Jump to content

6.17 The Monster Isolation (Feb. 21)


Tripper

Your Episode Rating  

83 members have voted

  1. 1. How would you rate this episode?

    • Excellent
      16
    • Very Good
      21
    • Good
      25
    • Okay
      11
    • Bad
      5
    • Very Bad
      5


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 368
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Someone on FB said that Penny should remain a waitress to show that bullies in High School amount to nothing...I agree. 

Pretty idealistic view of karmic justice. Fortunately it is untrue. 

 

When I say/write "fortunately", it is not because I empathise or sympathise with the bullies but because I am incredibly happy that one's life path is not determined by the way one behaved in high school. How tragic that would be ! We're gonna take you at your most hormonal, your most insecure, your least reasonable and decide, based on that data and that data alone, whether you deserve to be happy for the rest of your existence. If it were true, it would be horrendous. 

People change over time : some bullies come to regret what they did and become pretty good people (Stephen Fry, who shall never be challenged, admitted to having had a pretty bad attitude when at boarding school and having made several of his fellows cry thanks to his very sharp tongue... He went on to become a British national treasure), some bullied become bullies when given the opportunity (the way the guys ganged up on Zac just because they could, even though he had been nothing but nice to them).

 

I can see why it can be comforting to believe that the guy who once gave you a wedgy is probably cleaning somebody's swimming pool these days. But he may just as well have become the dude who owns the swimming pool and the freaking mansion that goes with it. And it may be a good thing too.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Pretty idealistic view of karmic justice. Fortunately it is untrue. 

 

When I say/write "fortunately", it is not because I empathise or sympathise with the bullies but because I am incredibly happy that one's life path is not determined by the way one behaved in high school. How tragic that would be ! We're gonna take you at your most hormonal, your most insecure, your least reasonable and decide, based on that data and that data alone, whether you deserve to be happy for the rest of your existence. If it were true, it would be horrendous. 

People change over time : some bullies come to regret what they did and become pretty good people (Stephen Fry, who shall never be challenged, admitted to having had a pretty bad attitude when at boarding school and having made several of his fellows cry thanks to his very sharp tongue... He went on to become a British national treasure), some bullied become bullies when given the opportunity (the way the guys ganged up on Zac just because they could, even though he had been nothing but nice to them).

 

I can see why it can be comforting to believe that the guy who once gave you a wedgy is probably cleaning somebody's swimming pool these days. But he may just as well have become the dude who owns the swimming pool and the freaking mansion that goes with it. And it may be a good thing too.

 

Oh I wasn't bullied in high school...at all...I tortured a few ppl in my spare time (regrettably) but I was one of the 'cool nerds' sts...and most of them (dumb jocks, dumb cheerleaders) are pumping my gas. #justsaying

Edited by Kiru Breezy

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On another note, a sneak peak is out - for us here in the States

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv4QvF8uTQc

 

Will try to find a clip for Los Aliens on here.

 

"That sounds terrible....why would I want to do that"  - Oh Sheldon :lol:

 

*Chokes Laughing* First reaction to Sheldon's interrupted knocks, "Awww, " then I burst out laughing at the end!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Someone on FB said that Penny should remain a waitress to show that bullies in High School amount to nothing...I agree. 

 

Oh I wasn't bullied in high school...at all...I tortured a few ppl in my spare time (regrettably) but I was one of the 'cool nerds' sts...and most of them are pumping my gas. 

My mind is officially blown.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

We haven't seen her do anything about it. Everyone else works at their craft, it helps that their craft is their job, but hers is not.

We haven't been told that she does not work at her craft. We know she takes acting classes and apparently has the whole time she's been in LA.

Again, we aren't shown every moment of her life, just the parts that pertain to the story being told at the moment. So just because we haven't seen it every week doesn't mean that use hasn't been working at her craft.

 

By the same token, where has it been established that she is a good actor? In six years, this episode is the first they've mentioned that she has talent. There is every indication that she thought she could be an actress because it looked easy and glamourous.

Well, she has been cast in a few things, so some directors have felt she has some talent. And we don't know everything about her background before she came to LA, so it's possible she showed some promise in local plays before she left Nebraska. But even if her initial move to LA was on sme kind of whim, again, she's taking an acting class and has been in a few plays and taken numerous auditions, so she's not just sitting at a lunch counter hoping I be discovered.

 

And I do want her to be a success at something fun and impressive, but I do not see the comic payoff for her being an actor. It's been 6 tragic years. They only reason it was funny on Friends with Joey was because he was so untalented.

