(S02E09) Dr. Sheldon Cooper, FTW? Maybe, but this episode... eh. Not so much. While it had its funny moments, overall, I thought this was one of the weakest episodes so far. I talked last week about my fear of this devolving into a show about Sheldon and the ridiculous things he says, and that's pretty much all we got this week. Even his interactions with Penny at the beginning of the episode, which are usually the best part of any episode, felt kind of flat to me.
Sheldon's complete and utter inability to relate to people on a normal human level is where most of the comedy on BBT comes from, but it only works when it's surrounded by the rest of their characters and their own sets of awkward mannerisms. When it's just The Sheldon Show, the fact that you're watching a sitcom in which actors are paid to read funny lines becomes more glaring.
Now don't get me wrong; I didn't hate this episode or anything, there were a good number of funny moments, one of my favorites being Penny's shout-out to the craptastic Sandra Bullock/Keanu Reeves movie, The Lake House. Not only is that a really random reference, but the idea of her making Sheldon watch it is kind of hilarious. Although I was disappointed with the fact that we didn't get to hear any more about Leonard and Penny's doomed relationship, since I really think the show moved on from that storyline too quickly.
In fact, it looks like we're going to get a lot more of the Leonard/Stephanie relationship than we ever got of the Leonard/Penny one. I don't mind this new romantic interest of his, I was excited when Sara Rue appeared last week, but if they're going to continue it, they need to give her more to do. All she did this week was sit around looking mildly uncomfortable with Sheldon's antics. Her most interesting actions, her Facebook dealings, all happened off screen.
Raj and Wolowitz were also criminally underused this episode, which added to the awkward, empty feel. Hopefully for the next new one, the gang will all be back together to spread the geek love, instead of leaving it all to Sheldon.
Some of my favorite lines from this episode:
Sheldon: Tell me what you see here.
Leonard: The blunt instrument that will be the focus of my murder trial?
"She's sending virtual livestock to random men on the internet." --Sheldon
"I need to know exactly what Leonard did that caused you to pop an emotional cap in his buttocks." --Sheldon
"You know what? I'll tell you what happened. We were young, we were very much in love, but we could only communicate through a time-traveling mailbox at my lake house." --Penny
"Well, if you want to guarantee his appeal to Stephanie, your best bet is to kill all the other men on the planet." --Raj
"You seem like a perfectly pleasant person. I can't understand why women have such a hard time loving you." --Sheldon
"If I am permitted to speak again; Dr. Sheldon Cooper, for the win." --Sheldon
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-25-2008 @ 12:35PM
niki said...
I think you're a little hard on the Sheldon centric episodes. He's really what makes the show and I couldn't stop laughing last night. I love the consistency he brings, down to the way he knocks on doors. classic. I also loved his reference to becoming "remarkably fluent in urban slang".
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11-25-2008 @ 12:09PM
Fahad said...
I agree, We got more of Sheldon this episode then any other episode before.
The reason this show is good and people come back is because all the characters come into play, and show all there little quirks in which the interactions off each other is why the show is funny.
In which too much of Sheldon in one episode gets tiresome and not as funny.
Yet I also still liked the episode and hopefully we'll have more dealings with all the characters in the show.
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11-25-2008 @ 12:23PM
Gilbert M. said...
I thought this was one of the funniest episodes yet. Sheldon in the movie theater was classic.
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11-25-2008 @ 12:31PM
Dave said...
Sheldon in the theater was reason enough for for Leonard to kill him. I hate that character.
This episode sucked, way too much of Sheldon's antics. I want more of the gang, especially Penny. She is very underused. We need a Penny episode where Sheldon is at space camp or something.
11-25-2008 @ 11:27PM
Boo Radley said...
Agreed, this was by far one of the funnier episodes this season. The transition of Sheldon from egomaniacal genius to egoamniacal genius with some sort of sitcom styled Asperger's is hilarious.
I bet if given the psycho test now (the question about meeting a girl at a funeral and two weeks later you kill your friend/brother/roomate and why?). He would give the full on nutty anwser of, "Because I wanted to see the girl again".
More of this Sheldon please!
11-25-2008 @ 12:39PM
Aaron said...
When you get too much Sheldon in one episode you start to wonder why these people would keep him as a friend. Sheldon is good in small doses, the movie theater stuff was hilarious, but after a while it's like nails on a chalkboard.
Sheldon's OCD when he HAS to knock 3 times and say Penny 3 times was the funniest part for me.
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11-25-2008 @ 1:00PM
Ryan said...
