The Big Bang Theory - TV Fanatic

The Big Bang Theory Review: Trembling with Confidence

carla@tvfanatic.com (Carla Day) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:55:40 EST

Who is Sheldon? Last week, he was demanding and incredibly unlikable. This week, well ... he was pretty much the same. Unlike with Leonard, Amy was able to put Sheldon in his place and that was quite a blast to watch.

I've enjoyed Amy in small doses, but when she has had a major storyline it has been too much for me ... until now. Sheldon has a habit of being the center of attention and requiring his friends to adjust to his every whim. But, not with Amy in the biology lab. She put her foot down and he gave in. You have to love Amy for that!

Well, of course, he complained along the way, but he did everything she asked. Even better than that was Sheldon's realization that he is not perfect and all-knowing. He has always knocked Amy's field of biology, but when he was given the opportunity to cut into the brain -- he shook and shook and cut his own thumb! Then ... passed out! HA!

When he passed out the first time, it was a bit shocking, but when he passed out the second time at the Cheesecake Factory -- I laughed so hard! Oh, Sheldon. The only thing better was Sheldon going back to Amy's lab and groveling for her to forgive him. I'm not sure that we've ever seen those puppy dog eyes before. He looked like he was sorry even if he couldn't verbally express it, until he finally just said, "Sorry."

Sheldon wasn't the only one with girlfriend issues, Howard was faced with the decision of whether to sign a pre-nup. Only he found out about it through the "nerd-vine," rather from Bernadette herself. In a way, it was probably better that she wasn't the one to tell him. It gave him time to process it before having a conversation with her. He isn't the best communicator when blindsided.

Overall, the stories and the jokes worked for me tonight. I actually laughed out loud (yes, I'll admit it.) more in this episode, than I have in a while.

Other "The Vacation Solution" highlights:

Physics Mad-Libs -- Sheldon's laugh cracked me up. He definitely has his own sense of humor.
Leonard singing along with the Black Eyed Peas. He needs to have alone time in the car more often.
Sheldon's Scooby Doo reference on how to sneak into the office by pretending to be lobster traps. Odd, indeed.
If a dictatorship means forced vacation, especially, paid and all the time ... I'm in!
Leonard and Penny's walk down to the laundry room talking about pre-nups -- what a thought! Can you even imagine Penny a famous movie star and Leonard the stay-at-home dad? Possible spin-off when show ends?
Based on Bernadette's description of her father, we must meet him soon! Oh, can you imagine the meeting between him and Howard's mother? We must see this!

Take a minute to check out the The Big Bang Theory quotes from tonight's episode, then share your favorite moments in the comments.

The Big Bang Theory Review: The End of the Roommate Agreement?

carla@tvfanatic.com (Carla Day) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:27:05 EST

Could the Roommate Agreement finally be revoked? It would be too much to hope for, right?

Sheldon's ways have dominated the Sheldon-Leonard relationship for far too long. Why does Leonard stay? Why are any of the guys friends with Sheldon? He is demanding, stubborn, selfish, and well... Sheldon!

Leonard had finally had enough in "The Friendship Contraction" and told Sheldon "no" to driving him to the dentist. Really, it was Sheldon's own fault with the Emergency Preparedness Test and the ribbing that went with the middle of the night wake-up horn.

But Sheldon didn't take Leonard's rejection well at all. If you say "no" to Sheldon, you are removed from friend status. Would Leonard have opted out of the Roommate Agreement years ago if he knew it was an option? Unfortunately, The Big Bang Theory episodes are self-contained because I would have loved to see the "'Sup" Sheldon and Leonard relationship carry over a few more episodes.

I loved the long list of errand requests that his friends ignored, which included the Dentist, getting new heels put on dress shoes, Dermatologist, Allergist, Podiatrist, Super Cuts, and Ikea (they do have delicious Swedish meatballs!). Even Stuart wouldn't help Sheldon. Though Sheldon's approach left much to be desired.

For reasons well beyond my comprehension, Leonard must be the perfect lackey for Sheldon. Because he is the only sucker in the group, Sheldon had to force his way back into Leonard's good graces. The plan? A building wide blackout! Though without Penny's pushing Leonard back to Sheldon, I don't think it would have happened.

By the way, how cute are the beta testing couple of Penny and Leonard? Too adorable!

