S02.E05: A Research Study and Czechoslovakian Wedding Pastries

[formerlyfreedom]

Dr. Sturgis recommends Sheldon and Missy for a university research study on twins, and Mary is unhappy when the test results go to Sheldon’s head.

Airing 10/18/2018

[ams1001]

"A Meemaw monkey" ❤

I love Missy so much. (And her fabulous '80s side ponytail.)

Edited October 19, 2018 by ams1001

[Spartan Girl]

Yay, another twins episode! Missy really got to shine. I loved everything she did from bonding with her test-giver (and hooking her up with her co-worker), getting props for her street-smarts and perception, and admitting that she sometimes feels left out when everyone else focuses on Sheldon. Too bad George was able to outsmart her out of getting her proper cut of the payment.

Also liked Sheldon getting diagnosed with his difficulty with emotions.

LMAO at Georgie watching Soul Train.

"This is Texas, everything is a competition." Yup.

[madpsych78]

I'm a school psychologist, so I was amused that Sheldon brought up the Wechsler and Kaufman intelligence tests. But I'm very surprised that he didn't bring up the Stanford-Binet, as that is the oldest IQ test and Alfred Binet was the one who developed the first IQ test.

[chocolatine]

I loved the looks on Sheldon's face when George told him Missy was smarter than him and when Mary said it wasn't all about him in their family. And Missy is just too adorable for words. Her request to go to Red Lobster was a nice callback to the episode last season when she went for dinner with George and declared Red Lobster to be "the fanciest restaurant in all of Texas". 

Also, loved Meemaw referring to Mary and George as "Wilma and Fred". And I wanted to eat the kolaches!

[howiveaddict]

Didn't George take Missy to Red Lobster last year? I remember her wearing a tiara.

If they sent Sheldon off to college now, this show would still be hilarious. I just love every character. Especially Missy and Georgie.

[hoodooznoodooz]

Oh, my gosh. Missy and the actress are perfection. If they had not found her, this character could have completely failed. She is a delight. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

This is now my favorite episode.

[HazelEyes4325]

Oh man, I just love Missy!  The actress is amazing for one so young and she does steal this show whenever she's on the screen.  I thought the best part was when she told the researcher that she was all on her own and I'm glad that Mary took that to heart because she DOES pass over Missy for Sheldon much of the time.

[Mystery]

Could I love Missy any more? NO I COULD NOT. Even when she talked about "teams," it wasn't in a self-pitying way but a matter-of-fact way. Loved her coaching her scientist about hair, etc. An obnoxious kid could have made it so awkward, but she was just so cute and straightforward. I would totally listen if she told me what to do with my hair and my lab coat. 

eta: I know it's kind of stereotypical to think that the lady scientist could be so interested in her hair and clothes, but she was taking her subject's observations to heart. The same way the male scientist was disturbed by how his subject knew only intellectual things. 

Edited October 19, 2018 by Mystery

[TigerLynx]

Missy is the smart one in the family.  Sheldon has the IQ, but Missy will end up being the more rounded capable person.  Unfortunately, Missy will probably continue to be on her own team.  It's nice she got to choose the restaurant, but that won't necessarily change the dynamic long term.

[AnnaRose]

Yay, more Missy!  You guys have pretty much covered everything I loved about this episode.  I adore this whole family and I don't think there has been a bad episode yet.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

4 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Too bad George was able to outsmart her out of getting her proper cut of the payment.

I don't know that the kids should have been personally receiving $25 per hour each.  However, I also don't think that Sheldon would have discovered that they were earning money for the study without knowing how much they were being paid.  Unless George lied to him, too, in which case, Missy would have already learned the $7.50/hr amount from Sheldon.

Edited October 19, 2018 by ItCouldBeWorse

[Quark]

Missy is glorious. It's amazing how likeable all the main characters are. Great acting and very well-written.

Edited October 19, 2018 by Quark

[mammaM]

(paraphrased)

 "I don't like using our children to make money"

 "Well, that's where you and I differ about our children"

I love George. 