I agree it was one of the weaker episodes. Still, it had its funny moments.
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11-25-2008 @ 1:29PM
Dave said...
Wow, I thought it was one of the funniest episodes so far this season. Penny opening the door after Sheldon's second knock and his OCD making him knock a third time had me falling out of my chair.
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11-25-2008 @ 4:54PM
gooby said...
I love Sheldon, he's actually my favorite character on the show so I had no trouble watching a somewhat Sheldon centric episode. I thought the episode was just fine. In fact, I've been in quite the Big Bang Theory kick lately and I'm just glad we got a new episode. I thought it was solid stuff and although it's great when they show the whole "band" together, episodes like this are fine by me.
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11-25-2008 @ 10:26PM
Jon said...
I think that we are going to get a reveal regarding Aspberger's and/or OCD very soon, and I think that Sheldon's friends will have figured it out a long time ago. They get exasperated with him but don't expect him to behave like them. His group of friends all have their idiosyncrasies, and they are probably friends because of it. They are all also rather brilliant and have found each other for their mixtures of issues and abilities. Penny shakes this up a bit because she expects them to understand her viewpoint but realizes that they don't but don't mean to. I think that she actually really likes all of them, and relates to them in her own way.
All in all, I think this show was rather well thought out and actually somewhat touching. As someone with my own social avoidance issues, I watch this show and I feel that they are being respectful of bright people with social issues.
It also helps that it is funny as hell.
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11-25-2008 @ 11:30PM
Boo Radley said...
I totally agree with the Asperger's idea, it's the hot syndrome right now. However I hope they don't ever really diagnose the problem, it would be too "A very special episode". I hope it just continues on, and on, and on.
11-26-2008 @ 3:12AM
Andrew said...
People tend to over-analayze these episodes. This, to me, and my kids, was the funniest episode yet.
Peace, out!
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11-26-2008 @ 5:02AM
Phish said...
i agree, sheldon's comments only work well in small doses. too much sheldon and u start feeling nautious!
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11-26-2008 @ 8:42AM
GL said...
Too much Sheldon is too much.
I happen to like that they went straight to the Leonard/Penny relationship and right passed it in short order. No spending passels of episodes on the inevitable and no awkward show-ruining bullcr*p.
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11-26-2008 @ 9:18AM
Tom Horn said...
I thought the whole anchor of the show was really Leonard's 'relationship' with Penny. It's drifting away from that now, and I'm not sure in a good way.
Still, this week's episode was one of the funniest I can remember. The 'blunt instrument' line was delivered perfectly ... :o)
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11-26-2008 @ 11:14AM
Jim Kosmicki said...
I saw Stephanie as being very tolerant of Sheldon, not irritated. Didn't she even say "it's sweet" at one point? She never looked nervous or concerned about any of Sheldon's antics. Because of this, she may actually work as a match for Leonard. Does anyone know how many episodes the actress has been signed for?
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11-26-2008 @ 11:24AM
rtms said...
Agreed it was too much Sheldon and it got awkward after awhile. He's good when he's interacting in small doses with the others. You can do a Sheldon centric episode without getting too much of him. For instance when his sister came to visit was a good episode.
Penny really is being underused now, she's there for the occasional comic relief and not much else. She doesn't have to have a romantic relationship with the others to have more time. She works well when they are all together, as you get to see how contrasting she is with the guys which leads to more comic situations.
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11-26-2008 @ 1:13PM
Dan said...
Was this even a recap? I didn't read one thing about what happened in the episode.
While I agree that the show is very sitcommy, it'd still be nice to read a reviewcap with a recap and a review and not just the review.
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11-26-2008 @ 8:44PM
mj said...
This was such a hoot. My son and I couldn't stop laughing. I love Sheldon, and I'm sorry you don't agree, but he makes the show. Leonard is just too whiny, trying not to be what he is: a geek. Why be ashamed of it? I personally would love to hang out with these guys. I can relate to Sheldon, Raj, and even Howard. Leonard, not so much.
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11-27-2008 @ 12:01PM
Riley Freeman said...
i finally got to watch this episode. last night. i missed the original broadcast for the first time since the show started. anyways i liked it. sheldon is really what makes the show funnier cuz hes just so weird. eventually they will need to tackle him and women. i dont think anyone can go without sex their entire life. it seems that sheldon may be a virgin.
movie theatre and opening scene were classic.
one thing i never understood. why do tv shows have people waitin only about 5 seconds before they knock or ring the doorbell again? sheldon wasnt even 5 seconds but i notice in all shows this happens
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