topherkraz78

Not to jump into the Lion's mouth or anything but Ashu, what makes you spend the time now? I mean obviously something keeps you enthralled so what could change in such a short period of time? I mean I feel Nicole's question is legitimate and to be honest I would ask it too if she didn't. Let me say why I love spending at least twenty minutes a week on this show (well truthfully, its more) its because it IS funny, it IS entertaining and I love Jim Parsons. The show is not and will not be perfect but its better than most of the drek on tv now.

Andu

Time in itself is precious. Maybe it's a thing of age or a thing of philosophical opinion. Either way I've always thought that time is precious simply because it's limited for everybody. And my time being my time is even more precious just because it's MY time.

As for justify. I don't need to justify my reasons anybody else but I do have to justify how I spend my time to myself. If I watch a show that doesn't give me enjoyment I have to ask myself if I couldn't spend the time elsewhere.

Edit: Krys one word. Hope. I don't find it funny or witty or anything any more for the most part. It's really more a routine with some glimmers of greatness occasionally. And I'm sorry but Jim Parsons as much as I like him and the other actors isn't able to change that. What I need to happen is the writers to stop catering to the mainstream and return catering to the essence of what this show was. Put the geeks back in the center and let them be geeks. The jokes need to be less cheap and smarter again. At least to a point where this isn't TAAHM 2.0 any more. The show needs to compare to it's own standard and to me it's been losing that fight for a long time now.

Sursonica

I don`t really think there is need to be so dramatic about it. It`s a show that I personally still enjoy a lot, but still a show.

Apart from that, I think is really hard to keep everyone pleased. After all, each person has different ideas about pretty much everything. Just as some say "I really wish the show will still focus on the same geek situations" there are others that if that would happen would think "they are repeating themselves, that makes it boring".

I think it is normal for a show that`s been on the air for 4 seasons now to shift a little bit on it`s focus. I find it to be part of the natural evolution of the show and what keeps it entertaining. I did enjoy the previous seasos but I still enjoy this one as well. It still has the "geek" elements that made me love the show since the pilot.

I also agree with Simon (or was it Johnny?) when he said that he believes the show isn`t about 4 geeks and a hot girl. Is about socialization, and that the geek enviroment happened to be the guys lives. For me, since day one the show was about relationships (The Leonard/Penny started right on the pilot).

The changing on the show is what, in my opinion, keeps it interesting. If the show would always do everything I want it would be boring. I`ve grown to love the characters & the stories, and even if find some episodes not making me laugh like other episodes, it does make me even more impacient for the next episode to see if that one I like better. And a lot of times I do. I really liked this last couple of episodes. But it depends on the person. I wouldn`t give up on the show just because it changed a little bit. I wouldn`t be angry at the writers either because they are not writing what I would like the most. But again, that`s a personal decision.

WeBuiltThePyramids

I agree with pretty much everything you said.

GeekSoul

I'm in love with this show till Day One. It has surprised me time and time again, sometimes in a good way, and sometimes in a not so good way.

I really like Season 4, but I perfectly understand people who state that the show has changed. However, has it become mainstream, got cheaper jokes ? I don't think so. As I said before, there was ships, there was jokes, there was sex jokes till... Day One.

As a geek myself, I never took this side of the show seriously. I happen to play nearly all the games they "play" in the show (the existing ones )and they never really get it right... they got it fun. And they still try to do it. I appreciate the nod to the geek community anyway, but I don't feel it's necessary to have geeky (or science -can't talk about that, my interest in physics is moderate at most). stuff in each episode. Back in S1, some episodes are very low on geek content.

So, all in all, I'm still happy with the show. I'd like less girls and more boys, even if I like them. Precisely, I'd like to see the girls "in context", I mean, with the boys. Love Car Displacement was great cause everybody was there, for instance.

But, this being said, we shouldn't ask people to justify ( ) their love or no-love for a show. Even if the show changes, even if it doesn't. As with every work of art, 50% of the overall impression is from the watcher, 50% from the creator(s). So, it may happen that YOU change (getting older comes easily to mind, I'm not a big fan of Power Rangers anymore, see? ), and don't like a show anymore.

Andu still hopes to find something to sparkle her interest back to the show. I'm hoping I'll find enough in the future seasons to stay there. That's about it, you can't ask people to keep "faith" in a show no matter what. Btw, everybody puts his limits, even if they don't know it before. Would all of you stay faithful if they had to change some actors from the main cast ? Which one(s) ?

