It All Started With a Big Bang

So it's been too long, and I have decided that I needed to make time to write  a blog entry.  I debated about what to write about, and then the idea occurred to me.  I'd go back to my bread and butter, which is television and movies.

Recently, TBS picked up "The Big Bang Theory" and they run blocks of episodes a couple of nights a week.  I watched this show when it first came out, but as I got busier and busier with school, I was never home when it aired so I forgot about it.  That is, until I caught a few episodes on TBS, and now I'm hooked.  It's one of the few shows I look forward to each night and I think it's hilarious.

Granted, it's not for everyone and I understand where the nerdy personas and subject matter could be off-putting for some people, but I think everyone should at least give it a shot.

The show centers around roommates Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki, "Roseanne") and Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), their two friends, and their babealicious new neighbor, Penny (Kaley Cuoco, "8 Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter).  The friends, whose character names are Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nuyar) and Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg), work with Leonard and Sheldon at CalTech where they are all scientists.

Being nerds, they lack many social skills that would help them get girlfriends and some of their hobbies tend toward the geekish.  Leonard has a crush on Penny, and their on again, off again relationship is one of the major plot points of the show.  I envision them as the new Ross and Rachel from "Friends."

While the episodes are typically self-contained and the action is fairly limited in terms of scope,  the dialogue is witty and quick.  The characters are also interesting and have their own quirks.

Sheldon, for example, lacks emotional intelligence and has an inability to empathize.  He has difficulty recognizing sarcasm, nuanced language, and has difficulty expressing affection.  This goes back to his repressive childhood with his born again Christian mother no doubt.  He seems to be most like Spock, where he uses logic in various situations to assess emotion or to guess what people mean when they speak to him.  He does so quite awkwardly.

Sheldon:  Leonard, I'm moving out. 
Leonard Hofstadter: What do you mean, you're moving out? Why? 
Sheldon Cooper: There doesn't have to be a reason. 
Leonard Hofstadter: Yeah, there kinda does. 
Sheldon Cooper: Not necessarily. This is a classic example of Münchhausen's Trilemma: either the reason is predicated on a series of sub-reasons, leading to an infinite regression; or it tracks back to arbitrary axiomatic statements; or it's ultimately circular: i.e., I'm moving out because I'm moving out. 
Leonard Hofstadter: I'm still confused. 
Sheldon Cooper: Leonard, I don't see how I could have made it any simpler.

Raj, on the other hand, is shy and has an inability to speak to women unless he is drunk.  Ergo, he constantly whispers in his companions' ears what he wants to say in the presence of women.  Drinks in his hand, however, are another matter.

Howard lives with his mother and is the only one of the four who does not have  PhD, and they never let him live it down.  He thinks he has swagger with the ladies but does not and is always embarrassing himself in the process of trying to hit on and get women to date him.

The show centers around your typical sitcom problems: breakups, problems with friends, parents, etc.  But the four core characters have excellent on-screen chemistry and I'd have to say Sheldon is my favorite and I see a bit of myself in him.  But I also relate to hopeless romantic (albeit nerdy, misguided) Leonard.

When you add in a parade of guest stars and other recurring characters, such as Christine Baranski as Leonard's mother, Laurie Metcalfe as Sheldon's, and others, the show is a great half an hour of tv to watch and I've begun to catch up on the new episodes.

My favorite newer character is none other than TV's "Blossom" herself, Mayim Bialik as Sheldon's new "girlfriend" Amy Farrah Fowler.  Say her name out loud.  A couple of times.  It's funny.  One of the other running gags is that her name is said in its entirety each time, again which I think is a riot.

The show also has had famous physicists as guest stars, and I hear that Spock himself, Mr. Leonard Nimoy, is going to have a cameo in the spring.  Can't wait!  Now get out there and watch yourself some TBS to catch up!

Sheldon Cooper: Good morning, Amy. 
Amy Farrah Fowler: It most assuredly is not. 
Sheldon Cooper: Are you experiencing dehydration, headache, nausea, and shame? 
Amy Farrah Fowler: Yes. I also found a Korean man's business card tucked into my cleavage. What happened last night? 
Sheldon Cooper: Oh, memory impairment. The free prize at the bottom of every vodka bottle. 
Amy Farrah Fowler: Sheldon. 
Sheldon Cooper: All right. Last night, you gave me some excellent advice regarding my problem here at home. You kissed me, and then vomited on and off for 40 minutes, following which you passed out on your bathroom floor. I then folded a towel under your head as a pillow, set your oven clock to the correct time because it was driving me crazy, and I left.