In the end, I can't believe we are back where we started, with the exception of the addition of a "Leonard Day." He did agree to re-sign the Roommate Agreement, right? A little disappointing, but a highlight is we will most likely get to experience an episode around Leonard's day. The day when it is all about him, but he doesn't really get much other than a card.

While that storyline took most of the episode, some of the funniest parts were around Howard and his need for a space-worthy nickname. It was surprising that Raj didn't know about Buzz Aldrin since he is a scientist, but regardless it was hilarious. Buzz, Crash, Rocket Man!

Of course, Howard's mother had to ruin his big moment. So, it is Howard "Fruit Loops" Wolowitz!

Do you think it would have been funnier for the show going forward if the Roommate Agreement was back in full force, it was amended somehow or it was thrown out entirely?
Don't forget, of course to check out our The Big Bang Theory quotes. There were some funny ones about poop, Brown Dynamite, and glow sticks!

The Big Bang Theory Review: The Siri Love Connection

carla@tvfanatic.com (Carla Day) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:28:55 EST

This week's The Big Bang Theory picked up right where it left off last week. Leonard and Penny actually went on a date and are back together. Yay! They are not only perfect for each other, but the show is much funnier when they're an item.

The banter between them is hilarious, but realistic. It makes sense that this time around they'd take it slow and be cautious. Penny has a better understanding of Leonard and his world. "Beta test," anyone?

At the same time, Leonard realized he needed to adjust to Penny's world. How about a Gun range? Of course, he had to shoot himself in the foot! And she had to hide his geeky socks at the hospital for him. Perfect for each other, I tell ya!

While Penny and Leonard slowly worked their romance, Raj jumped fast and furious into his with... Siri! In a way, they are the perfect couple, too. Well, if you can consider a relationship between a man and his voice command and respond phone a relationship anyway. Hey, it's a "woman" that Raj can talk to!

At least Siri responded to Raj's every request. What more can a man want from a woman? Oh, right, physical companionship. That was Raj's downfall. His meeting with "Siri" was the end of a beautiful relationship. The Raj we know and love returned with his nightmare meeting with the sexy "Siri" when his tongue failed him. It was fun while it lasted! It would be nice if Raj finally was able to have a real relationship. Could an androgynous woman be the answer to his partnership woes?

This episode was a winner because all three storylines were full of laughs. Even Sheldon and Amy had their moments with the "Fun with Flags" educational video project. It amazes me how Sheldon (or the writers) come up with these crazy ideas. But they work. Amy was a good sidekick to Sheldon. It must really be love for her to agree to do these videos with him and enjoy it. The best part? Amy as a pretzel! Never saw that coming.

I didn't even mind the appearance of Barry Kripke. Usually he annoys me, but not here. His trouble using Siri rang true and cracked me up. He came, provided laughs, and moved on. Perfect!

The Big Bang Theory was just not the same without Penny and Leonard together. In "The Beta Test Initiation," the world righted itself. While I loved their story tonight, Raj and Siri provided the best laughs! Check out tonight's The Big Bang Theory quotes, then come back and share your favorite moments in the comments! Are you glad Lenny is back?

The Big Bang Theory Review: Penny and Leonard 2.0

carla@tvfanatic.com (Carla Day) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:42:09 EST

"The Recombination Hypothesis" was the 100th episode of The Big Bang Theory, so I was initially surprised that the focus was on Leonard and Penny's relationship. But actually it makes a lot of sense. When the show first premiered, it was a comedy about a nerd who had a thing for his hot neighbor. I'm not sure there was a better way to honor its history than to go back to that relationship.

Where you surprised by the "day dream?" Unfortunately, I saw on Twitter that there was a "fantasy" aspect to the episode just as I was starting to watch it. I'll never know if I would have been fooled or not. But I think I would have been... even with that long, transitional glance across the hall between Leonard and Penny.

The telling of the story through Leonard's eyes worked for me. Do Leonard and Penny have a shipper name? I'm not sure, but I'm on that team. Whatever it's called. I know plenty of you out there hated when they were dating, but I enjoyed it. And now that Howard and Sheldon have paired up, I want Peonard! Or Lenny!