[anna0852]

I can't figure out if Meemaw is supposed to be a de facto third parent or not. Last season she refused to babysit while Mary was working, not unreasonably so. But we see her eating dinner with them most nights and accompanying the family on quite a few of their outings and frequently speaking to the kids more like a parent than a grandparent. It's a weird dynamic.

[Gummo]

Can we just change the name (and focus) of the show to "Young Missy"? 

The character and the young actress are brilliant.

16 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

I can't figure out if Meemaw is supposed to be a de facto third parent or not. Last season she refused to babysit while Mary was working, not unreasonably so. But we see her eating dinner with them most nights and accompanying the family on quite a few of their outings and frequently speaking to the kids more like a parent than a grandparent. It's a weird dynamic.

I think that's what Meemaw enjoys about the dynamic, she calls the shots -- one day she can be a concerned meemaw/babysitter if she wants, the next she's a swinging oldster out with her beau with no time for little ones. She sets the boundaries.

Except with Sheldon, of course. Sheldon recognizes no boundaries but his own.

[ProudMary]

1 hour ago, Gummo said:

Can we just change the name (and focus) of the show to "Young Missy"? 

The character and the young actress are brilliant.

I am all for this!  Let Sheldon go off to college; we can check in on him occasionally but I would love it if the focus of the show stayed in Texas with Missy.  Oh and Georgie too. :-)

[Tom Holmberg]

1 hour ago, Gummo said:

The character and the young actress are brilliant.

Yes, she has a tougher job.  Sheldon has no affect, so everything is at one level.  She needs to show more range and does a good (believable) job at it.

[TV Diva Queen]

16 minutes ago, Tom Holmberg said:

Yes, she has a tougher job.  Sheldon has no affect, so everything is at one level.  She needs to show more range and does a good (believable) job at it.

Have you ever seen Ian?  He's the polar opposite of Sheldon, that kid is acting his ass off. I saw him on Colbert last week and he's just adorable.

[A-Lo]

The actress who plays Missy is brilliant!  Her face can shine with such warmth in one minute and then she can display a dry wit beyond her age in the next.  What a find!

[ProudMary]

Seriously, the casting director who found all three of these kids deserves a promotion and a big raise!  Each one of them is perfect for their individual role.

[Sarah 103]

16 hours ago, ams1001 said:

"A Meemaw monkey" ❤

I love Missy so much. (And her fabulous '80s side ponytail.)

Agreed. I thought the ponytail was a fantastic touch that really sets the era. Also, it shows that Missy is interested in fashion and following trends. 

16 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Yay, another twins episode! Missy really got to shine. I loved everything she did from bonding with her test-giver (and hooking her up with her co-worker), getting props for her street-smarts and perception, and admitting that she sometimes feels left out when everyone else focuses on Sheldon. Too bad George was able to outsmart her out of getting her proper cut of the payment.

I didn't like the way George handled it. He should have explained they were setting most of the money aside for college, but agree to add a dollar  their allowence. We then could have had a fun scene of Missy trying to negotiate (in small incriments, like 25 cents).  

14 hours ago, howiveaddict said:

Didn't George take Missy to Red Lobster last year? I remember her wearing a tiara.

If they sent Sheldon off to college now, this show would still be hilarious. I just love every character. Especially Missy and Georgie.

2 hours ago, ProudMary said:

I am all for this!  Let Sheldon go off to college; we can check in on him occasionally but I would love it if the focus of the show stayed in Texas with Missy.  Oh and Georgie too. :-)

Mary was worried George wasn't spending enough time with Missy, so he agreed to do whatever Missy wanted for a night. She wanted to go to Red Lobster. I thought it was so interesting that what she wanted was a taste of the grown-up adult world. She wanted to go to (what she thought of as) a fancy dinner. 

They can send Sheldon off to college and keep the show. It becomes main plot/subplot in different locations. You have what Sheldon is doing in college and what is happening at home. 

13 hours ago, HazelEyes4325 said:

Oh man, I just love Missy!  The actress is amazing for one so young and she does steal this show whenever she's on the screen.  I thought the best part was when she told the researcher that she was all on her own and I'm glad that Mary took that to heart because she DOES pass over Missy for Sheldon much of the time.

