Episodes 6.13 The Bakersfield Expedition (Jan. 10)

[BangerMain]

I don't think HIMYM is a fair comparison, for any sitcom. After all, the whole premise is looking back from the future at the already completed story. It's basically one long flash back, with smaller flashbacks. All other sitcom generally are creating the story as they go along. And, in the case of TBBT, some of the early to mid first season isn't really a good continuity comparison as the characters were developing. That said, the ducky tie, in HIMYM, was a brilliant execution of continuity.

 

Great point about the structure of  HIMYM dictating the continuity discipline of that show. SInce the entire series' events are supposed to have already happened from the point of view of the father they would have had to work out all the story items in advance. Probably had to plan out the entire year before scripting.

 

TBBT sometimes is only a couple of weeks ahead of taping to air times and they are very flexible about story details and character traits.

[Moonbase]

Yawn, I voted okay. Another so-so episode for me.

The girls in the comic book store with Stuart was not bad "I swear I will turn a hose on you"

The guys in their costumes taking pictures didn't make me laugh at all. These guys are geniuses? The renaissance fare costume episode was much funnier than this. The whole thing became so miserable very quickly. A story of growth? Talk about taking the joy right out of the show! The only saving grace was the girls argument over Thor.

Edited January 19, 2013 by Moonbase

[AdorkablyMe]

Negative Nancy

[Moonbase]

Negative Nancy

 

 

Pointless post. Negative fracken epsiode.

Edited January 19, 2013 by Moonbase

[monologue]

Good one, Sheldon's GPS voice was so funny.

[AdorkablyMe]

Pointless post. Negative fracken epsiode.

Hahaha, you seem fun :D

[Moonbase]

Where does it say that you are only permitted to post if you liked the episode? My post was honest. Shesh!

[wickedscience]

I love the episode but specially Jim's acting choices at the cafeteria.When Sheldon said to Raj that he want's to go home to the childlike expressions that characterize Sheldon turns in to a grown man expression.It was brilliant.IMO.

[rachelshamyfan]

Didnt want to wait forever for this ep in the uk, so i have just seen it on youtube and Oh Sheldon in the resturant, that was really sad and i really liked the photo shoot they did and the girls talking and discussing the comic books was great as well

[tbbt73]

Does anybody know if a new episode is running Jan 17?  If so, that would be the one taped Jan 8, a very short turnaround time.

 

Theres a new episode on Jan 31

[Ar Diem]

  Setting them on stun was just as silly as drawing them in the first place, since it's all just pretend.

 

I also don't think that every "important" scene demands an immediate follow-up.  Like Penny's unconscious ILY, it wasn't followed up upon immediately, but it has been followed up upon more and more with each episode as they have become more and more secure with each other.  I don't think that any show--and especially as sitcom like this with a larger cast--needs to be constantly pounding on an issue.  There are all kinds of ways to follow up on such things and subtlety is often better than "holding up a sign" about something.

 

I do think that the lack of continuity or contradictory for-the-sake-of-laughs thing can be a little bit of a pain, but I think it's also as aspect of the type of sitcom the show has been.  It seems like they're getting over that to some degree, but a lot of it has to do with the fact that the show isn't some codified, "Lost"-like, serious show.  I think they have felt comfortable using outrageous throw-away jokes because the show is somewhat a "theater of the absurd" kind of thing.

 

 

I could have done without them pulling their phasers and changing the settings.  It was uncomfortably stupid for me.   Since the dress-up joke is recycled they had to take it to even more absurd levels. 

 

If they follow up the big scenes too quickly the show's primary storylines will get resolved too quickly and the show has nowhere to go.

 

The jokes>continuity thing can be a pain.  At this point in a long running sitcom some scenes are inspired others are about putting words on paper and jokes on the screen before a deadline. 

[phantagrae]

I could have done without them pulling their phasers and changing the settings.  It was uncomfortably stupid for me.   Since the dress-up joke is recycled they had to take it to even more absurd levels. 