 

They have failed to set the stage for Penny's enormous acting talent and now it feels forced to do so in season 6. If it makes you feel any better, I think we all assume Raj just goes to work to eat in the cafeteria and then sleeps under giant his desk all day.

How have the last 6 years been "tragic"? She's no different than tons of other actors struggling to get their foot in the door. That she hasn't hit the big time doesn't mean her life or her career have been "tragic".

And I don't think they're trying to say that all of a sudden she's on the verge of winning a Tony for her performance in this one production. I think they're simply having her friends realize that her acting career is no whim or joke.

Will she ever be a movie star or a TV star, or even a theater star? Probably not in the course of the show, for the same reasons that Sheldon won't be winning the Nobel Prize any time soon.

But that doesn't mean that it's somehow offbase to show her having some small success at this point.

Her acting career is not supposed to be the comic point of the show, it's simply part of who she is, in the same way that everyone else's jobs are part of who they are.

I would bet that we're going to see a bit more of Penny doing acting jobs.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Is it just me or did Sheldon almost acknowledge a touch of OCD in that clip?  He at least acknowledged that the knocking is a ritual.

 

He does seem to acknowledge his need for the ritual--if he had started it, then her opening the door "too soon" would have been a problem.  And he thinks that since he didn't start it he can do without it, but it turns out he simply can't. :p

 

I also love that there's a nice little bit of care and safety there--she understands his need for the ritual and he feels safe enough with her to admit it.  It's a nice unexpected touch in the midst of a funny little bit. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you, tmp, for the link : I cannot say how pleased with this sneeky version of what will go down in TV history as "the" knock. 

 

Penny/Sheldon moments are almost always a blast. I do not "ship" them in any way, shape or form but these two characters just work well together, probably due to how bizarrely similar they can be, in spite of their completely different styles. 

And I love how indifferently Sheldon can be both charming and rude. He just states facts/opinions, whether flattering or insulting, with the same detachment. It never fails to make me laugh. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you, tmp, for the link : I cannot say how pleased with this sneeky version of what will go down in TV history as "the" knock. 

 

Penny/Sheldon moments are almost always a blast. I do not "ship" them in any way, shape or form but these two characters just work well together, probably due to how bizarrely similar they can be, in spite of their completely different styles. 

And I love how indifferently Sheldon can be both charming and rude. He just states facts/opinions, whether flattering or insulting, with the same detachment. It never fails to make me laugh. 

 

And Penny doesn't care what he says. She's heard it all from him. Love the knocks... :icon_cheesygrin:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

But Jim Parsons is a highly trained actor. He started a theater group when he was an undergraduate, he did graduate level work in classical theater. He did off broadway plays, commercials and numerous pilots.

 

That sounds like a pretty energetic, talented, driven person with a love for the craft and a desire to succeed.

 

So compare that to Penny... If she was doing anything like that I think the writers might have said something.

 

Oh, I'm not comparing Penny with Jim Parsons. I don't expect Penny to win two Emmys and a Globe. :) I'm just saying the fact that Jim had to go through some years of struggle himself, given the tremendous talent he is, shows that it's possible to have to struggle for a break and still be good - some level of good. The amount of struggle would of course depend (to some extent) on how good.  And since the show hasn't outright told us that she's bad, I'm willing to suspend disbelief and accept that she may have some talent. 

 

We haven't seen her do anything about it. Everyone else works at their craft, it helps that their craft is their job, but hers is not.

 

We've heard random mentions of acting classes and auditions. Other than that, she needs to eat, so she has to have a menial job while she's trying (so did Jim).

 

 

Jean - thanks from an alien. :)

 

'That sounds terrible, why would I want to do that' LOLOLOL I just want to keep watching that clip. It's gold on so many levels - a touching moment, an absolutely priceless knocking modification, and a good old insult thrown in. :D

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh, I'm not comparing Penny with Jim Parsons. I don't expect Penny to win two Emmys and a Globe. :) I'm just saying the fact that Jim had to go through some years of struggle himself, given the tremendous talent he is, shows that it's possible to have to struggle for a break and still be good - some level of good. The amount of struggle would of course depend (to some extent) on how good.  And since the show hasn't outright told us that she's bad, I'm willing to suspend disbelief and accept that she may have some talent.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

And Penny doesn't care what he says. She's heard it all from him. Love the knocks... :icon_cheesygrin:

Exactely. She so doesn't give a flying toss. That's why they're funny together: they are both strangely oblivious. They can be very rude to others and take a lot of abuse from them without really caring. So when they spar, nobody's feelings ever get seriously hurt. It is very freeing to watch !

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.