# The Big Bang Theory, Season 8, Episode 23 (April 30, 2015) -- "The Maternal Combustion" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 30, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-23-april-30-2015-the-maternal-combustion/718920 "2015-04-30T19:40:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-23-april-30-2015-the-maternal-combustion/718920/41 "2015-05-05T17:23:32Z")
Thinking about the episode, Beverly’s face-palm reactions made no sense. They were totally out of character, totally unnatural, and totally unnecessary. She does better when she just stops and stares. And as an aside, Laurie Metcalf looked really old and drawn in this episode. It was almost as if she was sick. At least that’s what struck me. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-23-april-30-2015-the-maternal-combustion/718920/42 "2015-05-05T17:48:08Z")
> [@Sir\_Prize](#): > > Unless their is an in story reason for a sitcom psychiatrist to be anti-Freud, they are followers of Freud by default because that is the only name most people associate with the field. Big Bang theory is usually good about being more sophisticated about hard science and engineering jokes but I guess it doesn’t cover psychiatry. For that matter, psychiatry is the only mental health profession that exists in Sitcom Land. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a clinical social worker, psychologist, LPC, Marriage and Family Therapist, or any other type of mental healthcare worker on a sitcom. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-23-april-30-2015-the-maternal-combustion/718920/43 "2015-05-05T17:49:56Z")
Dr. Frasier Crane doesn’t count? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-23-april-30-2015-the-maternal-combustion/718920/44 "2015-05-05T17:54:08Z")
Bob Newhart’s character on his 1970s sitcom was a psychologist, not a psychiatrist. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-23-april-30-2015-the-maternal-combustion/718920/45 "2015-05-05T18:07:42Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Dr. Frasier Crane doesn’t count? He was a psychiatrist, wasn’t he? And also a Freudian, in contrast to his brother who was a follower of Jung, the _other_ psychologist that Hollywood has heard of. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Bob Newhart’s character on his 1970s sitcom was a psychologist, not a psychiatrist. You’re right. I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-23-april-30-2015-the-maternal-combustion/718920/46 "2015-05-05T19:20:33Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > He was a psychiatrist, wasn’t he? Per his degree and license, maybe, but he conducted his practice via a radio talk show. So that makes him more of “a clinical social worker, psychologist, LPC, Marriage and Family Therapist” than a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-23-april-30-2015-the-maternal-combustion/718920/47 "2015-05-05T19:27:39Z")
Wasn’t Jill Taylor on _Home Improvement_ studying to be a therapist? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-23-april-30-2015-the-maternal-combustion/718920.md?page=2)