# The Big Bang Theory, Season 10, Episode 8 (November 10, 2016) -- "The Brain Bowl Incubation" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2016, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420 "2016-11-10T22:56:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/21 "2016-11-11T23:42:58Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Forgot SDMB is nitpick central. :eek: That’s like forgetting your children’s names or something :p. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/22 "2016-11-11T23:45:21Z")
“Nitpick Central” sounds like a good title for a new forum. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/23 "2016-11-12T01:38:31Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > “Nitpick Central” sounds like a good title for a new forum. That forum already has a name: Straight Dope Message Board. > [@stosh](#): > > Maybe, it’s just me but this show jumped the shark quite awhile ago. Agreed. Immediately after this episode, Mrs. SMV and I watched a DVRed episode of _Black-ish_, and I was struck at how many more good, funny, and organic jokes it contained, versus BBT. That said, this _was_ a really good BBT episode. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/24 "2016-11-12T02:00:54Z")
The Sheldon/Amy scenes were up to par, especially with Amy’s “ovaries” line. But I really couldn’t care less about Raj’s new love interest. I don’t see the two of them together, and it only became a little interesting when Howard came in. I think the problem is Raj himself. Once you get past the obvious Indian jokes and the even more obvious closeted gay jokes, there’s nothing funny about him. They’ve tried so many gimmicks to make him interesting, but they’ve all fallen flat. I’ve just never warmed up to that character. Could it be Kunal Nayyar himself? I’ve never seen him in anything else. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/25 "2016-11-12T02:07:23Z")
I disliked the Raj/Isabella plotline from the moment he let everyone believe she was an astronomer. Intellectual snobbery isn’t funny for me. ---
**Author:** ![RobotDevilDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@RobotDevilDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobotDevilDog)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/26 "2016-11-12T08:31:43Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I hope someone has the sense to cast Jim Parsons as the next James Bond. \ Moneypenny? \ Moneypenny? \ Moneypenny? ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/27 "2016-11-12T12:18:44Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > It’s an interesting casting choice. Maria Canals Barrera, who plays Isabella, is 50 years old, to Kunal Nayyar’s 35. Granted, they’re not necessarily playing their ages, but the script did go out of its way to establish that Isabella has a 19-year-old son, so she is clearly meant to be notably older than Raj. That age difference could potentially give them some story possibilities, in addition to Raj’s discomfort with her job. His parents won’t like this. To be honest, I kinda miss Emily. Then again, I also miss Prya. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/28 "2016-11-12T12:47:15Z")
> [@RobotDevilDog](#): > > \ Moneypenny? \ Moneypenny? \ Moneypenny? Bravo. I say, bravo! ---
**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:** [November 12, 2016, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/29 "2016-11-12T13:10:44Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I disliked the Raj/Isabella plotline from the moment he let everyone believe she was an astronomer. Intellectual snobbery isn’t funny for me. I know it is stupid to take these characters seriously in any way but I think that character could not respond otherwise and it was not out of his intellectual snobbery. Raj’s defining trait is insecurity. The in the moment response could have been nothing else than being anxious about what his friends would think. I’ve not heard anyone disagree that Raj right now is bringing nothing to the show as written. Him having an arc of growing out of that insecurity and into an actual adult relationship with a woman and an adult persona that cuts loose from dependency on the approval of others (be it his friends or the literal financial dependency on his parents) is probably the best chance for some good writing about him. My guess is that this will be their attempt to create that arc. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/30 "2016-11-12T13:18:08Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > No, I think she would love to have a baby with Sheldon. She just wants it to be part of a romantic pairing after they get married, not as a lab rat with forced breeding. I don’t think Amy wants to have a baby now, and I think seeing the professional problems Bernadette is having has made her sensible about the whole “choosing the right time.” She might want to have a baby with Sheldon some day, but I don’t think she wants to have a baby with anyone now. And yeah, especially as a social experiment. She didn’t have a happy childhood. Everyone I know who didn’t have a happy childhood is very cautious about having a baby. Even though she doesn’t go on about it as much, I get the impression her childhood may have been even worse than Leonard’s. Sheldon, by contrast, seems to have had just about the best childhood his parents could have given him. He didn’t have any friends, but I get the impression that he had just about everything else he wanted, including grandparents who doted on him. