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May
14

Episode 23 of The Big Bang Theory titled “The Engagement Reaction” is simply owned by Howard!

TV Fanatic: Howard has certainly become much more likable of a character this season; Bernadette has helped give his character an excuse to grow from a one-note horndog into a slightly more rounded individual.

Now he has all sorts of new jokes they can beat like a dead horse. Like that he’s Jewish and marrying a Catholic woman. Speaking of dead horses, I was previously getting very sick of the always off-camera voice that’s been Mrs. Wolowitz since season one.

Speaking of characters that are growing on me, where was Amy? I know, I know. I spent how many weeks of reviewing bashing her character. But I realized something during last week’s adventures with her bestie: I like Amy now.

Was she needed in the hospital story line? Not at all. Would she have gotten in the way of Priya and Penny bonding? Probably. But that was a risk I was willing to take.

Priya continues to do the opposite of grow on me and even irritate me more with each episode. I don’t care if she bonds with Penny, they have set up her character as just too unlikable.

Since TBBT is still the Sheldon show, even when Wolowitz is given the A story, everyone’s favorite preying mantis had to do his thing here. This week’s episode focused on one of my least favorite quirks of his: germaphobia.

Sheldon always manages to walk that very thin line between unaware of social norms and being a jerk. Unfortunately, I just felt his obsession over getting out of the hospital while his friend’s mother’s life was in danger leaned too heavily on the jerk side.

Overall, this is a good episode. And I’m now excited to see the season 4 finale next week! What are your thoughts?

You can find The Big Bang Theory Season 4 reviews and spoilers HERE.

May
06

Not as impressive and funny as last week’s episode, “The Wildebeest Implementation” gave us more of the mix of the girls and guys.

The highlights of the episode are: Bernadette is a bad liar and Raj has finally spoken to a girl without being drunk. Thanks to the pills!

TV Fanatic: The opening bathroom scene with the girls was funny. To talk or not talk while peeing? Between that and seeing Amy in the high heels shoes, she has shifted from an annoying character to one that I enjoy watching.

She was originally a female Sheldon and that didn’t really work for me. Now that she is hanging with the girls, I’m enjoying her socially challenged ways.

Unlike Sheldon, who resists anything “normal”, Amy is drawn to that. She wants to have a “bestie” and do girl things.

I’m sad to say that the least funny and dare I say it – boring – part of the show surrounded Sheldon this week. That may be a first in The Big Bang Theory history.

The joke about the game being for three people was not funny the first time with Leonard and definitely not funny the second time with Raj.

Actually, most of the Sheldon and Raj stuff at the apartment was just odd. Though, in the big picture of the episode it worked for me. In this case, the lows surrounding Sheldon made the highs so much better.

This episode had perhaps the funniest moment on television: Raj wooing the girl in the coffee house. When he took off his shirt, I just lost it. And, it got better from there. His undies! Stark-naked! My mouth opened so wide in utter shock.

Just thinking about it, I’m cracking up. Raj went from a mute around girls to having absolutely no inhibitions at all. Those drugs are a dangerous thing.

The dinner party proved one thing to me – Leonard is not over Penny. I’m not sure why Priya and Leonard are still together. Every week something happens to suggest that they should break up, but they don’t. When will they finally do it? It has to be next week in the finale, right?

There hasn’t been a single mention of Howard and Bernadette’s engagement since she said “yes”; I expected Priya to say something about it in the kitchen. This is another storyline I would love to see brought up again in the finale.

Honestly, I like how the show is deviating from the standard four men discussion episodes. The balance that it made on the recent episodes brings more fun. Kudos to them!

You can find The Big Bang Theory Season 4 reviews and spoilers HERE.

Apr
29

Amy kissed Penny. Amy kissed Sheldon. Priya nullified the roommate agreement. Sheldon danced with Amy hilariously. Sheldon redrafted the roommate agreement. Sounds-like an ordinary episode? No! Episode 21 “The Agreement Dissection” is my favorite this season!

