The Big Bang Theory - General Discussion

[chitowngirl]

TBS’s TBBT is featuring episodes for International Women’s Day. They just had the episode where the 3 men talk to middle school girls about women in science fields. The 2 women scientists were at Disney getting made up into Princesses. Such a tone deaf, missed opportunity this was!

[Guest]

1 hour ago, chitowngirl said:

TBS’s TBBT is featuring episodes for International Women’s Day. They just had the episode where the 3 men talk to middle school girls about women in science fields. The 2 women scientists were at Disney getting made up into Princesses. Such a tone deaf, missed opportunity this was!

But that episode does end with Sheldon realizing how bad that was and calls Bernadette and Amy to talk to the girls. It’s a great episode but I love that scene. 

[LadyIrony]

Does anyone else feel this show started jumping the shark when all the guys were paired up? I can see Leonard having a girlfriend. Howard, no, although he did end up with a shrew of a woman. Sheldon is the least likely to pair up. 

Howard was great as the horny desperado. Sheldon as the misfit who just doesn't understand the appeal of relationships. 

They even started on Raj towards the end. 

I don't feel like the women (asides from Penny) brought much of value to the show nor did the relationship aspect. The show became "Friends".

 

[SusanM]

12 hours ago, LadyIrony said:

Does anyone else feel this show started jumping the shark when all the guys were paired up?

I guess it did change, and in some ways not for the better, but I don't think the show would have been nearly as funny with  horny Howard and with the other guys still being more fixated on their comics and games if they'd kept that going when they were all mid 30s as opposed to mid 20s.  

[bluegirl147]

12 hours ago, LadyIrony said:

The show became "Friends".

 

There is some truth to that but I think the heart of the show was always the friendships.  

I don't think the show ever jumped the shark.  It was on for so long the characters had to grow and evolve. Now if they had did another season and Penny and Leonard's baby was born then I would have said the show jumped the shark.  Penny being pregnant while maybe not jumping the shark was at least them putting on water skis.

 

[Bort]

Yeah, I liked that the show evolved. 12 years of no character growth would've been very stagnant. And stagnancy happens in lots of shows so it was refreshing that this one wasn't afraid to shake up the status quo.

[Guest]

13 hours ago, LadyIrony said:

Does anyone else feel this show started jumping the shark when all the guys were paired up? I can see Leonard having a girlfriend. Howard, no, although he did end up with a shrew of a woman. Sheldon is the least likely to pair up. 

Howard was great as the horny desperado. Sheldon as the misfit who just doesn't understand the appeal of relationships. 

They even started on Raj towards the end. 

I don't feel like the women (asides from Penny) brought much of value to the show nor did the relationship aspect. The show became "Friends".

 

Not for me. I feel that shows jump the shark when characters stop evolving and the show falls back on stagnate and exaggerated personality traits in absurd situations. The show did that some, particularly with Raj and Sheldon, but there was enough changes to keep the show interesting. Howard in particular was not a sustainable character for more a handful of seasons. 

[SusanM]

38 minutes ago, Dani said:

The show did that some, particularly with Raj and Sheldon, but there was enough changes to keep the show interesting. Howard in particular was not a sustainable character for more a handful of seasons. 

Raj is a good example of what would have happened if they hadn't let the other guys grow up and  move on with their lives.  By the end of the series I think most of us viewers either really disliked Raj or else were desperate for the writers to finally let him catch a break.  And the closest they came was letting him have the actress who played Buffy be his plus one at the Nobel award ceremony.  

[MaryMitch]

I am grateful they ended the "Raj can't talk around women" bit. That was annoying.

[SusanM]

9 minutes ago, MaryMitch said:

I am grateful they ended the "Raj can't talk around women" bit. That was annoying.