Yes! I really want more scenes of Mary and Missy as a result of this. I would love to see them doing a girls' day or a girls' night out. 

[Tom Holmberg]

1 hour ago, TV Diva Queen said:

that kid is acting his ass off.

I'm not putting down the actor playing Sheldon. I think all the child actors on YS are among the best on TV. But the actress playing Missy really stands out.

[Newberry]

Missy for the win!

[19Bee63]

13 hours ago, Mystery said:

Could I love Missy any more? NO I COULD NOT. Even when she talked about "teams," it wasn't in a self-pitying way but a matter-of-fact way.

And that somehow made it even sadder.

[Chit Chat]

I've gone back and watched this episode 2 more times.  The line "MeeMaw monkey" cracks me up every time!  As far as the test they took and the question about the train leaving Station A and arriving at Station B a thousand miles, well, that has always stumped me!  Note the way Missy spelled out the 'S' and 'T' of St. Louis.   She's too cute.   

[2727]

I assumed Missy told the doctor she was the overlooked child because she knew her parents were watching. Emotional manipulation is her wheelhouse.

5 minutes ago, ChitChat said:

Note the way Missy spelled out the 'S' and 'T' of St. Louis. She's too cute.   

I've been having Alexa read books to me and one character referred to the other as Mississippi Jones instead of Miss Jones. I thought it was some joke between them that I had missed but then I started on another book and that character was Mississippi Smith. D'oh! The characters are Ms Smith and Jones. Which of course Alexa knows is the abbreviation for the state. 

[Katy M]

14 hours ago, Mystery said:

Could I love Missy any more? NO I COULD NOT. Even when she talked about "teams," it wasn't in a self-pitying way but a matter-of-fact way

Which, IMO, made it all the more heartbreaking.

 

5 hours ago, anna0852 said:

I can't figure out if Meemaw is supposed to be a de facto third parent or not. Last season she refused to babysit while Mary was working, not unreasonably so. But we see her eating dinner with them most nights and accompanying the family on quite a few of their outings and frequently speaking to the kids more like a parent than a grandparent. It's a weird dynamic.

Free food is different than babysitting:)  And, as for this outing, it involved her boyfriend.

[CherryAmes]

1 hour ago, 2727 said:

I assumed Missy told the doctor she was the overlooked child because she knew her parents were watching. Emotional manipulation is her wheelhouse.

Missy was aware she was being filmed (made sure they got her best side) but I don't think we're given the impression that she knows her parents are watching.

[anna0852]

That actually makes it sadder. 

[Katy M]

Mary and Missy both basically said that temper tantrums were a primary aspect of Sheldon's personality.  To the best of my recollection, we've seen one--the Radio Shack deal, and that was pretty mild. Two if you count his insane cleaning jag.  If something is going to be a primary aspect of the main character's personality they really need to show it more than once a year.  Maybe 5,   Or at least reference that he had one.

[Mystery]

12 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Mary and Missy both basically said that temper tantrums were a primary aspect of Sheldon's personality.  To the best of my recollection, we've seen one--the Radio Shack deal, and that was pretty mild. Two if you count his insane cleaning jag.  If something is going to be a primary aspect of the main character's personality they really need to show it more than once a year.  Maybe 5,   Or at least reference that he had one.

That's a really good point. During the episode, I tried to remember if we'd ever seen one. 

[TigerLynx]

8 hours ago, Gummo said:

Except with Sheldon, of course. Sheldon recognizes no boundaries but his own.

And part of that is the people around him.  A few dinners here or there won't change the dynamic.  I remember once Penny asked Leonard why they let Sheldon dictate everything, and Leonard's response was it was simply easier to do so.

I like that Missy doesn't let Sheldon push her around.  The odds are stacked against her, but she still manages to deal.

[Katy M]

3 hours ago, 2727 said:

I assumed Missy told the doctor she was the overlooked child because she knew her parents were watching. Emotional manipulation is her wheelhouse.

