Big Bang: "And Space Beats Water"

Leave it to Howard to want to undermine Leonard's awesome adventure to work on a project for Stephen Hawking! He'll never let anyone forget he went to space (I guess he forgot the lesson her learned on Halloween?). Howard aside, there was a big difference in character growth for Raj... he is now able to talk to women without being under the influence of alcohol. It will surely make it easier to write the character, plus that gag got old sometime ago. What's sad, however, is that he made real strides with Lucy in his life, while Leonard and Sheldon are very much in the same place they were a year ago. When the fifth season ended, Sheldon took Amy's hand for the first time, but nothing has progressed... in a YEAR, he still isn't ready for anything more physical. Leonard, on the other hand, proposed to Penny last year and they dated pretty solidly since then, but when Bernadette mentions the idea of marriage, he shies away like it's a hot potato. All in all, not the greatest episode, and certainly not worthy of a season finale. The big question now is whether Leonard will miss any episodes because of this trip, or if he'll be back with the gang right away come fall... thoughts?

The Big Bang Theory "The Bon Voyage Reaction" (S06E24): Leonard has the opportunity to work on a ship in the North Sea for four months, and Sheldon does everything in his power to convince Leonard not to go. [but he doesn't really give any indication of why he has that stance.] Penny tells Sheldon to lie and say he's happy for Leonard, so he does.

The group wants to meet Lucy, but she's wary of strangers so she just meets one of Raj's friends first. He thinks that Leonard would be the best one for her to meet, but Penny thinks a girl would be better, so he asks Bernadette. [she' be my choice, too. good manners, less awkward, not very intimidating.] Amy winds up being the pick, however, because she was the last one to join the group. [decent reasoning.] The meeting has a lot of on-the-spot moments, forcing Lucy into the bathroom. AGAIN. But, it's all just too much for her, and she ditches Leonard's going away party by dumping Raj via text message. [I am so glad that texting wasn't around until after I was engaged, LoL.]

On the way home from dropping off Leonard at the airport, Penny checks on Raj, who is able to talk to her while sober. Turns out, he can now hang out with Bernadette and Amy as well without drinking, though he is uber-chatty. [what is Raj wearing?? stripes and paisley??]

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What do you think this means for Raj next season?

Fun Friday: Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock

With the season finale of The Big Bang Theory last night, I wanted to talk about rock-paper-scissors, a game that I learned in first grade. Before that point, I only determined "it" through the means of eenie-meenie, one-potato-two-potato, or odds-and-evens. I was in love with the whole idea that you could TIE in rock-scissors-paper, and got giddy when we would just play rock-scissors-paper over and over instead of an actual game! Years later, it's rarely used, though in college we frequently played it to determine who should play first in miniature golf.

Anyway, because I was not alone in loving the game, I'm probably not alone in finding an upgrade to be AWESOME. If you're not familiar with the expanded version as Sheldon plays it on The Big Bang Theory, the rules are (straight from Sheldon!): "Scissors cuts paper. Paper covers rock. Rock crushes lizard. Lizard poisons Spock. Spock smashes scissors. Scissors decapitates lizard. Lizard eats paper. Paper disproves Spock. Spock vaporizes rock. And as it always has, rock crushes scissors." You can see a handy visual below, originally found at nathanthenerd.tumblr.com.

This game comes up several times in The Big Bang Theory, notably in "The Lizard-Spock Expansion" (S02E08) and “The Rothman Disintegration" (S05E17), the latter of which even credits the creator of the game, Sam Kass. I have yet to really test this version in real life, partly because I need to study it a little harder, and partly because I'm not sure how many other people will really convert to this advanced method. Can anybody out there attest to the powers of the new game?

