S8 Discussion Thread

[Itwasdestined]

And just out of curiosity, who deemed them 'aesthetically pleasing'? That would be a value judgment that requires an outside opinion (or is it just Sheldon 'blowing his own horn'?).

 

Well, he had dropped his pants a few times in the show. A few witnesses may need to be called upon for evidence.

[phantagrae]

Okay, so I can't get into chat (the limit has been reaches, at 50), so I'm just going to try to do my taping report here.

Episode title is "The Communication Deterioiration"

Story: Dave Goetsch, Steve Holland, Jeremy Howe

Teleplay: Steven Molaro, Eric Kaplan, Jim Reynolds

Cold Open, CalTech cafeteria:

Sheldon has been working on songs, changing the lyrics to be about science stuff. Howard agrees to listen. Leonard asks why and Howard says something like he likes science and something else (education? music?) plus he wants to make fun of Sheldon.

So Sheldon starts with the tune Bingo, but sings about a scientist and JamesClarkMaxwell was his name-o, and then spells it out, cramming all the letters in, then sings it again, but claps on the letter J, the way one would sing the B I N G O part of the song, but Leonard stops him.

So Sheldon offers another song--the itsy bitsy spider was not an insect (something like that), he had 8 legs and a two segment body...

I thing his bit ended there the first time, but then they added Sheldon asking L & H if either of them knew Beyoncé, because he would like it if she would get behind it.

Raj comes in and talks about some Nasa project to communicate with potential aliens, the way voyager had that record. So he's on the team that is supposed to design a communication device of some sort and he asks the guys if they'd like to join his team. They're all eager, but when Sheldon and Howard make suggestions about what kind of device would be needed, Raj says he knew that S & H would try to take over, but that Leonard was the only one who asked what Raj had in mind, like a gentleman, therefore he's in and the others are out.

Leonard says something like "mama raised a gentleman!"

Raj's Apartment

Leonard comes over to work on the project. They complain about the others bossing them around. Leonard says the others are alpha males and maybe he and Raj are beta males, or even omegas, who get pushed around by alphas and that this morning Sheldon wouldn't let him put almond milk on his grape nuts because it was a nut conflict (something like that). Raj says he should have told S to mind his own business, and L agrees and that would have been better than what he did do--said he'd eat the cereal with club soda.

Then he says, there are no alpha males here, so what do you want to do (on the project)

Raj says, "I don't know--what do you want to do?

Raj asks if there's something lower than omegas and L said, yeah, guys who eat fizzy cereal.

Penny knocks on Sheldon's door doing the triple knock.

Sheldon answers with a sort of smug look and says, "I bet that started out as a joke, but now you kind of like it"

Penny says, "yeah, I kind of want to do it again"

Sheldon says something like, "if you do, you'll do it for the rest of your life."

He tells her that L is with Raj, but she says she's there to talk to him and he happily welcomes here and starts to mention things on his list of topics, or something and when she mentions her career, he says, sorry that's not on the list.

Penny has come to ask his advice about whether or not she should take the audition for the Clerks 3 movie (that was discussed in the Fortification Implementation episode that we watched), but he says, "I know exactly what you should do, but I can't tell you." He says he has turned over a new leaf and is trying not to tell people what to do.

He then says "that train has left the station."

When Penny just stares at him he says they can play it 2ways--she can ask him about trains, or if she keeps making a face at him, he'll eventually just start anyway.

Mrs. Wolowitz's Kitchen (Howard and Bernie may be living here now...)

Howard is making little molecule cocktails. It was something he and Raj had planned to do together, but they never got around to it or something. But once he's made them, he wants to take pictures to try to show up Raj.

******

I'm sorry guys, I'm falling asleep, so I'll post a quick summary and then try to finish it tomorrow, but it may not be until evening.

Sheldon helps Penny decide to take the audition.

L & R decide the idea they come up with is exactly what the others had suggested

CalTech cafeteria, Sheldon has another song, singing the Howard. L & R come in and admit they need the others. There's a funny little exchange, but they agree to work together.

Penny goes to take the audition, talks to some girls there about how catty some of the women can be, Penny confesses to starting a rumor about "some girl" and it turns out to be the one she's talking to...

