S02.E07: Carbon Dating and a Stuffed Raccoon

[Bort]

Sheldon gets into trouble with fellow child genius Paige at the science museum. Also, George Sr. is forced to play therapist to Paige’s bickering parents, and Mary, Georgie and Missy help Meemaw with a garage sale.

Airdate: Thursday, November 1, 2018

[grommit2]

Wow...clearly Paige is the superior intellect. 
Of course, Sheldon would never admit this because, well...ummm...he's a guy. 

[jewel21]

Poor, George. All he wanted to do was eat his chicken wings in peace and watch the game. I felt for him, heh. 

[Sarah 103]

I like Paige and Sheldon together-not in a romantic way-it's great fun to see them interact. I loved how happy George was at the end of the episode. 

I knew as soon as Mee-Maw starting teaching them how to haggle that Missy was going to be great, but I wasn't sure how it would play out. I was not disappointed. For the first time I noticed how much older Missy looked. She's really starting to grow up. 

Overall, I am happy with this episode. 

[mxc90]

22 minutes ago, jewel21 said:

Poor, George. All he wanted to do was eat his chicken wings in peace and watch the game. I felt for him, heh. 

Did he eat those wings or inhaled them? 

I really thought he was going to hook up with the wife tonight.

[Sarah 103]

12 minutes ago, mxc90 said:

Did he eat those wings or inhaled them? 

I really thought he was going to hook up with the wife tonight.

Do you mean you thought George would have an affair with Paige's mom or would have a night of romance with Mary? 

[Mystery]

1 hour ago, Sarah 103 said:

I like Paige and Sheldon together-not in a romantic way-it's great fun to see them interact. I loved how happy George was at the end of the episode. 

I knew as soon as Mee-Maw starting teaching them how to haggle that Missy was going to be great, but I wasn't sure how it would play out. I was not disappointed. For the first time I noticed how much older Missy looked. She's really starting to grow up. 

Ditto on the "Missy growing up" thing. But I feel like regardless of math, either Georgie or Missy would have answered MeeMaw's "you owe me money" with "well then, it's cheaper not to help at all." 

 

57 minutes ago, mxc90 said:

Did he eat those wings or inhaled them? 

I really thought he was going to hook up with the wife tonight.

Me too! I thought this would be the start down that road. 

It was so annoying to see Sheldon say "Who wants to take me?" I can't imagine any kid I know who would have gotten away with that. No wonder he's so insufferable. (Not the actor. He's a cutie pie.) 

I like Paige. 

[Frost]

Isn't Paige older than Sheldon by a year or two?  Or is it just the actress looks older than Iain?  I'm thinking her pricey private school gives her a leg up.  Sheldon seems to do much of his learning on his own in the library.

I loved Sheldons little safe for his I'D cards.

Missy haggling with Billy was a highlight!

[Sarah 103]

14 minutes ago, Frost said:

Isn't Paige older than Sheldon by a year or two?  Or is it just the actress looks older than Iain?  I'm thinking her pricey private school gives her a leg up.  Sheldon seems to do much of his learning on his own in the library.

I loved Sheldons little safe for his I'D cards.

Missy haggling with Billy was a highlight!

I think she's older a months or a year at most. They are meant to be peers and very close in age. Could you explain what you meant by "her pricey private school gives her a leg up." Did you mean it makes her seem more mature?

Missy haggling with Billy was fantastic. 

[Spartan Girl]

"Nice haggle!"

"Nice mullet!"

I love Meemaw.

[Bort]

Paige’s parents may not have the same behavioral problems of Sheldon to deal with but Paige’s inability to sit still when bored and disregard for rules leads me to believe that she comes with her own special brand of behavior issues and it’s taking a toll on her parents.

[Quark]

I love Mee Maw so much. Really liked her scenes tonight.

[Chit Chat]

7 hours ago, Frost said:

Isn't Paige older than Sheldon by a year or two? 

IIRC, I think it's just a month or so.  The actress herself is 2 years older than Iain.