Family Tools: Invisibility and Mistakes

Already canceled (and many believe that it was destined to be because of its very late debut), I still think that this show had some great comedic potential. The second episode was a bit absurd, but funny, especially when taken with a grain of salt. The third only had some select moments and seemed to rely heavily on one-liners, but the characters are still being developed. Speaking of which, I found it weird that Tony didn't try to check up on Jack at all in "Now You See Me, Now You Don't," but he was back to his old ways and beyond in "Beachwood Approved," so no harm there. Still, the best line from either installment was definitely "I am a fraud and I need your assistance. How would you like a new roof?" Can you think of any better ones?

Family Tools "Now You See Me, Now You Don't" (S01E02): Jack and Darren are working at an office where the "toolbelt effect" is clear. See, in "white-collar country," guys with tool belts don't exist. Therefore, Jack and Darren mess around to see if anyone notices them. Everything changes, however, when Jack takes off his tool belt to tend to a coffee spill, as multiple people welcome him to the advertising office as a new employee. [they played it up a bit, but this was annoying.] When an old high school classmate, Wendy, chats with him, he claims to have 70 vans and be a hot-shot CEO, a charade that he keeps going for a few days.

Darren mutters an idea for a slogan that Wendy uses as her own, leading to Jack coming clean about who he is and why handymen are people, too. Well, Wendy flees and the two guys envision wrecking a pitch meeting with their power drills. [it was wholly unbelievable but still a little funny. and I was a little bummed to find out it was fake, haha!] In reality, they just tell on a bunch of office employees and take an espresso machine. [tattling? really?] 

ABC/Nicole Wilder

At home, Mason likes a goth girl, Louise, and Terry spies on them. Louise loves cockroaches so Mason makes her a collage. [omg.] Mason goes to Tony, Stitch, and Darren for relationship advice. When Darren finally goes to hold her hand, Louise jumps on him. [ha.]

Family Tools "Beachwood Approved" (S01E03): Terry harasses Tony about his health, making him run steps, go for walks, ride his bike, and check his blood pressure. [I like the little doses of reality this show has... family caregivers are totally judged by the improvement of their patients.] When the news at the doctor's office isn't great, Terry decides to use her urine sample instead of Tony's so that as least the glucose level would be good. [gross but funny.]

Mr. Jiffy-Fix gets a job in an expensive community, so Tony is paranoid that Jack will screw it up. [of course.] The owner is even leaving town for two days, which you'd think would mean the guys could take their time and get everything right. Well, Darren throws parties and Tony goes around secretly fixing Jack's mistakes. [Darren and Stitch dealing with their grandfather is annoying, not funny.] In the end, it goes well, and Jack picks up an electrical job in the community. [wow!] But, things go poorly, Darren begs Jack to call Tony for help, and Jack has no choice but to call his dad when there's an unexpected plumbing emergency as well. In the end, we learn that Tony had a job in Beachwood thirty years ago and messed it up, so his son is entitled to make his own mistakes. [not a bad ending...]

The Middle: School Problems, Lies, and Advice

Do kids just not get their hair done for Prom anymore?? I've noticed this on television and it really strikes me as odd! and sad, for that matter. Another thing about these two episodes that shocked me is how much Sue stands out. I think that she's an oddball as much as Brick is, but her plots can be blown out of proportion pretty quickly. I know that it's for the sake of comedy in many ways, but I often wonder what suffers because of those stories. For instance, Mike and Axl's fishing adventure was really about two minutes long if you piece the flashes together... and I know Mike isn't one for a lot of talking, but I think that he could/would have given more advice to his college-bound son. Oh, and this family has a boat??!?

The Middle "Hallelujah Hoedown" (S04E22): Sue thinks that she can stop herself from freaking out while taking her driving tests by practicing Lamaze breathing. [this seriously made me laugh!] But, she fails three more times anyway. [I can't think of anyone who failed more than twice... can you?] Carly makes her feel bad when she gets her license on the first try, but when her other friends also begin driving, Sue feels terrible and turns to Reverend TimTom for advice. [he's always around when she needs him, huh?] She tries to take his advice but blows up at a hoedown when all anyone talks about is driving problems. [completely believable.] Her friends band together to give her more confidence, but she can't take the test again for another month anyway. [half sad and half funny.]