They guys are trying to work and Raj wants them each to build on each other's ideas, so Sheldon says, "Building on your statement, I think we should order dinner". Very funny kind of "Simon Says" exchange and Sheldon jumps up to order pizza.

The guys are talking about what image of humans they should include and Sheldon says that the naked people on that old voyager record made humans look vulnerable and squishy, and he squeezes Leonard when he says it.

They end up discussing the idea of Sheldon always making decisions, but they turn out good. Raj mentions feeling pushed aside, mentions Howard taking Sheldon to NASA and not taking the others, etc.

Sheldon realizes that things turn out when he's in charge--long discussion here.

The girls are in Penny's apt, taking about how she left the audition and is grateful to Bernie for getting her the sales job, so Bernie suggests Penny take her to dinner as a thank you. Amy says she should be invited too since they were discussing it in front of her. (This was Mayim's only scene.)

The tag is some aliens finding the video Sheldon makes about our planet. They declare war...

Sorry if it's a bit of a mess, but I'll fill in details later.

There were a few BTS moments. Jim did this little jump when they introduced him at the beginning and apparently kind of hurt his foot a little.

At one point when there was a long wait (rewriting), Kunal apparently asked someone to bring him some food, because some guy brought him a plate and he wandered off to eat it.

Jim apparently bit his lip or tongue while chewing gum. He suddenly kind of gasped or something and covered his mouth. A couple of people came and brought him a napkin or something and he was dabbing at his mouth. Later, when he and Kaley were working on their scene, he was telling her about it.

Each of the guys messed up at one point or another.

Okay, more details to come later, and I'll answer questions then.

[rachelshamyfan]

Cheers phanta !

[karyshamy]

thanks a lot, phanta! I hope you had a great time!

[CentralPerk]

Thank you Phantagrae.

[Itwasdestined]

Thanks phanta. Get some sleep.

[shamylovee]

Thank you

[wowbagger]

Thanks, phanta! I hope you had a wonderful time.

[Such a Hag]

Thanks!

[kerrycec03]

Thanks so much Phanta!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CaffeineBuzz]

Thanks Phanta! I hope it was an amazing experience for you

[mamallama]

Thank you, Phanta. I hope you had a great time.

BTW, wouldn't it have been hilarious/ironic if the alien race race that found Sheldon's message were the Boov...haha

[frankie]

Thanks so much, Phanta! I hope you had a great experience.

 

Well, I liked Penny turning the tables on the knocking thing. I love all the knocking variations they manage to come up with. I don't know why they bothered with the Kevin Smith storyline if the writers were just going to drop it. That would have been an amazing experience--why would she give it up?

[bbtfan07]

Penny did do Sheldon's knock when she was furious at him for taking her clothes in The Panty Piñata Polarization.

[notchinc]

Do you think she gave it up cause she felt older than the women in the audition? Or it's been so long since she auditioned she forgot how tedious it was and became more thankful for the job she has?  I like that she returned from the experience with gratitude for where she is currently.  I wonder if this is the end of the Penny as an actress story.

[Anita Rez]

Thanks, phanta!  I hope you had an amazing time!

[Nogravitasatall]

Yeah Phanta. I hope you had a fun day, saturated in TBBTness.

[Andy_90's_generation]

thank you!

[Martin Pollard]

Do you think she gave it up cause she felt older than the women in the audition? Or it's been so long since she auditioned she forgot how tedious it was and became more thankful for the job she has?  I like that she returned from the experience with gratitude for where she is currently.  I wonder if this is the end of the Penny as an actress story.

 

I have that feeling as well. Penny gets the acting itch again, thanks to Kevin Smith, and goes to an audition, but having been away from it for so long (relatively speaking), she's forgotten what it's really like. It cements her decision to leave acting, hence her expression of gratitude to Bernie for helping her get her current job. Which I don't mind at all, really; the "struggling actress who can't find decent work" schtick was getting old after seven years, and we've already seen that they can mine comedy out of her current job (such as the episode where they're at the company party and Bernie finds out that everyone thinks she's a mean, intimidating bully).

