The Big Bang Theory: Some Like It Goth

The Big Bang Theory:

"The Gothowitz Deviation"

Since I enjoyed reading The Big Bang Theory's fancy article on NYTimes.com today, I decided to blog about tonight's episode, which was hilarious as usual.

Highlights and my observations:

• Sheldon: "While I subscribe to the many worlds theory that posits the existence of an infinite number of Sheldons in an infinite number of universes, I assure you that in none of them am I dancing."
• Sheldon: "Dear Lord, are you still going to be here on french toast day?"
• Sheldon: "I can't be impossible; I exist! I believe what you meant to say was 'I give up! You're improbable!'"
• Sheldon: "Ohh, Penny, it's as if the Cheesecake Factory is run by witches!"
• Ha ha ha at Howard in the goth outfit! He's kind of cute as a goth :-)
• Leonard: "They're going to get beaten up at that club."
  Penny: "They're going to get beaten up at Walgreens."
• Holy crap! That's totally Mickey (Molly Morgan), Stephanie's friend from middle school on Full House! And, yes, I recognized her instantly.
• It's been quite the fall for guest appearances by Stephanie's friends--first Duckface was on Glee, now Mickey is on TBBT. Now we just need Marla Sokoloff, Andrew Keegan and the guy who played Harry Takayama (Nathan Nishiguchi) to show up somewhere, and we're set!
• Leonard: "You can't train my girlfriend like a lab rat."

  Sheldon: "Actually, it turns out I can."
• Lol at Sheldon using the spray bottle on Leonard.
• Mickey pressuring Howard to get a tattoo is reminding me of when Gia and Mickey tried to get Stephanie to smoke in the bathroom. Mickey never seems to be a good influence on anyone, does she? (To be fair, she did end eventually side with Stephanie over Gia on Full House. However, then Steph and Gia became BFFs and Mickey disappeared, so I don't know what the lesson is there.)

Oh, and speaking of TBBT, look at this! How adorable! That Sheldon doll looks exactly like Jim Parsons (to the extent that a crocheted doll can look like an actual person). Unfortunately, I don't think my crocheting skills are quite up to that level yet :-(

(Photo: CBS)

The Big Bang Theory: Games People Play

The Big Bang Theory: "The Barbarian Sublimation"

This episode is one of the ones that I did manage to catch earlier in the year, but I decided to watch and blog it anyway. I'm glad I did, because this episode is hilarious. I think Sheldon managed to spend the entire half-hour saying nothing but wildly funny things. Jim Parsons = very deserving Emmy nominee.

Aside from my utter love of Sheldon, I enjoyed this episode because I think I like video game-themed sitcom episodes in general. The episode of Full House where the entire family became engrossed in playing Michelle's video game was pretty hilarious ("Go up!"/"It's a kayak, it doesn't go up!"/"It's enchanted, isn't it?"). Are there other stellar video game-themed episodes of TV shows? (If anyone is actually reading this and can think of one, feel free to leave a comment!)

Highlights (aka "Ode to Sheldon"):

• Sheldon's knowledge of lock and key technology is impressive.
• Penny: "...and just now when I was walking up the steps, a fly flew in my mouth and I ate it!"
• Sheldon: "Well, let's see. She attempted to open her apartment with her car key because her face is overly Midwestern, she hasn't had sex in six months and she ate a fly."
• Sheldon: "Level 3 and she thinks she's rich! What a newb."
• Sheldon: "You can't slay the guard captain with the bronze dagger! My Lord, it's like the car key and your apartment door all over again."
• Raj: "It's like some kind of weird comic book crossover."
• Sheldon: "I can't wear different pajamas! These are my Monday pajamas."
• Sheldon: "These Hungarians are just using you for dragon fodder."
• Sheldon: "If it is a crime in ensure that the university's resources are not being squandered to chase sub-atomic geese, then I plead guilty."
• Sheldon: "You have to do something about Penny. She's interfering with my sleep, she's interfering with my work, and if I had another significant aspect of my life, I'm sure she'd be interfering with that too."
• Penny: "Fritz, I need you on my flank! ...I don't know German. Flanken Sie! Flanken Sie!"
• Sheldon (about Leslie): "We have to concede her undeniably expertise in the interrelated fields of promiscuity and general sluttiness."
• Sheldon trying to get a date for Penny but actually picking up the guy at the next table himself without realizing it was beyond hilarious.
• Sheldon: "Wouldn't you prefer to socialize with Tom, who is a sexually passive outdoorsman?"

P.S.--Boo to CBS.com for not having photos from this episode posted in the photo gallery on The Big Bang Theory's page. Did they accidentally delete them like NASA did with the moonwalk video? (That was my attempt at a nerdy science analogy.)

Updated--My Take On Emmy Nominations

Last week, I was kind enough to take a break from obsessively documenting the goings on of So You Think You Can Dance to compile a list of actors, presenters and shows who should have been nominated for Emmys. The official list of nominees was announced today, so let's see how well the people who pick the Emmy nominees did with following my directions...

