and Bernadette's life, but not so much into Sheldon and Amy's life, or Leonard and Penny's life.   It's a continuation of the Howard/Raj bromance.

But, I have seen Raj doing girl things with the girls, but that's usually when he hears about whatever and budges himself in.  They don't actively invite him.

[FinnishViewer]

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If Penny can politely accept that horrible painting and display it in her home without giving Amy a truth bomb, why would Penny feel the need to drop a truth bomb on that dress?

She explained why they needed to tell Amy the truth. Penny was afraid other people would mock Amy at the wedding about the dress, and thought it would be better if the truth came from her and Bernadette.

[iMonrey]

Quote

 If Penny can politely accept that horrible painting and display it in her home without giving Amy a truth bomb, why would Penny feel the need to drop a truth bomb on that dress? Amy was so obviously delighted about the dress and it is her wedding. 

The only people who see that painting are people who come into the apartment. Whereas the wedding dress is going to be seen by everyone and photographed. Honestly - Amy might not realize how horrible it looks until later when she sees the wedding photos and then it will be too late. There's a way to gently suggest the dress is "too much" without laying it on thick. If Amy puts her foot down, then you back down. But when the dress is clearly that hideous (and, let's be real here - clearly they designed this thing for maximum laughs), you try to talk her out of it. It's the kind thing to do.

[Sarah 103]

6 hours ago, chaifan said:

I can't wait to see what Amy picks out for the bridesmaids dresses!  That's where the old trope of the ugly dress usually comes in.  I hope they buck tradition there.

 

4 hours ago, LadyKenobi said:

I wa suprised Penny and Bernadette haven’t already had a horrified conversation about their dresses.

I'm guessing we haven't seen that episode yet but I'm sure it's coming. It's such a classic sitcom trope, I can't imagine the writers skipping it. 

I really liked the first dress Amy tried on and I was hoping that would be the winner. The fact that Amy and Sheldon both loved the swan dress was sweet and romantic. 

[SmithW6079]

5 hours ago, LadyKenobi said:

I liked that Amy’s dress was true to the establishment that she likes all things Victorian. That was pretty close. 

 

4 hours ago, kili said:

That dress doesn't look Victorian to me. It's like she got caught in a doily factory explosion.

I immediately thought Scarlett O'Hara when she came out wearing that dress. It didn't make sense, though, that Amy would go from those two sleek numbers in the beginning to the ostentatious dress at the end just like that. Maybe there should have been more to the scene -- a dress montage that showed the wedding gowns getting increasingly frilly and frou-frou.

[BlossomCulp]

It's a sitcom so I'll cut them some slack but honestly where did the dresses come from?  IME (admittedly only a few places, a few times) you pick out the dresses you want from the racks and they are carried into the dressing room for you.  It's not too believable that Amy and Bernadette just sat there nibbling and drinking and somehow those dresses mysteriously appeared in the changing room!

[Chit Chat]

3 hours ago, kili said:

If the bride loves it, no truth is necessary. It's their dream costume. If they love it, what possible thing can one say against it? Why rain on their parade? What possible difference does it make if somebody is wearing a dress that isn't currently fashionable if it is the dress they love?

Some dresses come with a 'Holy Cow' factor, and not in a good way!  After having seen Amy sparkle in the 2 dresses she tried on prior to the swan dress, they thought she looked better in something less showy.  I thought Amy looked so elegant in the other 2 dresses.  Either one of them would've been better than the pile of swans, IMO.  Oh well, Sheldon's response was perfect, and that's what Amy needed to hear.  

I've never been wedding dress shopping for myself or a friend (Mr. Chat & I eloped, so I had a simple dress), but had I been privy to this experience with a friend or family member, I think I could find a way to tactfully tell them if a dress didn't look good on them, especially if it looked like a pile of swans!  ;) 

[OtterMommy]

1 minute ago, LadyKenobi said:

I figured they did that for the "shock laugh" value. Although I was shocked she even tried on the strapless number.

I was too, only because Mayim Bialik dresses so modestly.  TBBT has always been very considerate on that point so it was surprising to see Amy come out in two strapless dresses (and showing her clavicles!)

[ItCouldBeWorse]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I still question whether he has the capital to buy Sheldon's comic books for any significant amount of money though.

He probably took it on consignment; he likely had a customer for them.

2 hours ago, LadyKenobi said:

I think the difference between Penny saying anything about the painting and Penny saying something about the dress is that she didn't want Amy to be embarrassed on her wedding day. It's a tough spot to be in.

I agree.  And it would be memorialized in wedding pictures and videos.

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

The only people who see that painting are people who come into the apartment. Whereas the wedding dress is going to be seen by everyone and photographed. Honestly - Amy might not realize how horrible it looks until later when she sees the wedding photos and then it will be too late. There's a way to gently suggest the dress is "too much" without laying it on thick. If Amy puts her foot down, then you back down. But when the dress is clearly that hideous (and, let's be real here - clearly they designed this thing for maximum laughs), you try to talk her out of it. It's the kind thing to do.

They should have taken pictures of her in the dresses to review later.  If she still liked the last one best after reviewing all of them, then so be it.

[possibilities]

The "pile of swans" line was great, but Sheldon hates birds, so it was also a little distracting to me, that that's how he expressed his appreciation.

I think there really are two kinds of people, those who want to hear the truth of what others think, and those who want to be supported in whatever they themselves think, and it's fine to be one way and not the other, but you have to  be clear with your friends about what kind of conversation you want to have, because it really isn't a universal standard. I would feel so betrayed if my friends told me they liked something when they thought it was a bad idea. My point of view is: why he hell am I even talking to you if you're just going to BS me? But I understand that sometimes you want support, and aren't looking for anyone else's opinion. I just think it's important to establish that before you start.

They had a similar problem about the bachelorette party. Amy said she wanted something not too crazy, and they set up the quilting bee. That took planning, and if you've ever made a quilt you also know it's expensive and takes a lot of patience. It didn't look to me like a thoughtless gift. But Amy hated it because she really did want to get drunk and act wild. So with the dress-buying, again... it's hard to know what she wanted. They should have made sure before they started, so they knew whether it was time to offer what to them seemed like the normal thing, or just go with Amy's.

But sitcoms rarely have people communicating clearly. And the confusion among the friends set up the awww moment with Sheldon, so it's all good.

[LoneHaranguer]

56 minutes ago, possibilities said:

The "pile of swans" line was great, but Sheldon hates birds, so it was also a little distracting to me, that that's how he expressed his appreciation.

He may think of swans as something that glides across water, rather than fly at his face.