Episodes 809 The Septum Deviation (November 13)

[BespectacledBrunette]

I had been kind of hoping for another roomie hug between Sheldon and Leonard (I know, I know, needy baby greedy baby here), but otherwise was pretty pleased with this episode. And I've definitely been fangirling over in the Shamy thread.

 

Two little things I noticed about the episode: 

First, I really liked Kunal's acting in this one, even though his was a relatively minor plotline.  I like when we get to see Raj in more serious moments and not just as part of the "Raj-is-effiminate" and "Howard-and-Raj-are-gay" punchlines.  The lines about Diwali and his mother setting fire to his father's Mercedes cracked me up.

 

Second, is it just me or has there been some added distance between Sheldon and Penny lately?  In the hospital, for example, 90% of the banter was between Sheldon and Amy, and even  in the prom episode the scene between Sheldon and Penny seemed less...chummy...than usual. I'm not sure how I feel about this, honestly. On the one hand, I'd like to see Sheldon moving more toward gravitating to Amy in his emotional moments, not to mention giving the newly-engaged Lenny some space. On the other hand, Jim and Kaley's scenes together have been the most iconic moments of the show for me, and I'm not sure I want to see that chemistry dialed back.  Then again, this could be all in my head.

[Kichi]

Just wanted to point out there, Mayim's delivery of 56 cracked me up so much!

[BespectacledBrunette]

Just wanted to point out there, Mayim's delivery of 56 cracked me up so much!

 

Agreed.  Amy being weird on purpose was lovely.

[Itwasdestined]

This was an hilarious laugh out loud episode for me. Really enjoying Season 8. I think it's because I'm now watching the show with my own mini studio audience - Mrs Destined is now completely hooked, and my two kids - I'm in an atmosphere of laughter and not bogged down in looking for Lenny love or Shamy growth ( that's for my 2nd to 10th viewings[emoji6]) Not every episode has to have iconic moments like last week to be excellent. Sometimes I'll settle for a simple tale of a man's love for his buddy.

Loved and laughed out loud at-

The whole cold opening - Tesla and Jay-Z, he's all mine, Kaley's smile laugh at the typo or real person line

the bedroom scene - nice callback to the bedroom invasion days of early seasons. Jim does concerned Sheldon so well.

The whiteboard scene was gold. Love it when Sheldon hits the whiteboard to analyse non science stuff like when they were trying to work out the best movie theatre to go to

Hospital scene - sat in his spot next to Penny instead of with Amy - didn't even think just happened. "why didn't you stop me" and more proof of the love for Leonard ( with a side of living together forever debate foreshadowing) And Penny voicing that she is spending the rest of her life with Leonard ( and yet almost acknowledging Sheldon might too!)

Shelnard on the couch all beat up channelling Felix and Oscar from the Odd Couple ( one for the oldies here)

The urns

the Raj coasters

Howardette jousting

Just one joke that worked after another for me all show.

On the Howardette debate, I've been one to analyse that winds of change are coming for these two, not in a divorce/separation sense but serious discussion on where they are at. This episode definitely alluded to that and next episode also a bit to the Bernadette challenge ( don't think that counts as a spoiler does it?) Carol's tragic death and possible repercussions just adds to that BUT....

I thought their scenes in this episode were hilarious and very realistic as one of the married men on this forum. Best line of the night was Howard's " and here I am in the trap!" Who amongst us married men hasn't found themselves in that situation? These kinds of snarky conversations have been part and parcel of my 22 years of marriage with no ill effect. Bernie is copping a bit lately for being so nasty but its natural to bring up the woman doing all the housework and husband being oblivious to the problem ( cough! doesn't happen at my house cough![emoji16])

I think it's a good story arc to put Howardette in after them being just the other couple in the show for so long. It's why I connect to the show so much. Shamy are my incredibly awkward, clueless teenage years, Lenny is the romantic first and only relationship I had with the future Mrs Destined and Howardette is the reality of my married life - good and not so good. And it looks like Howard (the man child part of me ) and Bernadette ( the frustrated, unappreciated part of Mrs D) are moving headlong into one of those conversations and reflections we've had from time to time. But it's all good after 20+ years. And I'm sure the writers will make it even funnier than my experiences. So I'm not worried about the Howardette issue. I'm looking forward to it. It will be an interesting and funny alternative to the Shamy/Lenny which is all unicorns and fairy floss at the moment.

