# Big Bang Theory 10/6--The Wiggly Finger Catalyst **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779 "2011-10-06T13:23:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/1 "2011-10-06T13:23:42Z")
Raj finally meets a girl he can communicate with. Well, it’s about time they put that joke to rest. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/2 "2011-10-06T13:51:20Z")
Put to rest? They’ve beaten it to death. They had a perfect opportunity with the season opener to traumatize Raj out of it and they went for the cheap joke instead. I really expected more from the writers. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/3 "2011-10-06T13:57:40Z")
I’ve said before that the writers should enable him to talk to Penny. This would have been a good step forward in his character development. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/4 "2011-10-06T14:02:14Z")
And Penny has forced him to talk to her sober before, so there is precedent. ---
**Author:** ![CorneaGenii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@CorneaGenii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CorneaGenii)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/5 "2011-10-07T03:14:56Z")
Wow. Never thought I’d see the day when Howard would seem less douchey and pathetic than Raj. This show needs an infusion of funny and fast. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/6 "2011-10-07T03:57:50Z")
It was not a very good episode, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![hazynlazy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bb73d2/32.png) [@hazynlazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazynlazy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/7 "2011-10-07T04:04:30Z")
This was easily one of the worst episodes of the series, in my estimation. And that’s why there aren’t “Raj-centered” episodes very often. The writers have really turned him unlikeable in pretty much every way. And the not talking to girls thing is painfully boring. Sheldon with the dice was a weak storyline as well. Hopefully this episode was just a blip in the radar. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/8 "2011-10-07T05:19:11Z")
They did not bring the funny with this episode. Raj was a whiny dirtbag, the dice gimmick was old quickly, and everybody felt like they were just phoning it in. It’s time for the “Raj can’t talk to women” schtick to die a quick death. I truly hope that this was just a one-time flailing on the part of the writers. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/9 "2011-10-07T06:16:14Z")
Did anyone notice if the actors were actually signing correctly? I found it interesting that Penny called Raj’s parents to tell them what is going on. There is actually a precedent in **The Panty Piñata Polarization** , when she called Sheldon’s mom. We also found out that Sheldon is a Notary. ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/10 "2011-10-07T07:31:34Z")
In defense of the show, there were some funny lines…I also got REALLY psyched that there was sign used, and a Deaf girl! YAY! Now if I can find a portal to the alternative universe where the Big Bang Theory is located I have an IN! …from what I can see it was corretly done. ---
**Author:** ![Bohomite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@Bohomite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bohomite)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/11 "2011-10-07T09:46:27Z")
I just don’t think the guy who plays Raj is a v good actor…but oh well. Penny annoyed me a little; and I didn’t like how they tried to incorprate the usual group dynamic into a Raj-centric episode…it felt a little bit disjointed. And I missed Amy!! She was barely there! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/12 "2011-10-07T13:12:33Z")
It’s like the actor who lays Raj went to the writers and said “Make me the center of an episode.” Since he already claimed to have a deaf girlfriend (and later said he made it up) in an episode, they used that idea for this episode. Sheldon is a notary and Raj is super rich. The best line was from Raj’s father: I’m s gynocologist. I know what she’s giving you. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/13 "2011-10-07T13:43:28Z")
A totally sucky evening. We always watch _BBT_ and Tivo _Community_, to be watched immediately after. Both shows sucked. What a waste of an hour. The only redeeming bit was Emily blowing up at Penny, and Howard’s quasi-translation. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/14 "2011-10-07T13:53:14Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > And Penny has forced him to talk to her sober before, so there is precedent. All he managed to do was to squeak out a high-pitched “Sorry!”, I’m thinking. Am I remembering that right? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/15 "2011-10-07T14:09:16Z")
Yes you are. But he did it. He’s even spoken a whole sentence in her presence, before he fully realized she was there. It really is a lame joke. He can talk in the presence of many females, as long as they blur into a group. Just not any single female he isn’t related to, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/16 "2011-10-07T14:14:56Z")
I agreed that this episode was weak. The writers are ok making Raj rich when up till now he hasn’t, but they can’t change this talking to women thing? (and his psychosis doesn’t allow him to speak out loud when women are around, allows him to speak if one woman in the conversation can’t hear?) I’m going to think about this one as the episode that doesn’t exist. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/17 "2011-10-07T14:16:34Z")
> [@\*\*gytalf2000\*\*](#): > > All he managed to do was to squeak out a high-pitched “Sorry!”, I’m thinking. Am I remembering that right? There was also an episode in either season 1 or 3\* (the ones that just went into syndication) where Raj said something to Penny without thinking. He then immediately clapped his had over his mouth and got a horror-stricken look on his face. Sorry that I can’t remember the specifics at the moment, but it was one other time that they spoke together. \*=since they’re both in syndication and running in order at the moment, and since my handy-dandy TV app tells me that tonight’s episodes are number 15 for the seasons, then it would have been an episode between 1 and 14. I further think I saw it this week which would limit it to episodes 11-14/ For what all that’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/18 "2011-10-07T14:28:04Z")
Seems to me this season so far hasn’t been as sharp as it was previously. The writing lacks a certain snap, and somehow the cast’s timing – or energy or chemistry or something – just seems a little bit off. I keep hoping it’s only a temporary slump. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/19 "2011-10-07T14:28:05Z")
> [@FlightlessBird](#): > > …The writers are ok making Raj rich when up till now he hasn’t, but they can’t change this talking to women thing?.. He lives alone without a roommate, drives a BMW, and talks about having servants back in India. All they did was amp it up. Hopefully that dynamic will replace the selective mutism. I don’t mind the talking thing as much as how big an asshole he becomes when actually engaging with women. Maybe he _should_ stay quiet. About this episode, I laughed. I liked Howard translating. I liked the reddit t-shirt. I didn’t like Bernadette non-double-blind drug test. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779/20 "2011-10-07T14:31:39Z")
I thought BBT and Community were both weak, but I still laughed. Bad BBT is still better than the best of many other sitcoms. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-10-6-the-wiggly-finger-catalyst/598779.md?page=2)