Nominated:

Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad: Supporting Actor, Drama

Breaking Bad: Outstanding Drama Series

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad: Lead Actor, Drama

Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?: Lead Actress, Comedy

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory: Lead Actor, Comedy

Lost: Outstanding Drama Series

Michael Emerson, Lost: Supporting Actor, Drama

Rose Byrne, Damages: Supporting Actress, Drama

Steve Carell, The Office: Lead Actor, Comedy

Undeniably screwed over:

Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance

January Jones, Mad Men

Snubbed:

Adam Baldwin, Chuck

B.J. Novak, The Office

Chi McBride, Pushing Daisies

Chuck

Gabrielle Anwar, Burn Notice

James Roday, Psych

Jennifer Esposito, Samantha Who?

Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies

Zachary Levi, Chuck

I guess 9 out of 21 isn't too bad, as far as the Emmy nominations go. I was so appalled by the snub of January Jones though that I've been a bit soured toward the whole process. I mean, come on, if I had to pick the three actors who most deserved Emmy recognition for this year of television, she would definitely have been on that list. I will admit to doing a little happy dance for Aaron Paul and Breaking Bad though. And Jim Parsons was so cute this morning during the announcement when he realized he was nominated.

(photos: fox.com; amctv.com)

My Take on Emmy Nominations: 2009

Emmy nominations will be announced next week, so I've compiled a list of actors, shows, and personalities that the Emmys would be remiss not to include.

(I have not broken them into categories because I'm often completely befuddled by who is deemed "supporting" and who is "lead" and what is a "comedy" and what is a "drama" and I'm trying to avoid that headache.)

Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad: Paul has been flawless at handling everything Breaking Bad has thrown at him. He's been brilliant at comic relief and gut-wrenching with dramatic material. In fact, there's no one I want to see on the Emmy nomination list more.

Adam Baldwin, Chuck: Baldwin is perfect as the gruff Major Casey, giving us little glimpses into the character's humanity but never becoming too much of a softy.

B.J. Novak, The Office: He's just so good at playing such a cocky little jerk (while never losing sight of Ryan's inherent patheticness).

Breaking Bad: I've documented my love for this show before, so should come as no surprise that I'm pegging it not only for a Best Drama nomination, but also for the freaking Emmy itself.

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad: There's a reason he won the Emmy last year, and Cranston continued to excel this season as Walter's morality became even more nuanced.

Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance: Deeley is easily the best reality competition show host around as anyone knows who has watched her interact with contestants, the judges and the audience. And she's a fashion icon to boot. It's insulting that she wasn't nominated last year.

Chi McBride, Pushing Daisies: If McBride's surly and sassy (but secretly sweet) private investigator isn't on the list of Emmy nominations, I'm going to pull an Emerson Cod and yell, "Oh, HELL no!"

Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?: Applegate was effortlessly charismatic and hilarious as the lovable amnesiac, and it's a bummer that ABC didn't give her more support.

Chuck: The top-notch quality of the show's sophomore season cannot be ignored. With the possible exception of those episodes with that annoying MI-6 spy who kept getting shot, Chuck was firing on all cylinders this season and capped it all off with a season finale that was easily one of the best hours of television all season.

Gabrielle Anwar, Burn Notice: I realize that Burn Notice is one of those quasi-comedy, quasi-drama type shows that people enjoy watching but the Emmys tend to completely ignore (while being all over stuff that nobody is enjoying anymore like Boston Legal), but nevertheless I think Anwar deserves a nod. You'd be hard pressed to fine anyone on TV who is cooler than Anwar's Fiona, and that's got to count for something.

James Roday, Psych: Roday's been overlooked in the past, but as Shawn, a fast-talking, pop culture-obsessed genius, he has proven time and again that he's got serious acting chops.

January Jones, Mad Men: Jones absolutely stole the show's second season with her depiction of cold-hearted Betty Draper. Jones was masterful at giving us glimpses of the fragile girl behind her character's ice queen facade.

Jennifer Esposito, Samantha Who?: Esposito's Andrea is horrendous, but she's also wickedly funny.

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory: Everyone on this show is funny, but Parsons is consistantly hilarious as Sheldon's scientific, antisocial temperament gets pushed to the limit by his friends and surroundings.

Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies: Pace's turn as the sweet and funny Piemaker ended far too soon, but it was beautiful to watch while it lasted.

Lost: Overall, I probably liked Lost's fourth season better than its fifth season, but this show was undeniable as it ratcheted up the suspense and the stakes ever-higher to lead into its final season.

Pushing Daisies: Sure, the second season was ridiculously abridged, but it was also ridiculously good.

Rose Byrne, Damages: Supporting/lead/whatever, Byrne really held her own during Damages' second season, as her Ellen Parsons went toe-to-toe with Glenn Close's Patty Hewes and didn't back down.

Steve Carell, The Office: I adored the high jinks of the Michael Scott Paper Company, and Carell shone throughout, especially in the conference room scene where he masterfully cut David Wallace down to size.

Terry O'Quinn, Michael Emerson, Ken Leung and Jeremy Davies, Lost: Since so many supporting actors had very strong showings on Lost this season, the Emmy list could very well include any or all of them.

Zachary Levi, Chuck: Perfectly balanced Chuck's humor with his humanity, adding a lot of soul to a very fun show.

(photos: amctv.com, abc.com, usanetwork.com, cbs.com)