# The Big Bang Theory, October 3, 2013 -- "The Scavenger Vortex" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 3, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300 "2013-10-03T21:47:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/41 "2013-10-05T04:50:49Z")
Sorry for an aside, but… I missed some episodes last season but have seen the ones this season. Did they explain why Raj can now talk around the women when he’s not drunk? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/42 "2013-10-05T05:32:49Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Did they explain why Raj can now talk around the women when he’s not drunk? This will probably come up a lot over the next few weeks. Answered [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16707198#post16707198). ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/43 "2013-10-05T06:21:00Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > This will probably come up a lot over the next few weeks. Answered [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16707198#post16707198). Thanks! ---
**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:** [October 5, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/44 "2013-10-05T16:11:56Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > Funny you should mention that. Last night was the first time I noticed that Stuart’s counter has a sign on the front edge with a URL to the store’s web site: [www.thecomiccenter.com](http://www.thecomiccenter.com). The site says the store is called The Comic Center of Pasadena, and the online store is closed Which leads to more intra-show continuity problems. The zoom out at the end of _The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary_ when Sheldon yells “Wheaton” is centered over the block in Hollywood that houses the Kodak Theater (Oscar land) and the Chinese Theater. Definitely not Pasadena and not withing walking distance of Sheldon and Leonard’s apartment. (Leonard once asked Sheldon if he walked to the comic book store.) Also a bit pricey for a barely surviving shop owner like Stewart. I like “smart” Stewart, not the “failing” Stewart. E.g., the one that can talk Sheldon into buying overpriced crap (and is a good artist). Too bad sitcoms like this like to drive secondary characters down. Interesting positive traits help build story lines. Generic negative traits just lead to cheap filler jokes. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/45 "2013-10-05T17:42:39Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Which leads to more intra-show continuity problems. You mean like Bernadette being her usual sweet self when they were playing the Star Wars game, rather than a hyper-competitive monster? > [@](#): > > I like “smart” Stewart, not the “failing” Stewart. E.g., the one that can talk Sheldon into buying overpriced crap (and is a good artist). Too bad sitcoms like this like to drive secondary characters down. Interesting positive traits help build story lines. Generic negative traits just lead to cheap filler jokes. Yep, they had a good introduction for the Stuart character then he went from character to caricature to get cheap laughs with him. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/46 "2013-10-05T17:46:14Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Did they say it was 1000 pieces? Those little boxes are typically smaller puzzles, like 250. It took me about a week to do my 500 piece puzzle; when they dumped out the puzzles, I groaned inside - that is not the right way to find clues for a quick game, even if the puzzles were only 250 pieces! I did like Penny being responsible for figuring out clues as fast or faster than the other brainiacs; she’s no dummy. So, were Howard and Amy just singing karaoke instead of finishing the puzzle hunt? Also, I did not like the lack of pay-off - Raj does indeed suck. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/47 "2013-10-06T13:49:10Z")
Did none of the characters have to reach into their pockets during the hunt? Raj is lucky that no one found the coin early. (or he paid off the writers…) ---
**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:** [October 6, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/48 "2013-10-06T15:44:25Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > Did none of the characters have to reach into their pockets during the hunt? Raj is lucky that no one found the coin early. > > (or he paid off the writers…) I thought about too. Raymond Chandler called this having God sit in your lap. Bernadette’s competitiveness would have been more tolerable if she had gotten the answers for the puzzles. Did she? All I remember is her yelling at Leonard. This episode did more to lay the grounds for a divorce than for humor. Imagine Howard dumping Bernadette because she was the impossible one to live with. ---
**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:** [October 6, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/49 "2013-10-06T15:50:18Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > Did none of the characters have to reach into their pockets during the hunt? Raj is lucky that no one found the coin early. > > (or he paid off the writers…) In all fairness, Sheldon did find his when he reached for his key to enter the apartment. One would think at least one of the drivers would have found theirs earlier though. Interesting that we have all completely glossed over the revelation that Raj is an accomplished pickpocket. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/50 "2013-10-06T16:00:52Z")
Truth be told the best team would likely be Penny and Sheldon. A team is best when the units of the team complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Sheldon would have academic esoterica down but would have been stumped on the Rolling Stones poster, for example. Together they cover a broader range of knowledge and skill sets than any other pairing. For our trivia team we try to make sure we have different people who know more about different things. Overall a very meh ep. ---
**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 6, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/51 "2013-10-06T18:32:52Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Truth be told the best team would likely be Penny and Sheldon… They would have been WAY ahead if Sheldon hadn’t insisted on finishing the puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/52 "2013-10-06T20:14:57Z")
At least _that_ is internally consistent. (Remember AFF’s attempt to train him out of his compulsion to finish things?) ---
**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, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/53 "2013-10-06T22:00:55Z")
A better ending would have had all three teams dropping the hunt for some other activity - Sheldon and Penny finding the coins in their pockets and returning to finish the puzzle (after Sheldon stopped in the middle due to AFF’s conditioning) and Leonard and Bernadette getting their frustrations out with paintball or some other sublimation game. End scene is Raj sitting alone in the apartment, knowing that his friends ditched his sorry-assed activity again, sending him into a shame spiral culmination in running back to Stuart, where they both decide to move to Fire Island and open a B&B. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/54 "2013-10-07T18:35:19Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I like “smart” Stewart, not the “failing” Stewart. > [@epbrown01](#): > > Yep, they had a good introduction for the Stuart character then he went from character to caricature to get cheap laughs with him. Yes, I miss “normal” Stewart. The one who was just a small business owner. (Admittedly a kinds funny-looking one, but still.) The first time we met him, he asked Penny out. They went on a date. This Stewart would never have managed that. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/55 "2013-10-07T22:07:22Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > This episode did more to lay the grounds for a divorce than for humor. Imagine Howard dumping Bernadette because she was the impossible one to live with. After this episode, and Bernadette and Amy’s conversation at the end of the season opener, I’m wondering if one of this year’s subplots will be an attraction between Amy and Howard. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/56 "2013-10-08T20:57:16Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > You mean like Bernadette being her usual sweet self when they were playing the Star Wars game, rather than a hyper-competitive monster? I’ve seen every episode, but I’m suffering from a memory lapse here. What was the “Star Wars game?” Even though Wil Wheaton’s character has mellowed a lot since his early appearances as “Evil Wil Wheaton,” I’d like to see his evil self return to compete against Bernadette in some game or another. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300/57 "2013-10-09T06:18:02Z")
> [@Cartoonacy](#): > > I’ve seen every episode, but I’m suffering from a memory lapse here. What was the “Star Wars game?” Season 5, ep 9: The Weekend Vortex, wherein the guys plan a Guy’s Weekend playing the online Star Wars for 48 hours straight with no girls, except Howard invites Bernadette. “Dr. Rostenkowski, you may be interested to know that yelling ‘Whee!’ does _not_ make the landspeeder go faster.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-october-3-2013-the-scavenger-vortex/670300.md?page=2)