This was a crazy episode. Basically, it seemed like a half-hour long ad for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Summer Glau guest-starring and the guys not being able to keep their fanboy-ness at bay makes total sense, except for the fact that Big Bang Theory is on CBS, and Terminator is on FOX. It's rare that you see that much cross-network love going around, so that was strange, but interesting.
Now, I don't watch The Sarah Connor Chronicles, but I did see the pilot, so Summer Glau's robot affectation on that series made some sense to me. She's playing herself on this show, though, so what's her excuse? She wasn't given very many lines, but everything she said was so flat and emotionless that it would have made more sense for the plot if they had just explained that she's really Method and never breaks character. But they didn't, so it was just... bad.
The episode itself was pretty good, though. There wasn't enough Penny, but even though she wasn't on the train with the guys, she managed to get some good moments in there -- mainly when she was going through the letters that Sheldon's grandmother sent him and making him tell her why she calls him "Moon Pie."
Raj and Wolowitz had some fun in this episode, as well, with their attempts to hit on Summer Glau. Raj has previously proven himself to be a bit of a ladies man when he drinks, so it was no surprise that he was able to charm Summer. It was especially hilarious when he took credit for Slumdog Millionaire. If I were Indian, I would probably do the exact same thing.
Wolowitz, predictably, fared much worse. With all of his practice hitting on women, he still hasn't learned that telling them about a dream in which you rip off their legs probably isn't a good idea. She was still nice enough to pose for a picture with him for his Facebook page, so there is that. And really, what more do you need? If you have a picture, you can make up whatever story you want to go along with it.
Here are some of my favorite lines from this episode:
"I have eleven hours with her in a confined space. Unless she's willing to jump off a moving train and tuck and roll down the side of a hill, she will eventually succumb to the acquired taste that is Howard Wolowitz." -- Wolowitz
Wolowitz: "Unlike you, I can actually talk to women while I'm sober."
Raj: "You fail to take into account that even mute, I am foreign and exotic, while you on the other hand, are frail and pasty."
Wolowitz: "Well ... you know the old saying: 'Pasty and frail, never fail!'"
Leonard: "Well, it seems once again you're caught between a rock and a crazy place."
Sheldon: "Oh, I hate when that happens."
"Normally, around women he has the personality of a boiled potato. Put one beer in him, and he has the personality of M. Knight Charmalarmalon." -- Wolowitz
"So anyway, in the dream, you and I were ice skating -- just the two of us -- and I picked you up by your ankles and twirled you round and around until your legs tore off. I tried to stick 'em back on, but before I could, you turned into a giant loaf of pumpernickel bread. What do you think that means?" -- Wolowitz
Andy Richter: The TV Squad Interview
Have any questions for Vik Sahay of Chuck? Ask them here!
Mike Henry and Daryl Hall on a Cleveland Show Thanksgiving
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-10-2009 @ 6:43AM
StillBash said...
Wolowitz and the ladies is getting annoying. He hit on Penny just a couple of episodes ago, he hit it off last week and now he's all over Summer Glau. It really seems they can't come up with new stories for the guys but that hasn't been a problem on 2 1/2 men so I guess they are ok ^^;
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 7:21AM
WhoElseButME said...
Episode was awesome and kicked some serious HIMYM ass tonight! Actually I found Raj & Howard hitting on Glau the best bit. Jim Cooper was great as Sheldon as per usual.
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 7:57AM
lou.dalmaso said...
Best line HANDS DOWN..
Penny: Whut up, Moon Pie?
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 8:04AM
Martin said...
Best line was sheldon explaining why his Meemaw calls him moon pie.
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 8:54AM
ldp said...
I'm just happy they mentioned Firefly
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 10:31AM
Cyantre said...
Cheers to that!
3-10-2009 @ 9:04AM
xnifex said...
"She wasn't given very many lines, but everything she said was so flat and emotionless..."
When Raj was talking to her, she was fine. She seemed interested in what he was saying & smiled & everyything. She was only flat & emotionless when Wolowitz was talking to her & that was because she was insanely uncomfortable with him. Her reactions were hilarious!
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 9:26AM
Jimmy said...
This episode was pretty good, very funny in some places, but not because of Summer Glau who badly acted her way through the entire episode. As usual, it was Jim Parsons who was the saving grace of this episode. Without Sheldon I'm not sure BBT would be nearly as funny. Someone needs to be getting this guy some attention for an Emmy.
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 9:36AM
browncoat said...
Summer Glau playede Summer Glau badly? She's always like that, ecpacially in her interviews. She's not a method actor, she is just cast because of her personality.
