Episodes 7.17 The Friendship Turbulence (March 6)

[Chiany]

Yeah, I didn't mind the pacing, but I can understand why some find they rushed things.

That's what you get if they try to fit 3 storylines into an episode.

 

Next episode should be better, since that will only have 2 storylines iirc.

[koops]

Koops, one question I have--what if the joke, the punch line that supposedly ruins Sheldon's confession of jealousy is actually the truth? Maybe it's true that he got over his jealousy the way he said. Just because it's funny doesn't mean it isn't true.

That line cracked me up.

The episode did seem a little fast, but that didn't bother me. Maybe it's because I was already thinking about the next episode.

 

True Phanta. That's why I said it just made me groan "a little", I didn't downright hate it. I'm of two minds about it. I can see the funny and truthful side and I can see that it spoils the sentiment a little in an episode where Sheldon is meant to learn to appreciate Howard. 

[Convict13]

There were some funny moments I liked the Howard and Sheldon bit a lot, and I hope that this moves their friendship on from here, I agree with Superlovelexi, Sheldon was no longer unaware of his jibes and I don't like that mean side of Sheldon,  I like Sheldon when he believes he is superior and doesn't realise that what he is saying is tactless, not this insulting Sheldon. 

 

Best line

 

"I said to stop insulting each other,I didn't tell you to take him on a romantic getaway" 

 

I don't think Kaley was at the top of her game in this episode,

And again self-deprecating Leonard (please stop with that writers).

 

and the handholding was lovely.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Convict13

[Chrystalie]

I vote "OKAY" because this episode was not, IMO, one of the best of this season.

 

• Three storylines = probably too much for a 20 minutes episode. We can't really enjoy an emotional moment or a funny one because of the " BAM! cut and next"
• Amy is patient, Amy has grew up ... and Raj in a way seems to be the same one than few years ago and it's kinda disturbing.
  Everyone is moving on (even Sheldon) and Raj is still unable to find someone, to talk to girls, to be a "normal guy" (And yes, to that point, he can be a normal guy, not acting like a weirdo)
  As someone asked and I agree with that: Where is Yvette? What happened?
• Emily was nice and I was glad that Amy found a friend. She seems so sad when she left after Raj came in the coffeeshop. Arghhh
• I liked the interaction between Sheldon and Howard, less childish and more adult. 
  Yes Sheldon is sometimes mean, but we can see here that he's not mean by choice but ... by habit? And here, I'm not even sure the word "mean" is appropriate.
• Leonard irritates me by his constant way to "attack" Penny, or Sheldon ... he's such a pain in the ass sometimes ... It sounds like he's frustrated, not able to tell what he's thinking to the ones he's close to.
  Or maybe the fact he's staying that much time in the same apartment than Sheldon just change a bit his own personality. IDK.
  The part he offered a car to Penny was nice, he loves her, he doesn't want her to kill her dream. That's the Leonard I like. The one who cares.

 

[rickfromillinois]

I was confused by the whole "Penny living on her savings" thing.  The whole show she has been relying on Leonard/Sheldon for Wifi and meals and it turns out that she has been socking money away?  I would think that she would jump on any legitimate acting job, except for porn, in order to pay her bills.  There have been many cases of famous actors who early in their careers played some really crappy parts.   I suppose it's easier to turn down parts if you have someone you can depend on to pick up the slack when you run short on money.  

 

Leonard was not being a jerk for criticizing her for not taking a paying job.  He was being realistic.   What would she have done if she didn't have a boyfriend who could afford and was willing to buy her a new car?   It is not being noble to refuse to take legitimate jobs because you believe that they are beneath you if you have to rely on someone else to pay your way.

[Leia]

I think they may be talking about her saving from NCIS. Recent ones, helping her only since she left TCF

[BipolarBear]

I thought the line about burning thru her savings was added to clarify to the viewers that Penny is not mooching off Leonard's money. at least that how I took that line.

I would have LOVED to see more Showard scenes; Sheldon could have asked Howard for advice on relationships since he is married and should have a little more insight on romantic relationships.

[BazingaFan]

The best part about this episode (for me) was when Leonard gave Penny the car.  That was very unexpected and sweet, and made the episode worth it.  The rest was just okay for me... not many laugh out loud moments at all.  I did like the reference Sheldon made in the car about the check engine light, and the bonding on the plane with Howard was cute.

 

The Raj/Amy storyline fell flat to me.  I love Amy, but paired with Raj, I don't know... it was just boring.  And I'm confused about what happened with Raj and the vet he met in the Valentine's Day episode?  Did he go out with her or not?  Seems odd that he's looking for a date when that part of the story was never resolved.