Getting the two of them back together on a comedy is a tricky thing. Instead of actually going through that horrid date and secret sex, Leonard "foresaw" what to avoid this time. I'm guessing he won't be questioning Penny's use of "always" anytime soon! I hope that when the sitcom returns, they are just back together and sharing the humor of their relationship.

While there were both serious and funny moments between Penny and Leonard in the day dream, the best lines were with the boys. Sheldon was absolutely clueless about why Raj and Howard were laughing at him.

The "wood" jokes were over the top, but they worked for the centennial episode. And once we learned that this was all in Leonard's head, it was even better. The game conversation was at the most basic level what makes Sheldon funny. He is very smart, but so clueless! They were jokes that 12-year old boys laugh at, but count these nerds in that group, too (not sure what that says about me, though).

While Bernadette and Amy were around, this anniversary episode brought us back to the origins of the comedy and what made us fall in love with these nerds and their gorgeous neighbor.

Are you glad that Penny and Leonard seem to be getting back together? Or do you hope that after their real dinner date they decide it's not going to work? And, did you laugh at the "wood" jokes. I did. It's okay. You can admit that you laughed too!

Relive the episode's jokes (wood references included) in our section of The Big Bang Theory quotes.

The Big Bang Theory Review: A Tiara Saves the Day

carla@tvfanatic.com (Carla Day) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:18:51 EST

After the disastrous last episode of 2011, The Big Bang Theory busted out the laughs with "The Shiny Trinket Maneuver." Fans have been clamoring for some Sheldon and Penny moments and they were finally answered here.

The addition of Amy and Bernadette to the show has been hit-or-miss this season, but they were used to perfection tonight. I wasn't sure how realistic the new boyfriend-girlfriend status between Sheldon and Amy would be, but despite their dating agreement, problems were sure to arise.

On their monthly Thursday date, Sheldon showed little regard for Amy's announcement that her research was being published. This was a bit surprising since he's big on titles and achievements. It revealed how dismissive he is of her profession. That isn't going to bode well for their relationship.

But it led to one of the funniest moments ever on the sitcom and certainly the funniest Amy moment. Her excitement over getting a tiara was over-the-top, but absolutely precious. This is the Amy I hope we see more of, rather than the annoying one that shows up too often.

This scene worked so well because the build-up to it came from Sheldon going to Penny for help. While we didn't get to see the tiara purchase, Sheldon's response that it "may have been too much" said all that needed. Plus, he had the pocket watch!

While the Sheldon-centric story was my favorite of the night, the Howard-Bernadette relationship trials fit in well. Bernadette has grown as a character, from the cheerful and happy girlfriend to an opinionated companion. Prior to the engagement, Bernadette was the happiness in a scene, now she comes across as strong in her convictions.

When Bernadette faced down the kids at the magic show, I almost lost it. The stare down and threatening "no cake," was so unexpected that it made the moment. And the milk going down Howard's pants was chuckle-worthy, too. Poor Howard.

The resolution of their fight was not nearly as comedic as Amy's gift, though. Howard's always been sensitive to Bernadette making more money than him. Is this the end of the discussion or will it come back up? It's probably over for now. They overcame the pre-marital conflict when Bernadette compromised about having kids. And how about the condom coming out of her ear trick!

This is a example of how The Big Bang Theory can get the relationships right. The scenes and character groupings transitioned perfectly and each had their moments. By the way, did you know that there really is a Jenga Donkey Kong game? It's going on my wish list!

Amy's excitement about getting a tiara and being a princess was my top moment of the evening. What was yours? Not sure? Refresh your memory with our Big Bang Theory quotes section!

The Big Bang Theory to "Explore" Leonard and Penny Again

matt@tvfanatic.com (TV Fanatic Staff) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:21:45 EST

The Big Bang Theory will celebrate its 100th episode very early in 2012. This special installment will be the second one to air after the show returns from its holiday hiatus.

And it will be an especially important one, according to executive producer Chuck Lorre, focusing on Penny and Leonard and their future as a couple.

“The friendship is going well, but then we throw in a moment where she was drunk and [said] she regretted breaking up with him," Lorre says. "So, although it is a little risky, it felt like the right thing to do, to explore Leonard and Penny again in the 100th episode."

Fellow producer Bill Prady confirms: "That relationship isn’t done."

Read more from these two at TV Line and chime in below: Do you want to see Leonard and Penny back together?

