TRACY: One of the most popular shows on television is about a group of friends who like to hang out at their local comic book store, play Dungeons and Dragons, and discuss the merits of George Lucas’s changes to the Star Wars films. They sound like people we would know! Which is why The Big Bang Theory is one of our favorites shows. (Although, we wonder if Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Raj might have a hard time believing that there are any women who would enjoy a Star Trek convention as much as them.)
MS. B: The show stars Johnny Galecki (of Roseanne fame) as Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, an experimental physicist and nerd extraordinaire. He lives in Pasadena, California, with his insufferable roommate Sheldon (a theoretical physicist); the two of them spend much of their time with friends Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali (an astrophysicist) and Howard Wolowitz (an aerospace engineer and an astronaut, but not -- as Sheldon often reminds him -- a doctor). The final addition to their group is Penny (no last name), a waitress and aspiring actress who moved into the apartment across the hall from Leonard and Sheldon. Being a bit socially awkward, it's awhile before the four guys can make friends with Penny -- but she ends up being an important part of the group. (Not to mention the fact that Leonard has a huge crush on her.)
TRACY: One of the most popular characters on the show is Dr. Sheldon Cooper, played by Emmy Award winner Jim Parsons. He was a virtual unknown to most viewers when TBBT made its debut in 2007, but he had actually been working steadily in television, film, and stage after leaving his hometown of Houston, Texas in 1999.
After many off-Broadway performances early in his acting career, he has recently returned to the stage in 2011 and 2012 to perform in two well-respected plays, The Normal Heart and Harvey.
So in honor of Jim Parsons’ 40th birthday, Ms. B will pick her favorite TBBT episodes.
-- "The Nerdvana Annihilation" (Season One)
When Leonard inadvertently becomes the top bidder on a $800 replica prop from the 1960 classic The Time Machine, his pals are quick to jump on his offer of becoming joint owners (at $200 apiece). The guys are delighted by their piece of authentic sci-fi history -- except for Leonard, who becomes deeply embarrassed when Penny demands to know how these grown men could possibly waste their time with such silly toys. Leonard's subsequent lapse in self-confidence has him ready to give away his collection of collectables and comic books -- until Sheldon, of all people, calls Penny out on her criticism, in one of my favorite moments of the show.
-- "The Adhesive Duck Deficiency" (Season Three)
The show is often at its best when pairing together the "odd couple" of Penny and Sheldon. In this episode, Penny slips in the shower and dislocates her shoulder -- and is forced, much to her dismay, to turn to Sheldon for help. Sheldon, reluctantly helpful (and fairly hopelessly inept), manages, after much trial and error, to get Penny out to the hospital and safely back home -- if with the two of them sniping at each other the whole way. Upon their arrival back at Penny's apartment, Penny (feeling a bit better after a hefty dose of painkillers) asks Sheldon to sing to her -- ending the episode with a hilarious but sweet moment of friendship between these two polar opposites.
-- "The Cruciferous Vegetable Amplification" (Season Four)
As Leonard points out, it's not really that big of a change. After Sheldon decides that the only way to stay safe is to stay inside, he constructs a "robot" Sheldon to take his place in the outside world. It seems like the perfect plan -- even if Robot-Sheldon irritates friends and co-workers alike. Still, despite Leonard's most persistent efforts, Sheldon has no intention of ever emerging in person into the world again ... that is, until a chance encounter with Steve Wozniak (the co-founder of Apple Computer) forces him to reconsider.
-- "The Shiny Trinket Maneuver" (Season Five)
The addition of Amy Farrah-Fowler -- Sheldon's friend who is a girl but not his girlfriend (at least at first) -- gave the show a whole new dimension. Despite his genuine fondness for Amy, Sheldon often has difficulty figuring out how to express it ... sometimes with disastrous consequences. When Sheldon fails to congratulate Amy for writing the lead article of a prestigious science journal (and, in fact, belittles her accomplishment), it seems like it might be the last straw for Amy. That is, until Sheldon reveals that he knows enough about his girl to give her a gift with truly special meaning -- making for one of the most hilarious, and touching, scenes in the show's run.
-- "The Bakersfield Expedition" (Season Six)
I expected to enjoy this one thanks to its references to one of my other favorite shows -- Star Trek: The Next Generation -- but what I didn't expect was the episode's unexpected heart. The four guys dress up as Worf, Data, Captain Picard, and a Borg alien for the Bakersfield Comic Con costume competition. They're so pleased with the results that they stop at Vasquez Rocks Park (where the original Star Trek filmed) for a few "landing party" photos. It's while they're snapping pictures that their car is stolen -- forcing them to walk their way through the dirt and heat to the nearest roadside diner for help. Humiliated by passing motorists, the diner customers, and the police officer they call for help, even Sheldon is left discouraged. Struck by self-doubt, the guys return home -- only to receive reaffirmation from the most unlikely of sources, making this my all-time favorite episode of TBBT.
-- Post by Ms. B
No comments:
Post a Comment