The Big Bang Theory, Season 10, Episode 21 (April 13, 2017) -- "The Separation Agitation"

I am starting this thread in anticipation of tonight’s episode.

Not as good as last week’s, but I liked it.

I agree with Rivkah’s assessment.

Same here. I definitely laughed but not as much as last week.

Just for the record, the first time you drop your child off anywhere, even if it’s voluntary placement in a preschool for a measly 3 hours a day, so he gets a change of pace, and learns that other children besides himself exist in the world, and you have been a SAHM, and would still be, but you take a job AT HIS PRESCHOOL (but not his class) just to be able to send him, and he is still nursing, separation is still bittersweet. For you. He’s going “Toys! Toys! Toys!”

Even though everything was exaggerated for humor, there was a lot of reality in Howard and Bernadette’s dilemma, and Stuart’s too-- you get attached to a child you care for, and it really ought to be called “The Nanny’s dilemma”-- how involved to get with the child, when you know you will have to say goodbye after a few years. Stuart really loves Halley, and that’s sweet, even though it’s played for laughs.

I saw lots of our respite workers deal with it when I was in social work. Some served the same people for years.

It was kind of hard to tell in this ep. which was supposed to be the A plot, and which was the B plot, but I’m going with “Halley” was the A plot (hence the title) and Bert was the B plot.

I liked the Burt storyline, but Bernadette’s quasi-abusive (for lack of a better word) towards Howard is still bordering on creepy for me. I’m 100% fine with her abusing everyone else around her–the show with Penny and whatshisname from News Radio who played her boss bonding over how scary she was is a classic. But to me, with Howard, it’s creepy.

I’m hoping they bring whatshername (the gold-digger) back and…I dunno…she remains a gold digger but also develops some feelings for Burt. I love Burt’s interactions with the rest of the group (and as far as I’m concerned, you could easily kill off Raj and bring in Burt.)

Also, did anyone else think there was something wrong with the laugh-track again this episode? So far there’ve been about 3 or 4 episodes where the already somewhat intrusive laugh-track was mixed WAY TOO LOUDLY. This one seemed the worse yet. Or was it just me?

I wonder if they filmed in a museum, or they actually built an entire sloth enclosure for three minutes of airtime.

Is there an enclosure like that at the L.A. Zoo?

I loved Howard’s impersonation of Stuart and Amy putting Sheldon in time out, then calling him back when she realized Rebecca was a gold-digger. “I used to date a Scientologist” made me snort.

Fun With Flags is better when they have Star Trek guests on.

Not too much Leonard and Penny. The tease for this episode was misleading. They are NOT trying to get Raj a girlfriend, so he continues to be lonely.

I’ve read that Simon Helberg (Howard) was a pretty talented stand-up comic before BBT. I thought this impersonation was a good example of his abilities.

He showed them off during a game of D&D. He did Christopher Walken, Nicholas Cage, and Al Pacino. It was hilarious. Even Sheldon was tickled.

Simon Helberg’s skill at impressions has been featured several times. We’ve heard his Bernadette impression before, but I think this was the first time we’ve heard him do Stuart. And it was quite good!

Rebecca, Bert’s girlfriend, was played by April Bowlby, who had a recurring role for awhile on Two and a Half Men as Jon Cryer’s second wife. I didn’t recognize her with the blonde hair.

I was mostly bored with this episode. As I’ve said before, I could live my life quite happily without ever seeing Bert again. I’m sure he’s a wonderful person with many delightful qualities, but as a performer Brian Posehn is just not my cup of tea.

OTOH, I would love to see an episode where Bert kills and eats Raj, then takes his place in the core group.

But Sheldon said they’d have to replace Raj with another person of color!

Yeah, but then he might undergo mitosis, and then there’d be two of him. I can barely stand one. (“I’m just so full…” Sploink!)

You don’t think having a cannibal in their circle of friends would fulfill the diversity requirement?

I wonder if the gold digger was originally thought up as Raj story line but they realized it wouldn’t work with him so they gave it to Bert.

I have to admit that I’ve never heard the Heisenberg joke in quite that form, which I found hilarious. Pepper Mill was confused, until I explained it.

Didn’t care for the Feynman-Einstein-Heisenberg joke, though.

I thought this was pretty funny. Mayim Bialik is great at fake bad acting. I love when she is on Fun with Flags.

I love it every time they do Fun with Flags. I even like the house band addition.

“I could have done that on my harp.”