 

Just my two cents.

[MariaAlbina]

I will agree that I'm not 100% okay with them making Amy 'normal' I do miss S6 Amy. (Amy not Shamy. Don't get it twisted

Edited March 7, 2014 by MariaAlbina

[phantagrae]

I don't think that the scene between Sheldon and Howard were intended to get all that deep, just that they find a slightly more civil way to deal with each other, but being who they are, they're never going to be besties or anything.  And I think that the balance between snark and sentiment was good.  They're not going to get sappy with each other--and I wouldn't want too much sweetness.  Neither of them is ever that way in their other relationships.

 

And I love Raj's jealousy--that was silly and cute.

 

With Leonard and Penny, I think that both of them were right in that initial argument.  I already mentioned that I can understand Penny's reasoning.  It's one thing for an actor/actress to have a minor role in a good minor film.  If the film wins critical acclaim, then often everyone involved in it gains something.  But having something on your resume like a killer gorilla clone slasher film can be detrimental to one's career, no matter how much money one might earn.

There are lots of actors who leave certain films off of their resume, or established actors who gain something of a questionable reputation when they start showing up in cheesy straight-to-DVD low budget schlock films.  People start thinking that their careers are dying--and it is assumed that any other "no-name" actors involved in such projects are the sort who aren't good enough to get parts in "real" films.

 

So, I totally do not blame Penny for not wanting to take such a role.

But I also don't blame Leonard for questioning her decision.  Even if she was right, he has a right to ask the question.

 

He does not have the right, however, to keep chewing on that bone--as he so often does--to the point where he makes her feel stupid.  Is he trying to convince her to go ahead and take the film?  It's sort of a passive aggressive response for him to sit there and say, "Well, I don't know anything about this sort of thing, but if you think it's right to turn down parts and blow through your savings..." etc., while pretending not to criticize her.  I don't blame her for getting fed up with him.

She's making hard, risky decisions and he keep saying he supports her, but then he can't seem to resist harping on it and second-guessing her.

 

So, I think it was a strong and supportive gesture for him to buy her the car.

And if she hadn't had a boyfriend, she would have gone back to the CCF until she could figure out some transportation.  I'm sure there are plenty of aspiring actors in LA who deal with such issues.  Some people have more resources--including relatives and SOs--than others.  Hers is the story of a person who has a supportive boyfriend.

I liked the way he surprised her with it, too.  That was sweet and cute.  And I loved her response.

 

I didn't mind the pacing of this episode.  I think it was maybe kind of a stepping stone.  Being spoiled, I know what's coming up, so maybe my perspective is affected by that, but I think that it still works well on its own.  "Laying pipe", as it were (as Jim once said.)

 

As for Emily, as I said before, I don't think there was ever any intention for her character to be of any importance.  I didn't get the feeling that she would factor into the long run, but just serve the purpose of showing that Raj still hasn't mastered the task of interacting like a normal human being when it comes to dates and potential dates.

 

Someone else mentioned--maybe it was Nicole and Roxanne in their podcast--that the nice thing about how Raj met Yvette the Vet was that it wasn't a dating situation, so he wasn't nervous and trying to make some kind of suave, sexy impression, which is what always trips him up.

With the Vet, he was too concerned with Cinnamon's health to be worried about making a good impression.  In fact, he was basically oblivious to her interest in him until he discovered that she'd given him her phone number.  And I think that's the only way he could be himself.  And she liked who he was in those moments, and that's important.

In a way, that's a little like how he started with Lucy--she expressed interest in him first.  Of course, that was in his drinking days.

 

But I really do hope they bring her back and grow that relationship.  I think it had so much more potential than just another random girl he tries to date.  I don't know if there are any issues with that actress's schedule or if they're contemplating adding another character to the cast, but I actually do hope they do--at least by the start of next season--just for poor Raj's sake.  He deserves happiness as much as the other characters.

[robertc]

One good moment was that Amy looked really hurt when the Chaucer woman said she didn't want to know her any further.

It's possible that Amy has been in the gang for years now, and is tired of it.  I don't think the gang likes Chaucer or quilting.

I was let down that Raj acted like a jerk.

 

Chaucer has been mentioned a few times, esp. in the 21-Second episode where she actually recited some Chaucer in the Middle English.

 

The Howard vs. Sheldon thing has been done before, in the Hawking episode and the parking spot episode.

[phantagrae]

One good moment was that Amy looked really hurt when the Chaucer woman said she didn't want to know her any further.