The Big Bang Theory Review: The Bully Versus the Mathletes

carla@tvfanatic.com (Carla Day) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:50:02 EST

I didn't like "The Speckerman Recurrence."

While there were a few funny moments, I almost felt guilty laughing because it made me feel like a bully. Recently, the plight of bullied kids has become a high profile discussion, so this episode seemed somewhat in poor taste. The Big Bang Theory has always been a show about and for intelligent people and nerds, though not exclusively. Unfortunately, this episode showed the audience that once you are bullied, you will always be bullied.

Chuck Lorre had an amazing opportunity to be funny, while also empowering those that are being bullied. The end with Sheldon and Leonard running away from Jimmy was unfunny, unoriginal ("just need to outrun you"), and also down right discouraging. This conclusion discounted anything else redeemable in the episode.

Despite that, I'll mention them.

My favorite line was when Penny asked about the Wi-Fi password. This ongoing joke cracks me up each time. It's a little surprising that Sheldon comes up with such witty passwords without being anal about security, but this continuity makes me smile every time.

As has become common, the guys and girls were split up here with very different outcomes. Penny came to realize that she was a bully and wanted to make up for it. Her attempts to apologize seemed only somewhat genuine, as she still had little patience for her victims. In Penny-style, she decided to be charitable, but only if it wasn't too much of an inconvenience. Given my outrage at how the guys' bully storyline was handled, I probably should be more upset with Penny, as well. But, for some reason, she was so charming in her own way. Perhaps, it is because she wasn't mean-spirited, as Jimmy continued to be.

Penny has been rubbing off on Amy and Bernadette and usually it has helped them become more socially adept. This time, she instead corrupted them to steal donated clothes. Fortunately, she realized it was wrong. It was a fun departure for Bernadette when she took the shoes and justified it with her work at the soup kitchen.

I would have liked to see Sheldon's bullying nature to have been highlighted a bit more. His lines were some of the funniest, but at the same time they were demeaning to his friends. This is commonplace on the sitcom, but given the theme, it would have been perfect for any of his friends to call him out about it and make a joke. That could have redeemed the episode by showing anyone can be a bully.

I'm probably over-thinking the episode, because it is a comedy, but the topic could have been handled more appropriately and not have slid by with unoriginal, cliche jokes.

In any case, check out the few funny lines from the episode and sound off with your take on it.

The Big Bang Theory Review: Sheldon Gets a Girlfriend!

carla@tvfanatic.com (Carla Day) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:13 EST

All the Amy haters are probably not too happy with "The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition." From the previews, I was looking forward to the Sheldon and Penny interaction, but unfortunately it was quite brief.

Over the last few episodes, it's become clear that Sheldon and Amy were not emotionally or physically maturing at the same pace in their relationship. When they first met, Amy was as relationship-challenged as Sheldon. However, through her friendship with Penny, Amy's becoming more socialized.

Sheldon is... Sheldon. Despite some personal growth, he is fundamentally still the same. He has his quirks, rules, and personal boundaries that may at times be stretched, but aren't going to change. Unless it's about Facebook, it seems. His friending Stuart to get the scoop on his date with Amy was surprising, but brilliant. I loved that he unfriended Raj, Howard and Leonard with each of their comments.

Amy deserves to be happy and in a compatible relationship, so it was perfect for her to go on a date with Stuart. The writers made a good decision to pick a character that we already knew. It made the story work better than if it was some unknown person from work or elsewhere.

Sheldon's reaction was a bit surprising, as he went out of his way to NOT want a girlfriend. Why all of a sudden would he get jealous and ask out Penny? Right, he is maturing. And, who is the only other female he knows? Penny.

Sheldon's realization that he didn't want to lose Amy was odd, but worked in the end. Because Amy didn't annoy me in this episode, it give me hope that their new arrangement will fix the "Amy" problem. This new relationship is bound to have plenty of funny situations ahead of it.

Will the relationship agreement be the new roommate agreement? I'll hold my thoughts on that for now because it could work and be hilarious or it could just be regurgitating a joke we've already seen. Who would have thought that Sheldon would have a girlfriend but not Leonard? I'd love to see Leonard use the roommate agreement against Sheldon. That would be hilarious!

Stop by and check out the funny Big Bang Theory quotes from this week's show and sound off now with your take on it.