My internal barometer for "have seen this show WAY too many times" is when I start nitpicking and this was a big one for me.  Raj never had a female teacher?  Never had a woman in any situation ever where he had to speak to her before he learned that liquor loosened his lips?  I mean I do accept that there exists a condition where a man could not speak to a woman - what I don't accept is someone reaching Raj's level of education and doing the travelling he did and this was never an issue other than him not being able to ask women out on dates?

[LadyIrony]

7 hours ago, SusannahM said:

I guess it did change, and in some ways not for the better, but I don't think the show would have been nearly as funny with  horny Howard and with the other guys still being more fixated on their comics and games if they'd kept that going when they were all mid 30s as opposed to mid 20s.  

I guess that is the thing for me. Howard never grew up anyway. And perhaps I just didn't like his wife either. The constant nagging and anger! She knew who she was marrying! I think they all became less happy when coupled up, except possibly Leonard who was never that happy to begin with. 

7 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

There is some truth to that but I think the heart of the show was always the friendships.  

I don't think the show ever jumped the shark.  It was on for so long the characters had to grow and evolve. Now if they had did another season and Penny and Leonard's baby was born then I would have said the show jumped the shark.  Penny being pregnant while maybe not jumping the shark was at least them putting on water skis.

 

I liked it when they were happy go lucky nerdy guys playing with their toys and experiments. Adding a baby would have killed off what little light heartedness was left in the show. 

I just feel the relationships made the show exactly the same as every other show. 

6 hours ago, Dani said:

Not for me. I feel that shows jump the shark when characters stop evolving and the show falls back on stagnate and exaggerated personality traits in absurd situations. The show did that some, particularly with Raj and Sheldon, but there was enough changes to keep the show interesting. Howard in particular was not a sustainable character for more a handful of seasons. 

The show probably just went for too long. Raj was probably the most likely to have a relationship, not at the start but later on. 

6 hours ago, SusannahM said:

Raj is a good example of what would have happened if they hadn't let the other guys grow up and  move on with their lives.  By the end of the series I think most of us viewers either really disliked Raj or else were desperate for the writers to finally let him catch a break.  And the closest they came was letting him have the actress who played Buffy be his plus one at the Nobel award ceremony.  

I think there is a lot they could have done to have the guys grow without coupling them up which in some ways infantalized them anyway. Howard in particular became a bigger child. I think Raj was an accurate portrayal of someone like that to be honest. 

[callie lee 29]

I think the more I watch reruns (which I do a lot, and am currently doing) I like Sheldon less and less and it wasn't a high bar to begin with. Is there anything redeeming about him? He's mean and simiaaive to his friends and their accomplishments, selfish, demanding.... And  Lately I've also been noticing the slut shaming that he/they  direct towards Penny. It's just gross.

[bigseach]

Watching s7 e21 the anything can happen recurrence.  Penny and Sheldon go to a psychic and she says that “he should give himself to this relationship. ( meaning Amy) Once he does all his other pursuits will come into focus”. “Everything will fall into place one you commit to her”.

she was right! Sheldon had the breakthrough with Amy on their wedding day. They worked together and got the Nobel.  Spooky!

 

[SusanM]

2 hours ago, bigseach said:

she was right! Sheldon had the breakthrough with Amy on their wedding day. They worked together and got the Nobel.  Spooky!

 

I wished they had referenced this episode at some point later when all the pieces were falling into place for them but as far as I remember they don't.  

[Bethany]

Got back into this show after not seeing it for a few years and I have to say I really remembered Amy's character somewhat differently.  I thought she gave in to Sheldon most of the time.  But based on the episodes I've just seen that's not really true. Certainly not where her profession is concerned anyway.  The episode I just saw was the one where Sheldon "vacations" by working with Amy in her lab.  She makes it very clear she's in charge and she doesn't take any of his crap.  Bravo, Amy!