Edited November 14, 2014 by Itwasdestined

[ajond]

Wow that was ordinary to say the least. Couldn't get a chuckle out of it with the possible exception of R's 'couples therapy' comment. BTW before i get the any comebacks, I am stating this as my opinion NOT a fact.

[djsurrey]

Just finished watching the episodes with my two sons. The 9 year old piped up after the opening scene "I know what game that is. It's called Heads Up" and the 12 year old (Sheldony) future palaeontologist lectured us on how, though the T Rex in the gas tank line was funny, it was incorrect. (I'll spare you his lecture on ancient sea plants and animals, coral reefs, and so on).

Totally feeling my "Raising Geeks since 2002" signature is justified.

Oh, and we HOWLED at Howard's line about washing himself with a hamster. (We have 5 pet hamsters).

 

Oh why spare us? For me it would have been the most interesting post in this thread.

Just to support your 12 year old I have a couple of links here:

 

http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter08.html

http://s07.static-shell.com/content/dam/shell/static/usa/downloads/alaska/os101-ch1.pdf

 

Now I'll jump out of this quickly to avoid boring anyone.

[djsurrey]

Raj's parents divorce may have been a lead in to the Howdette discussion since his parents have't been on in over 3 years.

 

I guess.

 

Was Emily even mentioned? I would have thought Raj might have brought her name up once at least.

[mjc45]

sheldons heart of gold came to light for is best

friend leonard, it was cute.

 

felt bad for raj, with the divorce come up 

 

glad to see howard/bernie work on there marriage

[Midru]

There were some really good moments this week. And I know the following was mentioned before...

 

But the glaring continuity issues with Leonard and the snoring just drives me nuts. They could have given him any number of health issues to advance the story in the same way. And there is more than one reference in the past that should prevent this storyline.

 

The fact that this show generates billions in revenue apparently is no incentive for having the writers watch their own show, or be expected to understand the backgrounds of their own characters. I mean, this was basic! 

[BespectacledBrunette]

There were some really good moments this week. And I know the following was mentioned before...

 

But the glaring continuity issues with Leonard and the snoring just drives me nuts. They could have given him any number of health issues to advance the story in the same way. And there is more than one reference in the past that should prevent this storyline.

 

The fact that this show generates billions in revenue apparently is no incentive for having the writers watch their own show, or be expected to understand the backgrounds of their own characters. I mean, this was basic! 

I'm usually not one to agonize over continuity errors in a long-running series, but this one really bothered me too.  We've been told on multiple occasions that Penny is the one who snores, not Leonard.  Also, like you said, there were plenty of other health issues that could have been used to the same effect.

[Chiany]

Yeah these kinds of mistakes used to bother me, but since there are so many now in the series, I just stopped paying attention to them.

It's clear the writers only focus on the episode being written/taped, and don't look back or forward.

[luke]

There were some really good moments this week. And I know the following was mentioned before...

 

But the glaring continuity issues with Leonard and the snoring just drives me nuts. They could have given him any number of health issues to advance the story in the same way. And there is more than one reference in the past that should prevent this storyline.

 

The fact that this show generates billions in revenue apparently is no incentive for having the writers watch their own show, or be expected to understand the backgrounds of their own characters. I mean, this was basic! 

 

The Griffin Equivalency

Leonard - "Let’s just eat so I can get to bed, with any luck tonight will be the night my sleep apnea kills me."