The Big Bang Theory Review: Sheldon's Going to be a Mommy!

carla@tvfanatic.com (Carla Day) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 06:28:26 EST

Even though Leonard and Penny are no longer a couple, we got to see them hang out in "The Ornithophobia Diffusion ."

Their non-date was comedic gold because the little things they secretly did while dating came out and were discussed. the biggest of which was Leonard's submissiveness to Penny. He would do whatever she wanted in order to make sure he got sex.

Looking back on their relationship, he was so happy to be dating her that he did what she wanted for fear that she would realize she was too good for him and break it off. It was an unequal partnership that was doomed from the beginning.

For the first time, Leonard was himself with Penny. Given her continual mooching off the guys, the look on her face when he demanded $11 for her own movie ticket was hilarious. That was the moment that they began their path back to each other.

During their non-date, they were actually honest about their feelings because they had nothing to lose. It came across as two exes outing the other's quirks, especially at the bar, but really it was setting up the framework for a healthy and equal relationship. Whether that ends up being a friendship or a romance, we will have to wait and see.

While Penny and Leonard were working out their dirty laundry, Sheldon was getting over his fear of birds. The combination of these two stories made this one of my favorite episodes this season.

Unlike some of Sheldon's quirks, this fear was based on real traumas growing up. Though, in Sheldon-style, he handled the situation in all the wrong ways. It was nice to see he enlisted Amy's help instead of 911 when the bird got in the house. Bernadette and Amy's kind but forceful method with Sheldon surprisingly worked.

I didn't think it would at first, but as is Sheldon's nature, he lives in the extremes: from hating and being fearful of the blue bird to falling in love with his lovey-dovey animal. It was too good to last. The question is: will the egg be back next week or is that a storyline that will just disappear like so many others on this show?

I'd like to see the egg return. The bird brought out Sheldon's humanity and, for Amy's sake, perhaps a baby bird is what he needs to help him mature regarding their relationship. I don't see her sticking around indefinitely waiting for him to advance beyond the cuddle stages.

Do you want to see Penny and Leonard back together? How about Sheldon and his baby bird egg? Ponder those questions and then check out the best Big Bang Theory quotes from this week!

Concluding side note: For those of you interested in the bird, Bill Prady tweeted that Sheldon's blue jay was really a black-throated magpie jay. So there you go.

The Big Bang Theory Review: Get Your Women In Line!

carla@tvfanatic.com (Carla Day) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:34:37 EST

Tonight's episode of The Big Bang Theory, "The Isolation Permutation," was bipolar - from hilarious to groan-worthy. I had high hopes when I heard it would be about Bernadette and Howard's wedding, but that's because I didn't expect it to be about Amy and her insecurities.

Let's start with the groan-worthy. If I have one continuous complaint in my reviews it is about Amy. In small doses, I have grown to appreciate this young woman and her role with both the girls and with Sheldon. Tonight, there was just too much Amy... the annoying Amy. In particular, I didn't laugh at all during the scenes at her lab. I found her to be whiny and irritating. Plus, the brain didn't help the situation at all.

This show is supposed to be a comedy. Make me laugh, Amy, like I did when you were playing the harp and singing, "Everybody Hurts." Or, when you slowly moved over to Sheldon, leaned on him, and then popped your legs up onto the couch. I wish the writers would focus more on the fun and quirky Amy and less on the annoying Amy.

Now to the hilarious: Sheldon. I don't think we have ever seen him get so worked up and angry about anything before. The way he stormed into the lunchroom and verbally assaulted Leonard and Howard was one of the funniest things I've ever seen on the show.

Get your women in line!

I'm not sure where the relationship between Sheldon and Amy is headed (except to know it's not in the direction of the bedroom), but he showed that he's protective of her. Well, he is to the extent that he stayed with her even though it interfered with his elaborate evening plans. That means a lot from the stuck-in-his-ways Sheldon.

While Sheldon's relationship advanced this week (whether he realizes it or not), we found out that Leonard is single again. I'd love to see Alice from last week return or for Leonard and Penny to give it another try. However, I'm pretty sure that neither will happen anytime soon.

Was I too harsh on Amy? Are you glad that Leonard and Priya are no more? Check out this week's quotes, which includes Sheldon's hilarious rant to Howard and Leonard!