It's interesting to see how much influence MeeMaw has on the kids.  She's giving them the "street smarts" they need.  I like how she can explain things to Sheldon, too.  For example, when she had to explain to him that he was feeling jealous of Paige.  He had a hard time admitting that he felt that way, but MeeMaw has a way of putting things into perspective for him.  I liked when she was teaching him how to play poker in the first episode and he learned that his sweet MeeMaw could bluff/lie to him all with a smile on her face!  It was a subtle lesson in not trusting every person you meet.  I think these little lessons stuck with Sheldon as he grew up. 

[anna0852]

7 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

Could you explain what you meant by "her pricey private school gives her a leg up." Did you mean it makes her seem mature

I think it means her school is more equipped to deal with her educational needs. She is more challenged in the classroom and probably better able to relate to her peers. She certainly seems more well-rounded than Sheldon. 

I think not keeping Sheldon in that private school last year was a huge mistake. He needed to be with a peer group he can relate to and frankly, not always being the smartest in the room would do him a world of good.

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

9 hours ago, Mystery said:

Ditto on the "Missy growing up" thing. But I feel like regardless of math, either Georgie or Missy would have answered MeeMaw's "you owe me money" with "well then, it's cheaper not to help at all." 

I almost wish they had! Put Meemaw in her place, the old bat. Her professor-boyfriend is almost too good for her. But then she redeemed herself by giving him the hula-girl lamp. 

Thus sayeth BFON, who is herself an old bat — and therefore extra-hard in Meems. ;-)

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

8 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I think she's older a months or a year at most. They are meant to be peers and very close in age. Could you explain what you meant by "her pricey private school gives her a leg up." Did you mean it makes her seem more mature?

Missy haggling with Billy was fantastic. 

I just enjoy that the show acknowledges that while Sheldon is hecka smart, he’s by no means the smartest person in the world.

The following is *not* about comparing & contrasting the shows: can you imagine grown Paige knuckling under to grown Sheldon?

She doesn’t seem bothered  by someone who’s *almost* as smart as she is. That’s possibly because she’s one of several super-intelligent people at the school for which her parents moved to Texas.

Whereas, Sheldon never met a person his own age who’s a genius until Paige. 

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

One more personal reaction to the show tonight. Mary’s cold shutdown “I don’t want to talk about it” upset me. I’m very close to a family that is breaking apart precisely because of that exact attitude - and words! - by a woman about Mary’s age & situation. 

What I’m saying is: the writers are getting this show *right* on in its depiction of a family heading into big trouble, and yet doing it subtly.

Well done, if sadly. 

[CherryAmes]

"This is oddly reminiscent of a dinner with my family."  Oh Sheldon,  love this!

[Homily]

1 hour ago, BckpckFullaNinjas said:

I almost wish they had! Put Meemaw in her place, the old bat. Her professor-boyfriend is almost too good for her. But then she redeemed herself by giving him the hula-girl lamp. 

I felt she redeemed herself by her genuine sorrow about the loss of her husband.  When she realized that selling her husband's stuff wasn't as easy to do as she expected it to be that rang very true to me.  I am really liking the way they are giving the characters a little depth.  

[BitterApple]

I like Paige as well.

I was also terrified this was the beginning of a relationship between George and Paige's mom. I hope they don't go there.

The kids are definitely taking on a more mature look. The actress who plays Missy is a pretty girl. Missy and Billy haggling over the stuffed raccoon was adorable. 

Poor George and his buffalo wings. That's the absolute worst when you just want to be alone and you've got someone talking your ear off. 

[Frost]

My point about Paige is that her private school education could have covered things like carbon dating whereas all Sheldon knows about it currently is from reading an article in the museum magazine.  Hence wanting to attend the lecture.  Ignorance on a topic you haven't learned about yet is not the same as being less intelligent than someone who has.  I have no idea who would win in a head to head IQ test, I just wouldn't automatically assume Paige is 'smarter' than Sheldon.  If there was a topic they both knew nothing about, which one would understand it faster?  I don't know. 