 

If they follow up the big scenes too quickly the show's primary storylines will get resolved too quickly and the show has nowhere to go.

 

The jokes>continuity thing can be a pain.  At this point in a long running sitcom some scenes are inspired others are about putting words on paper and jokes on the screen before a deadline. 

 

I don't even understand what you're saying.

 

I don't think that the point of the episode was simply dressing up.  The point had to do with their enthusiasm for their hobby being defeated--though ultimately only temporarily--by the reality of how the "outside" world sees them.

 

Just as they're returning in this defeated state--with Sheldon saying that that should be the last time they ever go outside--their joy in their particular form of "play" is restored by the idea, though none of them really expresses it outright (as well they should not, for the purposes of "show-don't tell" TV writing), that they are accepted for who they are and what they love by the women in their lives.

Though there is judgment in the outside world, the girls are showing, at least for this moment, an interest in the things that interest the guys, and they have returned to their safe place.

 

I think that it's mostly just about kind of restoring their joy.  Yeah, the outside world can be cruel and hateful, and yeah, maybe the girls don't get everything about what it is the guys love about costumes and conventions and all that, but the guys can still be themselves and it's not so bad after all.

 

I think the episode was about much more than simply the guys getting dressed up in ST costumes.

[Ar Diem]

I don't even understand what you're saying.

 

I don't think that the point of the episode was simply dressing up.  The point had to do with their enthusiasm for their hobby being defeated--though ultimately only temporarily--by the reality of how the "outside" world sees them.

 

 

The point was to laugh at them and then return them to a state where the audience can laugh at them some more in the future.  I mean, come on, they were doing a charlie's angel pose.  The diner scenes were designed to emphasize their absurdity.  Most people think dressing up like that is silly and that was the joke.  They have done it before so this time they made it ultra absurd to try and keep the laughs coming.

[phantagrae]

The point was to laugh at them and then return them to a state where the audience can laugh at them some more in the future.  I mean, come on, they were doing a charlie's angel pose.  The diner scenes were designed to emphasize their absurdity.  Most people think dressing up like that is silly and that was the joke.  They have done it before so this time they made it ultra absurd to try and keep the laughs coming.

 

No, the point was to show them enjoying the things they enjoy.  If they are ridiculous in costumes and in that kind of "play", then they've been ridiculous since day one.  They've all shown their propensity for ridiculousness since day one--in the pilot Howard offers Penny a juicebox (like a 10-year-old.)

They dress up in costumes for all kinds of things--Halloween, conventions, the Renaissance Fair, New Year's Eve parties, even to play paintball.  That's part of who they are and how they have fun.  I had some friends back in high school who participated in the "Society for Creative Anachronisms" and friends who made themselves suits of chain and/or plate armor and did sword fighting and played D&D.

 

The audience is always invited to laugh at them to some degree--whether it's their creative excesses, their failure with women, their discussion of the minutae of comic books, movie characters, video games, giant ants, etc.  But because the characters are also basically nice guys (and gals), their oddities and ridiculousness is endearing.

 

I didn't laugh at them as being stupid--I've dressed up in a ST:TNG uniform before and sang a song with my sister and friends on a ST fan cruise, for pete's sake (and there's video evidence out there in the world somewhere to prove it.)  And I don't think that the audience--including the wider TV audience--is laughing at them in derision, either.  I don't think that 20 million people would be tuning in to a show so that they can laugh in derision at the characters.  People tune in to a show in such numbers when they CARE about the characters.

While they may do silly things, I don't think that the audience thinks they're stupid people and that they watch in order to point fingers and make fun of them for being nerdy.  No one in the audience is throwing slushies at them.

 

I think that many people can relate to the guys, even if they don't personally dress up in ST costumes or obsess over comic books or play D&D or whatever.  Whatever their connection, they audience is making a connection to these characters that probably has more to do with love (of who the characters are) than just with laughing.

