10-21-2015, 12:36 AM
For starters this was really just a State of the Shamy. Everything leading up to the stairwell scene was only mildly amusing filler. And how ARE the Shamy? Well, it's (sickeningly) obvious that the "breakup" is winding down. They're at that awkward stage of false fronts and strained conversation. When Sheldon details how he's attempting to move on, Amy is of course quietly devastated. You can tell by the little catch in her voice. The whole cliche-ridden encounter did nothing but telegraph in 72 point boldface type that they'll soon be reconciled. After which all hope of Sheldon resuming his role as aloof observer, "baffled and repulsed by human relationships", will forever be extinguished. Sigh.
The good... Some of the fencing stuff, the bit where they let loose and started over-enthusiastically "swashing", arms and legs going in every direction. Howard and Raj particularly shone as they faced off and snarled at each other with dramatic iterations of "I'm <blank>. You killed my father...". It vaguely reminded me of the episode where they were going to wrestle but spent the entire time circling the mat taunting each other. I guess they were at that for some time and had exhausted all the sword-wielding characters they could think of, because eventually Raj was reduced to "I'm Little Orphan Annie. You killed my father..." Eh. I chuckled.
John Ross Bowie was somewhat wasted as the fencing instructor though. As Kim astutely noted in the Grumblebox, Sheldon's enemies, including Kripke, have been "watered down". Bowie was adept as usual with his dialogue, but it was just there, there was little comic effect to any of it. And he essentially played it straight the entire time anyway, only oozing into villain mode when he heard Amy is possibly available.
<sound of needle loudly scratching a record>
The bad... Stuart summoning the Council to the comic book store to brainstorm ideas that will boost the female clientele. Turns out though that the poor fellow's problems stem from putting up shockingly misogynistic posters on the wall as well as him perving on all the women. This is a far far cry from Stuart's first appearance on the show. THEN he was actually somewhat of a suave character, albeit a bit rumpled. He was witty, charming, and engaging, also self-deprecating but nonetheless able to hold a conversation with Penny. What happened to you, Stuart? "I don't know how it happened, but I've been turned into a cautionary tale about the perils of being single."
<collective gasp>
The ugly... The demonization of the non-relationed. Single people are creepy; pathetic, lecherous, duplicitous creeps who text nudey pics of themselves to potential love interests and who set up cameras to watch breastfeeding mothers. Non-single people, on the other hand, are well-adjusted and successful, the only downside being the loss of purpose, vibrancy, individuality. (You know, unimportant stuff.) And sense of style curiously enough. Married!Penny, for example, seems to be perpetually draped in reams and reams of fabric. I suspect by next season she'll be trudging about in caftans and muumuus.
The good... Some of the fencing stuff, the bit where they let loose and started over-enthusiastically "swashing", arms and legs going in every direction. Howard and Raj particularly shone as they faced off and snarled at each other with dramatic iterations of "I'm <blank>. You killed my father...". It vaguely reminded me of the episode where they were going to wrestle but spent the entire time circling the mat taunting each other. I guess they were at that for some time and had exhausted all the sword-wielding characters they could think of, because eventually Raj was reduced to "I'm Little Orphan Annie. You killed my father..." Eh. I chuckled.
John Ross Bowie was somewhat wasted as the fencing instructor though. As Kim astutely noted in the Grumblebox, Sheldon's enemies, including Kripke, have been "watered down". Bowie was adept as usual with his dialogue, but it was just there, there was little comic effect to any of it. And he essentially played it straight the entire time anyway, only oozing into villain mode when he heard Amy is possibly available.
<sound of needle loudly scratching a record>
The bad... Stuart summoning the Council to the comic book store to brainstorm ideas that will boost the female clientele. Turns out though that the poor fellow's problems stem from putting up shockingly misogynistic posters on the wall as well as him perving on all the women. This is a far far cry from Stuart's first appearance on the show. THEN he was actually somewhat of a suave character, albeit a bit rumpled. He was witty, charming, and engaging, also self-deprecating but nonetheless able to hold a conversation with Penny. What happened to you, Stuart? "I don't know how it happened, but I've been turned into a cautionary tale about the perils of being single."
<collective gasp>
The ugly... The demonization of the non-relationed. Single people are creepy; pathetic, lecherous, duplicitous creeps who text nudey pics of themselves to potential love interests and who set up cameras to watch breastfeeding mothers. Non-single people, on the other hand, are well-adjusted and successful, the only downside being the loss of purpose, vibrancy, individuality. (You know, unimportant stuff.) And sense of style curiously enough. Married!Penny, for example, seems to be perpetually draped in reams and reams of fabric. I suspect by next season she'll be trudging about in caftans and muumuus.
OH PLEASE...