It's possible that Amy has been in the gang for years now, and is tired of it.  I don't think the gang likes Chaucer or quilting.

I was let down that Raj acted like a jerk.

 

Chaucer has been mentioned a few times, esp. in the 21-Second episode where she actually recited some Chaucer in the Middle English.

 

The Howard vs. Sheldon thing has been done before, in the Hawking episode and the parking spot episode.

 

But this wasn't a Howard vs. Sheldon thing--it started with an explanation of how that started, but the point was them trying to get past that dynamic.

[robertc]

But this wasn't a Howard vs. Sheldon thing--it started with an explanation of how that started, but the point was them trying to get past that dynamic.

 

I know, I was thinking about the scene in Hawking when Howard said what he wanted Sheldon to do, was to appreciate him.

This is the scene that reminded me of the scene just now, when Howard went to Sheldon's office to plead with him to treat him differently.

[Jamie]

I think the reason why this episode felt "rushed" wasn't because it was three storylines, the problem was that all of those storylines was way too huge.

We have the S/H friendship, Penny's career (+Lenny relationship issues to that) and Raj's lovelife. All pretty important aspects to the show.

For a sitcom it shouldn't be a problem having 3 different stories going on in a 20 minute show, you just need to keep 1 or 2 of them a bit lighter, something that doesn't really impact the whole show on longer terms, but is mainly just there for laughs.

All of these stories did have a big impact on the show in general, which made this episode a bit exhausting to watch IMO. I would have loved something a bit ligher.

Or they could have just skipped the Ramy storyline, cause as many others here has stated, I didn't care for it. Really didn't like the scenes in the lab and the way Amy is with Raj. But I'm not gonna argue too much on that, cause tbh: I can't really put a finger on what it is I don't like about it. I just don't like it. Maybe it's the way their scenes are written or it's missing chemistry between the actors, idk, it's just something that doesn't work for me.

I loved the S/H storyline and it really made me excited for the next episode!

And Lenny, I have to admit that I teared up a little over that car scene, which is the first time ever that happends to me because of them!

Edited March 7, 2014 by Jaime

[phantagrae]

But if they had done 3 storylines and had made one or two of them really minor, then you'd have people complaining about that.

 

I don't know why people had issues with the Raj/Amy story.  I thought it was nice and funny without being overly dramatic or anything.  And I don't know that Raj's story was necessarily "important", but it did give Raj and Amy some time to kind of build on their friendship.  I like that he went to Amy to help him with his approach to this girl, rather than to Howard or Bernie or even Leonard or Penny.

Maybe he felt that she would be the least likely to give him a hard time, or give him bad advice or whatever.

 

And I do think that they were also using the Raj/Amy and Howard/Sheldon combinations to explore the different aspects of the group as they have done earlier this season.

I know, I was thinking about the scene in Hawking when Howard said what he wanted Sheldon to do, was to appreciate him.

This is the scene that reminded me of the scene just now, when Howard went to Sheldon's office to plead with him to treat him differently.

 

But the important difference is that the outcome was different.

[Chrismo]

But if they had done 3 storylines and had made one or two of them really minor, then you'd have people complaining about that.

 

I don't know why people had issues with the Raj/Amy story.  I thought it was nice and funny without being overly dramatic or anything.  And I don't know that Raj's story was necessarily "important", but it did give Raj and Amy some time to kind of build on their friendship.  I like that he went to Amy to help him with his approach to this girl, rather than to Howard or Bernie or even Leonard or Penny.

Maybe he felt that she would be the least likely to give him a hard time, or give him bad advice or whatever.

 

And I do think that they were also using the Raj/Amy and Howard/Sheldon combinations to explore the different aspects of the group as they have done earlier this season.

 

But the important difference is that the outcome was different.

I'm one of them that didn't like the Amy/Raj storyline. I may have like it better if the whole episode wasn't so rushed. That and IMO the other two storylines were much better. It did make sense Amy helping Raj since Raj suggesting there was a dirty sock in the apartment ultimately made Sheldon go on the date to meet Amy.

[Cherry]

I've watched it many times now and it confirms my first impression: Raj was really at his worst in this episode.

 

I found him pathetic from beginning to end, when he makes Bernie fells gross because she innocently touched him, to the comments that Howard's pranks on Sheldon were funny, and his ridiculous attitude towards Howard before they started the board game.

 

I don't even mention his " courtship ", I mean the Jaguar Tail line made my jaw drop. For a first contact? Really ? So inappropriate I can't believe he's so unaware of how he's behaving...

 

To quote Amy: Why Raj can't find a girl, the mystery continues...

