RETURNING: The Big Bang Theory: A Shift in Status Quo

A double dose of the dorks should have been a great way to kick off the season, but I didn’t really see it that way. The first episode had to play too much catch-up, and the second really existed just to prove that things are tough when you’re not in your wheelhouse. I took Calc I, but no physics or engineering or programming, so my understanding of what my husband does is limited at times. Similarly, he can’t read music and has only read four or five of Shakespeare’s works, so he doesn’t get what I’m doing when I read a new musical or compare storylines to the Bard’s. So, Leonard and Howard constantly being at one another’s throats got old several seasons ago for me. It wasn’t even very exciting to see Amy not know what to do with her friendships cultivating independently. But, neither of these facts really matter, as I doubt these situations have really been resolved in any way…

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The Big Bang Theory "The Locomotion Interruption" (S08E01): 45 days after he headed off on his train trip, Sheldon was robbed and calls Leonard to get him in Arizona. [and, without skipping a beat, Leonard goes. Friendship is important, guys!] When Penny can't go, he asks Amy to make the six-hour drive with him, which upsets Sheldon, as he didn't want her to think he couldn't make it on his own. [Sheldon's Sherlock Holmes references were odd, but I thought that his wanting Amy to think he’s perfect was adorable!] However, the trip wasn't that hard - he never left the train stations and rode in the first-class cars. [I believed his coitus line for a moment!]

The reason Penny couldn’t accompany Leonard is because she has a job interview to become a pharmaceutical sales representative at Bernadette’s company, and although she's horribly under-qualified, she gets the job because she and the boss share a fear of Bernadette. [I found it hilarious that the funding for a drug she's working on has been pulled, but the boss can’t bear to face the pint-sized spitfire!]

Also, Raj had his windows un-tinted so people can see his hott girlfriend, and Stuart has decided to continue living with Howard’s mom, despite the fact that she no longer needs medical assistance. [I thought the exchange at Howard's front door was hilarious!]

The Big Bang Theory "The Junior Professor Solution" (S08E02): Bernadette thinks Penny should prepare for her new job by studying ahead, but the others don't think Penny would do well as a teacher's pet. [ha!] Penny decides to hang out with Amy sans Bernadette, and then Bernadette hangs out with Amy sans Penny. Amy is delighted that she’s getting one-on-one girl time, but when she herself tries to schedule the same, it doesn’t work as the others study without her. [I loved that Amy was outside the door!]

Mrs. Davis calls Sheldon to her office to say that he can change his field of study as long as he becomes a junior professor, which actually works out decently for him because nobody wants to take his graduate physics course. Howard enrolls, so Sheldon does his best to stump his friend, so Howard, in turn, plays a terrible student, shooting spitballs at Sheldon. Sheldon reports Howard to HR, Howard drops the course, and eventually Howard is even able to stump Sheldon with an engineering question. [so… if Sheldon isn’t actually a junior professor, does he have to go back to string theory?]