Of course, I don't mean that your attitude is stupid, Krys... Because I would whip myself too, as I intend to stay on board of the only 'ship I'm in.
Me and TBBT.

Andu

She is a he .

That's pretty much what I am saying. I'm not seeing what I used to see. I'm not excited for new episodes any more. I am not overly bothered any more if I don't manage to watch an episode for a few days. As such I'm CONSIDERING to quit the show. I haven't made up my mind yet and the writers could still sway me to decide differently.

The most important thing for me is that more often than not it's not funny to me. And that's what it comes down to in the end. If I can't laugh at the jokes then watching it is kind of pointless. And nobody's opinion can change that. So I'm not sure what there is to discuss about this.

topherkraz78

How did I become involved in this? I never asked the question. Someone else did, I just stepped in. Wha?

WeBuiltThePyramids

And for the record, I didn't ask Ashu to justify anything. He said he'd have to justify it, and I asked what he meant by that. I wasn't trying to get this huge debate over if he's allowed to quit the show or not going. He can quit if he wants or he can stay if he wants, and quite frankly, I don't care either way. He said he'd have to justify if the time he was spending on it was worth it, and I asked him what he does with his time. I know it's hard to convey tone with text, but I wasn't saying he was narrow-minded or needed to explain his entire life story to me. I don't konw anything about Calculus, but if I ask "what's calculus used for?" I'm not saying "Calculus is stupid, narrow minded, or for idiots." I'm asking what it's used for. So I asked Ashu, in conversation, what he'd with the time if he quit TBBT, because I didn't think that twenty minutes was really enough time to do much of anything else. It was a question of curiosity, not a challenge.

And I am done with this conversation. Feel free to chime in with your opinions if you want, but I'm no longer going to be a part of it. I'm only making this post to defend myself, because if anyone - anyone - thinks that I was trying to start a fight or ask an unreasonable question, that was not my intent. I feel it's been blown a bit out of proportion, but that's just me.

akredhead

Wow...this thread has gotten crazy off track...and sort of crabby...

As far as I'm concerned this episode was sort of lamish...there were good parts (as there are always good parts with something so good at TBBT). I liked Leonard and Sheldon interacting...seeing that spark of friendship between them (especially after last week's episode). I liked Raj's smile when the pills worked but didn't he already try experimental anti-depressants with "hilarious" results. I think Raj will start talking to girls when he meets a girl that makes him feel relaxed (or maybe when he becomes "drunk" with love).

I'm over the girls. I looooooove Penny and I want so much for her to be back with Leonard and back with the boys. I think Amy is funny and she sort of pushes things along but I'm just bored with them. I started watching this show because of the original dynamic of the boys and Penny and Leonard and Penny. I'm not REALLY interested in Bernadette or Amy or Priya (although, I'm ready for her to go too).

I've said it before....I want the shinanigans back (space toilets, crickets, paint ball and laser chess). I know they grow and change...but this is turned into a totally different show.

And I will watch it till its last episode...but mostly because I love Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons and want to support them as actors...It isn't their fault that the producers and writers are out to lunch.

GeekSoul

You were talking about staying faithful to the show. I was just saying I'm too, even if I perfectly understand that people would quit if a show wasn't up to their standards anymore.

Jazzed

Just saw it, good episode - most of it fun subplots.
Raj was going way over the top with those pills obviously but then it wouldn't help his character if he would be cured of his anxiety issues..

I'm definitely with ocfan, I don't know why exactly but I can't stand Priya either from the beginning. She's been hypocritical and over the top jealous. As cute as the accent sounds on Raj, it just somehow sounds annoying to me when Priya speaks..

Sursonica

Regarding Raj anxiety issues, I just thought it would be really funny if Amy, being a neuroscientist would try to investigate or cure his case, with the help of Sheldon who, we have learnt, likes to participate in diferencial diagnosis. Hahah, that would be fun to watch!

I may write some fanfic on that, when I have some time off.

Fercita

I don't know guys, but I think the writers must be in a tight spot here. It's obvious they cannot have a story so broad to please every single fan of the sitcom, but it's like they try to go for the general thing (mainstream, or in other words to please the most) and it ends up backfiring. First reviews and critics deemed it too cartoonish (first season), like it couldn't be possible for geeks to be like that, so in the second season they try to flesh them out more, show that they have interest and success in other things outside of just geek games and to actually show them in their respective fields but like the scientist worthy of respect they were, but keeping it with an ironic tone of reality and satire "We are pathetic and creepy and can't get girlfriends, that's why we make robot fights". They fleshed out Penny, who passed from being a stupid blond to a fiery stubborn and pretty smart or with a common sense that the others boys seem to lack most times.