 

Up to now I really liked him, but his failing again and again and again gets really boring. Evrybody is changing for the better, but in spite of the fact he can speak to women without being drunk now, nothing has really changed for him. Still the sucker he was in Season 1. It is really too bad, because he really has a sensibility which could make his couple work. During 7x10, he gave Bernadette, Howard, Sheldon and Amy plenty of right advice.

 

So why wasting his skills with such a creepy shyness? It's not funny anymore.

[stardustmelody]

But if they had done 3 storylines and had made one or two of them really minor, then you'd have people complaining about that.

 

I don't know why people had issues with the Raj/Amy story.  I thought it was nice and funny without being overly dramatic or anything.  And I don't know that Raj's story was necessarily "important", but it did give Raj and Amy some time to kind of build on their friendship.  I like that he went to Amy to help him with his approach to this girl, rather than to Howard or Bernie or even Leonard or Penny.

Maybe he felt that she would be the least likely to give him a hard time, or give him bad advice or whatever.

 

And I do think that they were also using the Raj/Amy and Howard/Sheldon combinations to explore the different aspects of the group as they have done earlier this season.

 

But the important difference is that the outcome was different.

 

 

That is the problem. I didn't find any humor in their story. I find Raj/Amy have ZERO chemistry and only bring out the "pathetic" in each other. I really dislike watching that. Amy is not pathetic. She does have a man that loves her, and while he may be slow at showing it, he does in his own ways show her that she is important to him.  Likewise she has a successful career and is happy with her friendships.  Yet Raj constantly drags her down by trying to remind her of what she doesn't have.   That is not a good friend.  Likewise he was upset with her for "ruining" his chances with Emily (which were pretty non-existent from the get-go) and never thought about how she was trying to help him.   I just find that their story did not work and it appears from what I am reading around the net, that others do agree.

 

Raj/Amy remind me of toxic relationships.  Raj brings Amy down and he is already down on his own.   He wants her to commiserate with him and thus has to bring her down.  A good friend would lift her up, which is what she is trying to do with him, but he just continually reminds her of how little affection she is getting from her boyfriend.   That isn't very healthy.  

 

While I get that the writers were bringing the "dating match sites" full circle (how Raj introduced Sheldon to Amy and now she was introducing him to someone), it just didn't work well.  

 

Why can't they just let Raj decide that perhaps he needs to find peace within himself that being single is an okay thing and there is nothing wrong with it and embrace it.  Why keep him pathetic all the time.  It drags the show down.

 

This story really robbed time from the other stories and the pacing was off.   It was very off and rushed in important places and dragged in this story.

Edited March 7, 2014 by stardustmelody

[garnetngold]

Or they could have just skipped the Ramy storyline, cause as many others here has stated, I didn't care for it. Really didn't like the scenes in the lab and the way Amy is with Raj. But I'm not gonna argue too much on that, cause tbh: I can't really put a finger on what it is I don't like about it. I just don't like it. Maybe it's the way their scenes are written or it's missing chemistry between the actors, idk, it's just something that doesn't work for me.

Going off of this...I don't see it as a lack of chemistry between Mayim and Kunal, I think it is how they are writing Raj. At least to me, they are really making Raj come off as skeevy and creepy.

Obviously this is on purpose...and I am now trying to figure out just what that purpose is. If a girl met Raj in real life, it would not be unreasonable for her to feel uneasy about her safety. Now, I think Raj is actually harmless, and the writers are doing this as comic relief or something. But I hope there is a plan to make him come to terms with the fact that he is extremely creepy. He even came off as creepy/off-putting to Amy, and she is someone who is not a stranger to dishing out that same kind of thing.

He went from not being able to talk to women>>> to only able to talk to women when drunk>>> to being able to talk to women without alcohol, but they don't want to talk back. He is still a work in progress, and I bet there is something in the works for him to come to that realization.

[Jamie]

But if they had done 3 storylines and had made one or two of them really minor, then you'd have people complaining about that.

Yes, but how few? Look at it statistically, how many people are expecting that every storyline in every episode must have big deep meaning to the show in long turn? People know it's a sitcom after all. And if the episode already have one or two "heavier" stories then I don't think you would bother questioning that third one for being too light. Not even in here are people that picky. Edited March 7, 2014 by Jaime

[phantagrae]

I've watched it many times now and it confirms my first impression: Raj was really at his worst in this episode.

 

I found him pathetic from beginning to end, when he makes Bernie fells gross because she innocently touched him, to the comments that Howard's pranks on Sheldon were funny, and his ridiculous attitude towards Howard before they started the board game.