[LadyIrony]

On 3/11/2022 at 7:59 AM, SusanM said:

My internal barometer for "have seen this show WAY too many times" is when I start nitpicking and this was a big one for me.  Raj never had a female teacher?  Never had a woman in any situation ever where he had to speak to her before he learned that liquor loosened his lips?  I mean I do accept that there exists a condition where a man could not speak to a woman - what I don't accept is someone reaching Raj's level of education and doing the travelling he did and this was never an issue other than him not being able to ask women out on dates?

Is it that he can't talk to any women or just women he is attracted to? They never expanded on it but I do find it hard to believe that he was never able to speak to any woman ever. 

[Bort]

30 minutes ago, LadyIrony said:

Is it that he can't talk to any women or just women he is attracted to? They never expanded on it but I do find it hard to believe that he was never able to speak to any woman ever. 

It was any woman Raj was not related to, as he had no problem talking to his mother and sister. I don’t know about the attraction thing, but we saw that in addition to not being able to talk to dates, he wasn’t able to talk to female coworkers either.

[LadyIrony]

51 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

It was any woman Raj was not related to, as he had no problem talking to his mother and sister. I don’t know about the attraction thing, but we saw that in addition to not being able to talk to dates, he wasn’t able to talk to female coworkers either.

Was he just attracted to virtually every woman? The guys on the show bar Sheldon were all desperate horn dogs.

[Guest]

56 minutes ago, LadyIrony said:

Was he just attracted to virtually every woman? The guys on the show bar Sheldon were all desperate horn dogs.

It’s not just women he finds attractive. He couldn’t talk to Amy and says in one episode he‘s never been interested in her (at least until she says she’s not interested in him).

[Bort]

And now that I think about it, Raj couldn’t talk to Sheldon’s mom either.

[Bethany]

Also waitresses in restaurants and women at the university.  That's where I agree there is a bit of a logic fail.  Raj went to university in England and moved to the US to live.  It is a little hard to believe that he never encounters a woman teacher, or a woman working security at an airport, or what about flight attendants?  He sits through those incredibly long flights he must have taken and has nothing to eat or drink?

Edited October 22, 2022 by Elizabeth Anne

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Elizabeth Anne said:

Also waitresses in restaurants and women at the university.  That's where I agree there is a bit of a logic fail.  Raj went to university in England and moved to the US to live.  It is a little hard to believe that he never encounters a woman teacher, or a woman working security at an airport, or what about flight attendants?  He sits through those incredibly long flights he must have taken and has nothing to eat or drink?

That doesn’t bother me because there are plenty of deaf and nonverbal individuals. Plus his family is rich which would have helped him a lot and he chose a heavily male dominated field. It’s a bit of a stretch since the show played it for laughs and never had Raj attempt nonverbal communication. Raj’s selective mutism was inspired by a real computer programmer.

[Bort]

Yeah, there are ways around a lot of that. Raj could make sure he picked classes taught by men, point to what he wants on a menu…

[Bethany]

Fair enough but it would have been nice if at least once BBT had shown how Raj worked around his selective mutism in situations when he was on his own. IIRC they never do. 

We are shown a few situations where Raj is at a loss when he can't communicate with a woman server, for example when he complains that the server left and he didn't give his order and the reason for that is given to him he says "nonetheless this shall be reflected in her tip".

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Elizabeth Anne said:

Fair enough but it would have been nice if at least once BBT had shown how Raj worked around his selective mutism in situations when he was on his own. IIRC they never do.

I agree. Rather than showing how Raj functioned they chose to introduce the alcohol hack very early on. 

3 hours ago, Elizabeth Anne said:

We are shown a few situations where Raj is at a loss when he can't communicate with a woman server, for example when he complains that the server left and he didn't give his order and the reason for that is given to him he says "nonetheless this shall be reflected in her tip".

I just watched that one and really didn’t like that line. Penny didn’t take his order because she was exasperated with Sheldon being Sheldon. Clearly Raj is capable of ordering from waitresses. The writers really didn’t know how to write Raj’s mutism beyond playing it for laughs. 