TV Fanatic: Unfortunately for Leonard, but fortunately for the viewers, the roommate agreement-free zone didn’t last long, but it provided the backbone for one of the funniest episodes of The Big Bang Theory this season.

For the first time, I wasn’t annoyed with any of the characters, not even Priya or Amy. They both were well-utilized in the story and weren’t annoying human beings.

Perhaps, Sheldon did Leonard a favor by blackmailing him and Priya, because now he has a reason to break up with her. As we all know, Leonard still belongs with Penny.

Amy in large doses usually grates at me, but drunk Amy is hilarious.

I hope her relationships with Penny and Bernadette will help bring out that side of her even when she is sober. We really don’t need two characters who can only function as full human beings when they are drinking. Though, it would be intriguing to see what would happen if drunk Amy and Raj were to hook up.

Jim Parsons, as usual, had the funniest moments. I’m not sure anyone else could have eaten – or not eaten – greek food in such a comical manner. He is able to use his facial expressions to perfectly reflect Sheldon’s circumstances.

The only part that I didn’t really find funny was the smoking monkey.

It was a distraction to the Sheldon and Amy moment. It isn’t often that the two of them are alone together and I would have enjoyed it better without the monkey. Though, it was good to find out from the vanity card at the end, that the monkey wasn’t actually smoking.

Although Howard and Raj didn’t shine in this episode, the cast really delivered a funny and hilarious episode! I love this episode, 5/5 stars!

You can find The Big Bang Theory Season 4 reviews and spoilers HERE.

Apr
22

There is a roommate changes coming on The Big Bang Theory.

To cut the story short, we will finally see (for real) Sheldon and Leonard part ways on the season 4 finale. That means Sheldon will have a new roommate, and I bet no one wanted that place left by Leonard. But believe it or not, someone is moving in.

As teased to Entertainment Weekly by producer Bill Prady: “You have a situation where Priya is staying with her brother, and Leonard is spending time with Pryia. The current sleeping arrangement isn’t the best one. I think a little experimentation with people in different spots is necessary.”

Who will take over as Sheldon’s new roommate? Prady says it will be a human being with whom viewers are familiar:

“One of the things that Sheldon will learn from his new roommate – temporary or permanent, we don’t know – is just how long Leonard has been skating by. He’s going to have a terrific experience with this new roommate.”

So who do you think will be the new roommate of Sheldon?

You can find The Big Bang Theory Season 4 reviews and spoilers HERE.

Apr
08

I’ll personally call episode 20 of The Big Bang Theory the “Gossip Show.” On “The Herb Garden Germination,” we saw how Amy, Bernadette and Priya joined the circle of friends of the cast with their funny gossip sharing, being a gossip subject and conducting the gossip experiment.

TV Fanatic: The use of gossip to show the interconnectedness of the group ended up being quite funny. At first, I was worried that the Howard-Bernadette gossip was going to end up resolving in the overdone manner of someone mentioning it at the wrong time.

But, Howard never heard the gossip. The episode and gossip theme worked for me when the story instead lead to the experiment by Amy and Sheldon. That created some funny moments, especially when Leonard was using the gossip to try and get Sheldon to tell him what happened with Amy without specifically mentioning the gossip.

And, Amy being on skype listening – perfect.

The humor on this show usually is tied into the characters love of technology, science fiction and other geekery. I appreciated this episode, because it revolved around a common issue – gossip, yet it was handled in a manner unique to this specific social circle.

One complaint I have about the show is the lack of continuity between episodes. Last week, Leonard and Priya weren’t getting along all that well, but this week everything seemed fine. In some ways, they seemed better than fine.

When they were in the bathroom together, I saw them as a couple and for the first time liked them together. I never thought I would, regardless I still think Leonard and Penny will end up back together.

It was nice to see Penny around Leonard without them being concerned about Priya. When the two of them were taking the long walk up the stairs, I actually forgot that they weren’t dating anymore. As different as they are, they just mesh perfectly.