[Ar Diem]

No, the point was to show them enjoying the things they enjoy.  If they are ridiculous in costumes and in that kind of "play", then they've been ridiculous since day one.  They've all shown their propensity for ridiculousness since day one--in the pilot Howard offers Penny a juicebox (like a 10-year-old.)

 

 

 

We will have to agree to disagree.  Yes they want to keep the characters endearing but it is first and foremost a comedy.  Bakersfield was a clown episode designed to get laughs. It is no different than Barney Fife wearing a dress.

[Pomita]

Since this is a sitcom, everything everyone does (including but not limited to the guys' nerdy activities) is open to humor and laughter. But as Phantagrae says, the amazing thing is the audience loves and cares for the characters because of their odd passions, their awkwardness and their vulnerability, because somehow they're made relatable through it all.

 

The show does funny all the time. This was one of the rare episodes when they did serious, and they did it to show how the protagonists could be hurt by those who demean them. We may have laughed at Charlie's Angels, but when Sheldon expressed how broken he felt, there was pin-drop silence. And when they got back and found the girls talking of what was so dear to them, their spirits revived immediately and they got back into the mood of cosplay.. I think everyone who liked this episode felt that as a moment of magic and literally nerd pride. This episode was about much more than comedy.

 

I could have done without them pulling their phasers and changing the settings.  It was uncomfortably stupid for me.

 

They did that because they were suddenly happy and in the mood for a bit of Star Trek fun again. The 'phasers on stun' was an in-joke between them, purely related to this passion they share. If this was stupid for you, then I'm sure every nerdy activity they've ever done on the show must have been stupid for you.

 

Seriously, watching this show believing that its motive is to insult and belittle nerds (a.k.a the heroes of the show) seems to me to be a certain kind of persecution complex.. and I feel the same about the small percentage of Indians, Russians, women, Jews, Christians, scientists, engineers, Hungarians etc etc who keep complaining that the show is insulting them. The truth is that they throw around jokes and jibes in an equal-opportunity way - everyone and every group is fair game. Nobody's spared, and I don't think any of them can be called insults because they're hardly ever mean-spirited. The basic goodness and likeability of the main characters is maintained, for the most part.

[Ar Diem]

Seriously, watching this show believing that its motive is to insult and belittle nerds (a.k.a the heroes of the show) seems to me to be a certain kind of persecution complex..

 

 

I am not a nerd so I really don't see how a persecution complex can cloud my judgement.  What I see is a parody of nerd/geek culture and mocking them for laughs goes with the territory.  The show is usually smart about how close to the line they get of outright insulting them.  Like most people I don't like it when the show goes so far as to utterly humiliate them like they did in the diner scene.  There are probably people who laughed but I thought they went too far.  What the characters learned is that outside of their normal bubble when they dress up they are basically sideshow freaks. 

 

Not everyone will see the show and interpret it the same way and there is no right or wrong way to enjoy it.  The fact that my views are different from yours means that there are probably others that see it the same way I do.

[phantagrae]

I am not a nerd so I really don't see how a persecution complex can cloud my judgement.  What I see is a parody of nerd/geek culture and mocking them for laughs goes with the territory.  The show is usually smart about how close to the line they get of outright insulting them.  Like most people I don't like it when the show goes so far as to utterly humiliate them like they did in the diner scene.  There are probably people who laughed but I thought they went too far.  What the characters learned is that outside of their normal bubble when they dress up they are basically sideshow freaks. 

 

Not everyone will see the show and interpret it the same way and there is no right or wrong way to enjoy it.  The fact that my views are different from yours means that there are probably others that see it the same way I do.

 

If you're not a nerd, then how do you know that it's a parody of nerd/geek culture?

I imagine that some people would see me as a nerd because I know way too much about TXF, ST, TBBT, played D&D when I was in college, and so forth.  (Though I don't do comic books or video games.)

