I am starting this thread in anticipation of tonight’s episode.
At least it was a satisfactory walk-back from Penny’s drunken proposal last week.
I can’t say much about the Sheldon-dog thing, however, since How I Met Your Mother did the same shtick much funnier three years ago.
They’re recycling plots now? 
There was a previous episode premised on Sheldon being forced to take a vacation–he went to work with Amy in her lab.
Didn’t like the Sheldon/dog thing. He’s a former child prodigy, not a dim-witted man-child.
Didn’t like the now obligatory Stuart’s misery bit.
Didn’t like Bitchy Bernadette’s return to buy from Stuart’s enemy. So she’s two-faced in addition to being bitchy now? Yuck. Time to push her down the elevator shaft.
Didn’t like the Amy plot. Didn’t like the Penny quits her job thing, either.
I think the cast is too big, and trying to find something for everybody to do every week isn’t working out.
Hated the episode. Again. Did they hire new writers or something? This whole season pretty much sucks.
As did Seinfeld in 1996. When Kramer took dog medicine: Seinfeld - Kramer takes dog medicine - YouTube
I think the main thing they need to do is have Leonard grow some balls and point out to Penny that there’s a difference between “support you 100% in what you choose to do” and “agree 100% with everything you choose to do.”
That’s the dynamic at question here- Leonard thinks Penny’s making a bad decision, but is willing to support her, but she’s wanting total buy-in and being a raving bitch when Leonard is sensible about things. I’m kind of tired of seeing him portrayed as the bad guy for not necessarily putting up with Penny’s BS in an unqualified fashion.
Being balless is Leonard’s personality. If he had any he wouldn’t keep putting up with Sheldon’s BS.
And it seems a common trope in sitcoms that if a woman makes a big decision it’s her life and who the hell is the man to hell her differently, but if if a man makes a big decision he needs to talk it over with his girlfriend first.
I don’t know why Sheldon didn’t ride a train somewhere for his vacation. He might have invited Amy along. When things don’t go the way he wants them to go, Sheldon reverts to a little boy. Remember when Leonard and Penny were fighting and Sheldon eventually ended up at the comics store or L&P were arguing about P taking S to Disneyland? The man/child is broken and someone has to care for him.
I don’t remember ever seeing Amy, Howard, and Raj interacting just between themselves with no one else present. I’d be curious to see how that grouping might work out. Come to think of it, I find it interesting when they break out of their normal groups. Bernie and Stuart were together too. There was that scavenger hunt episode where they generally swapped around (Penny was teamed with Sheldon, which is fairly normal). With Raj now able to speak to females, there could be more of this.
Frankly, I enjoy watching Bernadette’s changes in personality. She’d be boring if she was only Sweet Bernie.
Penny quitting her job was a good move - now she will be going for auditions that could be a lot funnier than working at Cheesecake Factory. I am surprised Leonard hasn’t offered some financial assistance…he does earn a decent salary, right? Or is it just Sheldon who is raking in the big bucks?
Otherwise - this episode was so-so.
Not sure I was ready to see nice-guy Josh (from “Drake and Josh”) being such an asshole.
I would guess that both L&S have sunk a lot of bucks into their collections of comic-related crap. But I doubt that L makes much more than about $30K per year which would not be a whole lot to support his lifestyle in L.A. paying rent on that apt. and driving back and forth to work every day.
I can’t recall that either of them have any extra income or capital. But the writers could always present us with a surprise. One or both of them could have some wealthy relatives that have left them some major money.
I don’t recall either of them having any additional income or capital but I doubt that has ever been clear.
Sheldon has a drawer full of paychecks he hasn’t bothered to cash or deposit. And a large pile of cash he whipped out when he loaned Penny money a few seasons ago. And a smaller stash of cash he keeps in action-figure Green Lantern’s ass.
I had a horrid thought the other day. We’ve been yammering on and on for the better part of a year now about the anguishing prospect of the season ending with Bernie being pregnant. What if we’re wrong and it’s Penny who announces that she has a nerdlette in the oven?
Raj didn’t recognize Brian Posehn from last season? 
Why was Howard’s rare comic book sitting out somewhere that Bernadette could put a curling iron on it?
I really liked the old Stuart who got dates with Penny, was an artist who had work featured in art exhibits and was a successful business owner. The pathetic Stuart shtick isn’t funny.
Leonard is a tenure track professor at Cal Tech which means he’s making closer to 80K a year.
The minimum salary for an administrative assistant at Caltech is $27,500.
http://www.minnesotajobnetwork.com/j/t-administrative-assistant-e-california-institute-of-technology-l-pasadena,-ca-jobs-j5790001.html
I disagree with some of this statement. In another TBBT thread someone pointed out that to qualify for tenure at Caltech, one must have taught as an associate professor for 5 years. Neither Sheldon or Leonard teach classes, i.e. they’re not professors. Though in the TBBT universe they are on a tenure track. After looking at that link about Caltech jobs, I’d guess they’re “Postdoc Scholar Specialists”.
In that episode where Sheldon loaned Penny some money, it was established that he used about half his salary for his living expenses and put the rest in savings/investments/a peanut brittle can (bazinga!)/ and in the Green Lantern’s ass. I think Leonard probably makes somewhat less than Sheldon, Sheldon’s been there longer but due to S’s eccentricities, he’s probably gotten smaller raises over the years than L has, so L could be catching up salary wise. And Leonard was, if you’ll recall, willing to make a certain sacrifice in order to butter up a donor who made a substantial gift to the physics department. He probably got more out of that than the use of that laser or whatever it was.
I think $30k for a Doctor teaching and researching at Caltech is a very low figure.
If he was just a Staff Scientist the average is $74,000
Research Scientist $85,553
Scientist $101,968
Scientist III $107,218
Assistant Professor $126,472
Sheldon is probably listed as a Scientist. Thus over $100,000.
I’ve don’t recall either being called a Professor.
Yes, but his business has gone sour setting him into a depressed state. They’ll probably eventually find a way to pull him out of this and still keep him as part of the larger group. It might involve closing the store though. I hope this isn’t the state of his character for now on.
It is completely realistic for Stuart’s store to be failing like this. The great recession in addition to any store can fail. I also understand many comic book stores are struggling.
Especially if one with free cappuccino, popcorn, and chocolate chip scones opens up across town.
Did anyone else immediately recognize “The Dark Knight Returns” Part 1 as the comic she needed to replace? Anyone else go dig up their copy to make sure their own wife hadn’t damaged it?