10-09-2014, 02:15 AM
Man I love Kevin Sussman! He's like one of those old Hollywood character actors, nameless at times but reliably good in their performances. You know what you're getting and it's comforting somehow. The Home Health Aide Who Stayed Too Long could easily grate, but Sussman hits all the right notes of a man granted a "cushy" reprieve from a faltering business. Stuart's clearly enjoying himself and it amusingly smugs over into his interactions with Howard, whom he's seemingly supplanted in Debbie's affections. Yes, the conflict is somewhat contrived, but I'm willing to give it a pass because of the two actors.
It could be interesting to see how Stuart will fare now that he has a business partner, one who I suspect won't be silent. Figuratively AND literally speaking. Angsty Stuart could be making a return engagement, and that's fine too. Because it's Sussman. He knows what he's doing and he knows how to make it funny.
As for the rest of the episode...meh. I'm noticing that more and more often the character dynamics have shifted. Now instead of outlier Sheldon being baffled by the gang and the world at large it's Leonard being incredulous at his three dumb friends. I don't know if this is a sop to Galecki, the headliner, or to underscore Leonard's "ascension" into normalcy. For me the charm and iridescence of the show resides in Sheldon being the aloof, at times haughty, bystander struggling to understand the social nuances. Eh, well, obviously that ship has sailed. No pun intended.
And Raj? Get over yourself, man. Oh, um, right, we have to have some phony enmity between the pretty girls. Well I say run, Emily, RUUUNNN!!! Otherwise you'll be assimilated into the Snark-Into-Your-Snifter Club and spend the rest of your days quilting patches of outdated sexual politics with boring "girly" bits.
Once again we're deprived any meaningful interaction between the show's two most popular characters. The Shenny so adroitly complement each other, bringing to the forefront freewheeling, incisive Penny and mannered, bemused Sheldon, that when they don't get any screen time together I feel like we're getting watered down versions of their characters at best. It's also the only time I can forget how utterly they've been subverted otherwise. But it's as if the powers that be are studiously trying not to rely on their time-tested goldmine, mistakenly believing their canon ships have enough oomph to propel these, um, stories. (Hint. They don't.)
Taking off one Dirty Sock because of Sussman, another because I didn't quite feel like gouging out my eyeballs. Alas though the (former) nerd-dizzles are still being pummeled by Relationship Monster and eaten alive by Banal Domesticity. Finances? BAH!!
It could be interesting to see how Stuart will fare now that he has a business partner, one who I suspect won't be silent. Figuratively AND literally speaking. Angsty Stuart could be making a return engagement, and that's fine too. Because it's Sussman. He knows what he's doing and he knows how to make it funny.
As for the rest of the episode...meh. I'm noticing that more and more often the character dynamics have shifted. Now instead of outlier Sheldon being baffled by the gang and the world at large it's Leonard being incredulous at his three dumb friends. I don't know if this is a sop to Galecki, the headliner, or to underscore Leonard's "ascension" into normalcy. For me the charm and iridescence of the show resides in Sheldon being the aloof, at times haughty, bystander struggling to understand the social nuances. Eh, well, obviously that ship has sailed. No pun intended.
And Raj? Get over yourself, man. Oh, um, right, we have to have some phony enmity between the pretty girls. Well I say run, Emily, RUUUNNN!!! Otherwise you'll be assimilated into the Snark-Into-Your-Snifter Club and spend the rest of your days quilting patches of outdated sexual politics with boring "girly" bits.
Once again we're deprived any meaningful interaction between the show's two most popular characters. The Shenny so adroitly complement each other, bringing to the forefront freewheeling, incisive Penny and mannered, bemused Sheldon, that when they don't get any screen time together I feel like we're getting watered down versions of their characters at best. It's also the only time I can forget how utterly they've been subverted otherwise. But it's as if the powers that be are studiously trying not to rely on their time-tested goldmine, mistakenly believing their canon ships have enough oomph to propel these, um, stories. (Hint. They don't.)
Taking off one Dirty Sock because of Sussman, another because I didn't quite feel like gouging out my eyeballs. Alas though the (former) nerd-dizzles are still being pummeled by Relationship Monster and eaten alive by Banal Domesticity. Finances? BAH!!
OH PLEASE...