# Big Bang Theory 11/4--The Apology Insufficency **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 4, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458 "2010-11-04T14:40:17Z")\ **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:** [November 4, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/1 "2010-11-04T14:40:17Z")
Sheldon’s interview with the FBI jeopardizes Wolowitz’s security clearance. ETA: Just putting “Sheldon” and “FBI” in the same breath makes me giggle. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/2 "2010-11-04T15:23:11Z")
Whoohoo! An Eliza Dushku fix for those of us who are still kinda bummed about Dollhouse cancellation. I’m looking forward to the episode. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/3 "2010-11-05T03:52:08Z")
I’m getting kinda tired of Leonard complaing about his bad luck with women. I only started watching the show in season 2, and in that time he’s shared hip sweat with Leslie Winkle (Sara Gilbert), Stephanie Barnett (Sara Rue), Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Dr. Elizabeth Plimpton (Judy Greer), and Priya Koothrappali (Aarti Mann) Did I miss anybody? ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/4 "2010-11-05T05:52:29Z")
You forgot what’s-her-name—the North Korean spy. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/5 "2010-11-05T05:57:33Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > You forgot what’s-her-name—the North Korean spy. I’m not sure I saw that episode. This thread is open for other comments on the episode. I guess we know how they’re going to hide Kaley Cuoco’s cast. And did it seem weird to anyone else that Summer Glau was on once playing herself, but another actress from the Whedonverse was supposed to be an FBI agent? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/6 "2010-11-05T05:59:36Z")
It’s an amusing bit of reality, really. The people who bitch most about lack of luck with the opposite sex are the ones who get it pretty regularly, but AREN’T getting it right now. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/7 "2010-11-05T06:01:58Z")
You’re right, he doth complain too much. And why would Wolowitz accept Sheldon’s apology based on that stupid place on the couch? Penny knew it was a hollow gesture. Why didn’t anyone else? And since when do FBI agents look like that? Those guys better get into some genius level trouble if the show is going to survive. Anybody ever figure out what that thing on the wall is? ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/8 "2010-11-05T06:43:11Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > …I guess we know how they’re going to hide Kaley Cuoco’s cast… I still think they should’ve just written her broken leg into the show. That scene was nice, but overall Penny seemed kinda surpufulous, and the episodes she missed turned out just find. I’m sure that’s very unsettling for Miss Cuoco. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/9 "2010-11-05T07:42:34Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > And did it seem weird to anyone else that Summer Glau was on once playing herself, but another actress from the Whedonverse was supposed to be an FBI agent? Not too much, since the most recent ‘in character’ moment was with Katee from BSG. > [@TriPolar](#): > > Anybody ever figure out what that thing on the wall is? Which thing? Each episode I find some new Easter Egg in the background to notice. First it was in Leonard’s apartment. Then it was in the hallway outside Sheldon’s office. This time, it was on the walls of the cafeteria (3D sculptures that looked vaguely like yin-yangs or curvy dragons). ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/10 "2010-11-05T11:36:30Z")
Back when I was bartending (not at such a classy place as a waffle house, mind you) I would have been canned for doing shots with the customers. Just saying. But I am glad to see that Penny got a promotion. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/11 "2010-11-05T11:52:48Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > I still think they should’ve just written her broken leg into the show. I agree. What’s the big deal? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/12 "2010-11-05T11:53:44Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I’m not sure I saw that episode. It was never an ‘episode.’ It’s been referenced to\* a handful of times and there was a flashback to it in the episode where Leonard was telling Penny how much worse Sheldon was when he first moved in. \*In fact, it was referenced to in this episode. Sheldon mentioned it when he went back to the FBI office to try to clear Howard’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/13 "2010-11-05T11:53:46Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > But I am glad to see that Penny got a promotion. Penny’s been bartending at the restaurant since the first season. The same episode also introduced Raj’s ability to talk to attractive women if he’s had a drink. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/14 "2010-11-05T11:55:07Z")
Oops. We have duplicate threads. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=584377](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=584377) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/15 "2010-11-05T12:02:36Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Oops. We have duplicate threads. > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=584377](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=584377) Not anymore. Merged. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/16 "2010-11-05T12:08:45Z")
> [@Kal](#): > > Penny’s been bartending at the restaurant since the first season. The same episode also introduced Raj’s ability to talk to attractive women if he’s had a drink. Just goes to show how much attention I pay to the non-geekcentric parts of the show. I was also impressed that Penny knew Kirk had cheated. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/17 "2010-11-05T13:19:48Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > I agree. What’s the big deal? Well, if Chuck Lorre’s vanity card is any indication, he’s still somewhat disgruntled by the whole affair. ETA: for the TiVo-impaired: [CLP - Vanity Cards](http://www.chucklorre.com/index-bbt.php?p=309). ---
**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:** [November 5, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/18 "2010-11-05T13:40:12Z")
So that’s Eliza Dushku, huh? For all the thousands of times I must have read the name, I think that was the first time I’ve actually seen her in anything. And I have to say I was pretty underwhelmed. She’s attractive, sure, but not nearly as crazy-hot as I’d imagined from the years of virtual drooling I’ve seen here and elsewhere. And she doesn’t seem to have the acting chops to pull off playing a believable FBI agent, even on a sitcom. Although obviously there were going for the stunt-casting, not actually trying to hire the best actress for the job. I guess it would have worked on me if I were a Buffy fan. Other thoughts about the episode. Good: Sheldon’s encounter with a guilty conscience. His subsequent interactions with Howard. The Gorn dream! The business with repeatedly spitting the liquor back into the shot glass. Penny knowing about the Kobiyashi Maru. Bad: Raj can’t talk to women without alcohol. We get it. And it was tiresome by the end of season 1. I’ve said it before – it’s long past time for him to get over this. Leonard had so little to do in this episode, they resorted to having him do a supposedly funny voice. Really? More good that bad in the episode overall, but I’d like to see them move away from the guest stars for a while and do some stories focusing on the core characters. That’s when the show is at its best. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/19 "2010-11-05T14:00:13Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Back when I was bartending (not at such a classy place as a waffle house, mind you) I would have been canned for doing shots with the customers. > > Just saying. But I am glad to see that Penny got a promotion. By now Management knows Sheldon quite well, I would think. If it gets him out of the place without killing the other customers, I think they’re fine with Penny doing shots with him. (Although, since Sheldon kept spitting his back in the glass, “with” might not be applicable here.) Given Howard’s horndoggedness, I’m quite sure he would have failed any security check anyway, even without Sheldon’s “help.” ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458/20 "2010-11-05T14:05:14Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Given Howard’s horndoggedness, I’m quite sure he would have failed any security check anyway, even without Sheldon’s “help.” Yes, lost in all the anguish over Sheldon costing Howard a security clearance was that what he told the FBI agent was kind of true. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-11-4-the-apology-insufficency/559458.md?page=2)