 

I don't even mention his " courtship ", I mean the Jaguar Tail line made my jaw drop. For a first contact? Really ? So inappropriate I can't believe he's so unaware of how he's behaving...

 

To quote Amy: Why Raj can't find a girl, the mystery continues...

 

Up to now I really liked him, but his failing again and again and again gets really boring. Evrybody is changing for the better, but in spite of the fact he can speak to women without being drunk now, nothing has really changed for him. Still the sucker he was in Season 1. It is really too bad, because he really has a sensibility which could make his couple work. During 7x10, he gave Bernadette, Howard, Sheldon and Amy plenty of right advice.

 

So why wasting his skills with such a creepy shyness? It's not funny anymore.

 

The way I see it, he hasn't had enough of an impetus to change.

I mean, he really was socially crippled in a very deep way--way more than the other guys when it comes to romantic relationship.  I mean, even Sheldon had had friendships with women and had ways to deal with such relationships in ways that Raj really hasn't.

 

Even when Raj found he was able to talk to women via alcohol, he could never quite walk the fine line between enough alcohol to loosen him up and the amount of alcohol that makes him say and do stupid things.

 

Howard had been a sleazy "playboy" type, but it wasn't until he actually hit it off with Bernie that he began to grow up and be a real person.

Leonard was insecure and overly submissive until his relationship with Penny finally stablized.

And, good Lord, Sheldon didn't begin to really change until he met Amy--and he's still dragging his feet about that.

 

So for Raj to finally overcome his character flaws, I think it's going to take some stronger influence, and more experience for him to really change.  I think that the only real change that has happened to him was through his relationship with Lucy, which broke him down and finally allowed him to find his sober voice.

But he still has essentially NO experience with talking to women.

[Tripper]

Quotes have been added to the site: http://the-big-bang-theory.com/quotes/episode/717/The-Friendship-Turbulence/

[koops]

I have said this before, but I'll say it again. Out of all the possible character permutations, including recurring characters like Stuart, Wheaton or Kripke, Raj and Amy are my least favorite. It's crazy, but the only Amy scenes out of the entire 4 seasons she has been on the show that I watched once and never watched again are the ones with Raj in Santa Simulation and now these ones, which will be added to the black list. And it says a lot given that even the stuff I hated about in S6, I've watched more than once. They sort of managed to pull off Raj/Amy in the season finale last year but I guess that was because they had Lucy there to be the pathetic one. I don't know if it's Mayim and Kunal not having any chemistry, it's possible. But I think it's more to do with how they write these characters when they're together. Star summarized perfectly how I feel about it. 

 

And it's sad because I agree with Chrismo that since Raj is the one who came up with the idea of signing Sheldon up for online dating and essentially is responsible for Amy, having Amy help Raj with online dating would be a great way to bring that story full circle and it could have been so meaningful if Raj ended up finding a decent girl to date thanks to Amy. How the writers did not think of going back to rewatch Lunar Excitation to get some inspiration (and get the freaking canon right) is beyond me. It was a waste of a plotline. 

[stardustmelody]

I have said this before, but I'll say it again. Out of all the possible character permutations, including recurring characters like Stuart, Wheaton or Kripke, Raj and Amy are my least favorite. It's crazy, but the only Amy scenes out of the entire 4 seasons she has been on the show that I watched once and never watched again are the ones with Raj in Santa Simulation and now these ones, which will be added to the black list. And it says a lot given that even the stuff I hated about in S6, I've watched more than once. They sort of managed to pull off Raj/Amy in the season finale last year but I guess that was because they had Lucy there to be the pathetic one. I don't know if it's Mayim and Kunal not having any chemistry, it's possible. But I think it's more to do with how they write these characters when they're together. Star summarized perfectly how I feel about it. 

 

And it's sad because I agree with Chrismo that since Raj is the one who came up with the idea of signing Sheldon up for online dating and essentially is responsible for Amy, having Amy help Raj with online dating would be a great way to bring that story full circle and it could have been so meaningful if Raj ended up finding a decent girl to date thanks to Amy. How the writers did not think of going back to rewatch Lunar Excitation to get some inspiration (and get the freaking canon right) is beyond me. It was a waste of a plotline. 

 

Agree with all of this!

[Shamyfan]

I really hated when Raj went after Amy in the Tensire ep.

The raj can't get women thing is getting old.

I'd rather raj ask advice from Bernie than Amy. Then he insults her.

Raj, you are on my enemy list. No one messes w my Amy

Edited March 7, 2014 by Shamyfan