ABC/Michael Ansell

Axl and his friends start a service asking girls to proms for people. [what teacher encourages interruptions like that??] He asks Cassidy to go, though he initially thought that she wasn't interested. [weird.] At Prom, she tells him that she'll be leaving sooner than expected for Vassar, as she was accepted into a summer program. To make matters worse, when she says that they won't be together next year anyway, he breaks up with her on the spot. [so sad!] Axl is crowned Prom King, and has nobody with whom to dance... though WeirdAshley comes to his rescue. [which we all knew was coming!]

Frankie is worried that she'll be getting the shaft for Mother's Day yet again, so she tells Brick exactly what she wants so that he can make it happen. She says he's the only one she's going to tell, but then says the same thing to Sue and Axl. [I love this family!] The problem is, nobody can really remember what Frankie asked for... and when Brick stumbles onto it, Mike isn't sure about getting Frankie something "medical." [the foot spa was season 1, so I don't have a link for you as a refresher, my bad!] Mike decides that it's not his job to pick something out, and Brick decides to get yellow pants for his mother. [hahaha.]

 The Middle "The Ditch" (S04E23): Axl realizes that Sue has never missed a day of school, so he encourages her to skip school for a day. She decides to do it, sneaking out of the house and intercepting the call from the attendance office. BUT, because she's never missed before, she wasn't aware that she'd need a signed note when she returned, so she spends the next couple of hours practicing her mother's handwriting. [if you start doing it when you're like 12, you've got it down by 16. just sayin'.] Then, she calls Brad and finds out that there was a surprise assembly of college a capella groups, complete with ice cream! [we had one "surprise assembly" my whole high school career, but it was AWESOME. Ben Glenn came!] In trying to make herself feel better, Sue tries to enjoy some junk food in bed, but spills all over her parents' comforter. [HILARIOUS that she thinks her parents could see what time she used the internet. Mike and Frankie aren't that tech-savvy, LoL!] The whole experience gives her hives and causes her to miss two MORE days of school! [that kinda sucks.]

Frankie has to pay the electricity bill in person because it's late, but the line is long. When one person mistakes her for a doctor because of her lab coat, she goes along with the ruse and gets special treatment from several others, including the girl at the window, who waives the late fees. [not impressed.] When Frankie gets to the office, one of the people who let her skip turns out to be a patient, so Frankie has to act like she's the dentist and the dentist is her assistant. When her boss questions what's going on, Frankie says the guy was stalking her, and the boss bans him from the office. [hahahahaha.]

Brick doesn't want to go to middle school because he'll be lonely and the water fountains are different, so he refuses to take the placement test for his "track." He's sent to the school psychologist, who makes him feel better as soon as he mentions that he'll be at the middle school two days a week. [cuts like this make me sad. my HS had two full-time guidance counselors and one who had other responsibilities as well, and I would've been very upset if I couldn't get in to see at least one whenever I needed something.] 

Mike and Axl go fishing, but after they get distracted by some volleyball players, the trailer becomes unattached and stuck in some sand. It takes them a while to get moving again, but Axl saves the day and Mike "never looks at another woman again." [hahaha, yeah, right.]

Secret Life: Marriage and Moving On

The show of a thousand storylines! We've likely wrapped up Tom, Madison, and Lauren, but I think all of the 20+ other characters still have something going on, which will really start to become pressing in the remaining three episodes. A few major things that stand out, however... Chloe possibly going back to her stripper days. I don't know what she's not getting that she feels she needs this life again... PLUS, I want Ben to talk to Henry and Alice more, not Chloe! Next, Kathleen. I'm not sure why they bothered to write-in her mother for two episodes, except possibly to show the family trend of marrying young. Speaking of which, what was with Grace and Amy telling Kathy to "play the field" when neither has really done that?? The bottom line? I'm starting to become nervous that we're going to get a slipshod ending...