[NerwenAldarion]

What if Penny still gets the acting job?

[wowbagger]

I'm rather disappointed that they didn't pursue the Penny-flirts-with-acting thing. I don't know if I wanted her to return to the grind of auditions and so forth, but the whole 'chasing your dream' conundrum would have had a hell of a lot more bite if Penny had a stable, well-paying job that she was good at.

 

Plus, this seems to be all of a piece with this season's lack of follow-through on story ideas.

[Tomasina]

I think I'll like this one better than the Skywalker incursion

Edited March 25, 2015 by Tomasina

[Susana Alcira]

Thank you Phanta!

[kerrycec03]

this episode to me is really laying the groundwork for what I expect to come in the finale.

 

Something is going on with Penny.  I still am not sure if she is going to toy with the acting, but she has the bug.  She just doesn't seem happy

 

I think the reason Penny goes to Sheldon a lot for help is because they are similar. No holds bar if you will.  And just like Sheldon, Penny doesn't want to fail in front of Leonard.... Both Leonard & Amy put their partners on such high pedestals that there is internal pressure put on Sheldon & Penny.   I don't blame them for this, but once you even things out those pressures leave and you can be more open & honest.

 

Now for the bigger Alpha male plot...this is a long time coming.  And I appreciated how they used the similarities of Howard/Raj to drive home this lingering issue with Sheldon/Leonard.  In clean room Howard even pointed out how Leonard & him have drifted...and that episode was tense between the two of them.   Then throw in the fact that Sheldon has been the alpha towards Leonard from day one.  I personally think Leonard is a pressure cooker ready to burst.  He really has never been truly appreciated by his loved ones (his mother, fiancée & best friend).   Time for him to step up and let them have it and stick up for himself.  I desperately want Leonard to have his moment (and all of this translates to him moving out eventually).  But again with the slow growing Shamy & the sleepover in fort, Sheldon might be getting ok with the fact that Leonard is leaving.  And this coupled with the tension from the paper situation. 

 

You know we've seen "growth" from most of the characters...and Leonard's "growth" was more just social awareness because from day one he was the everyday Joe...BUT he still needs to learn to stand-up for himself and stop always being there for others.  We've really NEVER seen these important people be there for him. 

 

Not saying Penny doesn't love Leonard, but I still don't feel like she has ever really opened herself up to him.  We see her going to everyone else for advice/help.  And he is so desperate to live with her (frustrated to a degree) we do not see the same feelings from Penny.  She is perfectly ok waiting for Sheldon to go along with it.  (which I think is almost a front...the longer Sheldon stalls the longer Penny has to really prepare for the next step)

 

So my gut says that the finale will deal with

1. Sheldon & Leonard.....maybe a blowout....but something is gonna snap here with Leonard (and its justified)

2. Penny (and Leonard & her career)....she appears not happy to me...hasn't all season.  Even she feels they may be old & boring. She isn't ready for all of this.  What this means for her career & Leonard no idea (not a breakup of course but something is brewing here I feel it)

3. eventual living arrangement discussions (not sure if anything will really occur by the finale but depending on the above #1 & #2, both deeply impact #3)

 

Ultimately all this drama/angst will work out better for Lenny in the long run. 

 

JMO

Edited March 25, 2015 by kerrycec03

[kimbee73]

I agree with the Sheldon and Leonard thing, I think there is something going to be done about the living situation. I just hope it isn't so major it ruins their friendship. Leonard has already told him some of the things that have been brewing for a long time in Space Probe but I know there is more.

I think Penny is happy she just doesn't realize it yet. She still is trying to grow up. She was so young when she went to LA on her own to pursue acting and now that she is aware it probably isn't going to happen and has found something she is good at she just has to realize it is for the best. It may take a while for her to come to this realization and she may not be completely 100% happy her dream didn't become reality but in the end I think she will figure out that she does have a great life with great friends and a wonderful fiancé.

 

I definitely do not see a Lenny break up. That would be too much....I couldn't take it. I hope no one breaks up at all. And honestly I hope no one leaves for the summer either.

 

But either way I agree something big is coming.