What is clear to me is that Sheldon is discombobulated by interacting with a child as intelligent as Paige.  Unknown territory for him!  I loved Sheldon stating "calling me 'Baby' isn't going to work every time" as he followed her into the closed exhibit.   

George's delighted reaction that Sheldon got into trouble doing something mischievous that other "normal" children would do was cute.  I think he felt like he could finally relate personally with something Sheldon had done.

[Homily]

Just realised this was a Saturday - I guess we can assume that the twin study project is over?  In the episode where that happened you are given the impression it's going to last awhile.  Did they say that it ended or that the Coopers withdrew their children or is it a typical sitcom move where one episode doesn't have much to do with the next?

[ashleylm]

1 hour ago, Frost said:

My point about Paige is that her private school education could have covered things like carbon dating whereas all Sheldon knows about it currently is from reading an article in the museum magazine. 

I was Sheldon (or as close as), and learned nothing in elementary school.  Nothing.  I could read before Grade One, and ever since I'd just read the text books they handed out that first week, and be bored for all subsequent weeks (or read novels in class while the teacher taught concepts I'd already learned).  When I switched to a private school, it was revelatory.  I no longer seemed to be the smartest kid in the class, but that was because they'd actually been taught concepts I'd never come across.  Took me a year to catch up, and then I was on top again.  You can only do so much (pre-Internet) with the books in your library and a school catering to the average student.

[Katy M]

13 hours ago, Frost said:

Isn't Paige older than Sheldon by a year or two? 

Nope it was establishe din her first epi that she is a younger than Sheldon.  

[galaxychaser]

Cutest show ever. I love every character.

[HurricaneVal]

4 hours ago, BckpckFullaNinjas said:

What I’m saying is: the writers are getting this show *right* on in its depiction of a family heading into big trouble, and yet doing it subtly.

I couldn't agree more.  It makes me sad.  Zoe Perry is doing a great job of sympathetically turning Mary into a strident and inflexible holy roller and Lance Barber is doing a great job showing how he's learning there's fun to be had outside his house.  Mary has always taken the lead in the family's social interactions, and George just goes with it.  Last night he had to take the family lead in social integration, and though he did it reluctantly--preferring to be left to his wings and ballgame--he ponied up and I think he enjoyed it.  This was sort of his first taste of being a social person without Mary, and I think he'll want more.

[Bort]

Please take Big Bang Theory comparisons to the relevant thread. The episode threads are to be treated as if The Big Bang Theory does not exist.

[SoMuchTV]

15 hours ago, Frost said:

Isn't Paige older than Sheldon by a year or two? 

 

2 hours ago, Katy M said:

Nope it was establishe din her first epi that she is a younger than Sheldon.  

I was just about to post that I thought I remembered that.  Younger by maybe a month or so?  Much to Sheldon's annoyance; he was no longer the youngest "genius".

[Zoe]

3 hours ago, ashleylm said:

I was Sheldon (or as close as), and learned nothing in elementary school.  Nothing.  I could read before Grade One, and ever since I'd just read the text books they handed out that first week, and be bored for all subsequent weeks (or read novels in class while the teacher taught concepts I'd already learned).  When I switched to a private school, it was revelatory.  I no longer seemed to be the smartest kid in the class, but that was because they'd actually been taught concepts I'd never come across.  Took me a year to catch up, and then I was on top again.  You can only do so much (pre-Internet) with the books in your library and a school catering to the average student.

That's what I guessed was the case.  Paige also seemed a bit dismissive of Sheldon watching TV and reading comic books, so she might be in the "nothing that's not educational" mindset that Sheldon was in when the show first started.

[Chit Chat]

I went back and re-watched the episode.  Did I see the 'leaving Medford' sign correctly, and did it say 'thanks for nuthin'?  It was when George and Sheldon were driving out of Medford.  It was in cursive writing, and that's what it looked like to me.  I find humor in the little things on this show.  Please correct me if I read it wrong.  

Missy and her "what's a haggle?"  She's just too darn cute!  She came out pretty good haggling the price of the stuffed raccoon.   