Then reviewers thought it was not going to be enough with that, and the show always had a tone of trying to go further than that. So they got Leonard and Penny together for the romance aspect, and I don't know, but I think the writers knew it wasn't going to work, some people were like meh when it came to them, some didn't even acknowledge the fact they were together and others didn't care because admittedly they were mostly in the background, and the times it was made an emphasis on it was either Sheldon in the middle (teaching them about each other's interests or seeing how he coped with that) or them being embarrassed or just uncomfortable about each other, or vomiting in a bathroom or drinking wine or having sex. So first people ask for romance, so they try to give them some, and now people is complaining about no science/geek things. They would be like "WHT, so what do you want?!"

The romance was good for others, not for others, and some people realize that they show has to evolve while others think there can be a balance.

We all agree in something, the show has to evolve, but overall, the writers give allusion of great sub-plots and they cut it up short, and the romance has overruled everything else and the geek if not completely absent doesn't compare to the other things that have been happening on the show, it's like they don't know they can give us both, and to this day I really cannot phantom why they did focus more on the romance enough to disrupt the ensemble cast because Penny needed girls to bad mouth Priya and Priya needed to be there to establish Penny/Leonard as a plausible couple, and I ask: why? All the disappointment or wondering or pondering or skepticism and leaving the show for that? Do they really have to get them together that bad to do that? It's moving the show too fast too much, and it's becoming like any other show because they have this idea of sel insertion in Lenny. I would have no problem at all if they still try to distribute storyline equally instead of giving more emphasis to a sub-plot.

I know some are not bothered by that because they do like the pairing, and I'm completely okay with that (because we Have different taste and it's interesting to see what other people think about it) but personally, why would I like the shift of focus for a thing I don't even like? If I look for the reasons of the shift, that's all I can come up with, because they stopped focusing on Shamy after ten episodes (and the focus wasn't even that big to be note worthy) and the Howard/Bernadette story lines were small and the development didn't give much impression (and I know I'm the only one who thinks that), Raj became a guest star and that's it. So what about that thing in socialization and then trying to learn about the outside world and know about knew stuff if I sense them they same way socially and sometimes mentally they were (with occasional insights that I like) before. I say they all stay friends, with occasional Amy and Bernadette there, Priya out of the picture or at least not a barrier between the ensemble.

I sound bitter and immature, but that's what I think anyway O.o I agree with tophercraz78, I will see it even if it crashes, I love Jim and Kunal enough to do that.

ETA:

You know, that's the most awesome idea I've ever heard in my life (no joke). It would be excellent if the writers tried this, a new group to try out too. Sheldon/Amy/Raj.

Oh God!! The possibilities!!

Sursonica

I agree, with almost everything you said. I also felt on season 3 and 4 that there were some subplots that deserved more development, that would have made an excelent main episode but were not given the appropiate time or development.

I still love the show, (the only one I watch, I said before, I´m usually a no TV person), and I´ll keep watching untill it ends. (I kept watching the X-Files even when Gillian & David were gone, that´s loyalty haha).

Anyhow, I hope they stop a little bit with this "separation" between the girls & the boys or main plot & subplot. I like it better when everyone interacts with each other & their stories connect (The Herb Garden Germination to quote one of the latest I liked most for that aspect).

I liked the Wildebeest Implementation because of Melissa´s great performance, and the first part with an hilarious Mayim, & Johnny´s almost nervous breakdown, but it did bother me that the stories did not connect with Sheldon´s chess subplot at all.

I´m not sure I´m expressing myself too good right now, I´m sleepy, tired, and I should go to bed since I have to get up to go to work in about 5 hours.

Anyhow, I´m sure you get the idea of what I´m trying to say!

Fercita

Of course! I think we agree in wanting more ensemble episodes, something that relates to all and gives them something to say. I'm missing Raj and Howard and I'm sure we all do *.* Or if not ensemble at least sub-plots that make justice to the characters...all of 'em 0o0

ETA: I just read a comment about the irony in Raj taking pills with a substance extracted from cow urine.

He is in a way...getting punishment for eating beef hamburgers :BBB

Am I the only one who thinks Penny is almost getting the same treatment Raj has? I think Raj had more lines than her this episode