 

It was established in season two that Leonard has sleep apnea, which can be caused by a deviated septum, when I read that Leonard was going to have surgery, I immediately assumed that was what it was for, they didn't mention that as the reason for the surgery though, aside from saying Leonard was having trouble breathing - maybe they just wanted to keep it light, as sleep apnea can be a possibly life threatening condition.

[Martin Pollard]

If he'd said that he was having the surgery to address his sleep apnea, Sheldon could have countered that a CPAP machine could have addressed it without surgery. (I use one for mine, though I don't have a deviated septum.)

Sent from my HTC One M8 using Tapatalk

[gsxdoug]

This was ok

 

 

This episode was a great example of Scintillating

So, um, which was it?

[luke]

Loved and laughed out loud at-

The whole cold opening - Tesla and Jay-Z, he's all mine, Kaley's smile laugh at the typo or real person line

the bedroom scene - nice callback to the bedroom invasion days of early seasons. Jim does concerned Sheldon so well.

The whiteboard scene was gold. Love it when Sheldon hits the whiteboard to analyse non science stuff like when they were trying to work out the best movie theatre to go to

Hospital scene - sat in his spot next to Penny instead of with Amy - didn't even think just happened. "why didn't you stop me" and more proof of the love for Leonard ( with a side of living together forever debate foreshadowing) And Penny voicing that she is spending the rest of her life with Leonard ( and yet almost acknowledging Sheldon might too!)

Shelnard on the couch all beat up channelling Felix and Oscar from the Odd Couple ( one for the oldies here)

The urns

the Raj coasters

Howardette jousting

Just one joke that worked after another for me all show.

 

Loved the Raj coasters - they should so put those out for all of the characters if they haven't already - and I like to think of Sheldon and Leonard as a modern version of the Odd Couple, even thought they have more in common than Felix and Oscar did, they still drive each other just as crazy, while having an underlying affection for each other

[tmp]

There was one line that made me cringe, and I gasped audibly when it aired.  In Raj's office, when Bernie says at least her parents stuck it out unlike Howard's father who just took off, that was really below the belt.

[Chiany]

There was one line that made me cringe, and I gasped audibly when it aired.  In Raj's office, when Bernie says at least her parents stuck it out unlike Howard's father who just took off, that was really below the belt.

 

Well, it fits the Bernie we've seen this season, everyone get's her attitude ...

[BespectacledBrunette]

There was one line that made me cringe, and I gasped audibly when it aired.  In Raj's office, when Bernie says at least her parents stuck it out unlike Howard's father who just took off, that was really below the belt.

Yeah...that made me cringe, too.

 

Well, it fits the Bernie we've seen this season, everyone get's her attitude ...

I really don't know why Bernie has been taken so far over to the dark side.  I realize that it can be used for humorous effect, that Melissa Rauch probably has a ton of fun doing it, and that the character has - from very early on - been characterized as someone with a sweet exterior but who can become very angry and surprise everyone.

But I can't help be reminded of the situation with TBBT's initial pilot, where audiences didn't like the pre-Penny female character because they loved the guys and didn't like her being mean to them.  Bernie used to be one of my favorite characters, but now she's gotten so mean toward the other characters I love that I find myself cringing at most of her scenes.

 

That said, I did actually really enjoy the "things we love about each other" conversation in this episode.  To me, that was the right mix of marital bickering without hitting below the belt.

[phantagrae]

I'm usually not one to agonize over continuity errors in a long-running series, but this one really bothered me too.  We've been told on multiple occasions that Penny is the one who snores, not Leonard.  Also, like you said, there were plenty of other health issues that could have been used to the same effect.

What are the several times that they've mentioned Penny snoring or that Leonard doesn't snore?

I can only think of the one, from Einstein Approximation, or whatever that episode is called.

What are the others?

[BespectacledBrunette]

What are the several times that they've mentioned Penny snoring or that Leonard doesn't snore?

I can only think of the one, from Einstein Approximation, or whatever that episode is called.

What are the others?

1x02 "The Big Bran Hypothesis": : Penny snores while Leonard and Sheldon are cleaning her apartment. Later, when Penny confronts them, Sheldon tells her she had been snoring and that it could be sleep apnea.