One of the things that drew me to the show was that so much of what they talked about and obsessed over and were into was so recognizable to me.  That to some degree I could identify with their silliness or their seriousness in how they discussed Superman's pit stains or whatever, being a veteran of many in-depth TXF discussions.

 

For all of that, I have never felt that the show was making fun of or humilitating the characters for the sake of cheap laughs.  The truth is that there will always be people who don't understand the appeal of wearing costumes or whatever.  And there will always be mean people.

I think that the reason the slushie-throwing was somewhat funny is the juxtaposition of the sudden action with Sheldon's attempt to keep the playing going--including his reaction.  He didn't drop the fantasy in that moment--he was still acting like he was playing the game--"I hate this planet", not saying that people were mean or that the people in the car were bullies or whatever.

 

I think that the process that happened in this episode was a natural progression of emotion, for the guys as well as for the audience.  The line about having Scotty beam them up was funny--as was Sheldon's response about ST:TOS/ST:TNG--again, he was still in the game at that point, so it was still funny.

 

And, yeah, perhaps some people feel the way you do, but the audience response and ratings would suggest that most people are pleased with the show.  The offline audience is probably much less tolerant of anything they don't like.  They're likely not sitting around in their livingrooms debating the minutae like we're doing here.  If they didn't like it, if they thought it was cruel, if they thought it was dumber or whatever, they'd change the channel.

[Ar Diem]

If you're not a nerd, then how do you know that it's a parody of nerd/geek culture?

 

 

Just because I am not one doesn't mean I have never met any.

 

I am not going to respond to the other portion of your post because we shouldn't argue interpretation.

[Pomita]

I am not a nerd so I really don't see how a persecution complex can cloud my judgement.  What I see is a parody of nerd/geek culture and mocking them for laughs goes with the territory.  The show is usually smart about how close to the line they get of outright insulting them.  Like most people I don't like it when the show goes so far as to utterly humiliate them like they did in the diner scene.  There are probably people who laughed but I thought they went too far.  What the characters learned is that outside of their normal bubble when they dress up they are basically sideshow freaks. 

 

Not everyone will see the show and interpret it the same way and there is no right or wrong way to enjoy it.  The fact that my views are different from yours means that there are probably others that see it the same way I do.

 

The persecution complex comment wasn't meant for you specifically. There have been articles about how it's offensive to nerds, female geeks etc.

 

Of course it's ok to have differing and sometimes critical views about specific episodes or aspects of the show. We all have, even the most diehard fans. As long as you're enjoying it, I agree that there shouldn't be a right or wrong way about it. It's just that there may be questions if you sound like you're not enjoying it most of the time, or if you make unprovable blanket generalizations like saying that the show has sold out or been dumbed down or derives all its humor from belittling its nerdy characters.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Pomita

[Ar Diem]

The persecution complex comment wasn't meant for you specifically. There have been articles about how it's offensive to nerds, female geeks etc.

 

Of course it's ok to have differing and sometimes critical views about specific episodes or aspects of the show. We all have, even the most diehard fans. As long as you're enjoying it, I agree that there shouldn't be a right or wrong way about it. It's just that there may be questions if you sound like you're not enjoying it most of the time, or if you make unprovable blanket generalizations like saying that the show has sold out or been dumbed down or derives all its humor from belittling its nerdy characters.

 

 

You would think I hate football by the way I post about it sometimes too.  I think those of us who seem overly critical of the show wanted this show to break the rules and sustain the same level of comedy from the first seasons.  It is completely unrealistic but still...

 

I am still enjoying it, just not as much.

 

This board could stand to be a little more tolerant of alternate viewpoints.  I am the kind of person that takes most things at face value and I don't romanticize them to be better than they appear to be.  I am not a fan at the same level as some of you.  I am not saying it is bad to put on the rose colored glasses but I just don't do that for a TV show.

[AdorkablyMe]

Alternate viewpoints are one thing. Complaining a lot is another.

