# The Big Bang Theory 2/3--"The Thespian Catalyst" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 3, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046 "2011-02-03T17:02:58Z")\ **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:** [February 3, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/1 "2011-02-03T17:02:58Z")
Sheldon decides to take an acting lesson because “I might be considered a better teacher is I could act like I care about teaching.” ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/2 "2011-02-04T04:16:10Z")
“Hello, Mrs. Cooper. I think I broke your son.” Made me LOL. Also, I’m glad they decided to develop Raj. Granted, it’s all in his head, but I’d like to like him as a more active character rather than the non-speaking shy guy he is. I like Raj. But not in that way. You know what I mean. KMN. ---
**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:** [February 4, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/3 "2011-02-04T04:45:15Z")
The scary thing was, Sheldon’s impersonation of his mother actually wasn’t too bad. I thought Penny was just phoning it in as Spock, though. > [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](#): > > Also, I’m glad they decided to develop Raj. Granted, it’s all in his head, but I’d like to like him as a more active character rather than the non-speaking shy guy he is. I like Raj. > But not in that way. He does have excellent taste in women. ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/4 "2011-02-04T08:45:38Z")
Best ending ever…the Bollywood ending. I was HOWLING!!! Also, “It’s like accidently going to a gay bar and not being hit on!” ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/5 "2011-02-04T11:12:42Z")
With all of those fantasy sequences, it was a bit hard to keep track - were they still being consistent about Raj’s selective mutism? That is, of all the times he spoke to or in front of Bernadette, was he either drunk or imagining for all of them? Also, in selective mutism, is it normal for somebody to have vivid daydreams involving being about to break their ‘rule’ like that? ---
**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:** [February 4, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/6 "2011-02-04T12:34:39Z")
Yes - he had a beer in front of him at the restaurant, when Bernadette was acting a little flirty, so he could talk to her. All others were fantasy sequences – his talking in front of her is what twigged me to it being a dream at the first instance. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/7 "2011-02-04T13:15:29Z")
One thing I _really_ wish this show would stop doing is having people when video chatting look off to the side where the person they are talking to is sitting. In real life you are either looking at your screen or if you have any brains at all at the camera. Why would AFF being looking to her right when talking to Sheldon? She’s a smart person, she’d be looking straight at her computer’s camera. Yet another thing the BBT producers do that irritate the nerds that watch the show. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/8 "2011-02-04T14:25:26Z")
The idea that Penny was portraying Spock just tickled me - even if she didn’t do it well. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/9 "2011-02-04T14:36:46Z")
I had fun with the episode. Sheldon did great as his mother. Raj’s fantasies were a little tiresome, but the ending was entertaining. ---
**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:** [February 4, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/10 "2011-02-04T14:39:23Z")
Jim Parsons has shown he is a great actor, though I thought the Raj/Bernadette/Howard story was more entertaining than the whole Sheldon/Penny story. The ending was phenomenal! Note how Raj’s fantasies went from plausible (I won a fellowship in Isreal) to ridiculous? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/11 "2011-02-04T14:41:49Z")
I didn’t like this show very much, it had some good laughs but felt poorly written overall. I think the actors did very good where the writers phoned it in. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/12 "2011-02-04T14:45:14Z")
“Yes, lets have another session, I’d like to master this.” ---
**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:** [February 4, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/13 "2011-02-04T14:49:25Z")
Loved all the call-backs to previous episodes, like why Penny would have Sheldon’s mother’s phone number. “OK. Except for the dance number, totally not gay.” ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/14 "2011-02-04T16:27:06Z")
Was Penny’s portrayal of Spock supposed to be ‘bad acting’ that would explain why she doesn’t get any acting jobs? The dance sequence was hilarious. Was Leonard even in the episode after the opening sequence? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/15 "2011-02-04T16:44:19Z")
I never really cared for dream episodes of series or fantasy. The writers were going for something different with this episode and achieved it, 30 minutes of boredom. This was the first episode of TBBT I watched, where I actually couldn’t follow the plot as it was so boring I kept tuning out of it. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/16 "2011-02-04T16:44:23Z")
Leonard was in one of Raj’s fantasy sequences. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/17 "2011-02-04T17:06:21Z")
I found the whole back-story fascinating. It’s now clear that Raj has been agonizing as to whether he was really gay or not (and I think it pre-dates Leonard’s Mom’s comments) even to the point of visiting gay bars without telling his friends. Now, in this episode he has a complete epiphany about it, and the whole thing is resolved. It re-defines everything we have thought we’ve known about Raj, and gives insight into why so little has been shown about him. He was hiding his core issue from everyone. I also felt like there was a bit of an elbow in the ribs from the writers: “Okay blogosphere, there. Not gay. All right? So shut-up about it already! ! !” I’ll be interested to see whether the epiphany clears up the mutism. Maybe Raj was in fact mute around women he thought he _should_ be attracted to. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/18 "2011-02-04T17:14:56Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I found the whole back-story fascinating. It’s now clear that Raj has been agonizing as to whether he was really gay or not (and I think it pre-dates Leonard’s Mom’s comments) even to the point of visiting gay bars without telling his friends. He used the word “accidentally” when talking about going to a gay bar, though. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/19 "2011-02-04T17:26:09Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > He used the word “accidentally” when talking about going to a gay bar, though. But he was shifty-eyed about it. And clearly hurt when he didn’t get “hit-on.” ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046/20 "2011-02-04T17:30:00Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > He used the word “accidentally” when talking about going to a gay bar, though. Which is less than a stone’s throw away from “my friend went to a gay bar”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-2-3-the-thespian-catalyst/570046.md?page=2)