Episodes 823 The Maternal Combustion (April 30)

[Tripper]

'The Maternal Combustion' - Season 8, Episode 23 

Airs Thursday, April 30 at 8/7c on CBS.

Personalities collide when Sheldon and Leonard’s mothers finally meet. Meanwhile, Howard finally decides to "man up" and do his fair share of the housework – but not without a little help from his friends.

[djsurrey]

I have some high expectations for this episode with the two mothers.

[Chelle]

Dr. Beverley Hofstadter and Mary Cooper will steal this show.

 

I can't forget how Christine Baranski delivered this line, "Sonny boy! Why didn't you tell me you were tapping my homegirl?!". Makes me laugh out loud just thinking about it.

[bigbangsheldon]

UMM WHATS THE WORD.. PROMO. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Ar3Xu9SnU

[bhreg]

Thanks for the video...Have there been any promo photos for this episode?   Looking forward to the "Moms Throwdown!"  I'd put my money on Mary! 

Edited April 28, 2015 by bhreg

[kelliluvtbbt]

the promo of the 2 moms interacting was hilarious!!!!!!!!  ( you tube) . 

Edited April 30, 2015 by tbbtluv

[SRAM]

I was a little surprised how confrontational Bev and Mary were, but I liked it. Mary seemed to have the high ground in it all. I felt a little sorry for Bernadette she is like a maid for three teenagers.

[Earnie]

Another good episode the two mothers were great

[jenafan]

Sheldon's mother is one tough cookie. Can't wait to see how she interacts with her future daughter-in-law in Season 9.

[Shamyfan]

It was OK, not as funny as last wks. 3 out of 5 for me.

[JoeSal90]

A very hilarious episode and I loved seeing Sheldon and Leonard's moms finally meeting each other and as jenafan said I can hardly wait to see how she will interact with Amy next season and not to mention also feeling a little sorry for Bernadette who had to be a maid for Howard, Stuart, and Raj who acted like lazy teenagers.

[Chrismo]

I think if this was a boxing match Mary won over Beverly by an unanimous decision. Generally a funny episode.

[CaffeineBuzz]

Dear lord I love Mary Cooper so much. She is the awesome, non politically correct bad ass we all secretly wish we could be. Really funny episode all around and the hard knocks tag had me laughing with tears streaming down my face.

Also, I am adding "dirty double mother suckler" to my profanity repertoire effective immediately.

Edited May 1, 2015 by CaffeineBuzz

[loriparis80]

I honestly thought the episode was just okay. I was happy to see Beverly try with Leonard.

[ashleyo85]

I would have liked to have heard more about the award and/or seen them get it!

[Oldnavy]

I thought it was a good episode. The interaction between Leonard and Sheldon was pretty good especially when they were alone. I liked how supportive Penny was of Leonard. Of the parents, Mary Cooper is my favorite.  Leonard's mother I can live with out. The part with Bernedette and Howard I thought was sad more than funny.  It seems that in comparison with Leonard and Sheldon, Howard and Raj have been the slowest to mature.   A good episode overall.

 

I would like to see Leonard get recognition for his abilities. Leonard's mother and Sheldon always put him down. I really hope that they have Leonard get tenure next year, just to see Sheldon's response.

[Monke.Head]

It was good to see Bernadette's softer approach to the childish/infantile boys. Having said that, I rather see them not just being used a gags. 

 

Mary vs Beverly was super great. It was fiery without going over the top. The Leonard/Beverly hug, for me, did not reach the climatic high that I wanted it to for some reason I just cant put my finger on. Maybe there wasn't enough lead up? 

 

Not sure what people will say about the short appearance of 21.8 seconds for Amy, but it didn't bother me. 

 

Good gags and lovely episode over all. Quite good for S8 standards. 

 

 The part with Bernedette and Howard I thought was sad more than funny.  It seems that in comparison with Leonard and Sheldon, Howard and Raj have been the slowest to mature.  

 

My view Sheldon out of them 4 has grown the least and Howard the most. This episode had him slip back to season 2 for laughs, which is ok for me but I hope they don't do that too often from now. He has come a long way. 

 

As for Sheldon, that is another long story, but I guess because he was the one with "most to work on" so to speak, I do not notice his growth. But I do appreciate on the prom night when he said "I love you too". And again, this episode brings back the always self-referential Sheldon that I just love to hate. 

 

 

Bazinga.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Monke.Head

[Chelle]

Overall it's a good episode.

1. The two mothers battling it out was the highlight. Mary Cooper is still the better mom with her sweetness coupled with her "I won't back down" attitude.