I've been having Alexa read books to me and one character referred to the other as Mississippi Jones instead of Miss Jones. I thought it was some joke between them that I had missed but then I started on another book and that character was Mississippi Smith. D'oh! The characters are Ms Smith and Jones. Which of course Alexa knows is the abbreviation for the state. 

So, if you were reading a book with a character named Al, would be Alabama?  If someone says something like "You can't do that to me?" would it come out "You can't do that to Maine?"  "HI, Jack."  "Hawaii, Jack."  "Stop letting your id rule you."  "Stop letting your Idaho rule you."  "Get in here now."  "Get Indiana here now."

[mxc90]

Was Sheldon beginning to mimic the Soul Train dancers before the camera cut out? If so, whose dumb idea was to cut that out?

[Chit Chat]

3 minutes ago, mxc90 said:

Was Sheldon beginning to mimic the Soul Train dancers before the camera cut out? If so, whose dumb idea was to cut that out?

It looked like he tried to make a little dance move there!  Georgie was funny too.   It would've been funny if Sheldon actually had some rhythm and busted a move!  

Edited October 19, 2018 by ChitChat

[mxc90]

5 minutes ago, ChitChat said:

It looked like he tried to make a little dance move there!  Georgie was funny too.   It would've been funny if Sheldon actually had some rhythm and busted a move!  

I thought so. It would have been funny to see. 

After a rewatch, that doctor was staring at the lady's tushy . Missy is the real genius! I thought she was playing her at first.

[ams1001]

8 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

Agreed. I thought the ponytail was a fantastic touch that really sets the era. Also, it shows that Missy is interested in fashion and following trends. 

My friend's husband threw an 80's themed surprise party for her 40th birthday a couple years ago and therefore I now have a very similar bright pink scrunchie (also purple and bright blue because they were a pack of three that my mom found at the dollar store). But I just got my hair cut so I can't do a side ponytail now. I use them sometimes to pull my hair back while I'm getting ready for bed and pretend I'm back in 7th grade (not really; nothing would make me want to go back there).

 

10 hours ago, TV Diva Queen said:

Have you ever seen Ian?  He's the polar opposite of Sheldon, that kid is acting his ass off. I saw him on Colbert last week and he's just adorable.

I saw that, too. I love how he referred to Meryl Streep as "Miss Meryl." His Broadway reviews were the best. "I would have told you ...but I didn't see it!" (And how freakin' cute was he in his little newsboy cap with a missing tooth?) I also love it when he pops up in a Jeopardy clue (he did a whole category a while back and they must have filmed a bunch of extras). 

 

2 hours ago, mxc90 said:

Was Sheldon beginning to mimic the Soul Train dancers before the camera cut out? If so, whose dumb idea was to cut that out?

I missed that. This and a few other comments are making me realize I need to rewatch this episode. (I actually got distracted by something and missed most of Sheldon looking at the pictures.) And I almost never rewatch shows.

 

Edit: Rewatching...I missed the Webster reference!

Edited October 20, 2018 by ams1001

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

I missed that. This and a few other comments are making me realize I need to rewatch this episode.

You can see him start to bend his knees like he's trying to get into the rhythm, then they cut away from him very quickly.  It was easy to miss.  

[ams1001]

19 minutes ago, ChitChat said:

You can see him start to bend his knees like he's trying to get into the rhythm, then they cut away from him very quickly.  It was easy to miss.  

I watched for it the second time. That was cute. :)

[Yeah No]

I loved this episode for all the reasons already mentioned, but it bugged me that Missy said all those things about the scientists regarding each other on camera - Given that they were both involved in the twin study, wouldn't the male scientist have to see what Missy said about them?  I thought that would be especially mortifying for the female scientist to know would happen.  And while I did like that both of them were older, the chances that both would be single and that Missy would somehow know that is kind of a stretch.  But great episode, anyway!