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, Katy M said:

Nope it was establishe din her first epi that she is a younger than Sheldon.  

Yeah, but girls mature faster than boys.  Plus I think she is a more well rounded genius.  Sheldon is more of an "idiot savant", pardon the expression.  His genius is more limited to certain areas and he is actually pretty deficient in others.  Paige seems to understand human emotions and be less "literal" in her intellect, as in more intuitive.

[Bort]

8 minutes ago, ChitChat said:

I went back and re-watched the episode.  Did I see the 'leaving Medford' sign correctly, and did it say 'thanks for nuthin'?  It was when George and Sheldon were driving out of Medford.  It was in cursive writing, and that's what it looked like to me.  I find humor in the little things on this show.  Please correct me if I read it wrong.  

I saw it too. I got a good chuckle out of it.

[jewel21]

9 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Poor George and his buffalo wings. That's the absolute worst when you just want to be alone and you've got someone talking your ear off. 

Haha, not just talking his ear off. Crying her heart out. I was uncomfortable just watching that scene, heh. 

[wknt3]

On 11/1/2018 at 10:02 PM, grommit2 said:

Wow...clearly Paige is the superior intellect. 
Of course, Sheldon would never admit this because, well...ummm...he's a guy. 

 

7 hours ago, LadyKenobi said:

Or just... he’s Sheldon.

Yep. Sheldon is reluctant to admit anyone is intellectually equal or superior regardless of gender, race, nationality, species...

Edited November 3, 2018 by wknt3
autocorrect fail

[madpsych78]

 

Anyone remember Anna Chlumsky from My Girl? Missy seems to resemble her, and this picture was taken at about the same time as the show is set (i.e., 1990). I really noticed it this episode.

[Sarah 103]

On 11/2/2018 at 8:31 AM, anna0852 said:

I think it means her school is more equipped to deal with her educational needs. She is more challenged in the classroom and probably better able to relate to her peers. She certainly seems more well-rounded than Sheldon. 

I think not keeping Sheldon in that private school last year was a huge mistake. He needed to be with a peer group he can relate to and frankly, not always being the smartest in the room would do him a world of good.

 

On 11/2/2018 at 9:35 AM, BckpckFullaNinjas said:

She doesn’t seem bothered  by someone who’s *almost* as smart as she is. That’s possibly because she’s one of several super-intelligent people at the school for which her parents moved to Texas.

Whereas, Sheldon never met a person his own age who’s a genius until Paige. 

I agree with both of these comments. Sheldon is almost always the smartest one in the room, certainly in his classes. Paige might excell at math and science, but there may be someone who gets higher grades in another class. If that happened to Sheldon, he would throw a hissy-fit/temper tantrum, while Paige would just work harder. 

Paige is surrounded by people her own age at school, which makes a huge difference. They see each other as peers and equals. Sheldon is something of a mascot, curiosity, tag along younger sibling. The other students in high school probably see Sheldon and think of their younger siblings or cousins. 

[AnnaCody]

On 11/1/2018 at 11:13 PM, mxc90 said:

Did he eat those wings or inhaled them? 

I really thought he was going to hook up with the wife tonight.

No way.  I really think this is one of the best marriages I've seen.  And one of the reasons being "we just don't talk about it".  A friend on this third marriage finally realized that and it's a good marriage.

[GrtGzu]

Heck, all I could do was stay glued to those chicken "wangs" and ranch sauce that George was chowin' down on....

 

God, it looked so dam good, I almost went into the kitchen looking for something to eat.....(found pint of pineapple sherbet)

 

I'll have to watch this eppie again, to actually LISTEN to the dialogue....

[BlossomCulp]

15 minutes ago, GrtGzu said:

Heck, all I could do was stay glued to those chicken "wangs" and ranch sauce that George was chowin' down on....

 

God, it looked so dam good, I almost went into the kitchen looking for something to eat.....(found pint of pineapple sherbet)

My husband and I almost ordered out for wings!  I'm not usually that easily led with food on TV shows but man I agree those wings looked good!!