[tmp]

I want to chime in and say that the show is not at all about poking fun of nerds.  If anything, it takes a group of extraordinary characters and makes them relatable.  We see the guys find joy in science, science fiction, gaming, etc. but it's the innocence in that joy that makes them so likeable.  Anytime we laugh because they're doing something silly, it's not laughing at the characters or the culture they represent.  It's fun because we get to experience the enthusiasm through their eyes and the hilarity that comes from it.

 

This episode was a little different from others we've seen.  When the guys went into the diner, they stepped outside their usual world in which they are the "normal ones" and saw themselves through the eyes of other people--people who IMO were portrayed as very unkind.  It hurt the guys and they were dejected until they got home and realized that the rest of their social circle, where they usually feel welcomed anyway, were excited by the things that excite them.  I thought it was very touching.  It's not the only interpretation, but I think it's the one the writers were going for.

[Moonbase]

I want to chime in and say that the show is not at all about poking fun of nerds.  If anything, it takes a group of extraordinary characters and makes them relatable.  We see the guys find joy in science, science fiction, gaming, etc. but it's the innocence in that joy that makes them so likeable.  Anytime we laugh because they're doing something silly, it's not laughing at the characters or the culture they represent.  It's fun because we get to experience the enthusiasm through their eyes and the hilarity that comes from it.

 

This episode was a little different from others we've seen.  When the guys went into the diner, they stepped outside their usual world in which they are the "normal ones" and saw themselves through the eyes of other people--people who IMO were portrayed as very unkind.  It hurt the guys and they were dejected until they got home and realized that the rest of their social circle, where they usually feel welcomed anyway, were excited by the things that excite them.  I thought it was very touching.  It's not the only interpretation, but I think it's the one the writers were going for.

 

One of the reason I have always loved this show, is that the guys lived in a bubble where all the things they enjoyed were untouchable by the outside world. That scene brought in a reality I didn't need reminding of. They made the nerds so stupid and then had outsiders mock them. Normally it's only the audience who loves them, who are permitted to mock them. It burst the unspoken protective bubble. I found it depressing, not touching.

[Pomita]

I agree with tmp that the interpretation described by her is what the show was probably going for. There could be no other reason to have the girls suddenly fall for comic-books in the same episode as when the guys get insulted because of their interest in them, and then bring the two storylines together at the end in the way they did. And the scene in the diner with Sheldon was pretty obviously a serious moment, it wasn't all just clowning.

 

 

This board could stand to be a little more tolerant of alternate viewpoints.  I am the kind of person that takes most things at face value and I don't romanticize them to be better than they appear to be.  I am not a fan at the same level as some of you.  I am not saying it is bad to put on the rose colored glasses but I just don't do that for a TV show.

 

Again, it's not the alternate viewpoints that are bothersome, it's the sometimes obvious insults. Phrases like 'dumbed down' and 'rose-colored glasses' indicate clearly that admitting to loving the show in its present form is being looked on by some of you as a form of stupidity.

 

It's not romanticizing. There are no rose-colored glasses. I love the present direction of the show, for the most part, and say so. When I don't like a specific episode that much, I say so. This is my honest opinion, and it's at least as valid as feeling that the earlier seasons were better and the show is declining. Can we have an understanding on that?

 

 

One of the reason I have always loved this show, is that the guys lived in a bubble where all the things they enjoyed were untouchable by the outside world. That scene brought in a reality I didn't need reminding of. They made the nerds so stupid and then had outsiders mock them. Normally it's only the audience who loves them, who are permitted to mock them. It burst the unspoken protective bubble. I found it depressing, not touching.

 

 

Actually, they've had the 'outside world' making fun of the guys, or them making a fool of themselves in some way, a couple of times before. Think Middle Earth Paradigm (season 1) or Cornhusker Vortex (season 3). It's an unfortunate fact of life that there are some mean people who do that, and people who look down on them, and I think it's okay for the show to touch on that sometimes. What matters is that they get to come back to their protective bubble, which is the world of the show, now including the girls.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Pomita