[Yeah No]

3 minutes ago, LadyKenobi said:

I feel like the hair is off in this series. Meemaw’s is plenty big, but I’m not seeing nearly enough bangs action. Missy’s is the closest with the plastic ponytail holders, puffy paint sweatshirts, and side ponytails, but the women’s hair is curiously flat. 

I agree, I thought my hair was flat in the '80s, but now when I look at photos of myself I LOL at how high it was!

[Katy M]

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I loved this episode for all the reasons already mentioned, but it bugged me that Missy said all those things about the scientists regarding each other on camera - Given that they were both involved in the twin study, wouldn't the male scientist have to see what Missy said about them?  I thought that would be especially mortifying for the female scientist to know would happen.  And while I did like that both of them were older, the chances that both would be single and that Missy would somehow know that is kind of a stretch.  But great episode, anyway!

That's why the scientist kept signaling the camera with her eyes.  Maybe she edited it so the guy wouldn't see any of Missy's comments.  But, it was totally a kid thing to do.  They don't care.

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

That's why the scientist kept signaling the camera with her eyes.  Maybe she edited it so the guy wouldn't see any of Missy's comments.  But, it was totally a kid thing to do.  They don't care.

I agree that Missy's comments were priceless and realistic, but I would think her commentary would be too relevant to edit for his viewing only.  I just thought the scientist should have acted a little more embarrassed/mortified knowing that it would be seen by him.  Whatever, it's just a TV show, so I chalk it up to "poetic license", LOL!

[BlossomCulp]

Missy's comments may have made the scientist uncomfortable but she didn't really have a lot of choice in how to respond.  She isn't Missy's teacher or sitter and had no right to tell Missy to be quiet.  She encouraged her to focus on the task at hand but that's about as much as she could do.  She had no way of knowing George was in it for the money (loved that little cash register ring at one point!!) for all she knew if she spoke sharply to Missy that would be the end of the research study.  I thought the way they wrote those scenes was totally believable.  And I loved that while we didn't suddenly see Missy as being average (again loved Sheldon's comment "that's generous") or even scholastically smart we did she that she's s sweet, caring little girl and Sheldon,  ah Sheldon. little Mr Smarty Pants showing off his brains and inadvertently showing off his shortcomings at the same time.

[anna0852]

If my kid had made that 'generous' crack, I'd made him leave the table. It's letting things like this slide that are building Sheldon into the adult we know he's going to become.

[Chit Chat]

25 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

If my kid had made that 'generous' crack, I'd made him leave the table. It's letting things like this slide that are building Sheldon into the adult we know he's going to become.

I agree.  I wish that kids who may not be "book smart" could understand that there's all kinds of "smarts."  I think kids can get discouraged if they feel like they can't keep up with the kids who seem to learn quickly.  It took me a long time to really understand the different ways in which we all learn and how to best implement my particular way of learning for me.  I'm glad the researcher told Sheldon that, even though he thinks it's "poppycock!"   

I wish Mary and George were a little more encouraging to Missy and Georgie with their school work, but as I've said before, information was rather limited back in the day.  We didn't have the luxury of Googling every single question we had.  It wasn't until years after I was out of high school that I read an article in a magazine about how we all learn differently (visually, hands-on, etc.), that that was an eye-opener for me.  I wish I had that information when I was in school.  That would've helped me tremendously in how I approached studying.  Having said that though, I don't think Georgie has any interest in school, so I don't think there's any amount of encouragement that's going to motivate him.

[CherryAmes]

1 hour ago, ChitChat said:

Having said that though, I don't think Georgie has any interest in school, so I don't think there's any amount of encouragement that's going to motivate him.

Agreed.  I think they're also making a pretty strong case that Missy has no real interest in school either.  And while I know at least partly they're doing this to contrast with Sheldon's super-smartitude, it's also pretty realistic to me.  Not everyone is interested in school, a lot of kids are marking time until they get out.  It's only then that at least some of them realize that a little book learning might have been a damn good idea!

[Sarah 103]

I was thinking about how well Missy can read people. Can you imagine how amazing she's going to be in a few years when boy/girl issues start becoming a big thing at school? She will know who everyone likes and whether or not the feeling is mutual.