Series/The Big Bang Theory

So what did anyone else think of the 100th episode?

I'm kind of torn, cause I don't think it was all that funny but the final twist seemed to throw everyone I've talked to for a loop. I thought it was a great piece of character insight that forces you to re-examine what you just saw.

Thats the one where it all turns out to be Lenored playing the scenario out in his head, right?

I ask because I watch this show in binges on On-Demanded when there is nothing else on, so I am not really sure what is "new".

edited 26th Jan '12 11:28:56 AM by LMage

Yep, that's it.

It's interesting because I find the show is becoming a little more reliant on stock jokes and cheap gags, which is virtually guaranteed with any show that lasts more than a few years. But on the writing side there is still an impressive degree of Character Development and an exploration of their nuances and interactions. So while the show may not be as original and funny as it once was, it keeps me attached on the same level as a drama. The only other sitcom that had the same degree of character development I can think of is Scrubs.

I just really got into this show. I mean I was always a casual viewer, i.e. if I was flipping channels I would stop and watch this show but I didn't really know a whole lot about it. I think it's pretty interesting with its character development.

Aaaaaaaand?

No postings on this thread for a while.

But last night's episode? Sheldon spanking Amy? I nearly died.

Just finished watching, one of the funniest episodes in a while.

edited 7th Dec '12 9:20:43 AM by ZheToralf

I'm a regular on the imdb board and a lot of people are feeling like the show has hit a second golden age with the sixth season. The character balance seems to be more spot-on as well as an increase in general nerd jokes, nerdy plots and otherwise staying true to the premise and not getting too sidetracked with relationship drama.

I agree. Though I don't really mind the relationship drama. I am kind of hoping that at some point Raj gets a steady girlfriend. He's the only character who's never really had one.

I am getting a little tired of Raj's Flanderization. His whining, loserness and borderline gayness are getting on my nerves. Having "can't talk to women unless drinking" as a defining characteristic is wearing thin.

I think Raj provides a good counter balance to the rest of them, who are all in varying degrees of happy relationships.

Someone has to be the "sad nerd".

Have you noticed the degree to which they've softened it? These days they generally only address it by having a bottle of beer somewhere in the room when Raj is involved in a conversation that includes a woman. Nobody has to mention the beer, he doesn't even have to touch it. It's just there.

I'm torn between what the show wants me to feel about Sheldon and Amy's relationship and the nagging thought that this is a depressingly dysfunctional situation where Amy has to fake being sick in order to get her boyfriend to touch her in any way. I'm starting to root for her to be the main one to learn from this arc, realize Sheldon's not going to be less terrible to her, and positively leave him, with no instant reset button. Then it's fine if that dumping wakes him up and causes him to put some real effort into becoming the man she deserves over the course of a season.

On the one hand, it was pretty bad of Amy to have to resort to faking being sick to get attention, although that is a stock Sitcom plot. On the other hand, we did see Sheldon make a noticeable change, where he was walking away, stopped, then came back to take care of her because her well-being was important to him. I think that's one of the first, if not the first, times that we've seen Sheldon doing something because he genuinely cared about somebody else. Every other time I can think of, he was motivated to get something he wanted for himself, or filling some sort of socially-expected role.

edited 11th Dec '12 5:58:17 AM by Lawyerdude

I agree, Sheldon's change is slow, but noticeable.

I know a lot of people are tired of Raj's selective mutism but I can see that the writers are trying to remain true to the character and pull him in logical directions instead of just dropping the trait because it "was getting old." I have to admit him dating the deaf girl would have been a brilliant way to conclude the show, especially by the end when he had learned enough sign language to communicate with her on a significant level.

The episode itself I hated because they tacked on a month to the story with her being a Gold Digger (it would have had more impact if they revisited their story four episodes later), but alas I hope they have something just as good to follow up.

edited 11th Dec '12 1:05:32 PM by KJMackley

I still do watch it, reluctantly and out of some weird sense of obligation, but I don't enjoy it as much as I used to. It used to be one of my favorite shows ever, and the old episodes still are excellent, but... partly the actors have just gotten older, and I don't buy their dynamic and mannerisms the way I used to.

Partly I find it weird that they're supposed to be complete weirdos when it comes to the other gender, and yet by now some of them get more action than a lot of average geeks. And also, I enjoyed the old no-sex scenario way more. It gave them more angst to play with. Howard the wannabe pickup artist got me cracking up all the time! ("It's hot in here, must be Summer", anyone? The tattoo sleeves? The eye patch (ouch)? That was the stuff of wonders!)

Maybe I'm getting conservative...

I think largely, it's the show maturing. The awkwardness with the Opposite Gender hasn't gone completely, but it's grown less and less over the years of character development, which is often the case with actual nerds and socially incapable.

Leonard and Penny's relationship troubles come from him still not understanding women and the tension of the intellectual mismatch.

Howard and Bernadette's conflict is his smothering relationship with his mother.

Sheldon has no use for women, but one keeps insisting she's his girlfriend.

Sounds like a bunch of nerds to me.

Sure. I understand all that. I just liked them even more when they were even more nerdy. The nerdier, the merrier, so to speak.

Not saying that you are doing so, but it actually pains me to see people talk about this show and claim that it is poorly written using only the most basic nerd stereotypes and no thought or effort put into its characters or stories. I can only say that, objectively, among half hour shows it ranks up there with Scrubs in terms of character development. And the reason I got invested in the show is because of how atypically it presented its characters, especially in the beginning they were not the "charmingly nerdy" Hollywood Dateless kind of nerds but had some genuine social issues that made them incredibly relatable (I for one really understood how hard it was for Leonard to express himself and how shy he was in a large crowd).

One other thing I really like about the show that is atypical is that instead of keeping all romantic interests within their tiny social circle (which, given Penny was the only girl that would basically be "passing her around") they instead added new characters to interact with. That is one thing that bugs me about the romantic drama in shows like Community or Friends where all it does is cause group tension.

I agree that "passing around" a love interest is kind of unbelievable. Like with Robin, Barney and Ted. It's just awkward.

I do really like how they've added more female characters, and how Bernadette and Amy are not cookie-cutter stereotypes, but intsead are fully three-dimensional.

Also, I had forgotten that Bernadette started out as one of Penny's co-workers at The Cheesecake Factory, and now she's a microbiologist. Was she working at the restaurant while she was getting her degree?

edited 13th Dec '12 1:44:51 PM by Lawyerdude

yes

Yeah, I think that was one of the reasons Penny set them up, along with their mutual mother issues....which oddly never came up again.

It was hinted that Penny set them up because she and Bernadette were not that close and she didn't expect much to come from it, the shared mother issues was a surprising development. With them suddenly dating and her becoming a part of the social group she and Penny became much closer friends, which ended up with a small backlash when Bernadette learned that Penny knew all about Howard's sordid past.

As for Bernadettes mother issues, the focus has been primarily on Howard and his mother. There have been additional hints towards her mother issues but nothing as explicit, such as the reason why she hates kids.