2. I feel sad for Bernadette having a man-child for a husband. I think she could get some tips from Dr. Beverley Hofstadter on how to deal with Howard better.

3. I see Stuart as a character that catalysts changes (making Penny realize how much she likes Leonard, making Sheldon realize how much he wanted my homegirl Amy to be his girlfriend, providing a different friendship dynamic with Koothrappali when Howard was in ISS). With him in the Wolowitz household, I think there'll be major changes coming, especially in season 9.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Chelle

[djsurrey]

I thought it was an excellent episode.

 

I can't help but wonder what Beverly's take on Sheldon building a blanket fort would have been.

[tmp]

This episode was very funny.  I laughed out loud several times.  Super weaner and dirty double mother suckler were gold.

 

I've loved almost every episode this season.  My complaint is that so many of the episodes have been split into a Sheldon/Leonard/Penny/Amy plot and a Howard/Raj/Bernie plot that it's starting to feel like two separate shows.  Like this week, many of them have even been completely separate with no scenes to tie them together.  I hope in season 9, they have more ensemble episodes and more variety in the interactions.

[Monke.Head]

3. I see Stuart as a character that catalysts changes (making Penny realize how much she likes Leonard, making Sheldon realize how much she wanted my homegirl Amy to be his girlfriend). 

Great observation!

 

 

 

I can't help but wonder what Beverly's take on Sheldon building a blanket fort would have been.

Hmmm... interesting thought. And the compulsive behaviours, behaviours, behaviours. 

[Lionne]

Hilarious episode, I laughed a lot. And the boys singing "It's a Hard-Knock Life" was the perfect topper. Bernie might be frustrated with the 3 teenage boys she's raising, but if she was really furious or unloving, you know the wolverine would send them all packing. I loved Howard's soft, "just go," and the fact that she turned around and left to give him another chance at success.

Watching Mary and Beverly go at it was the highlight of the episode, though. Both actresses are so, SO good at what they do, and I was hooked on watching everything about this storyline. Mary's story about praying for a son smarter than her dumb-ass husband, and seeing the nodding bobblehead Jesus was just hilarious. Their tension was made even better by Penny's facial expressions throughout.

I rated the episode excellent, which I wasn't expecting. I thought I would at least give it a point off because Beverly and Leonard ending with a hug seemed a blatant repeat of the ending of "Maternal Congruence," way back in the middle of the 3rd season. In that one, Leonard confronted his mother over not confiding any information in him, and drunk Beverly offers him a hug and then tells him to go to bed. Leonard calls off the new touchy-feely relationship in the car the next morning. I have to admit that this episode played along the same lines - Beverly decides to give Leonard a more loving relationship, starting with an offering a hug that he awkwardly accepts, though with justified trepidation. I have to admit I was a bit shocked to have a Beverly/Leonard moment completely repeated from 5 years ago. Did the writers not remember they already did that one before?

But I suppose that Beverly has never been confronted with a woman like Mary before in real life, nor a woman like Mary who has such a "success story" in Sheldon. So it got Beverly thinking, and she came to her new conclusion to be more loving to Leonard on her own. Quite honestly, she even seemed a little humbled about it. Sometimes I cannot get over how brilliant Christine Baranski is as an actress, even down to every little "tsk" she makes. I know a lot of people hate Beverly, but she's my absolute favorite because what Baranski does with her is SO funny, and sophisticated, and just takes a hateable character to a whole other level. Match her with a woman of Laurie Metcalf's talents and have them fighting over Freud and Jesus - with an elated Sheldon and irritated Leonard on hand to boot - and how could I complain?

But my favorite exchange of the night:

Sheldon: What did they fed the lions, mother?

Mary: The drowned, bloated corpses of sinners.

And Mary referring to Sheldon later as Lion food.

It was funny, it was interesting - how could I complain?

PS. Penny pretending to drill Leonard's arm with her diamond ring was the epitome of adorable.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Lionne

[ajond]

 Wow that got an okay from me. The only saving grace was the Bev/Mary interaction. They sure did a number on Leonard, He was dissed from start to finish. Why I don;t know but it's been happening all season. Perhaps the reasoning is that the more you drag Leonard down, the more you pump Sheldon up.

[Dannii]

My iTunes season pass doesn't have the episode yet  

[Tonstar17]

Great!! Another Leonard bashing episode. Don't even know why I bothered to watch that shit.

Best bits for me was the Howard,Raj, Stuart & Bernadette plot. Now that was funny. A plot. Meh apart from the little lenny moments.

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