The only part I didn’t find funny was the opening scene with Sheldon and Amy.

It went on too long. By the end, I thought I was watching two robots spout boring scientific jibberjabber to each other. While I do enjoy this pairing, too much of it is not a good thing.

I’m not sure what to make of Howard and Bernadette’s engagement. After their failed trial run living together, it seemed a bit odd that Howard would propose and that she would accept. However, the idea of their wedding and married life seems exciting. I hope we’ll see Howard’s mother on the wedding, just a wish.

You can find The Big Bang Theory Season 4 reviews and spoilers HERE.

Apr
01

To settle things first, I just want to say that I’ve never played World of Warcraft. But despite that fact, I still found episode 19 of The Big Bang Theory “The Zarnecki Incursion” a funny one.

I love the dueling situations of the guys (and Priya) in one apartment, while the girls were in the other.

TV Fanatic: I know that not everyone likes the addition of Bernadette and Amy as regulars on the show, but I find that they provide a nice counterbalance to Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj.

Now, Priya… she can go. She’s there simply as a barrier to a Leonard/Penny relationship and, I hope, to be the impetus that gets them back together. In that regard, I don’t mind her, but I’ve had enough and I’m ready to see her leave California. Unlike Penny, Priya doesn’t understand the world in which the guys live. This distinction was clear by their short encounter in the hall after Penny dropped off the day-old pie to Sheldon.

The quest to get Sheldon’s World of Warcraft stuff back was a little weak to me, as it seemed like it had been done before. The confrontation at the door reminded me of when Leonard and the guys went to Penny’s ex-boyfriend Kurt’s to get the money he owed her in “The Financial Permeability” and failed.

Moreover, the scenes in the car weren’t that much better. I’m pretty sure they have done the broken down car thing before; if not, it is still an overused plot device. That said, there were a few funny moments. I loved that the “Beyonce’s Bootylicious Dance Mix” turned out to be Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” And Sheldon bringing his collector Klingon bat’leth to the door was so Sheldon.

Overall, I love this episode since the casts are all present. The humor is there and the online game theme idea is just brilliant. What do you think?

You can find The Big Bang Theory Season 4 reviews and spoilers HERE.

Mar
29

In an interview with TV Guide, producer Bill Prady said that a male character will pop the most important question of them all on April 7 and “the couple will probably eventually get married.”

Leonard/Priya: “Leonard joining the Koothrappali family would affect a lot of relationships in an interesting way.”

Sheldon/Amy: “Sheldon feels his one and only true love is science. So this would represent a paradigm shift in our cognitive appreciation of the universe.”

Howard/Bernadette: “Howard’s a mama’s boy, but he has always wanted to be a husband and dad… You would never think he would be the first. If that happens, it will probably get screwed up.”

So who’s your pick?

You can find The Big Bang Theory Season 4 reviews and spoilers HERE.

Mar
11

Episode 18 of The Big Bang Theory “The Prestidigitation Approximation” features more of the Leonard-Priya relationship. But honestly, I now dislike Priya’s role if she’ll continue to dislike Penny.

For me the highlight of this show is Howard’s magic!

As nice as it was to see Leonard get the A-story this week, the guy deserves better. The entire Priya plot was straight out of the generic sitcom handbook. That’s probably where Chuck Lorre and company found the shtick where he switched from glasses to contacts and walked into every wall.

As usual, though Sheldon was there to pick up the comedic slack. This week felt like a throwback to days of old, before Jim Parsons was given his Emmy and forced into every scene and plotline possible. He was relegated to the B story here with Wolowitz and Raj, and delivered reliable laughs without any Sheldon overload.

While I may have predicted the card trick shenanigans of Wolowitz from the opening scene, it never stopped being funny as Sheldon tried to reverse engineer the trick. Great stuff, right down to Raj gesturing the “Two of Hearts.”

Overall, I like the episode especially the Howard magic part. I just hope that the next episode will be better.

You can find The Big Bang Theory Season 4 reviews and spoilers HERE.

