That’s the one!
I have Sheldon beat. I have my Apple ][ and the 5 1/4 drive. It is the only item on my list of things that I have in my closet that I’ve seen in the Smithsonian.
Really. I mean, come on – he’s a nerd who’s been given the chance to go to space. Something people have paid millions and millions for, that has been the stereotypical boy’s dream for half a century now. This is a time when you have to realize that maybe, you should try to tough out your daddy issues for a week or three.
The no-longer-evil Wil Wheaton storyline was OK, and I enjoyed the Schroedinger’s Friendship bit as well as the Spiner payoff at the end.
But I found the Howard/Bernadette subplot much more resonant. This was the most human Howard Wolowitz we’ve seen yet. I actually felt for the guy. I liked that she was the one who came to him with an apology, and there was none of the predictable “the-nerd-should-be-happy-he-even-has-a-girlfriend” stuff. Plus, even though she’s still just a disembodied screaming voice, the last scene was the first time it felt like Mrs. Wolowitz was a real person to Howard. Nice job by Simon Helberg this week.
It is interesting to see how much Howard has matured in all ways from his relationship with Bernadette. He is finally growing up, and even acknowledging it “I’m a grown man and I can make my own decisions.”
I did not expect Mrs. Wolowitz’s voice to enter the scene. That was good.
Color me dense, but I need help deciphering the vanity card again. Is he still taking shots at Sheen?
Okay, I’m just gonna say it out loud. There are times when going crazy looks attractive. And I’m not talking about becoming charmingly eccentric. I’ve already got that covered nine ways to Sunday. No, I’m talking about purposely emigrating to the land of lunacy. That special psychological zip code where The Ancient Laws of Behave Yourself no longer apply. My “reasoning” is simple. It takes a great deal of effort to sustain a conservative, trustworthy persona. Surrendering that effort would involve, from a Freudian perspective, a conscious dismantling of the super ego - that part of the psyche entrusted with enforcing parental and socially approved actions. And therein lies the allure of going full frontal wack-a-doodle. The constant energy required to pass as normal would suddenly become available for doing and saying whatever pleases me in the moment. Imagine it. The id and libido completely unbound by any and all moral or cultural restrictions. Hmm… Probably won’t need the shrink anymore… might need a lawyer.
Great episode. BBT is back to its normal self. There was just something ‘off’ about the first four episodes of this season; they seemed somehow clumsy, frantic, compressed.
A little Google of “evil Wil Wheaton” turned on this very interesting thread (& shirt) from his website.
Reading Wil Wheaton’s blog, linked to from your link, I can see why he has it in his study. Good for him.
I like Bernadette, but Howard was so much funnier when he was a girl chasing sleeze. By reigning him in in that area, the writers have pushed that attribute on to Raj and it makes the Raj character very unlikeable.
I am hoping they find a way to break up Howard and Bernadette, but keep the Bernadette around somehow.
I also think it’s time to bring back Leslie Winkle for a bit. I miss her calling Sheldon a dumbass.
I’m of two minds on this.
When a show’s been around for a few years, it does make sense to let the characters grow and evolve – but for a sitcom, that can be a tough line to walk without messing with the show’s general premise.
So on the one hand, I like Howard and Bernadette together and I’d like to see their relationship succeed. But on the other hand, it’s already a stretch that an engaged Howard is still hanging out at Sheldon and Leonard’s eating takeout every night; it’ll make even less sense for a married guy to spend so much time with the group.
But at the end of the day, the show is still funny to me, and as long as it remains so I’ll be OK with whatever happens. I can forgive a lot when I’m laughing.
If I ever get a black velvet painting of myself, it is totally going up on the wall.
I liked Penny and Amy talking with Bernadette - “Let’s just throw this out there - you’re certain you still want to go ahead and marry Howard?” And Bernadette’s response - she truly does love him.
I loved “Sleazy Howard”! I miss those days, as well – but he and Bernadette do make a cute couple, so I am a bit ambivalent about whether they would be better off together or separate.
You’re right about Raj becoming unlikeable, though…
Yeah, the only way they could possibly justify that would be to have Howard & Bernadette move into the building. Even then it’ll still be weird.
Wil Wheaton, LeVar Burton and now Brent Spiner. Shall we start a pool on which Star Trek actor makes the next cameo?
I totally related to Howard in this episode because I once had a relationship end over flying. When I was first taking lessons, she got ticked off one Saturday when I was going to spend it flying instead of with her. She gave me an ultimatum. I went flying.
Space flight? Hell, I’d sell my mother down to Rio if I had that chance.
10 quatloos on Michael Dorn. He’s on a series on the same network, so no problems there.
The whole episode seemed out of character to me.
I can stretch my suspension of disbelief as far as the next sci fi nerd, but really, Howard going to space for three weeks? Too contrived. 
Don’t forget George Takei!
I’m putting 5 bars of gold-pressed latinum on Jonathan Frakes.
Patrick Stewart (although his regular role on American Dad might conflict) would be awesome - dude always seems to enjoy mocking himself.
Bill Shatner, for the same reason.
I’d rather see more Brent Spiner.
Yeah, but as the Shit-Saying Dad from the now-defunct show.