The Secret Life of the American Teenager "First and Last" (S05E20): Kathleen's non-drinking, non-card-playing mother, Victoria, visits, interrupting what was going to be an elopement. She's very critical of her daughter, and even more so of George. [makes sense.] Kathleen hasn't spoken to her mother since Marshall died, but Victoria needs someone to care for her, as her husband left her after she demanded to visit Kathleen before she dies. Bad heart or not, Victoria was shunned from the community for disobeying her husband, who has already married someone else. [seriously??] Victoria knew that Marshall had a girlfriend in Africa, as she heard about it through the missionary grapevine. [ha!]

Victoria isn't the only newcomer to the scene - George's mother shows up after taking a long trip to see all 50 states, which began before the series premiered. With both mothers present, Kathleen and George get married as Grace and Amy cry on one another's shoulders. [LOVED Kathleen's dress!]

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Grace was crying because she's trying to get out of marrying Jack (who is finally cast-free!), though she did accept his proposal. Amy's reason for crying isn't as obvious, though we do learn that she wants to get married the day after she graduates from high school so that she can jet off to New York a week later for summer school. [Ricky is unaware, though Ben has figured it out.] Both George and Adrian are skeptical that the wedding will occur.

Weddings aside, Omar and Adrian have a condom break, and he's paranoid that she's pregnant. She claims that she's on the pill and doesn't need the morning-after pill, but Omar is worried because she got pregnant by Ben when she was on the pill. [you guys know I have so much to say here but I'll refrain...] She suggests that they get married a year from June, after her sophomore year, and then they'll move to New York.

On the educational side of things, a speller named Brian asks Kathy for bee tips, but Ethan doesn't want her to spend time with him. [such a control freak, that boy!] Ethan tries to prove he's a good enough speller to help Brian instead, but it doesn't work. On the flip side, a girl named Layla cheats off Ethan's algebra test, and it takes some convincing to prove that it wasn't Ethan who was copying Layla's paper. [this is another scene I thought that we could have done without. what did it really add??] For the older kids, college acceptances are going around, and although Madison and Lauren got in to Hudson, they're planning to attend Berkeley. [thank goodness that SOMEONE on this show knows what Early Admission means!] Grant is going to Harvard, and Grace is so jealous that she makes a scene. [ha! that's what you get for not putting academics first, Grace!]

The Secret Life of the American Teenager "All My Sisters with Me" (S05E21): Kathleen's mother has passed away, so she wants to be alone, as does Grace. Grace is still trying to get out of her engagement, so she thinks about going to a different college than Jack, then has sex with in an attempt to prove that they're incompatible. 

Anne offers the house to Amy and Ricky (and John and Nora), but Amy wants to go to school in New York without her husband and son. Anne then gives Amy a second option: if she doesn't want to get married, the house will be sold and Amy can use the money to fund her single mother life in New York. [either way, that's a crazy deal! I bet Ashley would be mega-jealous!] Ben is also still looking out for Amy, though Leo puts the kibosh on his son having both an apartment and an on-campus room. [good!] Ben can't stop thinking about his first love, however, so Chloe tries to seduce Ben into forgetting about Amy. [hold the phone! this was ridiculous!!] When he turns her down, she calls her old pimp. [huh??!?]

Omar wants to get a condo in New York, but Adrian doesn't want to move into a place a year after Omar has lived there already, and doesn't care if they waste rent money for a year. [she is SUCH a selfish BRAT!!]    

George wants Anne to buy him out of the furniture store, but she's more upset that she wasn't invited to his wedding or Kathleen's mother's funeral. [...why would she be??] She talks to Anne about bring "part of their family," and she's welcome. This is especially helpful because Willadeen is with Nora now. [eep!] Meanwhile, Tom grows attached to George's mother, Eva, and the two decide to head to Alaska on her motorcycle. [and Kathleen was thrilled...?]