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/31 "2016-11-12T16:49:52Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > But I really couldn’t care less about Raj’s new love interest. I don’t see the two of them together, and it only became a little interesting when Howard came in. I think the problem is Raj himself. Once you get past the obvious Indian jokes and the even more obvious closeted gay jokes, there’s nothing funny about him. They’ve tried so many gimmicks to make him interesting, but they’ve all fallen flat. I’ve just never warmed up to that character. Could it be Kunal Nayyar himself? I’ve never seen him in anything else. I’ve said this for a while now, but I really think that if they want to get the most out of Raj, they should stop doing the “obvious closeted gay jokes” and just let him admit that he’s gay (or bisexual) and have him meet a man. They don’t have any gay characters in the show, and I think it might be a breath of fresh air. There are a lot of places they could go with it - maybe have him go through a series of guys, or meet “the one” and decide they want to adopt a child together…I’ve just never bought Raj as straight from the early seasons, despite his parade of girlfriends. Of course, his parents would be mortified, but I think all his friends would be like, “Yeah, about time, dude. it’s not like we didn’t all know ages ago.” ---
**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:** [November 12, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/32 "2016-11-12T17:06:12Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Sheldon, by contrast, seems to have had just about the best childhood his parents could have given him. He didn’t have any friends, but I get the impression that he had just about everything else he wanted, including grandparents who doted on him. Sheldon’s mother protected him and his meemaw was important. His father was a redneck drunk and philanderer who hated everything about Sheldon and cared more for his other son, George, and his pop-pop died when he was young. The BBT wiki says “He also claimed that his father and mother had an imploding marriage as they fought almost all the time, which traumatized him a lot when he was a child.” His meemaw and pop-pop were his mother’s parents. I don’t think the show has ever mentioned his father’s parents, so unless there’s a huge revelation they couldn’t have been a big part of his life. The wiki says they’re both dead now. That’s not a great childhood, especially with all the bullying from the other kids, including his siblings. Wiki again: “Sheldon even tells Amy Farrah Fowler that his childhood was ‘hell.’” The two women compensated for that but not completely. I’d guess that of the group, Raj and Penny had the best childhoods. Sheldon is somewhere in the middle. ---
**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:** [November 12, 2016, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/33 "2016-11-12T17:48:16Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I don’t think Amy wants to have a baby now, and I think seeing the professional problems Bernadette is having has made her sensible about the whole “choosing the right time.” She might want to have a baby with Sheldon some day, but I don’t think she wants to have a baby with anyone now. And yeah, especially as a social experiment. She didn’t have a happy childhood. Everyone I know who didn’t have a happy childhood is very cautious about having a baby. Even though she doesn’t go on about it as much, I get the impression her childhood may have been even worse than Leonard’s. > > Sheldon, by contrast, seems to have had just about the best childhood his parents could have given him. He didn’t have any friends, but I get the impression that he had just about everything else he wanted, including grandparents who doted on him. She actually said, “I’m not ready to have a baby right now!” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/34 "2016-11-13T01:57:15Z")
I don’t think Amy will be ready for motherhood until both she and Sheldon evolve further, both as individuals and as a couple. ---
**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:** [November 13, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/35 "2016-11-13T13:42:37Z")
One good episode and we’re back in the toilet again. Everything was so off about this. It’s as if the writer knows very little about the show. That was not Sheldon Cooper. Or Raj. I saw the baby vs. bowl-of-brains thing coming a mile away. And yet they still failed to deliver a good punch line making the preceding just filler. And the ending. It just ended. Near the end I checked to see how much time was left because the episode wasn’t going to be able to wrap things up in time. And it didn’t. Even **Mrs. FtG** asked “Wait, it’s over already?” It felt like half an episode (if that) padded out. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/36 "2016-11-13T15:32:14Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > “Nitpick Central” sounds like a good title for a new forum. As an aside, there really was a message board called Nitpick Central. It was based around Phil Farrand’s Nitpicker’s Guides and was one of the first Web based message boards I took part in (I lurked here but did not post for a couple years). Before that I stuck with Usenet newsgroups. ---
**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 14, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420/37 "2016-11-14T17:51:56Z")
Pretty good episode. Howard had been tempering his personality lately but he’s backing to being a real dick. Sheldon’s attempt at being suave was both funny and disturbing, but then Amy almost was taken in. Hope he doesn’t recall that he has a sample of Spock’s DNA. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-10-episode-8-november-10-2016-the-brain-bowl-incubation/771420.md?page=1)