3/30 Big Bang Theory: The Dead Hooker Juxtaposition

[tr0psn4j]

What a great episode. I could write quite a bit about it but everything has already been said!

One funny part not mentioned yet was when Sheldon said “oh by the way, you got the wrong mustard,” and Penny replied “Yep, I can see the squid head now.”

[Meeko]

@tr0psn4j

One funny part not mentioned yet was when Sheldon said “oh by the way, you got the wrong mustard,” and Penny replied “Yep, I can see the squid head now.”

Yet another call back.

I think we got them all now.

I remember the first time, Sheldon goes down his laundry list of requests, and Leonard is like yes, yes yes,

and then Sheldon is like “What took you so long?”

[Meeko]

@Caricci

Here too! I’m so happy to know I’m not crazy.

@control-z

Then at the end of the episode where they were talking in the apartment, there was no sound at all for 30 seconds or so, I missed all the ending dialog.

This makes the three of us having Audio problems last night on the episode. Anyone Else?

[Sampiro]

Admiral Akbar has a decidedly more turtle-like head than a squid head though.

[Turek]

@Sampiro

Admiral Akbar has a decidedly more turtle-like head than a squid head though.

He looks like the evil lovechild of a turtle and a squid.

[Annie-Xmas]

Nobody has mentioned the tap-dancing-pirate-with-the-wooden-leg? AUUURRRGGG!

[spoike]

@Sampiro

Admiral Akbar has a decidedly more turtle-like head than a squid head though.

Did you know that Akbar’s race is “Mon Calimari”? I’ve always taken that to mean that Lucas meant him to appear more squid-like. That doesn’t mean it worked, mind you.

(I cannot believe I knew that fact, frankly. In my defence, I have a Star Wars obsessed son who feels compelled to share his knowledge. It’s not my fault. I fully relate to Penny’s reaction to her Star Trek shield comment.)

[JSexton]

@Dinsdale

#2, I couldn’t believe that I instantly knew who Admiral Akbar was, even before “It’s a trap!” When my wife asked me who he was, it took me about 10 words before she realized as well. “Now I can see the giant squid head!”

Yeah, well, my wife Burst out with “It’s a Trap!” before Sheldon did. (I love my wife.)

Also, I think it was a pretty good impression of Ackbar. The original isn’t nearly as exaggerated in the movie as, say, the Robot Chicken or Family Guy parodies of it.

[The_Superhero]

@Turek

He looks like the evil lovechild of a turtle and a squid.

I’ve always thought he looked most like a catfish.

[mr.jp]

@JSexton

Yeah, well, my wife Burst out with “It’s a Trap!” before Sheldon did. (I love my wife.)

Also, I think it was a pretty good impression of Ackbar. The original isn’t nearly as exaggerated in the movie as, say, the Robot Chicken or Family Guy parodies of it.

If striving for accuracy, it was a terrible impression.

[carlb]

@Meeko

It is called a “Running Gag”.

Running gag - Wikipedia

Running gags can begin with an instance of unintentional humor that is repeated in variations as the joke grows familiar and audiences anticipate reappearances of the gag. The humor in a running gag may derive entirely from how often it is repeated, the (in)appropriateness of the situation in which the gag occurs, or setting up the audience to expect an occurrence of the joke and then substituting something else (bait and switch). Running gags are found mostly in sitcoms, but also appear in other places, such as video games, films, books, and comic strips.

I don’t see the “It’s a trap,” line as a running gag. I think a running gag is more something that shows up multiple times throughout the episode, but each instance is separated by time and other action. I was thinking more of the way some gags or lines will be repeated one after the other, for far longer than is strictly necessary. For me, there’s sort of a reverse bell curve that represents how funny I find the gag. The initial instance is funny, a single repetition is funny, but less so, and additional repetitions become still less funny. But then, the number of repetitions becomes absurd, and it’s funny again.

Sorry, enough with the hijack. I did actually like the joke Penny told. Knowing that it came from a Nobel prize-winning physicist makes it even funnier.

I also appreciated that we saw Leonard actually get bothered by Sheldon’s inflexibility. He’s usually much more tolerant than he was last night - it was nice to see some shading to his character.

[ivylass]

Yes, Penny was wearing a PennyBlossom in her hair. I thought that was a nice touch.

Kaley Cuoco was on 8 Simple Rules…she was the eldest daughter. I never saw the show, but I caught something on E! about* 20 Greatest Hollywood Tragedies* and one of the Tragedies was John Ritter’s death.

References to both Star Wars and Star Trek. Very nice.

[Mr_Shine]

The scene with Penny giving up on appeasing Sheldon, and listing all the potential new tenants was hilarious, especially with Leonard looking more and more incredulous.

[Meeko]

@ivylass

Kaley Cuoco was on 8 Simple Rules…she was the eldest daughter. I never saw the show, but I caught something on E! about* 20 Greatest Hollywood Tragedies* and one of the Tragedies was John Ritter’s death.

Not to take away from Ritter, or from Penny, but, Kaley will always be Brandy to me. Underrated show that it was.

[Again, Disney channel, if you are watching, Make Brandy and Mr.Whiskers DVDs]

[cmosdes]

Is there a way to catch episodes online? Especially recent ones like this one? I mean legally, of course. I can only find clips of this show.

[control-z]

I checked yesterday, yep just clips. At least CBS is putting some entire shows online, just not BBT.

[drastic_quench]

@cmosdes

Is there a way to catch episodes online? Especially recent ones like this one? I mean legally, of course. I can only find clips of this show.

<removed link>

[jackdavinci]

@chrisk

Oh, one other thought. When Penny was making a big attempt to win the guys back and suggested that they all watch Battlestar, I was expecting somebody to come back with, “But Battlestar Galactica is over now - didn’t you know that?”

Didn’t they have a whole discussion with Sheldon about him refusing to erase BSG from his TIVO?

@Meeko

This makes the three of us having Audio problems last night on the episode. Anyone Else?

Not in the same way. But the canned laughter seemed overboard to me this week. Normally I don’t notice the laugh track on any shows at all, but this week on BBT suddenly it was very noticeable and obtrusive. I was wondering if they suddenly added a laugh track after not having one before, if it was put in by someone new, if that audio track was out of balance, or if I was just experiencing that phenomenon where something you experience every day but don’t notice suddenly gets noticed and seems really odd and out of place.

@The_Superhero

I’ve always thought he looked most like a catfish.

When I was a kid I thought he was a lobster. Doesn’t he have reddish exoskeleton arms?

[Meeko]

@jackdavinci

I was wondering if they suddenly added a laugh track after not having one before, if it was put in by someone new, if that audio track was out of balance, or if I was just experiencing that phenomenon where something you experience every day but don’t notice suddenly gets noticed and seems really odd and out of place.

Trust me, it’s always been there. Not that it needs to be, because it doesnt.

[Rich_Mann]

ahem…

The Dead Hooker Juxtaposition

ahem…

Band name!

sorry