[Bethany]

Speaking of writers just playing things for laughs, the episodes I am watching right now show Amy as a strong professional woman which is the good - the bad is that for at least a couple of seasons they also show her lusting after Penny.  Ugh.  They were already pulling this with the "bromance" between Howard and Raj, did they really need to do this with the Amy character as well?  Not very imaginative of them.

[Guest]

I recently watched the show for the first time and am watching it again. I don’t understand how Sheldon always gets away with everything by the group. I just watched the Bitcoin episode, and in reality, stealing tons of money from your friends to teach them a lesson would be a friendship ender, but no. They all just roll their eyes and move on.

[Bort]

Well, for the bitcoin, it’s not like Sheldon intentionally stole money, it was supposed to be a harmless prank. At the time, bitcoin wasn’t worth anything and there was no indication it ever would be.

Other things grind my corn more than the bitcoin thing. Like the dining room table.

[HyeChaps]

Yes, yes, yes!!! The dining room table! Why would any of them prefer to slouch over their food?

[Guest]

It wasn’t intentional, but it was yet another time of Sheldon being horrible. Impact often matters a lot more than intent, and that is one big time. 
 

But I find Sheldon to be awful much of the time, so maybe my perception is skewed.

[Bethany]

There is a vulnerability to Sheldon that redeems him for me a lot of the time - but that said there are definitely a few episodes where he is so awful that I can't believe anyone would stay friends with him.  The physics college bowl one, for instance, where he is so focused on being the smartest kid in the room that he is absolutely obnoxious.  In that one the guys do at least stand up to him.   But in typical sitcom fashion by the next episode all is forgotten!

[Browncoat]

4 hours ago, HyeChaps said:

Yes, yes, yes!!! The dining room table! Why would any of them prefer to slouch over their food?

That one doesn't bother me, as I eat sitting on my sofa in front of the TV all the time.

[LadyIrony]

On 11/1/2022 at 4:42 AM, HyeChaps said:

Yes, yes, yes!!! The dining room table! Why would any of them prefer to slouch over their food?

I noticed they use food in the show as a way of bringing the characters together. At work they gather around the lunch table and chat, at home it's on the couch when they are altogether.  The couch also allows all the characters to be facing the camera/audience. A dinner table would not really allow that, some would be side on. I think it is also supposed to show them as being very casual and close friends or something. 

[Bethany]

I am just watching the episode where Sheldon has been riding the rails and gets stranded in Arizona.  I really don't understand though how he ended up pantless and wandering around a train station.  He had his stuff stolen while he slept ON the train.  I've taken trains for years, and often long distance in sleeper cars.  It's unlikely all his stuff could have been stolen but even accepting that there is no way the train crew would have dumped him at a train station in that way.  Wait, well, given this is Sheldon maybe....

Edited November 8, 2022 by Elizabeth Anne

[Bethany]

The episodes on right now are dealing with the invention Howard, Leonard and Sheldon are working on that gets taken over by the military.  Which leads to my question - the whole reason they were doing this was to make money.  So did they actually make any money?  I don't remember if they is ever mentioned.  I mean were they being paid by the military initially - and what happened when the military took over?  Did they get anything?  Do I think about this kind of thing more than the writers probably did?  Probably.

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, Elizabeth Anne said:

The episodes on right now are dealing with the invention Howard, Leonard and Sheldon are working on that gets taken over by the military.  Which leads to my question - the whole reason they were doing this was to make money.  So did they actually make any money?  I don't remember if they is ever mentioned.  I mean were they being paid by the military initially - and what happened when the military took over?  Did they get anything?  Do I think about this kind of thing more than the writers probably did?  Probably.

They got nothing other than what they were paid for the patent and for working on the project. Their hopes of a big payday was based off of the commercial applications of the idea and that went out the window once the military got involved. 

[Driad]

At your home, do you have your "spot" where you sit?  I do, but I'm less rigid about it than Sheldon is.  Occasional guests may sit wherever they want.  Frequent Visitor may use my spot when I'm elsewhere, but when I want it, I get it.