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 10:26AM
Jimmy said...
I don't get the fascination with Summer.
I would take Penny over her any day of the week. And I prefer brunettes!
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 10:54AM
Ryan said...
Well to the BBT boys Summer Glau is a geek goddess while Penny is just their next door neighbor.
I mean my God, they were practically smitted with George Smoot. Sadly no mention of him at all in the entry.
3-10-2009 @ 11:14AM
smartone said...
both Terminator and Big Bang are produced by Warner Bros. that is probably why they did this
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 11:57AM
RTMS said...
The best parts were the Sheldon/Penny teasing. These two just have awesome chemistry when they play off each other.Even being back at the apartment on the phone Penny managed to upset Sheldon.
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 4:57PM
Diego M said...
this is the second episode i've watched of BBT and i don't get the appeal. there are no quirky moments just annoying moments, they geniouses, they talk with SAT words and are awkward with women...
their rants are freaking annoying i just fast forwarded to the scenes with summer and i found the indian guy the least annoying. the rest of the guys should be in a think tank somewhere, away form the TV.
how this gets 9 million viewers and chuck gets 6 is beyond me.
this might have to do with the fact that in the west coast CBS starts at 7. they probably get the "sleeping senior citizen" demographic, the coveted demo that is the seniors who sleep after the 6 PM news.
Reply
3-10-2009 @ 7:26PM
SphericalChick said...
Dear Diego M. a.k.a. Party Pooper,
So, you don't like it. Fine, don't watch it. Why do you feel the need to share your opinion with us fans? Are you really that self-centered? Go post on the "Chuck" site and leave us Nerds in peace. ~SphericalChick
3-10-2009 @ 8:38PM
Smithee said...
"this might have to do with the fact that in the west coast CBS starts at 7"
Huh?
3-10-2009 @ 9:21PM
Diego M said...
Spherical chick, i tried out the show and i didn't like it. i found sheldon down right annoying. not quirky and funny like other characters like the janitor from scrubs or dwight schrute from the office.
this is some generic forgettable sitcom and that's fine i guess. i just watched it this time cuz of summer glau.
and i won't troll over to this forum and bitch about how bad the show is. but i just had to rant this time. so u won't hear from me again.
Smitee here in nor cal CBS starts showing primetime at 7PM.
it's like that in the north bay and in sacramento, i thought that's how it was around california.
when i set up the DVR the guide said the big bang was on at 7PM. i didn't know that. i don't usually watch CBS, but then again i'm not 55+ and wish JAG was back...
3-10-2009 @ 7:57PM
SphericalChick said...
Although The Terminator Decoupling was not one of my all time favorite episodes, it contained a few good laughs. I have a feeling I will be using the line "Well, it seems once again you're caught between a rock and a crazy place." sometime in the near future. :)
Reply
3-11-2009 @ 1:34AM
CC said...
Nope, in So Cal, CBS starts at 8pm.
I thought Summer Glau was bland on this episode. I haven't seen Sarah Connor Chronicles or Firefly, but I did see her on The Unit. Even if she was playing herself - her acting just didn't do anything. She looked like she wasn't sure how to act/respond to anything anyone said to her. It was really noticeable when the camera pulled out to show Howard sitting in the seat in front of Raj and Summer. She should have been looking at least mildly interested in Raj talking but she looked like she was pretending to look like she was listening to Raj talking.
It's one thing when Howard is talking to her (he being creepy). But with Raj (especially since the lines she was saying appeared that she was at least somewhat intrigued by Raj) - it shouldn't have looked like bad acting.
If as an actor, you are supposed to be interested, repulsed, whatever - you should look interested, repulsed, whatever. Not like you're waiting for your cue or the camera to start rolling.
I enjoy BBT a lot.
Reply
3-11-2009 @ 11:25AM
Michael said...
You guys are misinformed about show scheduling. Both coasts begin prime time at 8pm, it is Central and Mountain that begins at 7pm. Geez...
As for this ep, it was as great as it usually is. Basically, BBT is terrific no matter what its just that some eps are even more choc full of hilarity than others. There's always some brilliant dialogue and this week was no exception. Loved all the quotes listed here but you left out the whole puzzle box bit (which I thought was hilarious) and how paranoid Sheldon was about having anyone in his room.
Loved the part when Leonard dismissed even going over to try to talk to Summer based on the fact that he had a hot blonde across the hall he couldn't score with. Epic. Also, the bit with the guys debating the whole Terminator universe and Leonard ending it with "hey , its just a TV show" while a tad bit expected was still pretty funny considering.
Reply