# The Big Bang Theory, Season 8, Episode 5 (October 13, 2014) -- "The Focus Attenuation" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 13, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218 "2014-10-13T17:08:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218/21 "2014-10-14T19:35:13Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I had a really tough time with Penny acting like a responsible adult - the change in personality was just too abrupt. It would have been easier for me to swallow if it had been a more gradual change. > > And even tho I don’t think Bernie is particularly realistic in her mood and personality swings, she did crack me up in this episode. I never really had the impression that Penny is necessarily irresponsible, just that she hasn’t really been in situations where she’s been expected to be responsible. In other words, as a waitress and actress (of sorts), how much responsibility did she have? The only real evidence is some commentary about credit card debt, which doesn’t necessarily correlate with the ability to be serious about a job. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218/22 "2014-10-14T19:48:11Z")
Best episode of the season so far. And Penny looked amazing in that dress. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218/23 "2014-10-14T21:58:59Z")
As a hater of this show and its stupid direction, I feel it is my duty to say how much I loved the premise and (most importantly) the execution of the episode. Loved the parallel storylines, loved that the dating characters were the straightmen(man? mens? people?), love the genuine laughter at the junk twirling joke, love back and forth about BTTF (like old big bang was) liked the writing, everyone was true to their character…just a good episode of a sitcom ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218/24 "2014-10-15T04:08:23Z")
My favorite line, from memory: Leonard: We sent the girls away so we could focus! Sheldon: Well I don’t think it worked! ---
**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:** [October 15, 2014, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218/25 "2014-10-15T04:16:28Z")
I liked: _knock_ _knock_ _knock_ (squeaky, high-pitched voice) “Housekeeping!” ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218/26 "2014-10-15T13:26:40Z")
What some people call “role reversal”, I prefer to think of as “the old switcheroo”. Applied carefully, it’s usually pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218/27 "2014-10-15T14:43:25Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I liked: > > _knock_ _knock_ _knock_ (squeaky, high-pitched voice) “Housekeeping!” Yup, hilarious! ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218/28 "2014-10-15T16:30:42Z")
The part I liked: _Amy takes Penny’s laptop and runs through a door._ Bernadette: Aren’t you going to run after her? Penny: Run after her in the walk-in closet? I kind of like sober Penny and drunk Bernadette and Amy. ---
**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 15, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218/29 "2014-10-15T16:50:38Z")
Good grief. How far this show has fallen. Really terrible episode. The entire guys part of the show had nothing. Complete waste of time. The gals side had only a couple of good lines. But it was seriously tainted with the terrible “drunk is funny” premise. Lorre’s vanity card came back (of course). But it’s clear he really doesn’t care anymore. This disinterest might be spreading thru the show. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218/30 "2014-10-15T17:04:15Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > The girls were hilarious. A nice role reversal that wasn’t too poorly done. I think Penny’s glance at the strippers and then back to the laptop was perfect. > > The guys were dull and boring. Yes, they’re nerds, but they have all been quite accomplished and they could focus for a night if they really wanted to. Yeah, all the guys at least make decent contributions to the world of science with their day jobs. I suppose they can be excused for not being able to break out of “Nerdville” after they get home. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218/31 "2014-10-25T14:14:05Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I, too, noticed the non-dancing strippers. I think it could be a standards and practice thingy. At least, that’s what I thought when Bernie stuck a bill in the dancer’s underwear (that was not a G-string) and he stood stock still. … made it easier to get the shots of the girls in the background. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-8-episode-5-october-13-2014-the-focus-attenuation/701218.md?page=1)