# The Big Bang Theory 4/24--The Closure Alternative **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 25, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702 "2013-04-25T20:45:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [April 26, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/41 "2013-04-26T20:26:17Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > I just surprised that there’s an active discussion about weather or not a obsessive compulsion is portrayed correctly. > > I thought it was a hilarious episode; and I’m very fortunate to have never once worried about whether or not Sheldon should have just drawn on O on the board, only sang the last note of the song, or only blow out once candle. > > We have some dopers who seem to be as OC about the tv show as Sheldon portrays in TBBT. You’re right, I forgot to mention the candle. ---
**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:** [April 26, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/42 "2013-04-26T20:36:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Not to mention Bernie and Amy alternating between jealousy of the attention Penny is getting and being thrilled by the attention _they_ get when they visit the set. Amy would start a fan club. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/43 "2013-04-26T20:51:57Z")
It would be good story fodder if Penny got a good acting job. I like the thread’s ideas–a recurring commercial role with Shatner, or a semi-successful SF role like a SyFy Original Movie. She could get thoroughly exposed to Hollywood phonies and react by valuing her friends more. While Leonard can freak out about all the other people suddenly in her life, like vapid but hunky men, just as she’s realizing how much she loves him. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/44 "2013-04-26T21:00:29Z")
You’re all missing the gigantic character development/news that was already in the episode. Penny knows the word epiphany! Four syllables of wow! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/45 "2013-04-26T22:12:55Z")
> [@Jane\_D\_oh](#): > > I was disappointed that Penny didn’t like Buffy. I think Leonard was spot on in suggesting it as a place where their Venn diagrams might intersect. The fact that it didn’t doesn’t bode well. This part was pretty spot-on. The first season of Buffy was rough and they only saw one episode. What disappointed me was that the episode did not contain any Penny fanservice costumes – a real missed opportunity to see Penny in a cheerleader or slayer outfit. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/46 "2013-04-27T00:02:10Z")
> [@The\_Controvert](#): > > This part was pretty spot-on. The first season of Buffy was rough and they only saw one episode. But “Welcome to the Hellmouth” is a pretty kickass episode. ---
**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:** [April 27, 2013, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/47 "2013-04-27T00:16:34Z")
The relationship is doomed. If she doesn’t like _Buffy_, she’s just a [redacted grossly inappropriate sexual characterization] who isn’t worth Leonard’s time. He should start looking at Sheldon’s assistant. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/48 "2013-04-27T03:28:22Z")
I think it would be cool if Penny got an acting gig _because of_ stuff she picked up by hanging with the guys - like, a role in a web series like _The Guild_, or something. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/49 "2013-04-27T04:26:38Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > The growth of the Penny character has been bad for years. If they don’t want her to be a successful actress, at least move her character along a little. Maybe have her stumble into a position as a buyer for a shoe company or something. > > As the characters age, I see her less and less as the hot girl the nerds are lusting after, and more as a sad 30 something waitress who’s desperate for a sugar daddy. But isn’t that real life for you? Personally, I think they ought to flip the tables, and have Penny finally figure out that Leonard’s the guy, and then have him realize that Penny’s not the one for him for all the reasons Sheldon’s pointed out all along- no degree, bad job, not an intellectual match, etc… That would make for some really interesting conflict and some interesting character development. And it’s entirely possible that Penny might go back to school or something… stranger things have happened. A friend of mine actually met his wife while he was working on a Master’s degree and she was a high-school grad waitress. They married while he was in doctoral school, and she’d started undergrad. Fast forward about a decade or so, and she’s just got her PhD! ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/50 "2013-04-27T04:42:58Z")
> [@Jane\_D\_oh](#): > > I was disappointed that Penny didn’t like Buffy. I think Leonard was spot on in suggesting it as a place where their Venn diagrams might intersect. The fact that it didn’t doesn’t bode well. > [@silenus](#): > > The relationship is doomed. If she doesn’t like _Buffy_, she’s just a [redacted grossly inappropriate sexual characterization] who isn’t worth Leonard’s time. He should start looking at Sheldon’s assistant. But Penny _did_ like Buffy. She said so, she thought it was “cute”, and I got the impression she genuinely enjoyed it to a reasonable level. She just didn’t jump up and down saying she loved it. I had basically the same reaction the first time I saw Buffy, and I’m a huge fan. She seems to have liked it about as much as she would like any pretty good TV show. That was the whole point of her questioning herself. Leonard was expecting an “OMG it’s AMAZING!” reaction and didn’t get one, because Penny’s just not like that. About anything. Except maybe shoes… and now, hopefully, her friends. Even her questioning of Bernadette was not about whether the show was good per se, but what inspired such passion in Leonard, and the rest of her friends. (Unless I’m forgetting a part where she said she didn’t really like it or something. But that was my overall impression.) ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/51 "2013-04-27T05:07:04Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Or as close to an orgasm as Sheldon is capable of anyway. Except for the first episode where Leonard said Sheldon was a “semi-pro” at masturbation. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/52 "2013-04-27T11:29:03Z")
Everybody keeps saying that about the first episode but I just watched it recently (having never seen it before). I waited for that line never caught it. What I did catch was Sheldon serving Leonard and himself bottles of beer. He even stuck a lime wedge in his bottle. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/53 "2013-04-27T16:42:44Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Everybody keeps saying that about the first episode but I just watched it recently (having never seen it before). I waited for that line never caught it. What I did catch was Sheldon serving Leonard and himself bottles of beer. He even stuck a lime wedge in his bottle. It’s usually edited in reruns for whatever reason. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/G_MSjcUd5xE/hqdefault.jpg "the big bang theory high iq sperm bank") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_MSjcUd5xE) [http://wiki.the-big-bang-theory.com/wiki/0101](http://wiki.the-big-bang-theory.com/wiki/0101) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/54 "2013-04-27T19:54:54Z")
Ah, that looks like a cold open. I may have missed it. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/55 "2013-04-27T20:23:04Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Ah, that looks like a cold open. I may have missed it. I’ve never seen that scene in syndication. Whenever they (my local Fox affiliate or TBS) air that episode, it always begins just after that cold-opener with Leonard and Sheldon climbing the stairs and meeting Penny for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/56 "2013-04-27T20:44:52Z")
Perhaps it’s sold without it. Because those first 5 or so minutes totally mess up the “Sheldon has no ‘deal’” deal that the show has been working with since the second episode. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702/57 "2013-04-27T23:33:39Z")
They canceled Alphas? But it really did end on a hell of a cliffhanger. Damn. Damn damn damn! I’ll miss you, Gary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-4-24-the-closure-alternative/656702.md?page=2)