Wondering where Sheldon sits in a doctor's waiting room.  Often I sit in the waiting room, they call me for a test, then I return to the waiting room to wait for the doctor.  If Sheldon had chosen the "best" chair at the beginning, but when he returned someone was sitting in it, would he be willing to sit elsewhere?

[Bethany]

On 11/21/2022 at 9:36 PM, Dani said:

They got nothing other than what they were paid for the patent and for working on the project. Their hopes of a big payday was based off of the commercial applications of the idea and that went out the window once the military got involved. 

Thanks, I figured as much but it's so odd that the project ended and while they were upset they didn't really talk about the loss of that big payday considering in these earlier episodes the whole motivation for doing it in the first place was for the money!

4 minutes ago, Driad said:

If Sheldon had chosen the "best" chair at the beginning, but when he returned someone was sitting in it, would he be willing to sit elsewhere?

Considering he was even willing to tell a tough looking guy in his jail cell that he was sitting in his spot I am going to say he'd tell the other person to move.

[bluegirl147]

I read the new book The big bang theory : the definitive, inside story of the epic hit series.  Its an oral history and the author talked to the entire cast, some supporting cast and most of the producers and writers.

I really enjoyed it.  A lot of stuff I already knew but some I didn't.  I wasn't aware that the cast didn't know Jim Parsons had decided not to come back for a 13th season.  

I did know the five lead actors took a pay cut to increase Mayim and Melissa salaries.  I did not know CBS cried poor in order to get them to do so.  Said if that didn't happen they weren't sure BBT could continue.  

[JustHereForFood]

On 11/23/2022 at 9:31 PM, Driad said:

Wondering where Sheldon sits in a doctor's waiting room.  Often I sit in the waiting room, they call me for a test, then I return to the waiting room to wait for the doctor.  If Sheldon had chosen the "best" chair at the beginning, but when he returned someone was sitting in it, would he be willing to sit elsewhere?

I don't know about Sheldon, but I'm a bit OCD about stuff like that and I have completely different rules about when I'm at home and outside. I wouldn't apply something I do at home where I feel safe to a place like the doctor's office where I'm completely freaked out anyway. Of course, everyone is different and anyway, considering how they wrote Sheldon, I am positive that BBT writers have no idea about OCD, germaphobia and stuff like that.

[Guest]

I’m watching the end of season 9, and I hate that Leonard and Penny had a second wedding ceremony for his mom who mistreated him his whole life. The ceremony was nice and the plotline with Mary was funny, but I wish they had gotten there a different way.

[greekmom]

On 7/10/2021 at 10:03 AM, NoReally said:

Just saw the Valentine's Day episode where Leonard and Penny accidentally let Cinnamon eat a box of chocolates and then take her to the vet.

And once again I find myself wondering why the show-runners didn't pursue a relationship between Raj and Yvette the vet. Seemed like it would've been a good pairing.

I never understood why they never tried again with the university cleaner. I liked that actress and thought that the pairing would have been really good for Raj's growth as a character.  She was Cuban, non professional and had child from a previous marriage. They really could have gone places.

[Bethany]

Just watching the episode where the FBI agent is interviewing Sheldon, Leonard and Raj and I realized that of the 3 of them Sheldon is the only one who behaves somewhat appropriately.  Raj gets drunk and Leonard hits on her.  At least Sheldon addresses issues that he assumes would interest someone checking the background on a candidate.  Of course Sheldon being Sheldon it's still really all about him. 

But anyway what bothered me this time around was the absolutely inappropriate behavior Leonard displayed.  Did he really think hitting on an FBI agent trying to do her job was in the least bit acceptable?