3x14 "The Einstein Approximation": The episode you're remembering - Sheldon says that Penny snores, not Leonard, and Leonard confirms it.

5x10 "The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition": Penny falls asleep and snores during Twister (admittedly for comic effect).

I think there's at least one more reference toward Penny snoring that I'm forgetting.

 

I also consider Sheldon's failure to mention Leonard snoring in past episodes as evidence that he doesn't (after all, we've heard about his lactose intolerance incidents on multiple occasions, as well as plenty of more innocuous things like jingling his keys).

Edited November 16, 2014 by BespectacledBrunette

[Tensor]

I also consider Sheldon's failure to mention Leonard snoring in past episodes as evidence that he doesn't (after all, we've heard about his lactose intolerance incidents on multiple occasions, as well as plenty of more innocuous things like jingling his keys).

But he has mentioned his sleep apnea. About the only way someone would notice another person's sleep apnea, would be their snoring. Sleep Apnea and Deviated septums are closely associated with snoring. I would find it highly unlikely that someone with both sleep apnea and a deviated septum would not be snoring.

[BangerMain]

But he has mentioned his sleep apnea. About the only way someone would notice another person's sleep apnea, would be their snoring. Sleep Apnea and Deviated septums are closely associated with snoring. I would find it highly unlikely that someone with both sleep apnea and a deviated septum would not be snoring.

 

What is amazing about the episode is not that Sheldon said in the past that Leonard does not snore but Penny does (3.14) but that he actually put up with this for 6 years without comment. The Sheldon we saw in the flashback (3.22) was going to deny Leonard the apartment if he did not know the sixth noble gas or not giving 12 hours notice before having sex. He would have had a conniption if he had to endure loud snoring noises for one night, let alone nearly every night for 6 years before he got use to it. And as Leonard noted before, Sheldon does not suffer in silence.

 

Sheldon and Leonard's back story was modified slightly for the purpose of a very, very funny episode. Fair exchange.

Edited November 17, 2014 by BangerMain

[BespectacledBrunette]

What is amazing about the episode is not that Sheldon said in the past that Leonard does not snore but Penny does (3.14) but that he actually put up with this for 6 years without comment. The Sheldon we saw in the flashback (3.22) was going to deny Leonard the apartment if he did not know the sixth noble gas or not giving 12 hours notice before having sex. He would have had a conniption if he had to endure loud snoring noises for one night, let alone 6 years before he got use to it. And as Leonard noted before, Sheldon does not suffer in silence.

 

Sheldon and Leonard's back story was modified slightly for the purpose of a very, very funny episode. Fair exchange.

This is precisely what I was trying to say, just worded much better, haha.  No one can tell me that - were the show consistent - if Sheldon had been listening to Leonard snore for years, we wouldn't have heard constant cracks about it.  Instead, we have a very specific instance of Sheldon saying that Leonard does not snore.  Both of my parents have sleep apnea, so I agree that snoring makes the most sense for why Leonard/Sheldon would know that Leonard has that condition, but the fact is that we have never heard Leonard snore / anyone (Penny or Sheldon) complain about Leonard snoring until this episode.

I agree that the episode was funny, and I've long since stopped expecting consistency from the writers on the finer details, but this one did kind of bug me for coming essentially out of nowhere.  There are all kinds of other operations Leonard could have had that wouldn't have involved directly contradicting the past.

Edited November 17, 2014 by BespectacledBrunette

[djsurrey]

My sleep apnea was/is so severe that the neighbours complained about the snoring (my wife was going stir crazy). All it takes is a cpap machine and the snoring stops. Well as long as the machine is used every night.

[Tensor]

Sheldon and Leonard's back story was modified slightly for the purpose of a very, very funny episode. Fair exchange.

And that's just it, I don't think it was modified, as Sheldon has mentioned Leonard's Sleep Apnea, which I would take as a comment on his snoring, YMMV.