Feb
25

This week’s episode of The Big Bang Theory, “The Toast Derivation”, is jampacked when it comes to the cast, but as for the story, it is just fine.

Plus, seeing Sheldon and Amy team up against Penny, oh boy, the scene was fantastic!

It started off on a stream of peppy Sheldon one-liners and held some promise when Sheldon went to the bar to drown his sorrows and air his angst on Penny’s shoulder, but it quickly jerked away from that into a character division that was not as palatable as one might expect.

Sheldon’s dalliance with a new set of friends had less spice than the pot of Tex-Mex chili Priya had brewing over at Raj’s place. Kripke is one of those characters I only care to see when he’s in an epic battle with Sheldon, not placating his need for companionship by sticking around and dueting Elton John and Kiki Dee with Penny’s ex.

But I suppose that was sort of the point of the episode. Despite Sheldon’s quirky-in-the-rear-view ways, he’s a necessary part of this off kilter group of friends.

Honestly, when Sheldon is being unintentionally condescending and oblivious to his social ineptitude, I like him. He has an earnestness that is appealing. It’s when he’s acerbic and harshly patronizing that I can’t stand to watch him. Hopefully this little experiment in divergence of social affection, if you will, encourages him to be less flippant with the friends he already has. It’s not so easy making new ones.

The best part of the episode involved Amy and Penny. I just love Amy’s interactions with Penny and how she tries to be the supportive sister but inadvertently, yet good-naturedly, tweaks Penny’s nose. The two are becoming my favorite ‘ship, to the point where I actually don’t care if Leonard and Penny ever get back together.

So will the Leonard-Priya team up continue? What do you think? Are you in favor of it?

You can find The Big Bang Theory Season 4 reviews and spoilers HERE.

Feb
18

Guess what? We have a complete cast in this episode including Bernadette, Amy and a visitor Priya. Aside from that, we got an over protective brother in the person of Raj and a seemingly promising relationship for Leonard and Pria. Indeed, “The Cohabitation Formulation,” is a good The Big Bang Theory Episode.

I didn’t find much about the Howard/Bernadette story to be that funny. Not that it’s really all that shocking, but the more we witness exactly how co-dependent Howard and his mother are, the more uncomfortable it becomes for me. You’d think Bernadette would be sent screaming for the hills. It did manage, though, to serve up a few classic exchanges between Howard and his mother, particularly over fancy sex diseases.

On the other hand, Raj’s sister being back in town promised good times for Leonard, but sent Raj into a frenzy trying to forbid (forbade? forbode?) them from having a relationship. Unfortunately, Leonard continues to be the straight man/lame duck of the group, not once uttering a line worthy of a chuckle, but lovable Raj is always good for a laugh, especially when he gets riled up – and works references to his culture into the debate.

The best part about Leonard’s forbidden romance, though, was listening to both Sheldon and Amy react to the situations around them.

I loved how Sheldon was able to take his surprisingly vast knowledge of Hindu traditions and twist it around into a gibe at Leonard, but completely oblivious to how rude it was. This is what I enjoy most about Sheldon’s character, that he doesn’t realize his complete lack of understanding of social protocols and decorum, yet still comes off endearing to the audience. So much better than when he’s belligerently caustic and condescending for no apparent reason.

Amy also shone brightly as she attempted to comfort her “bestie,” who was so obviously burying her emotions over Leonard and Priya. Her description of why Priya makes a better mate for Leonard than Penny (“She comes from the culture that literally wrote the book on neat ways to have sex!”) , and her giddiness over finding Priya “an absolute delight” made me laugh rather unexpectedly. I think I’m starting to cozy up to Amy a bit.

Everytime Penny is played as a backboard off of which Sheldon or Amy bounce their wacky basketballs of complete social ineptitude, The Big Bang Theory scores a three-pointer.

I really love this show when they have all of the cast working together and bringing some fun.

What do you think?

You can find The Big Bang Theory Season 4 reviews and spoilers HERE.