[HazelEyes4325]

I finally got a chance to watch this episode and found it the perfect mix of bitter and sweet.  There isn't much I can add that hasn't already been said here, other than my stupid question...

Were wings a thing back in 1990?

Granted I grew up and then lived in a very different part of the country, but I don't remember wings (buffalo or otherwise) being a "thing" until I was in my mid to late 20s (so, around 2000).  Of course, I completely accept the possibilities that they were a thing in Texas, but not where I was living and/or I was completely out of it.  But, the wings thing seemed anachronistic to me.

Oh, and I totally felt for George when all he wanted to do was watch football but then had to basically be a marriage counselor to people he had only met once before.

Edited November 9, 2018 by HazelEyes4325

[AnnaCody]

On 11/8/2018 at 7:17 PM, HazelEyes4325 said:

I finally got a chance to watch this episode and found it the perfect mix of bitter and sweet.  There isn't much I can add that hasn't already been said here, other than my stupid question...

Were wings a thing back in 1990?

Granted I grew up and then lived in a very different part of the country, but I don't remember wings (buffalo or otherwise) being a "thing" until I was in my mid to late 20s (so, around 2000).  Of course, I completely accept the possibilities that they were a thing in Texas, but not where I was living and/or I was completely out of it.  But, the wings thing seemed anachronistic to me.

Oh, and I totally felt for George when all he wanted to do was watch football but then had to basically be a marriage counselor to people he had only met once before.

I totally agree about his having to listen to them.  The whole time I was trying to figure out how he could get them to leave.  I'm usually pretty good about getting away from that type of person.  But I could not think of anything other than saying he had a cold and his ears were plugged so he could not hear them.  Sadly, that type of person would probably not even care and go on blathering anyhow.

As to your question about wings in the 90's.  I don't remember them either.  But I found this:

The Buffalo wing was invented in 1964 at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York by Teressa Bellissimo. They are generally served hot, along with celery sticks and/or carrot sticks with blue cheese dressing for dipping.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_wing  

[CherryAmes]

23 minutes ago, AnnaCody said:

As to your question about wings in the 90's.  I don't remember them either.

I date wings, or at least buying them in restaurants by the lb,  from about 1989/1990 onwards because I was on a volleyball team back then and we used to go to a pub after the game and cancel out any benefit playing the game might have given us by having plates of nachos and chicken wings and, of course, beer for those so inclined.

[SoMuchTV]

21 hours ago, AnnaCody said:

As to your question about wings in the 90's.  I don't remember them either.  But I found this:

The Buffalo wing was invented in 1964 at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York by Teressa Bellissimo. They are generally served hot, along with celery sticks and/or carrot sticks with blue cheese dressing for dipping.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_wing  

If we can stand one more slightly off-topic datapoint about wings, in the late 70's/early 80's, I lived in a college town nowhere near Buffalo NY or Texas, and a popular "dive" was called "Wings & Things", with varieties ranging from mild to, I think, atomic.  And I don't remember wings being some new exotic thing at the time.  Not like, say, sushi, or bagels, or yogurt...

(And to continue to beat this poor dead horse, I moved in 1981 to a different state, bigger city, and there were multiple wing (or pizza/wing) joints.  So I guess it depends on where you were?)

Edited November 17, 2018 by SoMuchTV
One more thought

[John Potts]

On ‎02‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 2:47 AM, jewel21 said:

Poor, George. All he wanted to do was eat his chicken wings in peace and watch the game.

I always think it's really selfish to go, "No, I'm fine!" and passive-aggressively cry at somebody.

On ‎02‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 3:03 AM, Sarah 103 said:

I like Paige and Sheldon together-not in a romantic way-it's great fun to see them interact. I loved how happy George was at the end of the episode. 

Although I didn't get why Sheldon was suddenly stupid in this episode. Is he meant to be sweet on her? Are we seeing a proto-Amy?

On ‎02‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 4:17 AM, Frost said:

Missy haggling with Billy was a highlight!

I did like the fact that part of the haggle was that she haggled him down from saying she was his girlfriend to saying hello once a week (IIRC)!