Edited January 31, 2023 by Elizabeth Anne

[Spartan Girl]

12 hours ago, Elizabeth Anne said:

Just watching the episode where the FBI agent is interviewing Sheldon, Leonard and Raj and I realized that of the 3 of them Sheldon is the only one who behaves somewhat appropriately.  Raj gets drunk and Leonard hits on her.  At least Sheldon addresses issues that he assumes would interest someone checking the background on a candidate.  Of course Sheldon being Sheldon it's still really all about him. 

But anyway what bothered me this time around was the absolutely inappropriate behavior Leonard displayed.  Did he really think hitting on an FBI agent trying to do her job was in the least bit acceptable?

Yes, a lot of this stuff hasn’t aged well.

And the fact that the FBI agent was Eliza Dushku, knowing all the sexual harassment (among other things) she went through, makes it worse.

Edited January 31, 2023 by Spartan Girl

[Bethany]

46 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Yes, a lot of this stuff hasn’t aged well.

What really stands out this time around is the way Penny is slut shamed for behavior that is perfectly acceptable in the guys.  I'd like to think a sitcom writer in 2023 wouldn't pull that sexist crap.  But even in 2007 it shouldn't have been happening!

[Bethany]

Supposedly this scene has been voted the fan favourite

No idea how reliable this site is or where the poll of fans was conducted but according to this the fan fave is the scene where Bernadette is in quarantine and the gang all gather at the window of her room to perform a song.

It's cute but it's not even in my top 20.  I don't really know what my favourite scene is but a strong contender is the one where Howard is in training to be an astronuat and he is talking to Bernadette via their computers and he says "I ate a butterfly".  He is awesome in this scene!

[Fellaway]

On 2/15/2023 at 4:23 PM, Elizabeth Anne said:

No idea how reliable this site is or where the poll of fans was conducted but according to this the fan fave is the scene where Bernadette is in quarantine and the gang all gather at the window of her room to perform a song.

Aw, I have a fondness for that scene. That was one of the first eps I watched when the show hit syndication. After watching more eps, Bernadette plummeted to the bottom of my ranking of the characters, so now that fondness is really more just nostalgic for helping introduce me to the show.

I'd have a hard time picking a favorite scene, but a couple I really love are Raj's Bollywood fantasy (for the sheer absurdity and Raj-ness of it all) and the one where Penny gives Sheldon the napkin signed by Leonard Nimoy.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Fellaway

[chitowngirl]

My favorite scene is when Sheldon gives Amy a tiara as an apology gift, “put it on me, put it on me, put it on me, put it on me, put it on me, put it on me” “Amy, you look beautiful!” “Of course I do. I’m a princess and this is my tiara!!” 

[Guest]

On 2/15/2023 at 1:23 PM, Elizabeth Anne said:

Supposedly this scene has been voted the fan favourite

No idea how reliable this site is or where the poll of fans was conducted but according to this the fan fave is the scene where Bernadette is in quarantine and the gang all gather at the window of her room to perform a song.

It's cute but it's not even in my top 20.  I don't really know what my favourite scene is but a strong contender is the one where Howard is in training to be an astronuat and he is talking to Bernadette via their computers and he says "I ate a butterfly".  He is awesome in this scene!

That’s probably my favorite scene that involves the whole cast. Howard’s “I ate a butterfly” scene is one of my favorites. I also really love when Sheldon tells Penny and Bernadette is thinking about sleeping with Amy, Penny giving Sheldon Leonard Nimoy’s napkin, Howard and Amy in the scavenger hunt episode and the one where the guys accidentally get high while camping. 

53 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

My favorite scene is when Sheldon gives Amy a tiara as an apology gift, “put it on me, put it on me, put it on me, put it on me, put it on me, put it on me” “Amy, you look beautiful!” “Of course I do. I’m a princess and this is my tiara!!” 

I forgot about this one but it is high on the list. 

[Fellaway]

7 minutes ago, Dani said:

the scavenger hunt episode

If I had to pick a favorite episode, that would be it. It was fun and funny, involved everyone in one plot, and I love that it shook up the normal character dynamics. I wish they'd done more of that in later seasons.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Fellaway